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Academic Standing and Evaluation System

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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 is composed of faculty and student representation and meets at least three times a year to review the performance of all students in the Ingram School of Nursing.

The committee reviews the student record, professional conduct, and general performance and makes decisions on all matters relating to standing, promotion, awards, and graduation. The committee also:

  • receives and determines responses 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);
  • assesses that students have fulfilled the Registration with the Profession requirements of the Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) (Order of Nurses of Quebec) (as per Registration with the Profession (Immatriculation or Licensing during the Course of Study));
  • receives requests for reassessments and rereads in examinations;
  • receives inquiries and/or complaints related to student conduct issues (as per McGill Handbook of Student Rights and Responsibilities, and/or Professional Code of Ethics of Nurses).

With respect to the aforementioned requests, the committee may refer these decisions to the responsible Program Director. The Committee refers any disciplinary issues to the Associate Dean and Director of the Ingram School of Nursing.

Grading

Grading

Please refer to University Regulations and 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 and 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.

Note: The S/U option has very limited application in the Ingram School of Nursing; students considering it should seek guidance from the Program Director of their respective programs.

Standing in Undergraduate Nursing Programs

Standing in Undergraduate Nursing Programs

Satisfactory Standing

Any U1, 2, and 3 student who meets ALL of the following criteria is in Satisfactory Standing:

  • a CGPA of 2.0 or above;
  • no more than two failures in the non-nursing (non-NUR1) courses of the program;
  • no more than four credits of failure in nursing (NUR1) courses;
  • no failures in clinical courses (note that clinical courses are indicated by the middle course number of ‘3’, e.g., NUR1 234, NUR1 233 and NUR1 530);
  • no failure in NUR1 220 Therapeutic Relationships;
  • demonstrated professional behaviour and integrity in adherence with standards in classroom and clinical studies (including performance at the Simulation Centre and in the Ingram School of Nursing Learning Lab), and adherence to:

Any 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)
Note: Students who do not pass NUR1 220 cannot move into NUR1 234 or NUR1 235 (even if in Satisfactory Standing).

Probationary Standing

The student who has not met the criteria of Satisfactory Standing (see above) and 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 repeat a failed clinical course or who has had a repeated clinical alert status and allowed to continue in the program;
  • failed to demonstrate professional behaviour or integrity by not adhering with standards in classroom and clinical studies (including performance at the Simulation Centre and in the Ingram School of Nursing Learning Lab), by violating:

    and has been allowed to continue in the program;

  • been readmitted as “Unsatisfactory Readmittedâ€; 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 see the Nursing Student Affairs Officer, Nursing Student Affairs Office, to discuss their course selection and degree planning.

Clinic Alert

A student who meets any of the following criteria is placed on Clinic Alert:

  • The student who obtains a grade in the Below Expectations category (i.e., B-, C, or C+) in a graded clinical course (i.e., NUR1 233, NUR1 234, NUR1 235, NUR1 331, NUR1 332, NUR1 431, NUR1 432) or in NUR1 220 Therapeutic Relationships.
  • The student's pattern of performance during the clinical evaluation period indicates steady decline.
  • The student's conduct in the areas of professionalism or moral/ethical behaviour is a concern (but meets minimum standards).
  • The student has been out of clinical studies for two or more semesters.
  • The student has failed a clinical course and has been allowed to repeat this course.

The student 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 coordinator. Failure to meet the learning plan criteria results in a grade of F. Only one Clinic Alert is allowed in the program of study. The clinic alert standing is not recorded on the student's Minerva record.

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 their nursing adviser for guidance as their status in the University may be deemed satisfactory in programs with less rigorous standing requirements.

Unsatisfactory Standing is granted when the student:

  • 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;
  • 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 the student has not been allowed to repeat the course;
  • has failed to demonstrate professional behaviour or integrity by not adhering with standards in classroom and clinical studies (including performance at the Simulation Centre and in the Ingram School of Nursing Learning Lab), by violating:

    and has not been allowed to continue in the program;

  • is considered incompetent and/or unsuitable for the practice of Nursing.

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 and reduce it as appropriate.

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. 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. Complete details on the appeals process are found in the Ingram School of Nursing Faculty and Student Handbook.

Examinations

Examinations

Supplemental Examinations

Students who have a grade of D, J, F, or U in a course and who have a CGPA of ≥ 2.0 and are in Satisfactory Standing are eligible to apply for supplemental examination on Minerva (as per McGill deadlines).

Only under very special circumstances will a student be permitted to write more than two supplemental examinations throughout the program.

Deferred Examinations

An examination may be deferred for reasons of illness or family crisis only by permission of the Program Director. This verification (generally a medical certificate or appropriate document) must be supplied as per McGill deadlines posted at www.mcgill.ca/students/exams/dates/supdefer.

Note: This stipulation refers to any course taken in the program of study, i.e., nursing and non-nursing courses. Students who are unable to write their deferred exam(s) as scheduled due to documented illness, family affliction, or other crisis, must contact the Nursing Student Affairs Office to initiate a withdrawal from the deferred exam(s). If the withdrawal is not approved, a final grade of “J†(absent) will appear on the student's transcript, and will count as zero in the grade point average (GPA).

Reassessments and Rereads

Requests for reassessments are made to the Student Standing and Promotions Committee 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 (see deadlines below). A reread involves a cost to the student. 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.

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.

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.

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

For information on academic integrity, see University Regulations and Resources > Undergraduate > General Policies and Information > Academic Integrity.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 12, 2016) (disclaimer)
Ingram School of Nursing—2016-2017 (last updated Aug. 12, 2016) (disclaimer)
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