College of Nursing Student Handbook

Introduction to the Student Handbook

The OUHC College of Nursing (CON) Student Handbook is published for informational purposes. While every effort is made to present the information accurately, the actual text of the policy, procedure, or law should be consulted as the authoritative source of information.

Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing

Welcome to Oklahoma's flagship college of nursing; we are excited for your nursing journey! Founded in 1911, OU College of Nursing is the state's largest nursing school with five program sites in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Lawton, Duncan, and Norman and is dedicated to continuing the leadership and academic excellence that have become synonymous with the University of Oklahoma.

OUHC Student Handbook

Please consult the OUHC Student Handbook for OUHC policies and procedures:

Section 1: Academic Degrees Offered

Section 2: Board of Regents’ Policies and Procedures

Section 3: OUHC Policies and Procedures

Section 4: Tuition and Fee Policies

Section 5: Graduation

Section 6: International Student Services

Section 7: Veterans Student Services

Section 8: Resources

Graduate College Bulletin

Please consult the OUHC Graduate College Bulletin for graduate student policies and procedures:

Section 1: University Administration

Section 2: The OUHC Graduate College

Section 3: Master’s Degree Programs

Section 4: Doctoral Degree Programs

Section 5: Description of Graduate Programs

OUHC Faculty Handbook

Please find and review the OUHC Faculty Handbook.

Pre-Licensure BSN Clinical Learning Absence Policy

Definitions

Clinical Absence: A clinical absence is defined as a failure to attend a scheduled clinical learning activity that counts towards the student’s clinical hour requirement.
Unavoidable & Unplanned Clinical Absence: Refers to absence from a clinical learning activity where a student is unexpectedly absent without prior notice or approval. These unavoidable, emergency absences will be handled on an individual basis between the student and Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record. Documentation may be requested to provide support for the absence.
Clinical Tardiness: Clinical tardiness is defined as a failure to arrive at a clinical learning activity by the scheduled start time. Clinical faculty will communicate arrival time during orientation with students. Clinical tardiness may vary based on associated hospital policies.
- A student is considered tardy if they arrive 1 – 15 minutes late to a scheduled skills lab, simulation, or clinical activity.
- Arrival more than 15 minutes late at a scheduled skills lab, simulation, or clinical activity will be recorded as an absence and the student will not participate in the scheduled activity. The student will be required to make up the missed activity if opportunities are available.
Clinical Learning Activity: Clinical learning encompasses a variety of activities including skills lab, simulations, interprofessional activities, community clinical, and hospital learning experiences. These activities count towards a clinical course and program hour requirements necessary for progression and graduation.
- Observational Clinical Learning Activities: An activity where the student can observe professionals/practitioners but not perform skill-based nursing care.
Supervised Clinical Learning Activities: Any Clinical Learning Activity where the student is supervised by an OU College of Nursing faculty member.
Precepted Clinical Learning Activities: A Clinical Learning Activity where the student is supervised by a qualified preceptor. An active Clinical Affiliation Agreement (CAA) must be in place prior to a student completing any clinical hours at a facility. Preceptors must sign a Preceptor Agreement prior to the start of clinical hours.

Expectations

Student Clinical Attendance: Attendance at clinical learning activities is mandatory and expected. Failure to complete required clinical hours will result in a failure in the clinical course (i.e., a grade maximum of 69% will automatically be applied to the overall course grade).
Makeup Clinical Experiences: Availability of makeup clinical experiences is dependent on clinical slot opportunities and clinical faculty availability. The nature of the makeup clinical learning activity is at the discretion of the student’s Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record and the campus clinical coordinator. Makeup experiences cannot be guaranteed. Missed clinical activities may result in failure.

Procedure for Clinical Absence:

In the event a clinical absence cannot be avoided, the following procedure should be implemented:

Supervised Clinical Learning Activities:

Student Responsibilities:
- The student is responsible for communicating absence in writing to the Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record.
  - When possible, clinical absences deemed excused will require written communication prior to the experience.
  - The communication should include the clinical date and appropriate details around the nature of the absence.
  - Documentation may be requested to provide support for absence.
Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record Responsibilities:
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record is required to notify the learning site clinical/lab/simulation/course coordinator of the absence within one university business day to document the clinical absence, type of experience missed, clinical hours missed, and the nature of the clinical absence.
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record should ensure the student’s attendance within clinical scheduling systems accurately reflects clinical hours attended.
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record will review OUHS policy regarding student professional behavior, document professionalism concerns accordingly and apply grade penalties appropriately.

