Online RN-BSN Academic Information and Policies

Statement of Student Responsibility

Students are solely responsible for knowing and following Mount Carmel College of Nursing policies and procedures and for their own successful progress and completion of the degree program and requirements they select. While advisors are available to help students with course selection, each student is responsible for seeking clarification regarding progression through the curriculum. At all times, each student is also responsible for seeking clarification and/or assistance from faculty, staff, or administrators.

Online Orientation

All students enrolling in the RN-BSN program of study are required to complete the program orientation course prior to registering for courses in the program of study. The purpose of the orientation course is to ensure that all students have foundational technology skills and familiarity with College resources that support student learning and success.

The orientation, although facilitated by faculty, is an asynchronous self-study course designed to introduce learners to expectations and resources that facilitate success in the online classroom.

Individuals who determine a need for additional assistance or computer help sessions, please contact the Academic Resource Center at academicresources@mccn.edu.

Attendance

Students MUST login during the first week of class in order to remain registered for the course.

Allocation of credit hours and associated work within each course is based on a 16-week (semester) basis. Course credit hour equals one theory hour per week per semester and an additional 2-3 hours per credit hour per week on readings, completing assignments and the like. Therefore, for a 3 credit hour course, learners should anticipate at least 48 hours during the semester engaging in course work. Students can reasonably expect to spend an average of 3 hours per week engaged in online activities and an additional 9-12 hours per week on readings and assignments. Because this course is designed to be asynchronous in nature, regular participation in CANVAS is required. You are expected to frequently log in throughout the week and to stay current with course learning activities and assignments.

Program Completion Time

Online RN-BSN students must complete the Mount Carmel Nursing Program within 15 semesters, or 5 years, of the date of admission.

Textbooks

Mount Carmel students may order textbooks through the online bookstore, MBS Direct. All required and recommended textbooks and materials are organized by course. Students are advised to place orders early to ensure that the required materials will arrive in time for the first class. Books are shipped from the MBS Direct facility in Columbia, Missouri.

MBS Direct also has one of the nation’s largest textbook buyback programs. At the end of the term, students have the opportunity to sell back books that are in demand which helps to reduce the overall cost they pay for textbooks. Visit the online bookstore near the end of the semester for instructions.

Because it is the acceptable format for written papers in scientific disciplines, the College requires the latest edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual, latest edition, for all student papers.

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition)

Author and Publisher: American Psychological Association

ISBN-13: 978-1-4338-0561-5
ISBN-10: 1-4338-0561-8

Pub.Date: 2010, 6^th edition (2^nd printing)

Textbooks for courses taken through affiliation with Columbus State Community College or The Ohio State University or for courses taken at Ohio University-Lancaster by students at the Lancaster Campus can be purchased at the respective institution bookstores or other retail textbook suppliers.

Service Learning

Service learning enhances student learning, growth and contributes to the common good. Service learning asks students to apply course content to the real world of nursing practice. This gives students experiential opportunities to learn in real world contexts , develop skills and give back to the community, which in this case is a specific nursing unit, clinic or some aspect of nursing practice. This service learning may benefit not only the student but also the patients, families, nursing staff and other healthcare workers involved. It is a way to contribute to the nursing setting while addressing significant needs identified by the student for this planned project. Reflecting on the value of such service is also a part of service learning so students will be asked to evaluate the significance of their project and reflect on those served by their work.

Advising

The Online RN-BSN Completion Program Advisor provides the following advising services:

1. Assist in planning the student’s academic program.
2. Advice regarding course registration each semester.
3. Interpret academic requirements, policies, and procedures.
4. Monitor student progress toward fulfilling degree requirements and grade point achievement.

APA Format

The College requires the latest edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style manual for all student papers because it is the acceptable format for written papers in scientific disciplines. 

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6^th edition)
Author and Publisher: American Psychological Association
ISBN: 978-1-4338-0561-5
Pub. Date: 2010, 6th edition (2^nd printing)

APA format is included in the Online Orientation Course. APA referencing, citation and formatting standards are required throughout the program in relationship to written course work.

Turnitin®

To encourage Mount Carmel students to maintain honesty and integrity, the College has partnered with Turnitin®, a web-based program that allows students and faculty to check papers and essays for plagiarism. Onsite students are encouraged to check their own papers prior to submitting their assignments to faculty.

Note: Use of Turnitin is a requirement for all papers submitted by students enrolled in the Online RN-BSN Completion Program.

Academic Resource Center

The Academic Resource Center assists students in their efforts to become confident and independent learners. Our mission is to provide and help integrate effective learning and study strategies for students, while also helping to clarify and reinforce course content, assignments, and material.

The Academic Resource Center provides the following services:

• Individual and group tutoring appointments with Peer Tutors and/or Faculty Coaches
• Assistance with examining and improving study habits, time management skills, stress reduction techniques, and test taking strategies
• Regularly scheduled study groups focusing on identified high-risk courses
• Writing assistance in all areas, including grammar, mechanics, content, organization, and APA format
• Virtual tutoring services through the Canvas Learning Management System

Tutoring services are available at no additional charge. Students can view the current semester schedule, details for scheduling an appointment, and what to expect from tutoring services on the Academic Resource Center CARMELink page.

For more information, please contact the Academic Resource Center (academicresources@mccn.edu).

Academic Success Plan

The purpose of the Academic Success Plan (ASP) is to establish a plan for student success. The planning process is designed to help students by providing academic structure and support through collaboration with faculty, the student and the student advisor. An advisement plan established by the student and the advisor will accompany the ASP. The ASP serves as a vehicle to bring faculty and students to agreement on course goals and identify ways for the student to achieve those agreed upon goals. It is also a means to document college outreach to students who need extra help (and is stored in the student file in records and registration).

The ASP is initiated at any time it is identified that a student needs assistance with improvement; establishing a plan for success of the student within a course. Students repeating a course are required to meet with the course faculty by the end of the first week of the course to collaboratively develop the ASP for the course.

As needed, students are expected to meet (can be through email, telephone call, video chat, or face-to-face) with faculty to discuss and agree upon goals and objectives to aid in their academic success. The ASP will outline a description of student performance, identified measures to improve performance, and a timeline and goals for completion. As part of an ASP, the student may also be referred to the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and be required to complete a certain number of hours at the ARC. The student will be asked to initial each area addressed in the ASP, as well as sign the final document. If a student does not sign this document, it will still be provided to the student and they will be expected to follow through on the outlined goals/timelines for completion.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Mount Carmel College of Nursing is respectful of students’ rights and responsibilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) as amended by the ADA Amendment Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These laws require that no qualified person with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives or benefits from Federal assistance.  In addition, the Fair Housing Act requires reasonable, housing-related accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

The Mount Carmel College of Nursing is committed to serving qualified students with disabilities in its programs and services. Any qualified student with a disability may request an accommodation to ensure that the academic program does not discriminate against or have the effect of discriminating against that student.

Since the nature and severity of disabilities vary, non-academic adjustments may be applicable only when they are appropriate to the needs of the individual student with a disability. To determine eligibility for accommodations, the College generally requires current and relevant documentation from a qualified professional with expertise in the area of the diagnosed disability/disorder that establishes a disability and its impact on the student and confirms the need for each accommodation requested.

Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to both academic and non-academic accommodations, including but not limited to, requests for accommodations in the student residence halls, service learning activities, coursework, or in College technologies and services. 

Definition of Accommodation and Disability

Accommodations

Accommodations (also sometimes called adjustments) are modifications of policies, practices, or procedures that will allow the student with a disability/disorder to meet the requirements of the course or program.  Examples of available accommodations may include, but are not necessarily limited to, auxiliary aids and modifications to courses, programs, services, activities, or facilities. 

The College will take all steps necessary to ensure that its students are not excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program or activity because of a lack of auxiliary aids and services for students with impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills. The College, however, cannot honor requests for accommodations that would fundamentally alter its programs or services, are directly related to any licensing requirements, cause undue administrative or financial hardship on the College, or jeopardize the health or safety of others.

It is the responsibility of the student to make his or her disability status and/or need for an accommodation known to the College, following the process outlined below.  Once notified, the College will work with the student to identify potential accommodations and assess the practicality and effectiveness of each potential accommodation.

Determinations regarding accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis.  An accommodation must be tailored to address the nature of the disability and the needs of the individual within the context of the requirements of the program.  If there are two or more possible accommodations, and one costs more or is more burdensome than the other, the College may choose the less expensive or less burdensome accommodation that is still effective.

Disability

Generally, a person with a disability is one who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.  Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

Admission of Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities may apply to and are considered for admission to the College in the same manner as any other applicant.  Students must meet the same admission requirements and Functional Abilities and Performance Standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, as all other students.  

No student (or prospective student) is required by law to disclose a disability before or after admission to the College. However, disclosure and documentation of a disability is required if accommodations (academic or non-academic) are requested.

