College of Health and Human Services

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Mission

The College of Health and Human Services strives to shape the future of health science and human service education programs and prepare graduates with the skills and abilities that set them apart as exceptional clinicians, educators, scholars, and leaders with a social justice mindset. We accomplish this through innovative interprofessional educational programs and sustainable community-engaged services and scholarship that champion the intersections of physical and mental health.

Grading Systems

Grading systems for each unit within the school are fully described elsewhere in this catalog as part of the program information for each respective Center and Institute.

The grade of I is given when a student has not completed course requirements because of excusable reasons. A student who receives a grade of incomplete must arrange to make up all deficiencies with the instructor issuing the grade. If the work is not made up within one calendar year from the end of the semester in which the incomplete is received, the grade will be automatically converted to F, unless the course in question is a thesis research course or a dissertation research course. Upon completion of the requirements, the instructor will institute a change of grade. A student does not register again for a course in which the grade of incomplete has been received. A student cannot be awarded a degree when there is an outstanding incomplete grade on the transcript, even if the incomplete is in a course not required in the degree program.

If a course is repeated, both grades will be recorded on the transcript, but only the most recent grade will be used in calculating the grade point average (GPA). When a student is found to have violated Widener’s academic fraud policies, that student is prohibited from exercising the repeat-of-course option to remove the F grade (given as a result of fraud) from the GPA calculation.

If a student fails to meet the degree requirements in a timely manner or if repeated failure has occurred, the school may terminate the graduate program for the student. Conduct inconsistent with the ethical and professional standards of the discipline, whether it occurs before or after matriculation, is also grounds for dismissal from the program. Such conduct includes academic fraud. A student dismissed for academic fraud may no longer enroll in the graduate programs of the university and may not apply for admission into another division of the university. Please see the section entitled “Standards for Academic Integrity.”

Course Offerings

Graduate course offerings are published each semester and are accessible via Student Planning via my.widener.edu.

Drop/Add Policy

Students may add a course without special permission no later than one week after the semester has begun. If a student wishes to add a course after one week, written permission must be obtained from both the instructor and the program director’s office.

Students may withdraw from a course at any time prior to the final examination and receive the grade of W. If a course offered through these programs does not include a final examination, the deadline for withdrawing from the course with a grade of W is the final class meeting of the course.

Graduate students begin the withdrawal process by notifying their advisor of their intent to withdraw, either orally or in writing. The advisor submits a drop/add form, which includes the student’s last date of attendance at an academically related activity, to the Registrar’s Office.

Auditing

Students will be permitted to audit courses in the graduate program with the approval of the instructor. No grade or credit is given for auditing a course, and examinations need not be taken; however, the registration procedure and fee structure are the same as that for other students.

Academic Grievance Appeal Procedure

If a student has a grievance concerning a class in which they are enrolled, the student will first try to resolve the problem with the instructor of the class. If a student has a grievance concerning an academic requirement of the program (e.g., comprehensive examination, final clinical oral examination, clinical placements), they will first try to resolve the problem with the director of the program. If it is impossible to resolve the matter at these initial levels, the student may put the grievance in writing and provide it to the appropriate Center or Institute faculty committee for review. Students should consult their program’s relevant student manual and/or their program director for detailed processes regarding appeal to the appropriate faculty committee.

If the student’s grievance is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction and the appropriate Center or Institute faculty committee has made a disposition regarding the appeal, the student may appeal to the next higher level. To do so the student may submit a formal written appeal, within 10 business days following the disposition of the Center or Institute faculty committee, to the Office of the Dean, College of Health and Human Services.   

If the student’s grievance is not resolved to the student’s satisfaction upon appeal to the Dean, the student may appeal to the Academic Council of the College of Health and Human Services.  The Academic Council consists of the Dean as its chairperson, the Vice Chair of the College Faculty, all of the Center and Institute Directors, and one faculty representative from each Center and Institute.

Graduation Requirements and Awarding of Degrees

Students are responsible for knowing and meeting curriculum requirements as shown in this catalog.

Those who expect to receive either the master’s or doctoral degree should make clear their intentions to their advisors. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of either summer session will be awarded the degree in August of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition online at www.widener.edu/registrar by March 1. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of the fall semester will be awarded the degree in December of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition online at www.widener.edu/registrar by July 1. A student who completes requirements for the degree at the conclusion of the spring semester will be awarded the degree in May of that year; the student must submit a graduation petition online at www.widener.edu/registrar by November 1 of the previous year.

The university holds only one formal commencement in the spring to which August, December, and May graduates are invited.

A student who will be an August graduate may participate in the Commencement ceremony in May of that year. The student must petition to participate by November 1, and the student must be registered for a three-credit course at the time of the petition.

A student who petitions for graduation and who, for whatever reason, is not awarded the degree, must re-petition.

Please note that a waiver of any requirement for the degree must be approved in writing by the Office of the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services.

Challenge Examinations

A challenge examination may be taken for select graduate courses. Not all graduate courses may be challenged. If interested in challenging a course, please see the director of the relevant graduate program for more details. There is a fee for each examination, and the grade received is either Pass or Fail.