Precepted Clinical Learning Activities:

Student Responsibilities:
- Clinical absences should be communicated to the preceptor and Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record as soon as possible. Students are responsible for ensuring precepted clinical hours are scheduled around events that would cause them to be absent. Additionally, students are responsible for ensuring they have satisfied the clinical hours requirement outlined in the course.
- Documentation may be requested to provide support for absence.
- The student is responsible for satisfying clinical hour requirements.
Preceptor/Primary/Secondary Instructor of Record Responsibilities:
- The Preceptor/Primary/Secondary Instructor of Record is responsible for routinely monitoring student professional conduct including timeliness and clinical presence.
- Preceptor/Primary/Secondary Instructor of Record should communicate clinical tardiness to the Clinical Course coordinator via OUHC email.
- The Preceptor/Primary/Secondary Instructor of Record is required to notify the learning site clinical/lab/simulation/course coordinator of the absence within one university business day to document the clinical absence, type of experience missed, clinical hours missed, and the nature of the clinical absence.
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record should ensure the student’s attendance within clinical scheduling systems accurately reflects clinical hours attended.
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record will review OUHC policy regarding student professional behavior, document professionalism concerns accordingly and apply grade penalties appropriately.

Procedure for Clinical Tardiness

In the event a clinical tardiness cannot be avoided, the following procedure should be implemented:

Student Responsibilities:
- Students will provide written and verbal communication regarding clinical tardiness to the clinical faculty member as soon as possible.
Clinical Faculty Responsibilities:
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record should ensure the student’s attendance within clinical scheduling systems accurately reflects clinical hours attended.
- The Primary and/or Secondary Instructor of Record will review OUHC policy regarding student professional behavior, document professionalism concerns accordingly and apply grade penalties appropriately.

Site Waitlist

Incoming students (ABSN, LPN-BSN, TBSN) may request to go on the waitlist for a different learning site. These requests are submitted via an electronic form; are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis; and are dependent upon clinical spot availability and learning site capacity. The waitlist for a different learning site for pre-licensure programs (ABSN, LPN-BSN, TBSN) closes 45 calendar days prior to the start of a new semester. After the learning site waitlist closes, there are no other changes to the learning site for that program, and students must begin and finish the program at the learning site to which they are assigned at that time of enrollment. If, for any reason, a student cannot start or continue at the assigned learning site for the program, the student must reapply to the program in the next program cycle.

Prerequisites

Students must follow all General Education and graduation requirements of the University of Oklahoma. The College of Nursing will review all course substitutions and will request syllabi and other course materials to determine appropriate substitutions if applicable in accordance with university requirements and accreditation standards.

Professional Licensure Disclosures

Students are encouraged to review the Professional Licensure Disclosures. Students will be required to sign an attestation if located in a state that does not participate in licensure

End-of-Term Processing and Board Forms

End-of-term processing and transcript certification for Board of Nursing forms are multi-step processes. In accordance with University policy, the College of Nursing processes final grades and certifies graduates. The Office of Admissions and Recruitment sends transcripts according to the processes of the testing agency and will send out-of-state board forms to the appropriate agencies. The total process takes approximately 4-6 weeks from the date that final grades are due at the end of a semester. Processing commences after final grades are submitted according to the Academic Calendar https://admissions.ouhsc.edu/Academic-Calendar. See Oklahoma Licensure webpage for more information about this process. The OU College of Nursing Student Affairs team can answer questions about this process. Please note that transcripts with degrees posted are available 6 weeks after degree completion. Students will not be able to sit for the NCLEX until the degree is posted on the transcript. Each state board sets the timing for the ATT. Students will not be able to submit credentialing to prospective jobs/employers until the degree is posted on the transcript. This process is completed by the OU College of Nursing Student Affairs Team and Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences.