Students (and prospective students) are encouraged to review the Functional Abilities and Performance Standards that are essential for the safe practice of professional nursing and for successful participation in and completion of a nursing education program. Students will need to demonstrate satisfactory application of these functional abilities and performance standards, with or without reasonable accommodations, during their course of study in nursing. The Functional Abilities and Performance Standards can be found here .

Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals

Service Animals: Mount Carmel College of Nursing permits the presence of Service Animals which perform tasks in support of persons with disabilities in College buildings, classrooms, and residence halls. Federal regulations define Service Animals as dogs (and in specific cases, miniature horses) that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, and alerting or protecting a person who is having a seizure. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Only the following two questions may be asked to determine if an animal is a service animal, as federally defined: 1) is the animal required because of a disability? (if the disability is not obvious), and 2) what work or task has the service animal been trained to do? There are no requirements to register service animals with the College but students are encouraged to notify the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator of the regular presence of a service animal so the Coordinator can provide support and education to others members of the campus community.

Emotional Support Animals: Mount Carmel College of Nursing permits residents of its on-campus residence halls to possess an Emotional Support Animal, as required by the Fair Housing Act. Emotional Support (or assistance) Animals may provide physical assistance, emotional support, calming, stability, and other kinds of support to persons with disabilities. The presence of the animal must be necessary in order to provide the resident with a disability the use and enjoyment of the dwelling. There must be an identifiable relationship or nexus between the disability and the assistance or support the animal provides. Emotional Support Animals do not perform work or tasks that qualify them as “Service Animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Emotional Support Animals are only permitted on the premises of the student residence halls, including the in the student’s individual apartment, in the hallways leading to the exterior of the building, and in common areas outside the residence halls. Emotional support animals are not permitted in the public buildings of the College including, simulation or clinical skills labs, library, hospital buildings, or in dining areas of public buildings. Emotional Support Animals require the approval of the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, using the process outlined below.

Handler Responsibilities: The handlers/owners of Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals are obligated to comply with any applicable laws related to animal licensing, vaccination, and identification. Handlers must keep animals under their control at all times and are responsible to adequately care for, clean up after, and maintain the health of their animal. Handlers are responsible for any and all damage to physical facilities caused by their animal. Handlers assume all liability for the action of their animals, including injuries to other persons or damage of others’ personal property.

Emotional Support Animals must be “housebroken” (trained not to urinate or defecate inside the residence); animal waste deposited on the grounds outside the residence halls must be collected in plastic bags and disposed of in outside trash receptacles. Animals must be kept in the student’s bedroom when the student is away from the residence. While away from the animal, the use of pet “crates” (sturdy den-like enclosures) to provide safety and security to the animal is generally recommended by animal care experts. Suitemates should not be asked to take responsibility for caring for an Emotional Support Animal; any care provided by suitemates is entirely voluntary.

If the student plans to be gone from the residences for longer than the animal can safely stay alone (generally between 8 and 12 hours), the student must make prior arrangements for the animal’s care. If the student will be gone from the residences for more than 24 hours, the animal must be removed from the residence and cared for according to arrangements made by the student. Students with Emotional Support Animals are required to have current contact information for someone who can take responsibility for the animal in the case of an emergency on file with the Director of Student Life; this should be updated each semester or when there are changes.

Limitations: Service Animals or Emotional Support Animals may not be permitted when the animal poses a substantial and direct threat to the health or safety of others, or if the presence of the animal fundamentally alters the nature of the program or service in which the person with a disability is participating. Determinations of this kind are made on a case-by-case basis by the College’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinator.

Emotional Support Animals must not unduly disrupt the quality of life or environment of safety for others living in the residence halls. The College reserves the right to immediately remove animals from its premises that pose a threat to the health or safety of others. Animals creating a disruptive (but not necessarily dangerous) environment may be removed if attempts to correct the problem are unsuccessful. Decisions to remove an animal are made by the ADA/Section 504 Coordinator in collaboration with the Director of Student Life and/or the Mount Carmel Safety and Security department.

Procedures

1. The Accommodations Coordinator (the “Coordinator”) has been designated to handle inquiries into academic and non-academic accommodations. A student requesting accommodations under this policy must notify the Coordinator as soon as possible after the need for an accommodation becomes apparent. The student should schedule a meeting with the Coordinator to discuss his or her needs and requested accommodations.
   
   Contact information: Accommodations Coordinator, Mount Carmel College of Nursing, 127 S. Davis Ave., Columbus, OH 43222, Phone: 614-234-2341 or accessibility@mccn.edu.
   ​
2. To support most accommodation requests, students are required to provide current (generally no more than one year old) documentation of the disability to the Coordinator. This documentation must be from a professional who has undergone appropriate and comprehensive training and has relevant experience and licensure appropriate to the profession (such as a licensed psychologist, physician, or nurse practitioner). The documentation should describe the nature of the disability, the extent to which the disability limits one or more major life activities, and the suggested accommodation(s). The Coordinator will provide application and approval forms to standardize the documentation process.
   1. While there are no specific requirements for documenting the need for a Service Animal (described in Section IV, above), requests to possess an Emotional Support Animal in the residence halls are processed using the request and approval procedures specified here.
       
3. Upon submission of required documentation, the Coordinator will engage in an individualized, interactive process with the student to determine possible accommodations.
   1. For academic accommodations: The Coordinator may review the documentation and any requested accommodations with the appropriate Associate Dean. If necessary, the Coordinator will discuss any alternative accommodations with the student and the Associate Dean.
   2. For non-academic accommodations and when necessary: The Coordinator will review the documentation and any requested accommodations with the appropriate College leader such as the Director of Student Life, Academic Dean, or Manager of Information Technology Services. 
   3. The determination as to whether a requested accommodation will be granted lies with the Coordinator. In some situations, a temporary plan may be developed and implemented by the Coordinator, upon notification to the appropriate College leader, where additional time is required for diagnostic evaluation.  A minimum of 3 business days is required to implement the accommodations. A copy of the official documentation will be maintained by the Coordinator.
       
4. The Coordinator will then notify the student of the determination.  If an accommodation is granted, the Coordinator will provide to the student a form setting forth the accommodation for the student to provide to members of the faculty and staff in support of implementing the accommodation. If needed, the instructor and Coordinator will collaborate to plan and implement an academic accommodation.
    
5. Students who receive accommodations must meet with the Coordinator at the end of each semester to discuss their progress.
    
6. If a student feels that his or her accommodations are not being met, he/she must notify the Coordinator immediately.
    
7. If a student has been granted an accommodation and chooses not to use the accommodation(s), the student is required to notify the Coordinator in writing that the student will not be utilizing the accommodations.

Grievance Procedure

If the student’s request for an accommodation is denied or the student is dissatisfied with the accommodation being provided, the College encourages the student to engage in an informal dialog with the Coordinator in an attempt to resolve the issue.  

If a matter cannot be resolved informally or if the student prefers to file a formal grievance, a written grievance must be submitted to the Academic Dean. The informal resolution process is strictly voluntary and is not a prerequisite to filing a formal grievance.

The student may file a formal grievance by submitting a written grievance to the Academic Dean within fifteen (15) business days of an occurrence giving rise to the grievance. The Academic Dean will then review the issue, request to meet with the student, and then provide the student with a written decision in response to the grievance no later than fifteen (15) business days after the grievance is submitted.  The Academic Dean’s decision shall be final.

A student is not required to file a grievance with the College prior to pursuing any federal or state administrative remedy.

Discrimination based on Disability

If you believe you have been discriminated against or harassed due to a disability you should contact the Coordinator who will assist you in making a complaint under the College’s Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy.

Retaliation

The College prohibits retaliation against anyone who files a grievance under this policy or otherwise complains that he or she has been denied equal access in the form of appropriate accommodations, modifications, auxiliary aids or effective communication. This prohibition of retaliation similarly extends to anyone who has testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding or hearing related to a grievance or complaint under this policy.

Student Privacy

Except where necessary to further the purpose of this policy or where otherwise permitted by law, documentation of a student’s disability will be kept confidential and will not be shared with other administrators or faculty members unless necessary, in accordance with federal educational privacy regulations. Any request by a student to review the documents associated with his or her request for an accommodation or grievance under this policy should be submitted to the Coordinator.

Related Policies

Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy  

Functional Abilities-Performance Standards  

¹The Ohio Board of Nursing governs requests for accommodations by an applicant for the NCLEX-RN® Examination. The Board has promulgated a policy, available here directly from the Ohio Board of Nursing website. Students are encouraged to review these requirements, including the requirement for a letter for the nursing education program demonstrating that accommodations were in place during the nursing education program.

Academic and Professional Standards

Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) faculty and staff are dedicated to facilitating student development of intellectual, moral, and professional standards. This development requires the student to become increasingly responsible for self-directed and engaged learning, thus practicing and achieving academic and professional standards in order to become a highly educated, skilled, and professional nurse. For a complete copy of the Academic and Professional Standards policy, click here .