Annual Notice to Students Regarding Education Records

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords eligible students certain rights with respect to their education records. (An “eligible student” under FERPA is a student who is 18 years of age or older or who attends a postsecondary institution.) These rights include:

• The right to inspect and review the student’s education records within 45 days after the day the university receives a request for access. A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The university official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the university official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.
• The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask the university to amend a record should write the university official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

If the university decides not to amend the record as requested, the university will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

• The right to provide written consent before the university discloses personally identifiable information (PII) from the student’s education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

The university discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to university officials with legitimate educational interests. A university official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including, without limitation, law enforcement unit personnel, health staff, athletic coaches and trainers, and admissions counselors and recruiters); a person serving on the board of trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee. A university official also may include a volunteer or contractor outside of the university who performs an institutional service or function for which the university would otherwise use its own employees and who is under the direct control of the university with respect to the use and maintenance of PII from education records, such as an attorney, auditor, contractor, consultant, or collection agent, or a student volunteering to assist another university official in performing his or her tasks. A university official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the university.

Upon request, the university also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. Such education records may include updated or corrected information, including, without limitation, disciplinary and health records.

• The right to file a complaint with the U.S Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the university to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202

• The right to withhold public disclosure of any or all items of “directory information” by written notification to the Registrar’s Office of the university or the School of Law, as applicable, within two weeks after the commencement of the fall or spring semesters of any given academic year. Under current university policy, the term “directory information” includes, without limitation, a student’s name, home and campus address, telephone listing(s), electronic mail address, photographs, major field of study, grade level, enrollment status (e.g., undergraduate or graduate, full-time or part-time), dates of attendance, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, degrees, honors and awards received, and the most recent educational agency or institution attended.

Campus Safety

Campus Security and Fire Safety Reports

Widener is committed to the safety and security of all members of the Widener University community. The university’s annual Campus Safety and Fire Safety Reports are on the Widener website and contain information on campus security and personal safety, including crime prevention, university law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures, and other campus security matters. The Campus Safety Reports contain statistics for the three previous calendar years on reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings and property owned and controlled by the university, and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from campus.

The Fire Safety Report contains information on fire safety systems in on-campus student housing facilities, the number of fire drills held during the previous year, the university’s policies on portable electrical appliances, smoking, and open flames in student housing facilities, the university’s procedures for student housing evacuation in the case of a fire, policies regarding fire safety education and training programs provided to students and employees, a listing of persons or organizations to which fires should be reported, and plans for future improvements in fire safety. It also contains statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning the number of fires and cause of each fire in each on-campus student housing facility, the number of persons who received fire-related injuries that resulted in treatment at a medical facility, the number of deaths related to a fire, and the value of property damage caused by a fire.

The annual Campus Safety and Fire Safety Reports are available online at www.widener.edu/campussafety. If you would like a printed copy of these reports, contact the Campus Safety Office at 610-499-4203 to have a copy mailed to you. The information in these reports is required by law and is provided by the Campus Safety Office.

Transcripts

Students in good financial standing may have copies of their transcripts forwarded to employers, agents, or institutions of higher education by ordering online at www.getmytranscript.com

Financial Aid

Widener University offers a wide range of financial aid programs. Financial information is available on the university’s website at www.widener.edu/admissions/graduate/financial_aid.

General Information

Matriculation

A matriculated student is one who has been officially admitted to an approved program leading to a graduate degree or certificate.

Special Status

A “special status” student is a nonmatriculated student. Special status students typically register for courses for professional development. While a student in this category can take an unlimited number of courses, a student must become matriculated in order to pursue a degree or certification. Courses completed under special status will not automatically transfer toward a degree or certificate program. No more than six credits should be taken before matriculating.

Graduate Assistantships

A limited number of graduate assistantships and graduate administrative assistantships are available each year for graduate students. Students receive partial tuition remission for course work and a stipend based on up to 20 hours of work per week. Graduate assistants work with the faculty and administration on special research and administrative projects.

Grading and Dismissal

Graduate students are expected to maintain satisfactory rates of progress toward their graduate degree. The graduate record for students begins with the first course in which they enroll and includes all subsequent courses.

Courses may be repeated only once and only with permission of the relevant program faculty. Both grades will be recorded on the transcript, but only the most recent grade will be used in calculating the GPA. When a student is found to have violated Widener’s academic fraud policies, that student is prohibited from exercising the repeat-of-course option to remove the F grade (given as a result of fraud) from the GPA calculation. No student will graduate with an incomplete grade.

Conduct inconsistent with the ethical and professional standards of the discipline, whether it occurs before or after matriculation, is grounds for dismissal from the program.

Pass/No Pass

Almost all graduate courses will give standard letter grades. Occasionally, the special nature of some courses will require that they be graded on a pass/no pass basis. The decision to grade on a pass/no pass basis will be included on the course syllabus and will apply to only that course. This is not an option for any course except one in which the instructor has determined this to be the appropriate form of grading.

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