Exams and Academic Integrity

OU College of Nursing Administration of Undergraduate Exams Policy and Procedure

OUHC Student Handbook Academic Integrity

OUHC Student Handbook Academic Misconduct

Off-Track and Alternative Plan Processes

If a student receives the grade of a “W,” “F,” “D,” or “I,” the student is an off-track student and will receive an alternative plan for program completion. The student must wait to take the course with the unsuccessful grade until the course is next offered for your cohort, program, and site. The student may have to take a leave of absence until the course is next offered in the lockstep curriculum. As outlined in the Academic Progress Policy of the OUHC Financial Student Services, “Each College reviews throughout, and at the conclusion of each academic year, the performance of each student […] In some cases, the student may be placed on a Leave of Absence until the necessary rotation of coursework is available again.”

Readmission

Students who complete only a part of the nursing major courses, and who are in good academic standing, before withdrawing from the University may be readmitted as long as they meet the current admission requirements and can complete the nursing major courses within a six-year time limit of original matriculation. Beyond one academic year of no enrollment, students must reapply to be admitted to the CON.

Students who are dismissed from a pre-licensure program (ABSN, LPN-BSN, TBSN) will not be able to reapply to a pre-licensure program (ABSN, LPN-BSN, TBSN) but may apply for readmission to the post-licensure undergraduate program (RN-BSN). A student dismissed from the post-licensure undergraduate program (RN-BSN) cannot reapply to an undergraduate program in the College of Nursing but could apply to a graduate program.

A student dismissed from a graduate program in the College of Nursing will not be able to reapply to a graduate program in the College of Nursing.

Transfer of Credit

A. MSN and DNP Transfer Policy

The acceptance of transfer credit from another institution for MSN and DNP degree programs is not guaranteed and is determined according to the policies and procedures of the College of Nursing and the University.

B. BSN Transfer Policy

The BSN pathways (ABSN, TBSN, LPN-BSN, and RN-BSN) do not accept transfer coursework from other nursing programs due to the lockstep curriculum and course sequence defined in the undergraduate curriculum.

Deferrals

The OU College of Nursing does not offer enrollment deferrals for any students. Should students choose to wait, students must reapply in a future cycle as the College’s admission requirements may change from year to year in accordance with the degree sheet for that catalog year. If students do reapply, the student can request a one-time waiver code for the supplemental application if the student has military-related documentation for the request. Please note that this waiver applies only to the supplemental application and does not cover any third-party application fees. Please note the waiver code is available only for the application cycle directly subsequent to the original admission term. If the student does not return in that application cycle, students will need to reapply with the regular application fees. For example, a student who receives admission for the Fall 2025 program would be able to receive a one-time waiver code for the supplemental application for the Fall 2026 program. If the student does not reapply in Fall 2026 and wants to reapply in Fall 2027, the waiver code would no longer be available, but the student would be welcome to reapply to the program.

Student Evaluations

Student Evaluation of a course cannot be included as a part of a course grade. Each student is given the opportunity to complete a course evaluation during the final weeks of the course. Instructors use this information as valuable feedback to enhance future iterations of the course. The course evaluation responses are aggregated and provided to instructors. Individual evaluations are not provided for instructor review.

The reports are made available to instructors after final grades have been posted. Student evaluations of the course are anonymous and will not affect student grades.

Auditing of a Course

Due to the clinical capacity and learning site structure, students cannot audit courses offered by the College of Nursing or courses in nursing programs.

Attendance in Enrolled Courses

Students cannot attend any courses or activities in which they are not enrolled. Students cannot attend any sections of courses other than those in which they are enrolled.

Undergraduate Academic Progress

I. GPA CALCULATION AND REQUIREMENTS

A. Grades

Only courses assigned a letter grade of A, B, C, D, or F are used in calculation of a student’s Term, OU Health Campus, Cumulative, and/or Combination GPA. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory graded courses are GPA neutral and are not used in the calculation of a student’s GPA. More information about grading is available in the Handbook, Grading System Section.

B. Grading Scale:

A (90-100) (4 grade points)
B (80-89) (3 grade points)
C (70-79) (2 grade points)
D (60-69) (1 grade point, not passing)
F (0-59) (0 grade points, not passing)

Any course in which the grade of a D or F is received is not passing and does not count toward degree requirements.

C. Grade Calculation

Grades will be calculated using two decimal points in Canvas. Rounding the final grade in any course is not permissible. For example, a grade of 89.6 cannot be rounded up to 90; it must remain 89.