The nursing profession demands that the individual in practice be responsible, accountable, self-directed, and professional in behavior. The process of becoming a professional begins upon entering a professional education program such as the programs offered at MCCN. Opportunities to develop and practice these qualities exist in the student role. MCCN expects that students will demonstrate their professionalism by:

• Attending all clinical experiences and all classes (onsite or online).
• Exhibiting courteous behaviors in the classroom, clinical sites, while on the MCCN campus, within Residence Halls, and while representing MCCN at community events.
• Being prepared for class and clinical assignments, being punctual for classes and MCCN appointments.
• Being respectful toward all members of the MCCN community (faculty, staff, and students; particularly in the Residence Halls and even “off duty”).
• Being conscious of information shared over all social media platforms-in personal and professional communications and especially over MCCN-sponsored social media platforms.
• Using effective communications, verbally and non-verbally, by remembering always the MCHS/MCCN guiding behaviors:
  • We support each other in serving our students, patients, and communities.
  • We communicate openly, honestly, respectfully, and directly.
  • We are fully present.
  • We are accountable.
  • We trust and assume the goodness of intentions.
  • We are continuous learners.

Code of Conduct

It is understood that the administration, faculty, staff and student body share in the responsibility of upholding the Mission and Core Values of Mount Carmel College of Nursing. The Code of Conduct, strives to:

• ensure the integrity of the nursing and allied health professions;
• create an academic and professional environment that reflects the College’s Mission and Core Values;
• reflect the policies of the College on standards of conduct; and
• follow the policies on nursing practice from the Ohio Board of Nursing.

In accordance with the above, faculty, staff, and students will commit to:

Academic Excellence

1. Achieving the highest level of academic excellence through honesty and integrity both in and out of the classroom and in clinical settings.
2. Striving to embody excellence and providing the highest quality work in the academic and in the clinical settings.
3. Acting in a professional manner while in the College of Nursing and in all activities, functions, and clinical sites associated with the College and the profession of nursing.

Respect

1. Contributing to creating a safe, respectful, and supportive atmosphere for teaching and learning.
2. Regarding privacy and confidentiality as essential obligations.
3. Communicating with peers, staff, and faculty in a professional and respectful manner.
4. Taking responsibility for my words and actions.
5. Following the appropriate chain of command.

Compassion

1. Demonstrating a commitment to the attributes of compassion, empathy, altruism, responsibility, and tolerance.
2. Demonstrating caring behaviors at all times.
3. Respecting individual diversity through a non-judgmental attitude and approach.
4. Working to become a creative problem solver.

Social Responsibility

1. Refusing to tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disrespect, or bullying.
2. Committing to bring any act of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disrespect, or bullying to the attention of the administration.
3. Refusing to tolerate incidents of dishonesty or lack of integrity.
4. Committing to bringing incidents of dishonesty or lack of integrity to the attention of the administration.

Diversity

Creating a culture and climate of inclusion that welcomes and celebrates diversity.

Prohibited Conduct

Students are expected to abide by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances, as well as to adhere to all College policies and procedures. In cases where students engage in any prohibited conduct, the student is subject to disciplinary action.

1. Violation of local, state, and/or federal laws.
2. Violation of the Ohio Board of Nursing Laws and Rules. (http://www.nursing.ohio.gov/Law_and_Rule.htm)
3. Violation of the National Student Nurses’ Association Code of Ethics, Code of Professional Conduct, and Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct. (https://www.nsna.org/nsna-code-of-ethics.html)
4. Violation of College Policies and Procedures as outlined in the College Catalog-Handbook.
5. Violation of any of the following Compliance Policies:
   • Anti-Discrimination, Anti-harassment and Anti-Retaliation Policy
   • Anti-Bullying Policy
   • Concealed Weapons Policy
   • Drug and Alcohol Policy
   • Title IX Policy
6. Violation of the following General College Policies:
   • Attendance
   • Cell Phone Use
   • Classroom Recording Policy
   • Children on Campus
   • Copyright Infringement
   • CPR Requirements
   • Criminal Background Check
   • Dress Code
   • Food in Classrooms
   • Smoking Policy
7. Violation of the following College Technology Policies:
   • Technology Policy
   • Social Media Policy
8. Violation of the Academic and Professional Standards Policy
9. Unprofessional Conduct:
   • Any behavior which affects a student’s ability to fully participate in the benefits of the College or negatively impacts the College community, including:
     • Failure to show due respect and courtesy
     • Engaging in vulgar behavior
     • Using obscene language
     • Participating in disorderly conduct
     • Unprofessional behavior in the classroom, online environment, clinical settings or on/off-campus activities
10. Damage: Negligent or intentional damage to personal, public, or College property is prohibited.
11. Dishonesty
    • Presenting, using and/or possessing a falsified ID or another’s College issued ID as one’s own.
    • Misrepresentation; furnishing false information; and falsification or forgery of documents.
    • Any form of Academic Dishonesty, to include, but not limited to: plagiarism, self-plagiarism, cheating, fabrication and using false citations.
12. Encouraging, permitting, or assisting another to commit an act that could subject them to discipline.
13. Failure to Comply with directions of, or interference with, any College official, Safety and Security officer, or individuals working in conjunction with the College who are acting in performance of their duties or failure to comply with any established requirement, policy or procedure.
14. Fire Safety
    • Setting a fire, whether deliberately or accidentally.
    • Intentionally pulling a fire alarm.
    • Improper use of, vandalism, destruction or tampering with fire-safety or electrical equipment.
    • Failure to evacuate a building during a fire alarm.
    • Causing or contributing to a fire-safety hazard.
15. Off-Campus Misconduct
    • The College requires behavior on and off campus, in academic, co-curricular and off-campus locations, consistent with the principles and rules of behavior outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Whenever the College becomes aware of violations of the College’s Policies and Procedures, regardless of where such conduct allegedly occurs, appropriate follow-up (including potential discipline) may take place. If the behavior poses a disturbance, is threatening to the safety and security of individuals or property, or is required to be reported by law, law enforcement may be contacted and a report filed.
16. Theft of property or services from the College
17. Unauthorized Access
    • Unauthorized entry into College buildings or areas, even when unlocked.
    • Tampering with locks to College buildings, unauthorized possession or use of College keys, and alteration or duplication of College keys.
18. Violent or Endangering Behavior
    • Conduct that recklessly or intentionally threatens or endangers the physical or mental health and safety of any person, including:
    • Physical abuse, verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, harassment, and/or coercion.

Criminal prosecution by a government entity does not preclude College disciplinary action against the student for the same conduct. Similarly, any action by the College does not preclude subsequent action by a local, state or federal entity. The College reserves the right to resolve a disciplinary matter before the conclusion of any criminal process. If a student withdraws from the College, the College may resolve the disciplinary matter, regardless of the student’s withdrawal. A student who withdraws will be afforded all the procedural rights of an enrolled student.

Students who do not adhere to academic and professional standards may encounter allegations of misconduct.

Academic Dishonesty/Violations of Standards of Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism: Plagiarism, whether intentional or unintentional, violates standards of academic integrity. Plagiarism is the act of submission of work that is not the student’s own work or submitting the ideas, writings, or thoughts of another person without proper documentation; use of someone’s exact words as quotes in assignments without proper citation; also use of material from the internet without proper citation, etc. Students are responsible for educating themselves as to the proper mode of attributing credit, where credit is due.

Self-Plagiarism: Students are required to submit original work for all courses; papers and written work submitted for one course may not be used for an assignment in another course, this includes work first produced in connection with classes at MCCN or other institutions attended by the student, except with prior and explicit approval of all faculty members to whom the work will be submitted. Submitting duplicate work is considered self-plagiarism and violates standards of academic integrity.

Cheating: Cheating is the use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information, study aids, or unauthorized collaboration on in-class examinations, take-home examinations, or other academic exercises. It is the responsibility of the student to consult with the professor concerning what constitutes permissible collaboration. Cheating or assisting another student to cheat in connection with an examination or assignment violates standards of academic integrity. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to: using notes or textbooks without the instructor’s consent, looking at another person’s paper, bringing items with notes written on them with the intent of using the notes during an exam, communicating with another student during an examination, using electronic devices (phones, wristwatches) without the instructor’s consent.

Fabrication: Defined as constructing, manufacturing, inventing, or creating for the sake of deception, any classroom or clinical assignment; forging or falsifying any clinical or academic information; documenting clinical hours that were not actually completed; falsifying any patient record or other document used during clinical experiences. Fabrication includes submitting false data, data that has been fabricated, altered or contrives in such a way as to be deliberately misleading. Fabrication also includes falsifying academic documentation.

Using False Citations: False citation is the attribution of intellectual property to an incorrect or fabricated source with the intention to deceive.

Standards Outlined by Professional Nursing Organizations

The National Student Nurses Association, as well as the American Nurses Association, stipulate Codes of Professional, Academic, and Clinical Conduct. These codes are fully supported by MCCN and students are expected to be familiar with and follow these codes (National Student Nurses Association, www.nsna.org).

