Curriculum Action Notice

From:

Academic Affairs Committee

Date:

November 3, 2003

This is a bulletin from the Academic Affairs Committee concerning proposed curricular actions. Please forward any comments or concerns in the next 10 days to the AAC chair, Flor Blanco, Belknap Hall 110A, Ext. 4604, fblanco@mnsfld.edu.

The Robert Packer Department of Health Science and Physical Education has requested the following curricular changes:

# 1 Action:
Course Change: NUR 1170 Introduction of Health Sciences

Purpose and nature of change: To restrict NUR 1170, Introduction to the Health Sciences, to Nursing majors only. Up until now there has been no enrollment restriction on this course. This lack of restriction of students has presented some problems.

1. Almost all of students taking this course who are not nursing majors are "Undeclared" majors who were unable to achieve the academic standard set in order to be accepted for the nursing major. However because these Undeclared majors are taking a nursing course they feel they are "in" the nursing program and are assured a spot in the program if they can get the required QPA and pass their course deficiencies. But this is not the case.
2. Since the number of people wanting to be in the nursing major exceeds the programs numerical limitation, students who do not meet our nursing admission standard and are admitted as undeclared majors will have to compete for a spot in the nursing program with all the students who want to transfer in or change their major to Nursing.
3. Since this course can be taken concurrently with the sophomore nursing courses it will not exclude or delay those who transfer into the nursing major at the beginning of the Sophomore year. Therefore Undeclared majors will still have a chance to be admitted to the nursing major without any delay or penalty but making this course change will eliminate the confusion for the Undeclared Major students.
   
   

# 2 Action:
Program Change: Nursing

Rationale for change: Simplify the language in the catalog. Change the GPA requirement for sophomore nursing courses from 2.3 cumulative GPA to 2.5 GPA. And remove the words other than NUR 1170 from the sentence "Students must be enrolled as a nursing major to take nursing courses other than NUR 1170."

Rationale: This will standardize the required GPA for enrolling in all nursing courses. Currently students need a GPA of 2.3 in order to enroll in sophomore nursing courses and then a 2.5 QPA for junior and senior nursing courses. This change will simplify the criteria for students who often do not pay attention to the fact they need a higher QPA in order to enroll for their junior and senior nursing courses.

List all changes:
Change language in the catalogue to:

E. Program Progression

Combine #1 and #2 to read:

A 2.5 cumulative GPA (Grade Point Average) or better is required to enroll in sophomore, junior or senior level nursing courses.

#3 change to #2 and maintain the current language.