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Academic Standing and Evaluation System in Nursing
Academic standing matters are the jurisdiction of the Student Standing and Promotions Committee. This Committee meets at least three times a year to review the performance of all students in the Ingram School of Nursing.
The committee also:
- assesses that students have fulfilled the Registration with the Profession requirements of the OIIQ;
- responds to requests for leave of absence;
- determines the policy for granting permission to write deferred and/or supplemental examinations (in nursing and non-nursing courses);
- receives requests for reassessments and rereads in examinations;
- receives first level appeals to standing decisions;
- receives inquiries and/or complaints related to student conduct issues—disciplinary matters are referred to the Associate Director - Undergraduate and Entry-to-Practice Educational Programs.
The committee may defer certain decisions (e.g., LOA, deferrals) to the responsible Program Director, Assistant Program Director, or Nursing Student Affairs Office (NSAO).
Grading
Grading
Please refer to University Regulations & Resources > Undergraduate > Student Records > Grading and Grade Point Averages (GPA) for details on the grading system.
For students in the B.Sc.(N.) and B.N. (Integrated) programs, a passing grade in all courses is a "C". Letter grades are assigned grade points according to the table shown in Grading and Grade Point Averages (GPA).
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U option)
For information on this option, please refer to University Regulations & Resources > Undergraduate > Registration > Course Information and Regulations > Courses Taken under the Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) Option. The S/U option is not available for Required or Complementary Courses.
Standing in Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Standing in Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Any U1, U2, and U3 student who meets all of the following criteria is in Satisfactory Standing:
- A CGPA of 2.0 or higher;
- No more than 7 credits of failure in non-clinical courses in the program;
- No failures in any clinical course, i.e., NUR1 230, 231, 233, 234, 235, 236, 331, 332, 333, 335, 336, 338, 339, 431, 432, 434, 435, 529, 530, or 531.
- Demonstrated professional behaviour and integrity in adherence with standards in classroom and clinical settings (including performance in the Satoko Shibata Clinical Nursing Laboratories and Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning), and adherence to the Quebec Code of Ethics of Nurses, the ۲ݮƵ University Code of Student Conduct (as per the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities), and the Faculty of Medicine Code of Conduct;
- No more than one clinical course with a grade of or less than B or final clinical evaluation indicating minimally meeting course objectives (e.g below expectations, developing).
Any B.Sc.(N.) U0 student who meets all of the following criteria is in Satisfactory Standing:
- A CGPA of 2.0 or above;
- No more than 3 failures in the U0 year (note that the number of failures in U0 Freshman Science courses are zeroed when the student enters U1 and the above conditions apply).
A student who has not met the criteria of Satisfactory Standing is assessed on an individual basis by the Student Standing and Promotions Committee. The Committee takes into account several factors when making decisions as to whether a student can or cannot continue in the program and, if the student does continue, what the student's standing and conditions are. Standing decisions take into account factors such as:
- the student’s pattern of performance;
- extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness, family crisis);
- reason for failure in a clinical course;
- degree of violation of code of ethics and/or code of conduct.
Probationary Standing
A student who has not met the criteria of Satisfactory Standing but who has been allowed to continue in the program is placed on probationary standing in the following conditions. When the student has:
- a CGPA of between 1.5–1.99 but has not exceeded the number of allowable failures in nursing and/or non-nursing courses and was previously in Satisfactory Standing;
- a CGPA of between 1.5–1.99 and has not failed more than 3 course in the U0 year of studies;
- a CGPA of between 1.5–1.99 and a TGPA in Fall or Winter greater than or equal to 2.5 and previously in Probationary Standing;
- been granted the exceptional decision to continue in the program in the event of more than one clinical course with a grade of B or less or final clinical evaluation indicating minimally meeting course objectives (i.e., below expectations, developing);
- failed to demonstrate professional behaviour or integrity by not adhering to standards in classroom and clinical settings (including performance at the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and Interactive Learning and in the Satoko Shibata Learning Laboratories), by violating the Quebec Code of Ethics of Nurses, the ۲ݮƵ University Code of Student Conduct (as outlined in the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities), or the Faculty of Medicine Code of Conduct and has been allowed to continue in the program with provisions;
- been readmitted as “Unsatisfactory Readmission”; the student remains on probation until the conditions specified in their letter of readmission are met.