The conduct of nursing students in providing patient care is also regulated by the state of Ohio through the Ohio Board of Nursing in accordance with Ohio Revised Code 4723-5-12(C). See section below for details.

Student Conduct in the Nursing Care of Patients

The following policy is taken from the Ohio Board of Nursing’s Rules Promulgated From the Law Regulating Practice of Nursing, effective December 19, 2016, 4723-5-12(C) (accessed on the Ohio Board of Nursing website).

The policy, related to student conduct in providing nursing care, includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. A student shall, in a complete, accurate, and timely manner, report and document nursing assessments or observations, the care provided by the student for the patient, and the patient’s response to that care.
2. A student shall, in an accurate and timely manner, report to the appropriate practitioner errors in or deviations from the current valid order.
3. A student shall not falsify any patient record or any other document prepared or utilized in the course of, or in conjunction with, nursing practice. This includes, but is not limited to, case management documents or reports, time records or reports, and other documents related to billing for nursing services.
4. A student shall implement measures to promote a safe environment for each patient.
5. A student shall delineate, establish, and maintain professional boundaries with each patient.
6. At all times when a student is providing direct nursing care to a patient the student shall:
   a.   Provide privacy during examination or treatment and in the care of personal or bodily needs; and
   b.   Treat each patient with courtesy, respect, and with full recognition of dignity and individuality.
7. A student shall practice within the appropriate scope of practice as set forth in division (B) of section 4723.01 and division (B)(20) of section 4723.28 of the Revised Code for a registered nurse, and division (F) of section 4723.01 and division (B)(21) of section 4723.28 of the Revised Code for a practical nurse;
8. A student shall use universal and standard precautions established by Chapter 4723-20 of the Administrative Code;
9. A student shall not:
   a.   Engage in behavior that causes or may cause physical, verbal, mental, or emotional abuse to a patient;
   b.   Engage in behavior toward a patient that may reasonably be interpreted as physical, verbal, mental, or emotional abuse.
10. A student shall not misappropriate a patient’s property or:
    a.   Engage in behavior to seek or obtain personal gain at the patient’s expense;
    b.   Engage in behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as behavior to seek or obtain personal gain at the patient’s expense;
    c.   Engage in behavior that constitutes inappropriate involvement in the patient’s personal relationships; or
    d.   Engage in behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as inappropriate involvement in the patient’s personal relationships.

For the purpose of this paragraph, the patient is always presumed incapable of giving free, full, or informed consent to the behaviors by the student set forth in this paragraph.

11. A student shall not:
    a.   Engage in sexual conduct with a patient;
    b.   Engage in conduct in the course of practice that may reasonably be interpreted as sexual;
    c.   Engage in any verbal behavior that is seductive or sexually demeaning to a patient;
    d.   Engage in verbal behavior that may reasonably be interpreted as seductive, or sexually demeaning to a patient.

For the purpose of this paragraph, the patient is always presumed incapable of giving free, full, or informed consent to sexual activity with the student.

12. A student shall not, regardless of whether the contact or verbal behavior is consensual, engage with a patient other than the spouse of the student in any of the following:
    a.   Sexual contact, as defined in section 2907.01 of the Revised Code;
    b.   Verbal behavior that is sexually demeaning to the patient or may be reasonably interpreted by the patient as sexually demeaning.
13. A student shall not self-administer or otherwise take into the body any dangerous drug, as defined in section 4729.01 of the Revised Code, in any way not in accordance with a legal, valid prescription issued for the student, or self-administer or otherwise take into the body any drug that is a schedule I controlled substance.
14. A student shall not habitually or excessively use controlled substances, other habit-forming drugs, or alcohol or other chemical substances to an extent that impairs ability to practice.
15. A student shall not have impairment of the ability to practice according to acceptable and prevailing standards of safe nursing care because of use of drugs, alcohol, or other chemical substances.
16. A student shall not have impairment of the ability to practice according to acceptable and prevailing standards of safe nursing care because of a physical or mental disability;
17. A student shall not assault or cause harm to a patient or deprive a patient of the means to summon assistance;
18. A student shall not misappropriate or attempt to misappropriate money or anything of value by intentional misrepresentation or material deception in the course of practice;
19. A student shall not have been adjudicated by a probate court of being mentally ill or mentally incompetent, unless restored to competency by the court.
20. A student shall not aid and abet a person in that person’s practice of nursing without a license, practice as a dialysis technician without a certificate issued by the board, or administration of medications as a medication aide without a certificate issued by the board.
21. A student shall not prescribe any drug or device to perform or induce an abortion, or otherwise perform or induce an abortion.
22. A student shall not assist suicide as defined in section 3795.01 of the Revised Code.
23. A student shall not submit or cause to be submitted any false, misleading or deceptive statements, information, or document to the nursing program, its faculty or preceptors, or to the board.
24. A student shall maintain the confidentiality of patient information. The student shall communicate patient information with other members of the health care team for health care purposes only, shall access patient information only for purposes of patient care or for otherwise fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities, and shall not disseminate patient information for purposes other than patient care or for otherwise fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities through social media, texting, emailing or any other form of communication.
25. To the maximum extent feasible, identifiable patient health care information shall not be disclosed by a student unless the patient has consented to the disclosure  of  identifiable  patient  health  care  information.  A  student  shall report individually identifiable patient information without written consent in limited circumstances only and in accordance with an authorized law, rule, or other recognized legal authority.
26. For purposes of paragraphs (C)(5), (C)(6), (C)(9), (C)(10), (C)(11) and (C)(12) of this rule, a student shall not use social media, texting, emailing, or other forms of communication with, or about a patient, for non-health care purposes or for purposes other than fulfilling the student’s assigned clinical responsibilities.

Effective: 12/19/2016
FYR Date: 12/19/2021
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4723.07
Rule Amplifies: 4723.06
Prior Effective Dates: 2/1/96, 4/1/97, 2/1/02, 2/1/04, 2/1/07, 2/1/08, 2/1/12, 2/1/14

Student Academic and Professional Standards

Maintaining academic and professional standards is a serious matter for the professional nurse and nursing student, both in the work setting as well as outside the work setting. At MCCN, students with alleged academic or professional misconduct will be evaluated using the following processes and procedures: Initiation of a Performance Improvement Contract and/or Hearings by the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee.

Initiation of a Performance Improvement Contract:
Definition: The Performance Improvement Contract (PIC) is one of a larger repertoire of tools used to promote student learning, improvement, development, and success. Each PIC is initiated to assist the student in identifying, managing, and improving conduct and behaviors that inhibit a student’s full success at MCCN. The PIC is meant to provide the student with guided learning towards improvement and evaluation of that improvement. The PIC is intended to provide the student with Due Process regarding observed conduct and behaviors that may be questionable in terms of possible misconduct.

Faculty and staff members initiate PICs when students demonstrate a potential infraction of college or Health System policies, conduct themselves in a less than professional manner, and/or demonstrate patterns of behavior that impede their ability to provide safe, high quality patient care. The PIC is initiated to help students examine behaviors that are causing them to be less than successful, to identify behaviors that may help them improve, and to engage with faculty and staff in an action plan for making progress toward improvement and success. Because the PIC is a learning tool, there is no appeal process once a PIC has been initiated. Click here  to view process and procedures for a PIC.

Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee Hearing

Students whose conduct/behaviors do not meet identified expectations and/or who may have incurred three PICs are subject to hearings performed by the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee. Serious violation of prohibited conduct may be referred directly to the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee without the initiation of a PIC. Additionally, egregious violations of prohibited conduct may be referred directly to the Academic Dean for administrative sanctioning which will bypass the initiation of a PIC or a hearing before the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee. Due process right will still be an inherent part of these processes, which are outlined below.

Suspected Misconduct

When academic or professional misconduct is alleged, it is the responsibility of the faculty/staff in either the graduate or undergraduate nursing program or Residence Halls to both discuss the matter with the student and file a written account of the alleged misconduct with the Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee. The written account will include recommendations for action.

Interim Suspension
In cases where faculty and college officials are concerned that students pose immediate dangers to self or other people and property, especially in clinical cases related to patient safety, the student’s academic and clinical educational progression will be temporarily suspended by the MCCN Academic Dean until the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee hearing is conducted and recommendations are made about outcomes and potential sanctions.

When a student suspects misconduct by a peer:

Student peers have a responsibility to report alleged misconduct to the lead instructor or relevant staff member. The reporting student, lead instructor or staff member may submit an allegation of misconduct to the Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee. The reporting student is expected to participate as a witness at the scheduled misconduct hearing, but he/she may request that the accused student provide their questions to the chairperson so as to not be directly cross examined by another student. Alternatives to participation can be offered, upon request from the reporting student (such as participation via video conference, etc).

