Graduate Studies in Nursing Division

Policies and General Information - Graduate Studies in Nursing Division

Academic Information - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Admission and Registration -Graduate Studies in Nursing

Indiana Wesleyan University welcomes applications for admission from any academically qualified person whose motivation is in keeping with the university's purposes. Admission is based on the careful review of all credentials presented by an applicant, but in no case is admission denied due to race, color, national origin, disability, religion, or sex. Students are admitted in one of the following categories:

1. Regular - Students who satisfactorily meet all requirements will be granted standard admission with no restrictions.
2. Probation - Students with an entering grade point average (GPA) which falls below the minimum required by the program may be accepted on probation. Probationary status will be removed after the student has completed the first three courses of the core with a satisfactory GPA (3.0). In case of extended probation, the number of courses to be completed in order to change status will be determined by the Executive Director, School of Nursing. Any student failing to remove the probationary status will be academically suspended from the program.
3. Unclassified - Students not pursuing a university degree who want to take certain courses for special reasons may be accepted for a maximum of 12 hours. Students receiving an unclassified status must reapply for regular admission if they desire later to pursue a degree program. Unclassified students are not eligible for financial aid.

International/Non-English Speaking Students

A student who is living in the United States but is not a United States citizen must submit a copy of a visa or permanent resident status during the process of application. Students who do not speak English as their first and primary language must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to admission to the university. A score of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (Internet-based) is required for regular academic admission. Student visas (I-20's) are not issued for students wanting to enter the United States to enroll in programs offered for adult and graduate students.

Transfer of Credit Policy - Graduate Studies in Nursing

The university may allow a maximum of nine credits in transfer to the graduate nursing programs. Transfer of credit will be determined by the Division Chair of the Division of Graduate Studies in Nursing or designee.

Credit is granted for work with a satisfactory grade ("C" or above) taken at an approved college or university accredited at the same level, provided the courses are applicable to the curriculum the student wishes to pursue at Indiana Wesleyan University. An "approved college or university" generally refers to those institutions that are accredited by a regional accrediting body or the Association for Biblical Higher Education.

The University Registrar is responsible for approving the transferability of all credits. Credit hours accepted in transfer are recorded, but quality points and grades are omitted. All credits are accepted as semester credits. Quarter credits are converted to semester credits using the two-thirds conversion ratio.

Transcripts from foreign institutions - are sent to an outside agency for evaluation and determination of transferable credits, degrees, and GPA. Students are responsible for the initiation of this evaluation and for any fees incurred during the process. Applications for this service are available to the student through the university.

Registration - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Registration occurs at the beginning of the student's core program. At this point, students are registered for all courses within the major. Therefore, if a student needs to miss an individual course, official withdrawal must be made through the Office of Student Services. Staff will work with the Division Chair and the student to make arrangements to retake this class with another core group at a time that will minimize the impact on the student's financial aid. Students need to be aware that temporary withdrawals could impact their eligibility to receive financial aid based on the standards outlined in IWU's Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Students in programs that require additional credits outside the major are responsible to meet with their advisor to facilitate registration in these courses.

A student who has failed to make arrangements for the payment of tuition for a course will have registration in that course cancelled.

Audit of Courses

A student who has been accepted into an Indiana Wesleyan University degree program or as an unclassified student may choose to audit specified courses within a core program or electives as follows:

1. Audit registration is allowed on a space available basis.
2. The current audit fee per credit hour must accompany the registration.
3. Auditing a course gives one the right to attend the course. No credit or letter grade is given. The course will be indicated as an "AU" on the student's IWU transcript.
4. The student auditing the course is not expected to participate in classroom or study group assignments, or to complete homework, quizzes, or tests.
5. The facilitator is under no obligation to grade any work an auditing student chooses to submit or to give feedback on progress.
6. The materials required for the course are optional for auditing students. If one wishes to purchase materials, the fees must accompany the registration.
7. The student must meet course pre-requisites or be approved by the appropriate administrator of the specific college/school.
8. No change may be made from audit to credit, or credit to audit, after registration closes.

Transfer Between Majors - Graduate Studies in Nursing

It is assumed that students applying for/enrolling in graduate level programs have a higher level of maturity and decision-making ability. The selection of a graduate major should be approached with deliberation after acquiring the knowledge necessary to make the decision.

The graduate nursing majors are designed around an accelerated cohort model, intended to foster a certain group dynamic and support system for adult learners. Continued disruption of this model – as well as the curriculum schedule – inhibits the effectiveness of this design. In addition, the amount of time necessary to create a tailored plan of study for each transfer student adds an excessive amount of work to current faculty and staff.

