General Policies
Accreditation and Approval
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post-graduate APRN certificate program at The Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
General Statement on Accreditation
The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing is accredited by:
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
One DuPont Circle
NW Suite 530
Washington, DC 20036.
The University of Oklahoma College of Nursing is approved by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. http://nursing.ok.gov
Alumni Association
All graduates of the College of Nursing are members of the University of Oklahoma Alumni Association and the Alumni Association of the College of Nursing. The College of Nursing Alumni Association promotes the goals and purposes of the College, encourages interest in the College among graduates, students, and friends, and fosters good fellowship among graduates.
Books and Learning Material
Students will be provided with a list of all required learning materials including ISBN numbers.
An order form along with ordering instructions will be provided to all incoming BSN students who must use this vendor to purchase books. Graduate students may purchase their books via internet vendors.
Children on Campus
Children on campus must be attended by a parent or guardian at all times. No children are permitted in the classrooms, laboratories, or teaching areas. Children may not be left unattended in the building while their parent attends class. Facilities for the care of minor children are not available in the College of Nursing. Children may be given a tour of the CON during non-class times.
All students are assigned an OU Health Sciences Center e-mail address. The OUHSC email address is the official means of electronic communication between administration, faculty, and students. As a result, all communication to students regarding scholarships, policies, events, etc. are sent via the HSC email system. Administration and faculty expect that students check their campus email frequently to avoid missing important messages. Do not set up forwarding services from your email to a personal account due to possible HIPAA and FERPA violations.
Emergency alerts
Emergency Communication System (ECS)
The University of Oklahoma’s Emergency Communications System (ECS) enables the University to send time-sensitive notifications about emergency situations to all students, faculty, staff, and identified campus affiliates. These urgent messages will be transmitted to all available voice services, e-mail and text messaging options listed for your account. It is up to you to provide and confirm the contact information for the messages to reach you. The messages will provide information and instructions for action during a given situation. The effectiveness of the ECS is dependent on the accuracy of the contact information in the system. It is suggested that you enter a personal cell phone number as your primary cell phone and that you select the “Text Message” option for this number. (Please note that you may incur additional charges for text messaging on your cell phone depending on your service provider.) Contact information from the campus information systems is transmitted nightly to the ECS to update the system. This information will not be shared with other entities, and it will be kept private and confidential. Please visit the ECS website for more information: http://www.ouhsc.edu/police/Emergency-Management/ECS
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Financial Aid
Several types of financial aid are available to those who qualify. Application forms and specific information may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid, Room 301, David L. Boren Student Union.
The Office of Financial Aid mailing address is: Office of Financial Aid, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, PO Box 26901, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190. Early application is encouraged and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form requesting assistance for the next academic year should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. Check the website for important dates.
Scholarships
In order to be eligible for College of Nursing Scholarships, a FAFSA must be filed EACH year. The most current information on scholarships and loans is available on the Financial Aid Website.
The Offices of Student Affairs and Alumni Affairs of the College of Nursing are frequently notified of new scholarships. Notices of new financial aid programs are posted on the College of Nursing website. Students may apply for all scholarships online at the Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing website.
Students are urged to contact staff in the Office of Student Affairs for assistance in meeting financial needs.
Name Tags
Please check with your Office of Student Affairs regarding purchase of the official name tag. Name tags are required for students while in clinical settings.
Parking
Parking regulations vary with each campus. Information regarding parking permits will be provided to you at the time of your orientation. For details, please contact your Office of Student Affairs.
Responsible Conduct of Research
All students participating in research or projects pertaining to human subjects must receive training in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). The level of training is based upon the degree program. Training for doctoral students must occur prior to enrolling in doctoral dissertation research. RCR training for thesis masters’ students must occur prior to enrolling in master’s thesis research. For non-thesis master’s students, training must occur prior to approval to take the comprehensive examination. Programs must submit a yearly proposal to the Graduate College Responsible Conduct of Research Committee as to how their students will meet this requirement by June 1 for the upcoming academic year.
Severe Weather Precautions
During normal working hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Campus Police will monitor local weather advisories when severe weather conditions exist. If it is determined that the campus is in the projected path or will be exposed to severe weather, Campus Police will alert building occupants and advise on necessary precautions. Extended campuses and distant sites will be notified in the case of severe weather for their area. After normal working hours and on weekends and holidays, Campus Police will call the College after hours contact to notify those known to be in the building of severe weather conditions if necessary.
http://www.ouhsc.edu/police/Emergency-Management/ECS
Sigma Theta Tau International
Sigma Theta Tau is the international honor society for nursing. The purposes of the organization are to support research, recognize leadership and scholarly achievement, and strengthen commitment to the ideals of the profession of nursing.
Beta Delta Chapter at Large is an Oklahoma chapter of Sigma Theta Tau and represents the University of Oklahoma, the University of Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma City University, Southern Nazarene University, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Students in the BSN Program who demonstrate excellence in academic, personal, and professional areas are eligible for membership in Beta Delta.
Smoking Policy/Tobacco Free
In accordance with the state Smoking in Public Places Act, the University has established a Smoking in Public Places Policy. All facilities of the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and Tulsa are smoke-free and on the Norman campus as indicated through the provision of this policy. All buildings owned or operated by the University of Oklahoma will be free from smoking as noted.
Definitions – “Building” is defined for the purpose of this policy as an enclosed, indoor area owned or operated by the University of Oklahoma and used by the general public, serving as a place of work for university employees or a meeting place for a public body (as defined in the Open Meeting Act OS 25, Section 304), including but not limited to offices, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, auditoriums, arenas, theaters, performance/exhibit halls, museums, meeting rooms, cafeterias and restaurants or public conveyances (including elevators, trolleys and buses). “Smoking” means the carrying by a person of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe, or other lighted smoking device.