Students in Probationary Standing may continue in their program, but must carry a reduced load (maximum 14 credits per term). They must maintain a TGPA of a minimum 2.5 and obtain a CGPA of 2.0 or above at the end of the next academic year to return to Satisfactory Standing (see above). Students on probation must also meet any requirements outlined by the Student Standing and Promotions Committee. Any student on probation should consult with the Nursing Student Affairs Office (NSAO) to discuss their course selection and degree planning.
Unsatisfactory Standing
Students in Unsatisfactory Standing have not met the minimum standards set by the Ingram School of Nursing. Students in Unsatisfactory Standing are required to withdraw from the program. These students should consult the Nursing Student Affairs Office for guidance as their status in the University may be deemed satisfactory in programs with less rigorous standing requirements.
Unsatisfactory Standing is granted if the student meets any of the following:
- obtains a CGPA of less than 1.5;
- obtains a CGPA of between 1.5–1.99 and the number of allowable failures in nursing and non-nursing courses has been exceeded and the student has not been granted permission to remain in the program;
- has a CGPA above 2.0, the number of allowable failures is exceeded, and the student has not been granted permission to remain in the program;
- was previously in Probationary Standing (includes Unsatisfactory Readmitted students) or interim Unsatisfactory Standing and the TGPA is below 2.5 and the CGPA is below 2.0 or the student fails to meet the requirements outlined by the Student Standing and Promotions Committee;
- has failed a clinical course and has not been allowed to repeat the course;
- has failed to demonstrate professional behaviour or integrity by not adhering to standards in classroom and clinical studies (including performance at the Steinberg Centre for Simulation and the Satoko Shibata Learning Laboratories) with relationship to teachers, classmates, standardized patients/persons, patients/families, community partners, or others involved in the learning process, and has not been allowed to continue in the program;
- has violated the Quebec Code of Ethics of Nurses, the ۲ݮƵ University Code of Student Conduct (as outlined in the Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities), or the Faculty of Medicine Code of Conduct and has not been allowed to continue in the program;
- is considered incompetent and/or unsuitable for the practice of Nursing;
- has had their student license revoked by the OIIQ;
- is not granted access to clinical studies following a criminal offence or due to an existing criminal offence.
Interim Standings
Any student who, after only one semester of studies in the program, does not meet satisfactory standing requirements, is granted an Interim Standing (e.g., Interim Probation; Interim Unsatisfactory). Students in Interim Standing may continue in their program, but must meet with their faculty adviser to evaluate their course load (max. 14 credits).
Clinical Support
Clinical Support (CS) ensures that student learning is supported while also providing for safe patient care throughout clinical studies. The CS standing is not recorded on the student's Minerva record. Excluding CS notices for absences in clinical studies, only one term of the clinical course giving rise to CS status is allowed in the program of study.
Clinical Support arises when:
- The student demonstrates performance of B, B-, C+ or C in a graded clinical course or a clinical evaluation indicating overall performance as minimally meeting course expectations (i.e., below expectations, developing).
- The student's conduct in the areas of professionalism or moral/ethical behaviour is a concern (but meets minimum standards).
- The student has been absent from clinical studies for two or more semesters.
- The student has been allowed to repeat a failed clinical course with permission from the Student Standings and Promotions Committee.
Clinical Support (CS) ensures that student learning is supported and patient safety needs are met. The student on CS is allowed to continue into the subsequent clinical course but must meet the criteria outlined in the learning plan that is established between the student and clinical course coordinators and must demonstrate progression toward meeting the course objectives; failure to do so results in a grade of F. Only one Clinical Support designation is allowed during the program of study. The CS designation is not recorded on the student's Minerva record, but is included in the student's Ingram School of Nursing file.
Appeals
Only standing decisions that place the student in Unsatisfactory Standing or require the student to withdraw from the program of study can be appealed.
First level of appeal: In such cases, the student makes a written appeal to the Student Standing and Promotions Committee, within 14 days of the decision, stating the reason(s) for the appeal.
Further appeals are dealt with by the Associate Dean and Director of the Ingram School of Nursing.
At each level of appeal, supporting documentation (medical note, transcripts showing grades received, etc.) should be provided to substantiate the appeal request.
Complete details on the appeals process are found in the Ingram School of Nursing Faculty and Student Handbook.
