Undergraduate Progression and Withdrawal Policies

PROGRESSION POLICY

Students must meet the pre and co-requisites for each nursing course.  In order to progress into junior year, student must have completed all required and elective courses with a ‘C’ or better (not a C-), and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (not rounded) or higher.

Lower Division Policies

1. Nursing prerequisites and electives may be repeated only once (either at Widener or off-campus) following either: a) a grade less than ‘C’ and/or withdrawal or grade less than a B for courses taken off campus. A withdrawal (either at Widener or off-campus) counts as an attempt. The repeat attempt requires written permission from the school dean or dean’s designee on the Repetition of Course forms.  If, on the repeat attempt, the student does not complete the course with a minimal grade of ‘C’ (not C-) or B if taken off campus or withdraws from the course, the student will be dismissed from the School of Nursing BSN program.
2. Biology 121 and 122 or corresponding transfer courses must be successfully completed not more than five years prior to entry to upper division (junior year).
3. Matriculated students may take a maximum of nine semester credits off campus only with special permission from the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs or the Assistant Dean of Student Services and the university’s Associate Provost.  Course Transfer Authorization form must be completed for all courses taken off campus. Students must achieve a grade of B or better on all courses taken off campus.
4. NURS 205/206 and NURS 261/262 must be completed in the semester immediately preceding the start of the junior year. Sophomore students who do not progress but who have taken NURS 205/206 and/or NURS 261/262 will be required to repeat those courses in the semester immediately preceding junior year in order to move to upper division.

Upper Division Policies

1. ​Students must achieve a Widener University cumulative GPA of 3.0 (not rounded) and a grade of ‘C’ or higher (not a C-) on all lower division prerequisite and elective courses (All courses listed for the freshman and sophomore years) for admission into the upper division. 
2. Students must demonstrate compliance with all clinical requirements as specified in the School of Nursing Undergraduate Student Handbook. Students who have not completed the appropriate clinical requirements by the end of sophomore year and junior year will not be able to progress.
3. Students must have successfully completed the pre-requisite and elective courses by the end of spring or summer semester of the sophomore year. See curriculum grid. 
4. All Widener students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (not rounded) or higher to progress into junior year.
5. Students are responsible to have their official transcripts from all other institutions sent to the Registrar’s Office by the first day of the semester immediately preceding attendance in the class.    . Academic deficiencies may result in deferring progression into the Junior year.  Students who are enrolled in summer school to complete prerequisite courses may submit a letter signed by the course instructor designating the grade earned in the course or an unofficial transcript to the Assistant Dean of Students. An official transcript verifying the grade earned must be forwarded as soon as possible Students may not begin the Junior year until documentation of all lower division requirements has been received by the School of Nursing.
6. Documentation of compliance with all of clinical requirements, including:
   1. Immunizations: 
      1. Tetanus/diphtheria/pertsussis (tDAP) within 10 years
      2. Meningitis (required for students less than 25 years of age)
   2. Titers ~ serologic proof of immunity
      1. MMR
      2. Varicella
      3. Hepatitis B
   3. ​Physical Examination
   4. Criminal Background Investigation through agency designated by the School of Nursing (within 6 months of beginning clinicals)
   5. FBI Criminal Check
   6. Child Abuse Clearance for Pennsylvania
   7. 10 Panel Drug Screen (within 6 months of beginning clinicals)
   8. Two-step PPD (required annually)
   9. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification (American Heart Association Health Care Provider) 2 year certification or American Red Cross Health Care Provider 2 year certification
   10. Personal Health Insurance (documentation required annually)

Failure to meet these requirements may result in the student being unable to progress in the curriculum.

Nursing Progression Policies

1. Theory grades are calculated per the course syllabus, and are reported as a letter grade. Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher (not a C-) in the theory component of all nursing courses, including clinical and non-clinical required courses in order to successfully complete, or pass the course. The minimum numeric score required to earn a grade of “C” in any nursing course is 75.0.  Final and exam grades are not rounded.

2. Laboratory or clinical grades are evaluated per the course syllabus and reported as “pass” or “fail”. A grade of “pass” in the clinical/laboratory component of a course is required to successfully complete, or pass, the course.

3. Students failing either the classroom or clinical component of a nursing course must repeat the course in its entirety, including classroom and clinical components.

4. Students who withdraw from one nursing course with co-requisite requirements before midterm must withdraw from the other co requisite course(s) as well. For progression purposes, withdrawal from one course and its co-requisites will be considered as one withdrawal.