The faculty/staff member will:

1. Maintain confidentiality at all times; not discussing the student conduct/behavior with anyone except those involved directly with the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee.
2. Hold a conference with the student to discuss the alleged misconduct.
3. Maintain a detailed account of all documentation, emails, communication, etc. with regard to the students’ conduct/behaviors.
4. Submit all documents relevant to the alleged incident(s) to the Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee within five (5) business days of the conference with the student. If requested by the Chairperson, a meeting will take place between the faculty/staff member and the Chairperson to gain clarity regarding any submitted documentation.
5. Be prepared to serve as a witness during the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee Hearing.

The Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee will:

1. If the Chairperson determines, after any needed consultation, sufficient information exists to support an alleged policy violation, he/she will schedule a hearing withing ten (10) business days. An extension of this timeline may be necessary, and can be requested by the student or the chair, and approval is made at the discretion of the chair.
2. The hearing shall consist of the following parties:
   • Three faculty, at least one from the program in which the student is currently enrolled.
   • Two students, at least one from the program in which the student is currently enrolled.
   • the referring faculty/staff member or student,
   • the responding student;
   • as well as any appropriate witnesses at the discretion of the chairperson.
3. At least four business days prior to the scheduled hearing date (unless mitigating circumstances exists, or the student has granted flexibility in the timeline, summer and College closure days may impact timeline), the Chairperson will notify the student via email that the documents related to the allegations involved in their hearing are prepared. These documents may be emailed or provided via hard copy for pick up by the student. In addition, the chairperson will prepare and send the student a letter containing the following information:
   • The allegation of academic or professional misconduct;
   • The date and time of the hearing; and
   • Information about where and when the student can provide any mitigating evidence for the Committee’s packet of materials prior to the hearing.
4. The student has two business days upon receipt of hearing documents to review and provide any additional mitigating evidence to the Chairperson, to be provided to the Committee.
5. Once the Chairperson receives all the relevant mitigating evidence from the student, the Chairperson will forward all documents to the Committee members at least two (2) business days prior to the hearing (unless mitigating circumstances exists, or the student has granted flexibility in the timeline, summer and College closure days may impact timeline).
6. With the approval of the Chairperson, the student may also present documentation/information at the date of the hearing and the committee will take the appropriate time to review.

PLEASE NOTE:  The Director of Compliance must be informed by the Chairperson of each new case presented to the committee for review.  Due to FERPA protections, only the Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee or the Director of Compliance will have contact with the student or the student’s parents. Faculty and staff who are contacted by the student or parents must immediately refer these individuals to the Chairperson or to the Director of Compliance for information.

The student will:

1. Be offered the opportunity to attend all meetings scheduled by the faculty or staff member or Chairperson as related to the alleged incident of Academic or Professional Misconduct. The processes outlined in this policy will continue, with or without the student’s participation.
2. Cooperate with the faculty or staff member and the Chairperson.
3. Not be permitted to record any part of the proceeding. A record will be maintained by the hearing recorder, which the student is permitted access to review.

Student Due Process Within the Policy

Students alleged to have violated College policies and/or committed acts associated with academic and professional misconduct will have their cases heard before the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee (see policies and procedures below).. Students have a right to due process, or fair procedure, that includes:

1. Presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
2. Submission of reasonable standards of proof or evidence.
3. Right to an impartial hearing.
4. Freedom to appropriately defend themselves.
5. Right to an advisor/support person of their choice, excluding legal counsel, to attend the hearing with them (the student’s advisor/support person may not speak on their behalf).
6. Right to review members of the board for possible conflict of interest.
7. Right to submit witnesses and evidence prior to the hearing, to be considered by the committee.

Due to the hearing, the student is provided the opportunity to:

1. Speak on his/her behalf,
2. present a written statement,
3. provide materials to be considered as mitigating evidence (character references, etc.) or invite witnesses directly involved with the case to present information at the hearing.
4. The faculty/staff may also present witnesses, and both the student and the Committee members may question witnesses.

Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee

The Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee is composed of five faculty members, two students from the undergraduate program, and one from the graduate program. The Chairperson must be a faculty member and will be selected by members of the Committee.

This Committee is charged with hearing allegations of misconduct and making recommendations to the Associate Dean of the appropriate program.

In the event that a Committee member is involved in a case of alleged misconduct, the Committee Chairperson shall appoint a substitute. The Chairperson is responsible to orient the alternate Committee member prior to the hearing. Should the Chairperson require substitution, the Chairperson shall appoint another faculty committee member to serve as Chairperson.

Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee Hearings

• The Chairperson of the committee will schedule a hearing within ten (10) business days after determining that the student’s alleged misconduct warrants a hearing.
• The student accused of misconduct is encouraged by the Chairperson to attend the Committee hearing. Online education students may participate via teleconference, SKYPE, Google Talk/Hangouts, or Blackboard Collaborate (Method of communication is at the discretion of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee).

Hearings are considered closed meetings (i.e., only the Committee members, the recorder, the student, and other individuals directly involved in the incident are permitted to attend). All persons involved in committee hearings are required to sign a statement of confidentiality.

The student is provided the opportunity to speak on his/her behalf, present a written statement, provide materials to be considered as mitigating evidence (character references, etc.) or invite witnesses directly involved with the case to present information at the hearing. The faculty/staff member may also present witnesses, and both the student and the Committee members may question witnesses.

Legal counsel will not be permitted to attend the hearing.

The student’s academic record is not available to the Committee unless a recommendation to sanction is made. Once the recommendation to sanction is made, the student’s academic record is reviewed to assist in determining the type of sanction.

During the hearing, “preponderance of the evidence” is the threshold whereby all the information is determined by the committee members to support, more likely than not, the allegations. This preponderance is based on the more convincing evidence and its probable truth or accuracy, and not on the amount of evidence. Thus one clearly knowledgeable witness may provide a preponderance of evidence over a dozen witnesses with haze testimony. The “preponderance of the evidence” means the greater weight of evidence; i.e., that the evidence on one side outweighs, preponderates over, or is more than, the evidence on the other side.

Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee Recommendations

The Committee will consider the following recommendations:

1.  Dismiss allegations without any documentation in the student’s record of the alleged misconduct; or
2. Recommend that the faculty member provide the student with a PIC and use this situation as a learning opportunity to discuss the student’s performance or behaviors that are contributing to the student’s lack of success. Use this opportunity to help the student improve; or
3. Sanction the student. Sanctions are placed in the student’s academic record maintained in the Office of Records and Registration. Sanction recommendations may include,  but are not limited to:

Warning: defined as a notification that a student has committed certain violations and that continuance of such conduct will result in more severe disciplinary action.

Educational Sanctions: These include but are not limited to alcohol education, counseling assessment and adherence to professional counseling recommendations, research paper or project, hall or building program with a residential life staff member, group education program, etc.

Disciplinary Probation: defined as the student is not in good disciplinary standing with the College (for a specified period of time, ordinarily no less than one term/semester), and any future violations may result in an additional immediate referral to the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee hearing process, with a recommendation of a more severe disciplinary action.

Disciplinary Suspension: defined as the denial of the opportunity to continue in the College for a specified period of time (ordinarily no less than one term/semester). While suspended, a student is not allowed to be on campus or to attend any official College event. In the event that additional educational sanctions are imposed in conjunction with the suspension, these sanctions will most likely be expected to be completed prior to an application for reinstatement to be considered before the Academic Progress Committee. A student wishing to return after a period of suspension must apply for reinstatement and is not guaranteed reinstatement.

Disciplinary Dismissal: defined as the denial of the opportunity to continue as a student at the College. A student who is disciplinarily dismissed is not allowed to be on campus or to be at any official College event at any time, unless given prior written approval. A student who is disciplinarily dismissed will not be afforded the opportunity for reinstatement or readmission to the College at any time.

All recommendations of this Committee will be forwarded to the appropriate Associate/Assistant Dean for decision. The student will be provided a letter via email and certified mail with the outcome of their hearing. The student may also be asked to meet with the appropriate Associate/Assistant Dean, depending on the severity of the sanctions. The Chairperson of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee, will be provided with a written letter outlining the decision of the Associate Dean within five (5) business days of the hearing. The appropriate Associate Dean will forward a copy of the notification letter to the Academic Dean of MCCN. In the notification letter to all parties, the Associate Dean must address the decision and sanctions that result from the recommendations of the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee. The letter must also provide the student with information about the Appeals Process (see Appeals Process below). If a conflict of interest exists between the student/situation and the appropriate Associate Dean, the decision will be made by the Academic Dean, and the appeal would shift to the College President.

The Associate/Assistant Dean who issued the outcome letter is required to keep track of the 10 business day appeal timeline. On the date the timeline is exhausted, they are to check with the Academic Dean to determine if an appeal has been filed. If not, they are to notify the Office of Records and Registration of any sanctions requiring notation in the students file, or other actions with respect to course registration/enrollment, etc. Additionally, if the student is being disciplinarily suspended or dismissed, and they reside in on campus housing, the Associate/Assistant Dean is to notify the Director of Student Life to ensure any appropriate check out procedures occur.