Readmission – Unsatisfactory Readmit
Students who are in Unsatisfactory Standing and required to leave either the program or the university can apply for unsatisfactory readmission one year after their departure. For students who left the university, the application is completed on Minerva. For students who remain in the university, the application is submitted to the NSAO for the attention of the Student Standing and Promotions Committee. In both cases, the student submits a compelling letter, including relevant supporting documentation (e.g., grades obtained at another educational institution) to the SS&P Committee outlining the reasons why readmission should be granted. Readmission is granted only if it is determined that the reasons that gave rise to the original unsatisfactory standing decision are resolved and that the student has the capacity to succeed if readmitted.
Readmitted students must follow and meet the requirements of the SS&P Committee, including a possible recommencement of all nursing studies (such as if the student performed poorly and/or there has been a gap in studies of over one year). It is generally recommended that the applicant have undertaken university level courses in previously identified areas of weakness. Readmission is also contingent on the availability of seats in the program to which the student requests readmission. Students can make only one request for unsatisfactory readmission.
Examinations
Examinations
The Ingram School of Nursing follows the University Exam Regulations. See Regulations Concerning Final Examinations above and the.
Supplemental Examinations
Nursing students who have a grade of D, J, F, or U in a course and who have a CGPA of 2.0 or higher and are in Satisfactory Standing are eligible to apply for supplemental examination on Minerva (as per ۲ݮƵ deadlines). Upon applying for a supplemental examination, permission is granted/denied by the NSAO.
No supplemental examinations are available for students who receive a grade of D, F, J, or U in a course after a deferred examination. Such students must either re-register in the same course the following term or in an approved course substitute. Students who fail an elective course can opt to take a supplemental or redo the course or take an alternate course.
Only under special circumstances will a student be permitted to write more than two supplemental examinations throughout their program of study.
The supplemental exam will either have the same weight as the original exam or will count as 100% of the final grade. The format and content of the supplemental exam can differ from that of the final examination; therefore, students should consult the instructor. The supplemental grade does not overwrite the original grade. Both the original course grade and the supplemental result are calculated in the CGPA. A failed supplemental is counted in the number of allowable failures.
Students who, at the time of the supplemental exam, feel unable to write the exam must repeat the course. In such cases, consult the NSAO to discuss an alternate plan of study.
Deferred Examinations
Students who miss a midterm exam due to a documented illness, personal/family crisis, or holy day are accommodated with the following possible solutions as deemed appropriate and feasible by the instructor:
- Rescheduling the evaluation for the student;
- Preparing an alternative evaluation for the student such as analytical paper, oral exam, literature review, case study analysis;
- Shifting the weight normally assigned to the evaluation to the weight assigned to the remaining evaluation (this is generally done only if the final examination is cumulative);
- Offering an alternate final examination (this is done when the final exam is not cumulative for the rest of the students—the student who missed the midterm then writes an ‘alternate final’ that is cumulative).
Students who miss a final examination must apply for a deferred exam on Minerva. Relevant documentation (e.g., medical certificate) is required unless the NSAO already has the documentation. The deadlines for submitting documentation are:
Courses taken during summer session (e.g., CHEM 212) do not offer deferred exams. Permission to write a deferral is granted/denied by the NSAO. An ‘L’ appears on the student record if the deferral is approved. There is no cost associated with writing a deferred examination, and it must be written at the first available opportunity (reading week for Fall courses; mid-August for Winter courses). If the student is unable to write the deferred exam as scheduled due to documented illness, family affliction, or extenuating circumstances, the student must contact the NSAO to initiate withdrawal from the deferred exam (WL). If not approved or if the student did not write the exam without seeking withdrawal, a final grade of “J” is entered and will count as zero in the grade point average (GPA).
Reassessments and Rereads
The Ingram School of Nursing values and promotes transparency and fairness in evaluation. Instructors provide information about evaluation procedures in the first two weeks of the course and are open to clarifying students’ questions. In accordance with the Charter of Student Rights and subject to the conditions stated therein, students have the right to consult any written submission for which they have received a mark, to discuss this submission with the examiner, and to obtain an impartial and competent review of any mark. Students are encouraged to discuss their concerns with the course coordinator or examiner and resolve issues in a professional and transparent manner.
Requests for reassessments are made to the Student Standing and Promotions Committee (via the NSAO) within 10 working days after the graded material has been made available for student viewing. An impartial reviewer recalculates the grade based on the allocation of grades and, rather than re-correct the work and grade it as they would have done themselves, reviewers assess the appropriateness of the original grade based, for example, on the application of the grading key to the student's work. Reassessments are free.