Signs will be posted at all entrances to university buildings stating that the buildings are smoke-free. Faculty, staff, or students within the building may ask any person smoking in the building to refrain. OUHSC Student Handbook, section 3.20. ref faculty handbook
Social Media
Course Communications
All course communications must be through the OUHSC learning management system and/or OUHSC email. Students should not use personal email or social media accounts for university-related communications.
Personal Content
Students should be aware that future employers might review their social media postings as part of any hiring process. Students should exercise caution and use their best professional judgement when deciding what information to share on social media.
Patient Information
Under no circumstances are students allowed to utilize, comment on, discuss, or take or post pictures of or information about patients or client(s) in a social media site/venue. Posting patient or client information on any electronic site/venue is prohibited and may result in a violation of state or federal law, including HIPAA. Posting about other training-related matters may result in academic or disciplinary consequences, including but not limited to a grade reduction or a Professional Concerns Report under the Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy. This includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and all other social media platforms.
Professional Practice
OU College of Nursing students are held to the American Nurses Association (ANA) Social-Media Standards. Students must review and comply with the ANA’s Six Principles for Social Networking and other ANA related documents on social media.
- Principle 1. Nurses must not transmit or place online individually identifiable patient information.
- Principle 2. Nurses must observe ethically prescribed professional patient-based boundaries.
- Principle 3. Nurses should understand that patients, colleagues, organizations, and employers may view postings.
- Principle 4. Nurses should take advantage of privacy settings and seek to separate personal and professional information online.
- Principle 5. Nurses should bring content that could harm a patient’s privacy, rights, or welfare to the attention of appropriate authorities.
- Principle 6. Nurses should participate in developing organizational policies governing online conduct.
Student Affairs
The Office of Student Affairs provides student services such as, academic advisement, assistance with student organizations’ activities, referrals for personal counseling and general information for currently enrolled and prospective students. The Office also maintains official student records and coordinates admission, profession and graduation requirements and activities for students.
Student Center and Services
The David L. Boren Student Union on the Health Sciences Center is located directly north of the College of Nursing at 1006 North Stonewall and can be reached via an underground tunnel from the college. The Center provides food, computer support, student counseling, the Writing Center, recreation spaces, and other services.
HSC Student Counseling Services offers both in-person and telehealth video- conferencing appointments to OUHSC students and residents in Oklahoma. Services include individual counseling, couples counseling and group counseling.
Counseling Services Appointments
The OUHSC Writing Center, located in Room 214 in the HSC Student Union, serves the students, faculty, and staff of the entire OU Health Sciences Campus. Services provided by the Writing Center include help with topic selection, strategies for successful research, proper citation use, grammar correctness and draft revision.
HSC Writing Center
IT Student Services Support including VDI requests, WIFI configuration, printing services and computer encryption can be found here:
IT Student Services
The David L. Boren Student Union hosts a variety of conference and individual study areas accessible to OUHSC students 24/7 throughout the year. Desktop computers, whiteboards, television with cable and a break room are all available on a first come, first-serve basis. The Student Union also has Lounge Areas, a Lactation Room, Reflection Room, and HSC Food services.
Student Identification
A current student identification card is required on all campuses for use of University Library materials, for admission to university events, and for access to university facilities after normal operating hours. The identification card is issued when fees are paid. For students enrolled in an online program, a university ID is optional.
Student Organizations
College of Nursing defines student organizations as a group of undergraduate or graduate students who unite to promote or celebrate a common interest. Recognized student organizations create opportunities for leadership development, learning, student engagement, and fostering of shared interests. Click here for more information.
Student Records and Information
Information maintained by the University of Oklahoma about students, and, in some instances, former students is covered under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA information is defined as either directory or confidential. Any office gathering such information and/or having custody of it shall release it only in accordance with policy or as otherwise required by law. When a student enrolls at the university and furnishes data required for academic and personal records, there is an implicit and justifiable assumption of trust placed in the University as custodian of such information. This relationship continues with regard to any data subsequently generated during the student’s enrollment.
For further details see:
http://provost.ouhsc.edu/Portals/1037/assets/documents/FacultyHandbookOUHSC.pdf?ver=2019-09-30-135426-620
Phones
Faculty have the prerogative to set expectations regarding phone use in the classroom. All members of the CON are asked to use phone etiquette appropriate to the situation in which they find themselves.
Transcripts
The official transcript is a permanent record of student academic performance and includes grades earned and enrollment status, and semesters in which the student is placed on academic probation, or academic dismissal. Permanent academic records for undergraduate graduate coursework earned at the Health Sciences Center are available from the Office of Admissions and Records (A&R) on the Health Sciences Center campus (405) 271-2359.
Requests for official transcripts of coursework completed at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing may be made to the Health Sciences Center Admissions and Records Office. It normally requires several days to process requests for transcripts of Norman Campus coursework. There is no charge for official transcripts.
The University reserves the right to withhold a transcript, official or unofficial, from any student with financial indebtedness to the University or during the resolution of an alleged act of academic misconduct.
Tuition and Fees
It is the responsibility of the student to register and pay fees on the dates specified on the Academic Calendar. Questions about tuition and fee payment should be directed to the Bursar Office at (405) 271-2433. Click here for estimated cost of tuition and fees.
Veteran Services
The Health Sciences Center Office of Admissions and Records provides certification of enrollment for HSC students receiving financial assistance through the Veterans Administration. Students receiving VA assistance who are enrolling at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Nursing for the first time are encouraged to contact the Admissions and Records office at (405) 271-2359 at their earliest convenience to begin the processing of necessary paperwork.