Please note: A student who is dismissed from SDAP cannot be admitted to the pre-licensure program if she/he has a pending academic misconduct hearing. The case must be resolved prior to consideration of admittance to the pre-licensure program.

Record of Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee Hearing

Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee minutes constitute the record of the hearing. Should the student decide to appeal the decision of the appropriate Associate/Assistant Dean, a hard copy of the hearing record will be made available to the student. The student should contact the appropriate Associate/Assistant Dean and schedule an appointment to read the hard copy of the hearing record while seated in the Associate/Assistant Dean’s office. The student will not be provided with an electronic or hard copy of the hearing record.

The hearing record and other related documents may be released only to individuals who have a valid reason to know the outcome, according to FERPA guidelines. The hearing record and documents related to a student’s Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee hearing will be maintained in the student record located in the Maxient electronic database.

Appeals Process

The appeal must be based on one or more of the following criteria:

• material or significant procedural error(s) made during the hearing;
• new information unavailable at the time of the hearing;
• sanctions imposed are substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation; and/or
• decision(s) made absent a preponderance of evidence.

Students have the right to appeal the decision of the appropriate Associate Dean and may do so by submitting a written appeal to the Academic Dean of the College. The appeal must be filed in the Office of the Academic Dean as a formal, written letter within ten (10) business days from the date of the Associate Dean’s decision letter. If a student encounters a serious circumstance prohibiting them for keeping to the 10 business day appeal timeline, they may request an extension, in writing, to the Academic Dean, prior to the exhaustion of the 10 business day window. Extension request decisions are made by the Academic Dean, at their discretion. The appeals letter must be accompanied by and provide firm and persuasive evidence, in the form of data, letters, documents, etc., to support the written appeals letter. The Academic Dean will review the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee hearing record and relevant documents, as well as the appeal and evidence provided by the student, and will make a determination within ten (10) business days of receiving the appeal. The Academic Dean’s decision is final. If a conflict of interest exists between the student/situation and the appropriate Associate Dean, the decision will be made by the Academic Dean, and the appeal would shift to the College President.

Administrative Hearing

Should a student be alleged to have exhibited behavior(s) that are considered serious or egregious, in that either the student, another member of the MCCN community, or a patient’s health and safety may be at risk due to the student’s behavior or potential behavior, an administrative hearing may be held between the student and the Academic Dean, or appropriate MCCN administrator. Depending on the severity of the alleged behavior, a student may be placed on interim suspension, as defined in this policy, during the pendency of this process. The Academic Dean will gather all appropriate documentation and call a hearing with the student. The same student due process rights apply that are outlined above under the Academic and Professional Misconduct Committee hearing process. The student will have the opportunity to respond to the allegations. The Academic Dean will make a decision regarding responsibility and sanctioning within 3 business days, following the sanction options listed in this document. The student will be informed of the outcome in writing. The student has the right to appeal the outcome of the Administrative Hearing to the next level administrator from whom heard their case (for example, if the case is heard by the Academic Dean, the student will appeal to the College President). The student will be notified of the appropriate appeal authority in their written outcome letter.

The appeal must be based on one or more of the following criteria:

• material or significant procedural error(s) made during the hearing;
• new information unavailable at the time of the hearing;
• sanctions imposed are substantially disproportionate to the severity of the violation; and/or
• decision(s) made absent a preponderance of evidence

The appeal must be filed in the Office of the Academic Dean as a formal, written letter within 3 business days from the date of the written outcome letter. If a student encounters a serious circumstance prohibiting them for keeping to the 3 business day appeal timeline, they may request an extension, in writing, to the appropriate appeal authority, prior to the exhaustion of the 3 business day window. Extension request decisions are made by the appeal authority, at their discretion. The appeals letter must be accompanied by and provide firm and persuasive evidence, in the form of data, letters, documents, etc., to support the written appeals letter. The appeal authority will review administrative hearing record and relevant documents, as well as the appeal and evidence provided by the student, and will make a determination within 3 business days of receiving the appeal. The decision of the appropriate appeal authority is final.

Semester Registration

A course registration period for Online RN-BSN Program students is scheduled prior to the beginning of each semester. Students register online via CARMELink. Requested courses are in “reserved” status until approved. Approved courses will display on the student’s schedule in CARMELink. Any student with a “hold” cannot register for classes which may result in the student being closed out of a specific course or section.

Nursing clinical courses, laboratories, and seminar courses have predetermined enrollment limits. No student is guaranteed placement in his/her choice of a specific course, clinical, or laboratory section.

Students may attend classes only after they have completed the registration process and have satisfactory financial arrangements. By registering, a student agrees to all academic and financial regulations, terms, and conditions set forth by the College. Late registrations will be processed only if there is a space available in each requested course.

Semester Load

The semester hour is the basis of credit at Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Semester loads of more than 19 hours of credit require the permission of the Director of Records and Registration. An Online RN-BSN Completion student must obtain permission from the Associate Dean for Distance Education to register for more than 21 hours of credit in any one semester.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status

Students are considered full-time when they carry at least 12 credit hours per semester. Students enrolled in less than 12 credit hours are considered part-time; those enrolled in less than 6 credit hours are not eligible for financial aid.

Administrative Withdrawal

• An online student listed on the class roster who has not participated in the online class by the end of the first week and has not been excused will be administratively withdrawn from the class.
• The faculty of the class must notify the Office of Records and Registration with the name of the absent student.

Dropping or Withdrawing from a Course

• An Online RN-BSN Completion Program student may drop or withdraw, without academic penalty, from a 6-week session course by Wednesday of week 5 of the course. A grade of “W” will be posted to the student’s academic transcript.
• The student may not withdraw from any courses after Wednesday of week 5 of a 6-week course.
• During the course of study, a student may withdraw from courses or an entire semester for a maximum of two different semesters of classes. Students who exceed the maximum withdrawals will be administratively dismissed from the college and must file a petition for reinstatement to the program.
• It is the student’s responsibility to understand the financial implications associated with dropping, withdrawing, failing, or retaking courses.

Academic Requirements

Academic Progression

Mount Carmel College of Nursing will not implement changes to policies for student progression, or requirements for completion of the program, that affect students already enrolled in the program at the time the changes are adopted.

Academic Probation

• Academic probation is defined as the opportunity to continue conditionally in the program after failing to meet minimum academic standards.
• An Online RN-BSN Completion Program student whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) that falls below 2.00 will be placed on academic probation.
• to be removed from academic probation and avoid academic dismissal from the College, a student must achieve a cumulative GPA equal to or greater than 2.00 by the end of the semester following placement on academic probation.
• A student who earns a final course grade lower than a “C” in any course is placed on academic probation.

Forgiveness Policy

• The Forgiveness Policy allows a student to eliminate one final course grade of “F” from the cumulative GPA calculation. When the course is retaken and the Forgiveness Policy is applied, the original course and grade remain on the transcript but are removed from calculation of the cumulative GPA; only the repeated course grade is included in the calculation.
• The Forgiveness Policy may be applied only one time throughout the program. After the one time forgiveness, retakes will have both grades calculated in the cumulative GPA
• The forgiven “F” will not count in the culmination of course failures that would lead to academic dismissal.

Academic Dismissal

• An Online RN-BSN Completion Program student who fails to achieve a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for two consecutive semesters will be academically dismissed from Mount Carmel College of Nursing.
• A student who earns a grade of less than 73% (C) in any two courses will be academically dismissed from Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

There is no appeal for academic dismissal from Mount Carmel College of Nursing. Qualified students have the option to apply for Reinstatement (see the Reinstatement Policy).

Reinstatement to MCCN

Online RN-BSN Completion Program students who are academically dismissed from Mount Carmel College of Nursing may apply for reinstatement. The Petition for Reinstatement form is available from the Director of Records and Registration.

• Academically dismissed students are eligible to apply for reinstatement after one session (6 weeks) of non-enrollment.
• A student with a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above will be permitted to apply for reinstatement to the College only one time.
• A student with less than a 2.00 MCCN cumulative GPA is not eligible to apply for reinstatement.

The Online RN-BSN Completion Program Academic Progress Committee will review the student’s Petition for Reinstatement and any supporting documentation of potential for academic success. If the document is incomplete, the committee can require that the student be available for a conference call with the committee to gain clarity. Reinstatement is not an automatic process and the student’s request may be denied.

If the request for reinstatement is granted, the Online RN-BSN Completion Program Academic Progress Committee will determine specific conditions for reinstatement of the student. A reinstated student will be placed on probationary status for at least one semester. A reinstated student must follow the curriculum requirements in effect at the time of reinstatement.

Academic Appeals

The academic appeal process is established to ensure student due process, equitable management of a student’s academic grievances, and adequate protection to the rights of all involved parties. The academic appeals process is limited in scope to address disputes related to a final course grade. There is only one appeal per final course grade.

