2023–2024 CATALOG AND STUDENT HANDBOOK ACADEMIC INFORMATION AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES 163 Health Sciences Clinicals, Externships, Practicums, and Professional Practice Experiences Clinicals, externships, practicums or professional practice experiences for Health Sciences programs are to be conducted in University-approved locations. Each site will be established utilizing an agreement to determine the responsibilities of the external partner, Rasmussen University, and the participating student. Students may need to travel out of the immediate area to complete clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience activities. The cost of any such travel is the responsibility of the student. Clinicals, externships, practicums or professional practice experiences in Health Sciences programs have attendance expectations that differ from the general Rasmussen University Attendance Policy. These attendance policies can be found in the program-specific manuals/handbooks. In order to pass a clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience course, students must complete the required number of clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience hours for the course. Students who do not complete all required practicum hours during the quarter or term in which the course is scheduled will fail the course. All student activities associated with the curriculum, especially while the student is completing their clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience, will be educational in nature. The student will not receive any monetary remuneration during this educational experience, nor will they be substituted for hired staff personnel within the clinical institution. Often, students will be offered a position toward the end of their clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience. It must be understood by both parties that should compensation occur for time associated with the clinical, externship, practicum or professional practice experience requirement, the student may be administratively withdrawn from the program and forfeit any accumulated hours. Attendance A basic requirement for employment in any organization is regular, on-time attendance. Rasmussen University students are expected to be on time and in regular attendance for all of their classes. Workplace etiquette also requires a call be made if an absence is necessary. Rasmussen University students are expected to call the University and to indicate whether they will be absent or tardy. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to get missed information, class work, and assignments. Faculty are required to keep accurate attendance records that are submitted to the student’s record. Rasmussen University makes attendance records available to supporting agencies and prospective employers. Students must maintain regular attendance and be in satisfactory academic standing to remain eligible for financial aid. A. Traditional Course Attendance Requirements Attendance requirements in traditional courses are met by (a) Attending a face-to-face course session at the campus or other class location, or (b) Substantive online activity, including commentary in the discussion section of the online classroom, posting of required assignments and course quizzes and exams in a timely manner. Discussion posts in the student lounge area of the classroom are encouraged but do not count as attendance activities. Attendance is not equivalent to participation. Student grades will be impacted by the frequency and quality of participation in class, whether face to face or online, consistent with the requirements of the particular course and as outlined in the course syllabus. ALL CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE BY ADDENDUM Appeal Process: The appeal is sent via the student’s Advisor, Associate Dean or Dean of Nursing/Nurse Administrator to the Campus Academic Review Committee, who will determine whether mitigating circumstances exist and make a recommendation regarding the appeal. The Campus Academic Review Committee will forward the appeal request and a recommendation to the Compliance Director and General Counsel who will make the final determination. Appeals will be reviewed and have a determination made within 10 business days of receipt by the Compliance Director and General Counsel. Students will be notified in writing regarding the outcome of the appeal. Reentering Students: Students who withdraw from the University and later reenter are treated as continuing students for the purpose of determining Satisfactory Academic Progress and must meet progress requirements. Reentry does not negate previous academic status or satisfactory progress requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations for a reentering student who changes programs will include only the grades and credits attempted and earned for credits that are part of the student’s new program; standard CCR requirements will be followed from the reentry point and for each quarter/term thereafter. If other credits have been taken at another institution and can be transferred in, the credits will be included in SAP calculations as described elsewhere in this section. A student terminated due to SAP may not reenter the University unless they have completed coursework elsewhere that is acceptable for transfer into the University and will bring the student back into good standing. See Reenter Policies for more information. 1. First-Week Attendance Students are expected to meet attendance requirements in their courses on or before the sixth business day of the start of a quarter/term. Students who have not met the attendance requirement in at least one scheduled University course within six business days of the start of a term may be administratively withdrawn from the University. 2. Course Attendance a. If a student has not attended a course within 14 days of their last date of attendance in that course, they may be administratively withdrawn from the course. If the student has not attended any courses within 14 days of their last day of attendance, they may be administratively withdrawn from the University. Upon withdrawal, a student’s financial aid eligibility will be adjusted according to the Institution’s refund policy as described in the University Catalog and will be assigned grades according to the Rasmussen University Course Drop Policy. b. Rasmussen University uses a standard grading scale for its courses (although some programs may be required to follow additional standards). c. Clinicals, externships, practicums and professional practice experiences in Nursing and Health Sciences have attendance requirements that are more stringent than the attendance policy above. Attendance policies for programs with additional requirements can be found in program-specific manuals/ handbooks. B. Competency-Based Course Attendance Requirements Attendance requirements for programs delivered exclusively as competency-based courses are met by (a) completing and submitting identified activities or deliverables within the competency-based course, and (b) substantive academic engagement, including completing the course Learning Plan, quizzes, or diagnostic assessments. 1. First-Week Attendance Students are expected to meet attendance requirements in at least one course on or before the sixth business day after the start of the term or may be administratively withdrawn from the University. Completion and submission of the Learning Plan will be required to fulfill the first week attendance requirement in a competency-based course and gain access to the content of the course. 2. Course Attendance a. If a student has not attended a course within 14 days of their last date of attendance in that course, they may be administratively withdrawn from the course. If the student has not been in attendance in any courses within 14 days of their last day of attendance, they may be administratively withdrawn from the University. Upon withdrawal, a student’s financial aid eligibility will be adjusted according to the Institution’s refund policy as described in the University Catalog and will be assigned grades according to the Rasmussen University Course Drop Policy. b. Student grades will be impacted by the completion of deliverables. c. Students have until the final day of the quarter/term to complete the competency-based course(s). d. Competency-based course scores will be converted to letter grades following the Competency-Based Education Course Grade Conversion Scale and will appear on the student’s transcript. e. Upon completing a competency-based course, the attendance requirements have been met and Rasmussen University will post the final letter grade to the student’s record. f. Clinicals, externships, practicums and professional practice experiences in Nursing and Health Sciences programs have attendance requirements that are more stringent than the attendance policy above. Attendance policies for programs with additional requirements can be found in program-specific manuals/handbooks. Academic Integrity Policy I. Introduction: As an institution of higher learning, Rasmussen University is dedicated to global enrichment and meeting the evolving needs of our diverse communities. In pursuit of this commitment, students of Rasmussen University are expected to uphold the very highest business and personal ethics and embrace opportunities for engaging in honest intellectual inquiry by practicing academic integrity. Academic integrity is the commitment to five fundamental values: Honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. The purpose of this policy is to clarify the University’s expectations with regard to student academic behavior and provide examples of academic misconduct. Misconduct is a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, whether intentional or unintentional, and includes all forms of academic cheating. II. Definitions a) Academic Misconduct is the violation of the Academic Integrity Policy, including all forms of academic cheating including but not limited to acts listed below and any other act that results in unfair advantage to the student.