Students who wish to change majors must submit a new application and meet all admission requirements for the requested major. Transfer approval will be subject to review of the student's academic progress and availability of space in the requested major. The university cannot guarantee transfer requests will be approved.

Please be advised that any transfer/change in program may impact financial aid. Students will not be eligible for deferment or the 'scheduled break' option under this policy, and may have to begin loan payments until they are re-enrolled in their newly-selected major. In addition, the change may lead to a significant delay in the time it takes to complete MSN degree requirements.

Withdrawal/Change in Status - Graduate Studies in Nursing

A student who finds it necessary to withdraw from the program or to take a temporary leave of absence is required to contact the Registration Change Counselor in the Office of Student Services to complete this process. Students must request the withdrawal from the Registration Change Counselor before the last class workshop. Failure to initiate an official withdrawal will result in a "No Credit" or an "F" grade for the student in those related courses. Students withdrawing from a class or transferring to another core group will be charged a $100 withdrawal fee.

A student who is temporarily withdrawing may request an individual leave of absence up to 180 days in a 12 month period. A student cannot request more than two leaves during a 12 month period, and the total number of days on leave may not exceed 180 days within a 12 month period. All leaves must be requested through the Office of Student Services.

If a student officially withdraws after a course has started, a grade of "W" will be assigned. An "F" will be assigned to a student who stops attending but does not officially withdraw. Students who never attend a class and do not withdraw will be administratively withdrawn from the course and from all subsequent courses. Students must then go through the normal readmittance process to return to class.

Students withdrawing from the first course of a core program must withdraw from the entire program and re-enter with another core group.

If, at a later time the student wishes to re-enter the program, a re-entry form must be submitted to the Office of Student Services. Receipt of the signed application will initiate a review of the student's academic file to determine remaining requirements. A student who was academically suspended from the graduate nursing program may make application to the Executive Director for Nursing Programs for readmission after six months. Students sitting out of a core program for more than 90 days are subject to a tuition increase upon returning. Students re-entering a core program after six months or more are subject to any changes in curriculum upon returning.

Any change in registration may have an impact on the student's financial aid. Students should always check with the financial aid office before initiating a registration change.

Re-enrollment Policy for the Primary Care Nursing Program

Any student who withdraws from one or more courses in the graduate nursing Primary Care program must meet the following criteria to progress or re-enroll in the program:

1. If more than six months have passed since the completion of PYC-512, the student must achieve an 87 percent on the IWU Pharmacology competency exam.
2. If more than six months have passed since the completion of PYC-514, the student must achieve an 87 percent on the IWU Pathophysiology competency exam.
3. If more than six months have passed since the completion of PYC-552, the student must achieve an 87 percent on the Advanced Physical Assessment competency exam.
4. The Advanced Physical Assessment competency exam is only offered at the Marion and Louisville campuses. The student will be required to conduct a complete history and physical on a client of IWU's choosing, which must include written documentation.
5. If the student does not pass the appropriate competency exam(s) at 87 percent, she or he will be required to audit the pertinent course(s) and satisfactorily pass the appropriate competency exam(s) before being allowed to re-enroll and continue on in the graduate nursing program.
6. The fee for each competency exam is $100. There is also a fee charged to audit a class.

Leave of Absence Policy

Indiana Wesleyan University understands there are life events that may require a student to modify class enrollment and schedules. The leave of absence policy is designed to allow the student flexibility in their program enrollment to adjust to these life events. The leave of absence policy also extends to students the ability to make up any courses missed during the approved leave.

A student on an approved leave of absence will be considered enrolled at IWU and eligible for an in-school deferment for student aid loans. Federal financial aid and in-school deferment may be negatively impacted if a student fails to apply for the leave of absence or if the application is denied. This impacts students who receive Title IV federal financial aid (Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Grants, Federal Stafford Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Parent Loans) or who want to have a federal student loan deferred from payment while in school.

Students who will be out of attendance for a period of 29 days or more should request a leave of absence. Students out of class for less than 29 days are not eligible for a leave of absence, and a recalculation on current financial aid will be done. Students who are not on federal financial aid programs or who do not have a federal loan in deferment are not required to request a leave of absence. However, the approved leave of absence will result in the $100 registration change fee being waived.

