ACADEMIC STANDARDS and POLICIES

The following are policies for College of the Redwoods LVN and RN students.  These policies apply to all students in every semester of the two nursing programs.  In addition further directives may be instituted by individual clinical agency policies.

Assignment and Evaluation (Grade) Policies

Course Assignments

To demonstrate mastery of course objectives, students will accomplish a variety of assignments.  Each nursing course faculty team will develop the assignments and the grade distribution for all course work including examinations and written assignment.  Explanation and grading criteria will be listed in each course syllabus.  The required style resource for written work in the nursing program is the American Psychological Association, APA format.

In combined lecture and clinical courses, there are three components that determine the final course grade.

• The clinical portion of the class is evaluated on a pass/fail basis.  The clinical faculty determines whether course clinical competencies are met/not met.  Students must pass clinical in order to continue in the program.  Failing clinical results in an “F” for the final course grade. 
• The quiz average (with the lowest quiz score dropped), midterm and final examinations are combined and the % score computed.  Students must have 75% cumulative examination score in order to pass the course and progress in the program.
• Critical Thinking Assignments (CTA) scores (see explanation below) are included in your final course grade.  The overall final course grade must be 75% to pass/progress.

Theory only courses do not have clinical components; cumulative examination and CTA scores determine grades in these courses. Skill performance evaluations in addition to cumulative exam and CTA scores determine grades in skills courses.