Other grievances or complaints are handled per the Student Complaints and Grievances Policy  (also found under “Compliance Policies” in the current Undergraduate or Graduate Catalog-Handbook.

The following is the procedure for appealing a final course grade:

1. A student disputing a final course grade must email the instructor within one (1) business day of the posting of the official course grade.

• The student must be prepared to: (a) state the reason for the appeal, (b) provide any supporting evidence for the appeal, and (c) state the desired resolution.
• If at any step in the process a student misses a due date required for responding to a decision or advancing an appeal to the next phase, the appeals process is terminated and the grievance of dispute is closed. 

2. The faculty member then has two (2) business days to provide a final decision to the student, in writing, regarding the course grade and the appeal.

3. If the student is not satisfied with the faculty member’s decision, the student has one (1) business day to request a meeting, in writing, with the Assistant/Associate Dean who oversees the student’s program.

• Again, the student must provide: (a) a description of the academic issue the student is appealing (e.g., a course grade), (b) the reason for the appeal, (c) any supporting evidence including details of the communication with the faculty member, and (d) the desired resolution.
• Except in extraordinary circumstances, the meeting will be held within one (1) business day from the date of the student’s request.
• The Assistant/Associate Dean will render a decision within one (1) business day following the meeting with written notification via email. 
• The Assistant/Associate Dean should alert the Appeals Committee Chairperson about the situation in case the student contacts the Appeals Committee.
• If necessary, due to scheduling or other conflicts, one of the College Assistant/Associate Deans, or the Academic Dean, may serve may serve in place of the student’s program Assistant/Associate Dean during this phase of the appeals.

4. If there continues to be a lack of resolution after meeting with the Assistant/Associate Dean, the student has one (1) business day to appeal the Assistant/Associate Dean’s decision to the Academic Appeals Committee. To initiate the appeal, the student must submit the appeal request directly to the Chair of the Appeals Committee and the Chair will establish an Appeals Committee hearing within four (4) business days.

• During the appeals process, students are generally permitted to attend classes and clinical experiences until a decision is made unless it is determined by the Assistant/Associate Dean that there may be risks to patient safety.

Appeals Hearings

Hearings are conducted in closed sessions and are attended solely and exclusively by the:

• Academic Appeals Committee members
• the student who is appealing
• faculty/individuals directly involved with the appeal

The student may ask a faculty or staff member to provide silent support during the hearing. The role of this support person is strictly to provide guidance and support to the student through the process. There is no discussion from this support person during the hearing. In addition, legal counsel is not permitted to attend academic appeals hearings, which are academic in nature, not legal in nature.

All persons involved in the Committee hearing are required to sign a statement of confidentiality.

The student and faculty member(s) may submit written testimony and evidence prior to the hearing. The student is the first to attend the hearing and provide testimony. The student may attend alone or with a silent support person, and has fifteen (15) minutes for questioning by Appeals Committee members. The faculty member(s) then attend(s) the Committee hearing next, separate from the student, and has/have fifteen (15) minutes for questioning by the Appeals Committee members.

The hearing may be conducted electronically via phone conference or SKYPE/FaceTime, computer chats, but there will be no video or audio recording of the hearing.

Minutes of the hearing are taken by a member of the College staff and are the property of the College. Minutes are maintained in the Office of the Academic Dean with copies sent to the Office of Records and Registration. Minutes are available to students for review in the office of the College President. Students may not have copies of the minutes.

The Chair of the Academic Appeals Committee shall notify the Academic Dean of the Committee’s recommendations. The hearing minutes, written testimony, and written evidence will be provided to the Academic Dean within two (2) business days following the appeals hearing.

The student will be informed of the recommendations in writing (email) by the Academic Dean with two (2) business days following the Committee hearing. A certified letter will also be sent via postal mail to the student’s current local residence.

The Academic Dean may reject a decision of the Academic Appeals Committee only for just cause. Decisions of the Academic Appeals Committee (as communicated by the Academic Dean) are final and are not subject to further appeal.

Click here  for a copy of the Academic Appeals Policy.

Grading Policies

The College uses a four point grading system:

Grading in Online RN-BSN Completion Courses

There is no rounding of final grades in the Online RN-BSN Completion Program.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The grade point average (GPA) determines the student’s academic status. Mount Carmel College of Nursing reports both the semester and cumulative GPA’s on the grade report. The grade point average is obtained by dividing the sum of the “points earned” by the sum of the “hours attempted.”

CANVAS Scores

CANVAS course management software provides students with centralized access to courses. Scores recorded in CANVAS are not “official”course grades. Final course grades are official only when they have been verified by faculty and recorded by the Office of Records and Registration.

Grade Reports

Official reporting of student grades is through the Office of Records and Registration at the completion of each term/semester.

Students without “holds” on their accounts can view and print final grades via CARMELink. Final grade reports are not mailed to students. Students who require official hard-copy grade reports must contact the Office of Records and Registration in Marian Hall, Rm. 201.

Incomplete Grades

After discussion, faculty may issue an Incomplete (“I”) grade to a student who is unable to complete all course requirements due to illness or other serious problems. Under normal circumstances, the student must submit completed coursework by the end of the sixth week following the end of a semester. Extensions beyond the deadline must be negotiated with the faculty member. If course requirements are not met by the deadline, the “I” grade is changed to a grade of “F.” 

Transcript Requests

A Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) transcript is the official academic record of a student’s enrollment.

• MCCN provides transcript services (eTranscript) through the National Student Clearinghouse, a third-party vendor.
• Access online transcript ordering at here for the published cost.
• Transcript requests are processed within 2 business days (excluding weekends and holidays).
• You may use any major credit/debit card to place your order.

Transcript costs differ depending on delivery method.

• For Mail delivery: each transcript cost is $5.00 and an additional $2.25 processing fee.
• For Hold for Pick Up delivery: each transcript cost is $5.00 and an additional $2.25 processing fee.
• For FedEx delivery: each transcript cost is $5.00, a $2.25 processing fee, and an additional $25.00 FedEx fee. This rate is for weekday delivery only (Saturday delivery is not included). FedEx requires a street address and will not deliver to a PO Box.
• For Electronic PDF delivery: each transcript cost is $5.00, a $2.25 processing fee and an additional $1.75 PDF processing fee.
  • We recommend that you first check with the recipient before ordering electronic PDF delivery to make sure they will accept the transcript in this format.
  • Electronic transcripts cannot be processed for students completing attendance before Fall 1990 (attending Mount Carmel School of Nursing). Those students should select the “Mail delivery” option when ordering through the online service. These transcripts will be processed manually by the MCCN Registrar’s Office.

Financial obligations to MCCN must be satisfied before a transcript can be released. Requests from individuals with student record holds will not be processed until the hold is resolved. Transcript requests will remain active for 30 days to provide time to resolve the hold. If after 30 days the hold has not been resolved, the transcript request order will be cancelled. Credit/debit cards will not be charged until the order has been fulfilled.

Please contact the Records and Registration Office at 614-234-3522 should you have any questions.

Sigma Theta Tau International

Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing is an organization committed to fostering excellence, scholarship, and leadership in nursing. The Honor Society promotes the use of nursing research in health care and provides resources to communicate the latest knowledge in nursing care. Mount Carmel’s Rho Omicron chapter, chartered in 2002, is one of 478 chapters around the world.

Those invited to make application to Sigma Theta Tau International include students who have demonstrated superior academic achievement, academic integrity, and professional leadership potential. The criteria for membership include:

• All candidates must meet the expectation of academic integrity.
• Undergraduate students must have completed at least one-half of the nursing curriculum and rank in the upper 35% of the graduating class.
• RN-BSN students must have completed 12 credit hours at MCCN, at least one-half of the nursing curriculum, and rank in the upper 35% of the graduating class.
• Graduate students must have completed a minimum of one-fourth of the graduate nursing curriculum.

Leave of Absence

A Leave of Absence (LOA) from the College may be granted to students in good academic standing (minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA). LOA indicates a desire to interrupt, but not permanently discontinue, enrollment in the College. Normally, LOA is granted for a maximum of one year. Any extension to this timeline for extenuating circumstances outside of the student’s control must be approved by the appropriate Associate Dean. If a student on LOA does not return after one year, and has not received an approved extension from the appropriate Associate Dean, MCCN will consider the student to have withdrawn from the College. A withdrawn student who wants to return must reapply for admission.

Typically, a student must submit a completed Request for Leave of Absence form (available from the Assistant Director of Records and Registration or from the RN-BSN Program Advisor). The student will be notified in writing of the approval status of the request. RN-BSN students must notify the RN-BSN Program Advisor in order to return to MCCN. Failure to notify by the designated date will result in administrative withdrawal from Mount Carmel College of Nursing.

A returning LOA student must pay any outstanding account balance in full before being permitted to return to the College. Late fees and any collection costs will be added to the student’s account. Enrollment in any course will be on a space available basis for a student returning from LOA.

The College reserves the right to enhance/revise the curriculum at any time. If this occurs during the student’s LOA, the student might be required to progress in the revised program with different requirements than the original program of study.