Students needing to make a change in their schedule need to contact the Office of Student Services to process the registration change. At that time, the leave of absence request form will be mailed to the student. The form can also be downloaded from http://caps.indwes.edu/studentservices/, or can be requested by calling the Office of Student Services at 765-677-1231. Students must request the leave within 21 days of initiating the registration change. The request for a leave of absence should be made prior to the date the leave is to start. The start date of the leave is the first date of the class or, if the class has already started, the date the registration change is initiated.

An approved leave of absence must meet the following criteria: the request must be received within 21 days of the registration change; the request must be made prior to the start of the leave (first day of class); the reason for the request must be one approved by IWU's Leave of Absence Committee (military, medical, jury duty, loss of job, family emergency, employment emergency, transfer of coursework, passing pre-requisite requirement, transfer of core groups, changing programs, administrative cancellation of core classes, or other reasons as approved by the Leave of Absence Committee); appropriate documentation must be submitted if the request is submitted after the leave has started; the student must have an expected date of return; and, the leave of absence together with any additional leaves of absence must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period.

Documentation is required if the request for the leave of absence is made after the beginning date of the leave of absence, and needs to address the nature of the reason for the request. Documentation for each circumstance will vary; the student is required to provide whatever paperwork from a third party will attest to the circumstance outlined on the application form. Examples would include physicians' statements, letters from employers, letters from pastors or counselors, court documents, etc. Documentation is also required if a request is submitted after the 21 day deadline, and needs to address the reason for the delay in the submission of the request.

The leave of absence together with any additional leaves of absence must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period. Time in excess of 180 days will not be approved. A student may request an extension to a leave providing the request is made before the end of the leave, there are unforeseen circumstances which prevent the return from the leave, and the total number of days of approved leave do not exceed 180 in a 12-month period. A maximum of two leaves of absence are allowed during a 12-month period.

Failure to return from an approved leave of absence nullifies the approved leave and may have an impact on student loan repayment terms as well as the grace period. The first day of the leave will be reported as the beginning of the grace period for loan deferment. Students may return early from an approved leave of absence prior to the leave end date. The leave will be shortened according to the student's return date.

Students will not receive disbursements of Title IV student loan financial aid funds during the leave. Students are not deferred from making regularly scheduled payments to the Accounting Office for normal fees incurred. Any change in registration can impact current financial aid regardless of approval or denial of the leave of absence request. Questions about impact on current financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office at 800-621-8667 ext. 2516. Students on an approved leave of absence will be reported as such and will be eligible for in-school deferment of previous loans. Students whose request for a leave of absence is denied will be reported as withdrawn and the grace period for loan repayment will go into effect.

Degree Programs Offered - Graduate Studies in Nursing

The Division of Graduate Studies in Nursing of the School of Nursing offers the following degree programs:

M.S.N. with majors in:

1. Primary Care Nursing
2. Nursing Administration
3. Nursing Education

Catalog Governing Graduation - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Students must meet the graduation requirements as stated in the university catalog under which they enrolled. Students who maintain continuous enrollment, who make normal progress toward a degree, and who earn their degree within a maximum of four years from the date of enrollment may meet the graduation requirements as stated in the catalog under which they enrolled. Students who withdraw from Indiana Wesleyan University for more than six months will meet the graduation requirements as stated in the catalog under which they resume enrollment. Students changing majors or programs must meet requirements as stated in the catalog that is current at the time they make such changes. The same holds true for students moving between schools and colleges.

Academic Calendar - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Graduate nursing courses are offered under the semester hour system but in a non-traditional academic calendar. Each major consists of required courses taught in an accelerated, modular format, and taken sequentially. Each major has an online component. The Nursing Administration and Nursing Education majors are 100 percent online. All online classes meet in an asynchronous environment through Blackboard. The Primary Care major has a significant online component, but also includes onsite classes in specified courses. Onsite classes meet for four hours on a weeknight.

Core Requirements - Graduate Studies in Nursing

The integrity of the adult and graduate programs requires that the core courses be met at Indiana Wesleyan University. Students are required to complete the first course of the core program with a passing grade in order to maintain enrollment with their cohort. In general, no waivers are allowed for courses taken at other colleges/universities.

Final class dates as established by the calendar will be the final date for completion of the core curriculum. No compressing or doubling of core work is permitted to accommodate earlier completion or graduation schedules.

Grading and Evaluation

A letter grade is used in evaluating the work for a course. For the purpose of determining scholastic standing and awarding honors, grade points are granted according to the letter grades and semester hours of credit. The grade point average (GPA) is the number of quality points earned at IWU divided by the number of credit hours attempted at IWU.