5. Students are permitted only one unsuccessful attempt to complete a nursing course throughout the program. Both withdrawals and failures count as an attempt.

   1. A grade of less than “C” in the same nursing course twice will result in dismissal from the nursing program.

   2. A withdrawal from a nursing course and a grade of less than “C” on a subsequent attempt after a previous withdrawal from the same course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.

   3. A grade of less than “C” in any nursing course with subsequent withdrawal from the same course on the second attempt.

   4. A grade of less than “C” in any two nursing courses will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
   5. A withdrawal from a nursing course, followed by a subsequent withdrawal from any other nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
   6. A withdrawal from a nursing course, followed by a subsequent failure of any nursing course will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
6. Students who are unsuccessful in a course must repeat the course in the same semester it is offered in the following year. See policy
7. Students who are dismissed from the School of Nursing will be able to apply for readmission to the School of Nursing after three years as per the University Catalog.
8. Students who are dismissed from the nursing program for failure to meet academic progression requirements may continue in another major within the University if their grade point meets requirements for that major.

Progression  Criteria for RN to BSN Option

Students must meet the pre and co-requisites for each nursing course.  In order to progress, student must have completed all required and elective courses with a ‘C’ or better (not a C-), and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.  

Nursing courses may be repeated only once following either: a) a grade less than ‘C’ and/or withdrawal. The repeat attempt requires written permission from the school dean or dean’s designee on the Repetition of Course forms.  If, on the repeat attempt, the student does not complete the course with a minimal grade of ‘C’ (not C-) or withdraws from the course, the student will be dismissed from the School of Nursing RN to BSN program.

1. Theory, or course grades are calculated per the course syllabus, and are reported as a letter grade. Students are required to earn a grade of “C” or higher (not C-) in the theory component of all nursing courses, including clinical and non-clinical required courses in order to successfully complete, or pass the course. The minimum numeric score required to earn a grade of “C” in any nursing course is 75.0.  Final and exam grades are not rounded. 
2. Students are permitted only two attempts to successfully complete a nursing course; a withdrawal counts as an attempt. A student who earns a grade of less than “C” (including C-) in the same nursing course twice will be dismissed from the nursing program. Likewise, a student who withdraws from a nursing course and earns a grade of less than “C” (including C-) on a subsequent attempt at the same course will be dismissed from the nursing program.
3. A grade of less than “C” (including C-) in any two nursing courses will result in dismissal from the nursing program.
4. Students who are dismissed from the nursing program for failure to meet academic progression requirements may continue in another major within the University if their grade point meets requirements for that major.

Progression Criteria for Accelerated BSN and Transfer Students

Once accepted, the student must successfully complete NURS 103, 125, 202, 205/206, and 261/262 with a grade of C or higher (not C-) at Widener University, and achieve a Widener University cumulative GPA of 3.0 (not rounded) or higher prior to progressing into clinical nursing courses, which begin in the semester 2. Accelerated students follow the same policies and procedures as the traditional BSN students.

Progression Interrupted

Students who cannot continue in the program because of a course failure or withdrawal in a NURS 300 or NURS 400 level course may re-enroll in the program within a period of 12 months from the point of exit.  Leave of Absence (LOA) will be granted only by the Associate Provost due to either medical care or compelling personal hardship. Students who take a LOA after completing NURS 205/206 and NURS 261/262 may be required to repeat those courses prior to the start of clinical rotations. Students who do not return after 12 months will be required to repeat all nursing courses. 

Special Academic Progression Policy

See Undergraduate Catalog for details at http://catalog.widener.edu.

Progression Dismissal Policies

The University dismissal policies are outlined in the Widener University Undergraduate Catalog under the section marked Academic Standing. The School of Nursing adheres to the University dismissal policies.   Students will be dismissed from the School of Nursing for failure to meet the progression policies regarding failures as well as any of the following situations:

• GPA below 2.0
• Failure to complete clinical requirements
• A violation of the University Student Code of Conduct (see Student Handbook at http://catalog.widener.edu).
• Failure to keep any contractual stipulation imposed by the Academic Program Director or the Dean of the School of Nursing.
• Violations are specified in the student conduct section of this handbook.

Withdrawal

The drop period for the spring semester senior nursing courses will be three weeks before the end of these courses, because they are offered in an abbreviated format. The date will be specified in the course syllabus. For all other courses, it is as designated by the University.

Refunds for courses are determined by the University. (See University Catalog at http://catalog.widener.edu). The effective date used for all adjustment of charges will be the date that written notice of the withdrawal is received by the appropriate program office of Widener University.