Nursing courses are recorded in terms of semester hours. One course semester hour of credit is equivalent to a 50-minute period of theoretical class work and three-hours of clinical course work per week per semester. A Fall and Spring semester consists of the equivalent of 15 weeks of regularly scheduled student instructional activity and a two-week exam period. Consult the summer schedule for specific information about summer course offerings.

NURSING/SCIENCE COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to maintain a minimum grade of “C+” in each nursing course and a “C” grade for all science courses. A 2.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for entrance into all NURE courses and for graduation.

Since the theory and clinical components of nursing courses are not separate, students who repeat a nursing course are required to take both the theory and clinical components of the course.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility for the Diploma in Nursing and the Associate in Science Degree rests upon the completion of the Cooperative Nursing Program with a cumulative average of 2.5 or higher and satisfactory completion of all required and elective courses. It is the student’s responsibility to ascertain that all of the courses required for the diploma and the degree have been successfully completed. Effective November 2003, the New Jersey Board of Nursing requires a criminal history background check prior to RN licensure.

CRIMINAL HISTORY BACKGROUND CHECK AND DRUG SCREEN

A negative criminal history background check and a negative drug screen are required by the School prior to registration for NURE 131 or 211/212.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

The School of Nursing and Union County College Student Handbooks outline attendance policies. Consult the respective handbook for details.  The Trinitas Student Handbook may be found and downloaded from the School's home page, www.ucc.edu/go/trinitas.

WITHDRAWALS

Any student who wishes to withdraw from a nursing course or the program is asked to consult his/her course faculty and complete a withdrawal form. A UCC Counselor may complete withdrawals from Union County College courses.

INCOMPLETE GRADES

Faculty may assign an “incomplete” grade in cases of illness or extenuating circumstances. A grade reported as "incomplete" at the end of a semester will be permanently recorded as an "F" if the incomplete is not removed within the first six weeks of the next regular semester. It is the student's responsibility to make acceptable arrangements with the instructor to complete the course requirements within this period.

An incomplete grade in a nursing course must be removed before enrolling in the subsequent nursing course.

Please refer to the College and Nursing School Student Handbooks for additional information.

PROBATION AND ACADEMIC DISMISSALS

A student may be placed on probation at the end of a semester for academic deficiency. A student will be placed on probation on the basis of an unsatisfactory cumulative grade point average based on the number of credits taken. The Quality Point Scale grid is published in the Trinitas and UCC Student Handbooks.

The Academic Evaluation Committee (AEC) of Union County College will notify the student with probation/dismissal status at the end of each semester. If a student is placed on probation for two consecutive semesters as a result of his/her cumulative grade point average remaining below the dismissal range, the Promotion and Evaluation Committee (P&E) at the School of Nursing will consider dismissal. Two failures in a NURE course will result in an academic dismissal.

APPEALS
A student may appeal a decision made by the Dean, the Associate Dean, Faculty members, the Promotion and Evaluation Committee at the School of Nursing and the Academic Evaluation Committee at Union County College.  Consult the respective Student Handbook for further information.

Course Auditing
A student may audit a nursing course after discussion and agreement with the Dean of the School of Nursing. No clinical experiences or testing are included in nursing course audits. An auditing fee will be charged.


RE-ENTRY INTO THE NURSING SEQUENCE

It is the expectation of the Trinitas School of Nursing, that once a student begins the Nursing Program that the student will continue the sequence of nursing courses uninterrupted to ensure educational quality and consistency.  There is no seat guarantee once a student exits the nursing sequence.

If the student exits the program or the sequence is not maintained then re-entry into the Nursing Program will be through submission of an application to the Dean.  A minimum G.P.A. of 2.75  is required to submit a reentry application. 

Re-entry decisions are based on GPA and a number of other factors including but not limited to number of seats available; number of previous course withdrawals; number of clinical warnings; and presence of any critical incident reports.  Time out of the nursing sequence will also be considered.

There is no guarantee of re-entry into the Nursing Program. To stay active, a student not registered for courses at UCC must complete a no-fee application each semester.

Rentry applications are available online; click on 'Currrent Student Information'; or in the School office, Room 324.

Applications are due by December 15th for the Spring semester, June 15th for the Fall semester, and by May 15th for the Summer Sessions.