D. Prerequisites

All prerequisites must be completed before matriculation in an undergraduate nursing program.

E. Undergraduate Program Pathways

Students cannot change from one undergraduate program pathway to another without reapplication to the requested pathway. To reapply, students must meet all application criteria, including good standing, professional behavior, and program requirements of the catalog.

F. Incomplete Grades

Student Handbook - Grading Regulations Relative to Incompletes

G. Withdrawals and Drops

Student Handbook - Grading Regulations Relative to Withdrawals and Drops

H. Licensure

Students in the RN-BSN program must hold an unencumbered and current RN license while enrolled in coursework. The RN license must be within the state where clinical practicums are to be completed. Students who begin the RN-BSN program prior to RN licensure can enroll in the first semester while waiting to sit for the NCLEX-RN. However, all students must be licensed before they are able to enroll in any subsequent semesters.
Students enrolled in the LPN to BSN program must have an active unencumbered Oklahoma or compact LPN license before beginning any coursework.
If a student encounters license issues, faces disciplinary action from any state board of nursing, or loses their LPN or RN license while enrolled in the program, they must let the BSN Program Director know immediately. Failure to make timely notification is grounds for dismissal from the College.

II. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

A. Undergraduate: Academic Progression and Retention Standards

The following standards are required of students for progression and retention in the CON:
1. Students shall comply with all University, College, and program policies, including the Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program policy and in the Faculty Handbook:
2. Students must maintain a Cumulative GPA of 2.0 (undergraduate) to be in Good Academic Standing.
3. The CON has determined that students must successfully complete (with satisfactory final course grades) all aspects of the program within six years of matriculation to the undergraduate program in accordance with the University of Oklahoma requirements. See also the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Student Handbook, Leave of Absence

III. ACADEMIC ACTIONS

The College of Nursing Student Affairs Team will monitor the academic progression of all students through the application of this policy to student academic performance.

A. Academic Retention

A student meeting the Academic Progression and Retention Standards in Section II A will be recommended for Academic Progression and Retention unless a compelling academic and/or professionalism deficiency is present.

B. Academic Probation

For the purposes of this policy, Academic Probation is the academic status assigned to a student who fails to meet academic standards and demonstrate satisfactory progress using criteria detailed in this section
A student who is not on Academic Probation at the beginning of a term but whose Cumulative GPA at the end of that term is less than 2.0 (undergraduate) will be placed on Academic Probation by the College of Nursing Student Affairs Team and will be allowed to enroll the subsequent term.
- A student who has been placed on Academic Probation based on a Cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 (undergraduate) shall be recommended for continuation on Academic Probation provided they earn a Term GPA of 2.0 or higher.
- A student who earns a subsequent Term GPA of less than 2.0 (undergraduate) while on Academic Probation shall be dismissed in accordance with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Policy, Institutional Admission and Retention.
- A student on Academic Probation obtaining both a Term GPA of 2.0 (undergraduate) or greater the subsequent term and whose Cumulative GPA is 2.0 (undergraduate) or greater will be removed from Academic Probation.
Each student on Academic Probation will be evaluated by Student Affairs each term after final grades are available.
If a student’s current GPA makes it mathematically impossible for the student to obtain a Cumulative GPA of 2.0 (undergraduate) or greater upon completion of all courses required for graduation, the College of Nursing Student Affairs Team shall recommend to Academic Affairs that the student be dismissed from the program.

C. Dismissal

The following conditions will result in the recommendation to dismiss a student from the CON:
1. Failure to complete the program within the specified time frame, as specified in section II.A. above.
2. Failure to meet the minimum GPA requirements for the program.
3. Failure to meet the minimum requirements for graduation imposed by the Program and University in the Student Handbook, Graduation Guidelines.
4. Inability to attend the clinical locations assigned to their site for reasons related to academic, professional, or behavioral considerations, or refusal of a clinical site to host a student on these bases.

IV. ACADEMIC APPEALS

The policy and procedures regarding academic appeals are detailed in the OUHC Faculty Handbook. A student may seek guidance about academic policies and procedures from the College of Nursing Student Affairs and/or the OUHC Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.

Graduate Academic Progress