College Initiated Leave of Absence

In the uncommon circumstance that a student cannot safely remain at the College or meet academic standards, even with accommodations and other supports, the College reserves the right to require the student to take a mandatory leave of absence. The Academic Dean, or their designee, in consultation with appropriate healthcare provider(s), will make the decision to require a student to take a leave of absence based on an objective assessment of the student’s ability to safely participate in the College’s programs utilizing the following assessment criteria:

1. the student presents an immediate danger to self or others by threatening and/or inflicting bodily harm to self or to others;
2. the student’s behavior has the potential to result in bodily or other substantial harm to self or others.

The assessment will determine the nature, duration and severity of the risk; the probability that any potentially threatening behavior will occur; and whether reasonable modifications of policies, practices, or procedures will sufficiently mitigate the risk. In the event that a determination is made to require a student to take a LOA after a thorough assessment, the College will notify the student in writing.

Appeal of College Initiated Leave of Absence

After the College initiates a mandatory LOA, withing three business days, the student may initiate an appeal in writing to the President, or their designee. A student may not stay on campus during the appeal period. An appeal can only be made based on the following criteria:

1. the decision is unreasonable based on the circumstances, or
2. the procedures and/or information relied upon in making the decision were wrong or unfair.

The written appeal should clearly state the specific unreasonable, wrong, and/or unfair facts and should present relevant information to support the statements. To aid in review of the student’s appeal, the President, or their designee, may request an assessment by an outside healthcare provider, of the student’s functional ability to return to the College to aid in their review of the student’s appeal. The President, or their designee, will review the appeal and will respond to the student in writing within three business days. The response will provide a conclusion as to whether or not the College Initiated LOA is upheld or the appeal is granted upon a thorough review of the relevant facts.

Returning After a College Initiated Leave of Absence

When the College Initiated LOA timeframe has concluded, the student may petition to return to the College. It is the policy of Mount Carmel College of Nursing that students must submit a signed release to return to class and/or the clinical unit if they are admitted as an inpatient to a hospital or are seen for the treatment in a hospital Emergency Department. In addition, any student who receives written documentation from a healthcare provider (even if the student was not hospitalized or seen as an inpatient in a hospital Emergency Department) stating that they have any restrictions related to class or clinical participation must submit a signed release to return to class and/or clinical. This signed release must be submitted by the student to the Student Health Nurse prior to the student’s returning to class and/or clinical. In the rare circumstances where the Student Health Nurse is unavailable and the matter needs to be addressed, the student may submit the documentation to their faculty member. The student should always email the Student Health Nurse notification of their circumstances prior to returning to the clinical and/or class setting. If the documentation is submitted to a faculty member, the faculty member must submit it to the Student Health Nurse. The release must clearly identify all restrictions. Additionally, the length of time the restrictions apply must be clearly stated. If the documentation provided by the student indicates that they are not safe to return to the class and/or clinical setting, or the stated restrictions may require the student to request reasonable accommodations, the Student Health Nurse will work with the student to determine the best next steps and connect the student to any other necessary campus resources. This policy applies to students in both on campus and online platforms.

A returning LOA student must pay any outstanding account balance in full before being permitted to return to the College. Late fees and any collection costs will be added to the student’s account. Enrollment in any course will be on a space available basis for any student returning from LOA.

Withdrawing from the College

A student whose intent is to officially withdraw from the College must contact the Assistant Director of Records and Registration to submit a Notice to Withdraw.

A student who has not requested a Leave of Absence and has not registered for classes by the first week of the semester will be withdrawn from Mount Carmel College of Nursing. The student’s record will be noted as “withdrew.” All withdrawals are subject to the Institutional Refund Policy.

Students who have withdrawn from the College and wish to return must complete a new application which will be reviewed for decision by the Admissions Committee (the application and confirmation fees will be waived). Transcripts for work completed at any institution since the withdrawal must be included with the new application. Previously completed Mount Carmel courses will be accepted, as applicable.

Military Deployment Policy

This policy applies to a student at MCCN who is a member of the National Guard of any state, active, or reserve forces of the United States and who is ordered to state military service or federal service of duty. This same policy applies to the spouse (who is a MCCN student) of a member of the National Guard of any state, active, or reserve forces of the United States and who is ordered to state military service of federal service or duty, if the member has a dependent child.

A copy of the military orders for deployment must be provided to the Associate Dean of the respective academic program before any of the actions below are initiated. Any combination of options #1 and/or #2 is acceptable.

1. Withdrawal

• There is no deadline for withdrawal from the student’s entire registration to receive a full 100% refund of tuition and mandatory fees.
• The student may drop/withdraw from all courses and remain in the academic program on Leave of Absence status.
• The student may drop/withdrawal from all courses and MCCN.

2.  Course Grade or “Incomplete” Grade

• Faculty and Staff are encouraged to be as flexible as possible for academic credit.
• The student may make arrangements with faculty for a course grade.
• The student may make arrangements with the faculty for the grade of “Incomplete” that shall be completed by the student at a later date. The student’s registration shall remain intact, and tuition and mandatory fees shall be assessed in full for the courses.
• Any courses for which arrangements cannot be made for grades of “Incomplete” shall be considered dropped and the tuition and mandatory fees for the courses refunded.

3. Re-entry

• If the student returns from Leave of Absence status and decides to re-enroll, it is necessary to contact the Associate Dean of the respective academic program at least 2 months prior to restarting classes at MCCN.

Auditing a Course

A student may audit a course with the understanding that academic credit is not granted and cannot later be claimed as a result of the audited course. Audited courses do not fulfill degree requirements and may affect a student’s status of full-time enrollment. An audited course does not preclude a student from taking the course for credit during a subsequent semester.

A student who audits a course is doing so for information only and is not required to take examinations. However, the student is expected to attend class regularly and the instructor may require some assignments to be completed. Nursing courses may be audited only be degree-seeking students enrolled in the Mount Carmel program.

Permission to audit a course must be obtained from the Associate Dean prior to the beginning of the class. The approved Student Request to Audit form must be submitted to the Director of Records and Registration. Students granted permission to audit a course will be charged 50% the normal cost of the class.

Residency Requirement

The MCCN residency policy requires completion of the following minimum credit hours to be granted a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from Mount Carmel College of Nursing:

• Online RN-BSN Program = minimum of 32 semester hours

Graduation Requirements

In order to qualify for graduation, undergraduate degree candidates must complete all the requirements on the following checklist. A student deficient in any area will not receive a diploma until the requirement is complete.

• Submit an online Graduation Application by the posted deadline.
• RN-BSN students must complete a minimum of 128 semester hours (including transfer credit from their pre-licensure program).
• Complete all required coursework with a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA.
• Earn a minimum 2.00 cumulative science GPA.
• Make certain that official transcripts for all transfer and affiliated courses are on file at Mount Carmel College of Nursing.
• Fulfill all financial and library obligations to Mount Carmel College of Nursing.
• Complete the online Financial Aid Exit Interview (required of every student who received any type of loan).
• Complete the Business Affairs Exit Interview (required of every student who received an institutional loan).
• Complete the online Graduation Exit Survey. Students will receive an email with specific instructions a few weeks prior to the end of their program.
• If attending May Commencement, order authorized graduation cap and gown from jostens.com (earliest available order date will be announced to graduating students).
• The student’s official diploma will be mailed to the permanent address on file 6-8 weeks after all graduation requirements are verified by the Records and Registration Office.

RN-BSN students may participate in May Commencement if they need to complete no more than two additional courses and are eligible to complete the nursing program by the end of Summer Session of the same calendar year. The graduation fee is charged to the student’s account in the semester he/she graduates.

Undergraduate Pinning Ceremony

On the Friday evening before Commencement, the Undergraduate Pinning Ceremony is held for all graduating students and their guests.

Graduation Honors

Graduation honors are based on the student’s final cumulative GPA and indicate a consistently high level of scholastic achievement.

Online RN-BSN Completion Program graduates and all other graduates completing degree requirements with less than 60 semester hours of Mount Carmel course work and a minimum 3.40 cumulative GPA are awarded Academic Distinction.

Commencement

Mount Carmel College of Nursing Commencement is held in early May each year.

The colorful academic hood for Mount Carmel College of Nursing is awarded to graduates who attain the highest academic degree beyond the bachelor’s degree. It is a special part of academic regalia and denotes scholarly and professional achievements. The cap, the hood and the robe are the visual components of the academic costume. Gown designs represent the levels of academic degrees. The color of the velvet outer binding of the master’s and doctoral hoods represents the academic discipline to which the degree pertains. The color for the outer binding for the discipline of Nursing is apricot. The colors of the inner lining of the hood denote the institution awarding the degree. Mount Carmel College of Nursing colors are burgundy and silver. The tassel color for the MCCN Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing (BSN) is apricot.

Details regarding Commencement and student academic regalia are posted to CARMELink at the appropriate time each year.