A written request for a reread is submitted to the Student Standing and Promotions Committee (via the NSAO). Grades are either raised, lowered, or remain the same, as the result of a reread. Rereads for courses not administered by the Ingram School of Nursing are subject to the deadlines and regulations of the relevant faculty. Reassessment is done free of charge. Computer-marked examinations can be reassessed but not reread. There is a fee for the reread of a final examination or paper; for more information, see www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-tuition-charges/other.
Application deadlines for rereads:
- March 31 for courses ending in the Fall term
- July 31 for courses ending in the Winter term
- August 31 for courses ending in May
Requests for reassessments or rereads in more than one course per term are not permitted. Reassessments or rereads are not available for supplemental examinations.
Reassessments and rereads are not available in clinical courses. While every effort is made to be transparent and fair in clinical evaluations, students may disagree with the feedback they receive. In such cases, students should take time to reflect on the feedback. If the student continues to disagree with the evaluation process, then the student can engage a dialogue with the clinical teacher and course coordinator. Owing to the nature of clinical studies, there is no formal appeal process and the clinical teacher and course coordinator’s grade is the retained grade (in addition, see the Evaluation in Clinical Studies section of the Ingram School of Nursing Faculty and Student Handbook).
Procedures Governing Reassessment/Rereads
Reassessment is done free of charge. Computer-marked examinations can be reassessed but not reread. There is a fee for the reread of a final examination or paper. Visit www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-tuition-charges/other for details.
Time to Degree Completion
Time to Degree Completion
Students entering U1 of the B.Sc.(N.) program are expected to complete the program as full-time students over a three-year period (including summer sessions). Exceptionally, such as in the case of failed courses or LOA, students may take a maximum of four years to complete the degree. Students entering in U0 are expected to complete the program as full-time students over a four-year period (including summer sessions) with a maximum time to completion of five years. B.N.I. students are expected to complete their program in two years if studying full-time or in three years if part-time. Completion must be no more than four years after initial program registration. Any change in the time-to-completion must be discussed and approved by the Program Director. Students seeking to change the program of study must have valid/documented evidence of family or personal crisis/illness or extenuating circumstances.
Leave of Absence (LOA)
Leave of Absence (LOA)
A leave of absence may be granted to undergraduate students for reasons related to maternity or parenting; personal or family health issues; and professional and/or required military service. Such a leave must be requested on a term-by-term basis and may be granted for a period of up to 52 weeks. A LOA request should be submitted to NSAO with appropriate documentation. No tuition fees are charged for the duration of the LOA and students maintain an active student ID card and have access to ۲ݮƵ mail and libraries.
Note:
- Personal objectives, e.g., travel and financial matters, are not grounds for a leave of absence.
- Normally, a student shall be in Satisfactory Standing when requesting a LOA.
- Since students on a LOA pay no fees, the Student Services are not available; however, an opt-in option is available at the usual rate.
- Students who are eligible for scholarship renewal will not have scholarship monies transferred to their account while on LOA but will maintain eligibility for renewal upon re-registration.
- Terms and conditions vary among loan and bursary providers; student consultation with an adviser in Scholarships and Student Aid is recommended.
- International students seeking a LOA are advised to contact International Student Services (ISS).
Any student who has been granted a LOA for one academic year and who does not resume studies in the following semester must withdraw from the program. Such students may apply for readmission within one year after withdrawal at which time the student may be required to recommence the program.
Students must return their registration certificate to the OIIQ on interruption of studies for any amount of time or upon withdrawal from the nursing program. The OIIQ returns the certificate free of charge upon request if the student returns to study within one year. In the case of an interruption of more than a year, a student must register again with the Order, providing the OIIQ with all the required documents and the registration fee.
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity
For information on academic integrity, see University Regulations & Resources > Undergraduate > General Policies and Information > Academic Integrity.
Pregnancy and Nursing Clinical Studies
Pregnancy and Nursing Clinical Studies
Pregnant students must contact the Clinical Partnership Office to discuss the program of study and any adjustments that may be needed to ensure a safe pregnancy. Certain clinical settings preclude the placement of pregnant students (e.g., operating room, emergency department, ICU, post anaesthesia care unit, paediatrics, and some psychiatric agencies). Nursing students must follow the directives of their pregnancy care provider, however the ISoN cannot guarantee that suitable placement can be found, in particular if the recommended setting cannot meet the learning objectives of the courses. An alternate placement or delay in clinical studies may be required based on clinical agency policies related to pregnancy.