For complete information regarding the academic rules and regulations of the University, students should consult the Academic Regulations section of this bulletin. For additional College of Nursing (CON) regulations, students should consult the CON Program Handbooks. The following additions and amendments pertain to the College of Nursing. 

Registration

Each student is required at the beginning of each semester of attendance to register according to the procedure and schedule published in the official University Schedule of Classes. Registration must be completed before the student may attend classes. For registration dates, the student should consult the schedule of classes. A minimum of eight credits in graduate courses constitutes a full-time load for graduate students. Some courses require approval of the faculty of record and the College Graduate Officer. 

Professional Licensure and Liability Insurance

Graduate students must be registered to practice nursing in Michigan and have professional liability and malpractice insurance before registering for clinical and practicum courses. Students must submit a valid Michigan RN license by the end of the second semester of the program or they will not progress. The College offers a blanket school malpractice policy with a minimum amount of liability insurance of $1,000,000/$3,000,000. Each student is expected to pay $10.29 per academic year for the malpractice insurance policy coverage by the posted semester deadline dates prior to the start of clinical and practicum course work. A valid Michigan RN license and Liability insurance are required for a valid clinical permit. 

Health Requirements for a Clinical Permit

A valid clinical permit must be on file in the Office of Student Affairs by the semester deadline dates prior to clinical and practicum courses.  Please refer to the Clinical Permit requirements in the CastleBranch Handbook for details. Students who have met all of the Health Clearance Requirements will be issued a Clinical Permit. Students who do not have a Clinical Permit issued by the College of Nursing Office of Student Affairs will not be allowed into the clinical or practicum setting. Clinical Permits will be issued once each semester prior to the start of the semester. For graduate students, the deadline dates are August 15 (Fall), December 15 (Winter), and April 15 (Spring/Summer).  

Master’s, Graduate Certificate, and Doctoral Academic Regulations (Scholarship and Progression)

The graduate grading system is intended to reflect high standards of scholarship. The policies for academic progression for graduate students are listed below.

1. A student must earn an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better to be awarded the M.S.N. degree.
2. A student achieving less than a 3.0 g.p.a. at any point in the program must achieve a g.p.a. of 3.0 or better within one semester. If there is evidence that the goal of a 3.0 g.p.a. is not achievable, the student will be excluded from the program.
3. A student may petition to repeat a graduate course once in which a grade lower than 3.0 is received. No more than two courses may be repeated.
4. A student may be excluded from the College of Nursing for unsafe and/or unethical conduct in the program without having been previously warned.
5. Students must be enrolled each academic year while in the graduate programs.
   1. Students who fail to enroll in Fall and Winter semesters of a given academic year will be considered not in good standing.
   2. Students who fail to enroll in Fall and Winter semesters of a given academic year will be subject to exclusion from the program.
6. Graduate students have a time limit to complete all requirements for the degree. The period begins with the end of the semester during which the student has taken work which applies toward meeting the requirements of the degree.
   1. MSN students have a six-year time limit.
   2. Graduate Certificate students have a three-year time limit.
   3. Doctoral students have a seven-year time limit.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Continuance in the College is contingent upon compliance with official rules, regulations, requirements, and procedures of the University and the College of Nursing. The student is responsible for reading the contents of this bulletin pertinent to the College of Nursing and otherwise becoming informed of and fulfilling all course and degree requirements in proper sequence with satisfactory scholarship. In case of doubt regarding any matter affecting his or her standing as a student, the student should consult with an academic advisor. The faculty reserves the right to amend or revise the policies and requirements set forth in the College of Nursing section of this bulletin.