Repeated Courses - A student may repeat once any course in which a grade below "C" ("C-," "D+," "D," or "F") was previously earned. Some specific graduate level courses are identified as repeatable and can be repeated if a student earns a grade higher than "C" but below the level required for that specific course. The course may be repeated once.

Whenever a course is repeated, the last grade and credits earned replace the previous grade in computing the student's grade point average (GPA). All entries, however, remain a part of the student's permanent academic record. Duplicate credit hours are not given for two or more passing efforts. A course taken in a classroom format may not be repeated for a grade through independent learning.

Since a course may be repeated once, failure to achieve a satisfactory grade in a course after two attempts will result in academic suspension and ineligibility to complete the major in which the course was repeated.

Incomplete Grades - Students are expected to complete the course requirements by the last class session. There may be instances when crisis circumstances or events prevent the student from completing the course requirements in a timely manner. However, the issuance of an incomplete cannot be given if the student fails to meet the attendance requirements. In these rare situations, a grade of "I" (incomplete) may be issued but only after completing the following process:

1. The student must request an "I" from the instructor.
2. The instructor must obtain approval from the appropriate Regional Dean/Program Director/Program Chair.

Because "incompletes" are granted only for extenuating circumstances, the student's grade will not be penalized.

A student who receives an "incomplete" has 10 weeks from the final meeting date of the course to complete course requirements and turn them in to the instructor. If, at the end of the 10-week extension, the student has failed to complete the course requirements, the "incomplete" will become an "F." A student with more than one incomplete on record is subject to academic suspension.

Grade Reports - At the end of each course, the instructor submits grades for each student. Grade reports are mailed from the Indiana Wesleyan University Records Office and indicate courses taken, credits received, and grades assigned.

Academic Standing - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Placement on Probation - Students enrolled a graduate nursing program will be placed on probation if their GPA falls below 3.0.

Students are given two consecutive courses to satisfactorily raise their GPA. If the GPA is successfully raised, the probationary status is removed. Academic suspension will result if the student's GPA is not successfully raised.

Academic Suspension - Academic suspension will result if:

1. A student fails to clear the academic probationary status within the probationary period of two consecutive courses.
2. A student has two grades of failure (F) at one time on an academic record in the same degree level. (There are three degree levels: Associate, Bachelor, Master).
3. A student has taken a course twice and failed to achieve a satisfactory grade. When this occurs, the student is ineligible to reapply for admission into the program in which the course was repeated.

In all cases, the suspension will occur once the grades have been recorded in the Records Office. Students will be notified of the academic suspension in writing. Application for readmission may be made after six months. The application must be made in writing to the Executive Director of the School of Nursing.

Academic Dismissal - Upon a second academic suspension in the same program, a student is not eligible to reapply to Indiana Wesleyan University.

Attendance Policy - Graduate Studies in Nursing

Because of the delivery method of adult and graduate programs, attendance is required and monitored. Students are expected to be present for onsite class sessions and participate in online activity. Absences are allowed as follows:

• Under emergency circumstances, a student may be allowed one absence in courses that are five class sessions or fewer in length. Students need to contact the faculty member regarding make up work.
• Under emergency circumstances, a student may be allowed two absences in courses that are six or more class sessions in length. Students need to contact the faculty member regarding make up work.

If a student exceeds the allowed absences and does not contact the Office of Student Services to officially withdraw before the last class session, the instructor is directed to issue the grade of "F". Students who never attend a class and do not withdraw will be administratively withdrawn from the course and from all subsequent courses. Student must then go through the normal readmittance process.

Students who must miss a course due to unavoidable circumstances must arrange for a withdrawal with the Office of Student Services prior to the beginning of the course. Students needing to withdraw while in a course may do so by arrangement with the Office of Student Services prior to the end of the course, but the regular refund and academic withdrawal policies apply. Students will be charged a $100 withdrawal fee.

Faculty members reserve the right to factor lateness, early departures, and class attendance into a student's grade, as long as it is addressed in the syllabus.

Onsite Attendance Policy – The nature of the adult and graduate programs requires students to attend all class sessions. Class attendance records are maintained by the faculty member and submitted to the Office of Student Services. Students are expected to be present when class begins, and remain the entire workshop. To be counted present, a student must attend a total of three hours or more of a class that is four hours in length or six hours or more of classes that are eight hours in length.

Online Attendance Policy: Attendance is determined by activity during a workshop, either through discussions or submission of assignments. A student is reported absent for a workshop if there is not at least one submission (or posting) of an assignment or in a discussion forum assigned during that workshop.