Penn State University & Graduate School Policies

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 

The University academic calendar can be found at http://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/your-courses-how-to-guide/academic-calendar. Please refer to this calendar for important course deadlines.  

The Graduate School's Important Dates and Deadlines can be found at https://www.registrar.psu.edu/academic-calendars/

The registration timetable can be found at: https://www.registrar.psu.edu/registration/registration-timetable.cfm.   

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY STATEMENT 

The Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Graduate Program follows the guidelines and procedures stated in Faculty Senate Policy 49-20 (https://undergrad.psu.edu/aappm/G-9-academic-integrity.html), as follows: 

Academic integrity is the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner. Academic integrity is a basic guiding principle for all academic activity at The Pennsylvania State University, and all members of the University community are expected to act in accordance with this principle. Consistent with this expectation, the University’s Code of Conduct states that all students should act with personal integrity, respect other students' dignity, rights and property, and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their efforts.  

Academic integrity includes a commitment by all members of the University community not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation or deception. Such acts of dishonesty violate the fundamental ethical principles of the University community and compromise the worth of work completed by others.  

To protect the rights and maintain the trust of honest students and support appropriate behavior, faculty and administrators should regularly communicate high standards of integrity and reinforce them by taking reasonable steps to anticipate and deter acts of dishonesty in all assignments (Senate Policy 44-40: Proctoring of Examinations). At the beginning of each course, it is the responsibility of the instructor to provide students with a statement clarifying the application of University and College academic integrity policies to that course. 

ACADEMIC STATUS 

FULL-TIME  - Students holding fellowships, traineeships, or other awards based on academic excellence are required to carry 9 or more credits each semester. Students carrying 5 credits in summer session are considered full-time. 

PART-TIME - A student who in any semester or summer session is registered for study but who does not meet the criteria for full-time status is considered to be engaged in part-time academic work for that semester. 

CODE OF CONDUCT 

All graduate students are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct and Academic Standards as clarified by Graduate Council in the Graduate Degree Bulletin, at the Graduate School web site: http://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-800/gcac-801-conduct/.  

CONSEQUENCES OF INCOMPLETE REGISTRATION 

CONTINUOUS ENROLLMENT 

It is expected that all graduate students will be properly registered at a credit level appropriate to their degree of activity.

Ph.D. PROGRAM: After a Ph.D. candidate has passed the comprehensive examination, the student must register continuously for each fall and spring semester until the dissertation is accepted and approved by the doctoral committee.  

If a Ph.D. student will not be in residence for an extended period for compelling reasons, the Dean of the Graduate School will consider a petition for a waiver of the continuous registration requirement. The petition must come from the doctoral committee chair and carry the endorsement of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. 

D.N.P. PROGRAM:  After a D.N.P candidate has passed the comprehensive examination the student must register continuously for each fall and spring semester until the project is accepted and approved by the doctoral committee. Students must register for 2 credits of NURS 835, the D.N.P. Project Course, each semester until the project is complete.  

If a D.N.P. student will not be registered for an extended period for compelling reasons, the Dean of the Graduate School will consider a petition for a waiver of the continuous registration requirement. The petition must come from the doctoral committee chair and carry the endorsement of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. 

COURSE SCHEDULING (Faculty Senate Policy 34-00 through 34-89)

If you have questions regarding course registration, adding, dropping etc. please refer to the Faculty Senate policies below: 


DISABILITY STATEMENT 

Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contact information for every Penn State campus: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/campus-contacts. For further information, please visit Student Disability Resources: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr. 

In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: http://equity.psu.edu/sdr/guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations. 

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS BULLETIN 

The Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin contains a wealth of information about University rules, regulations, and policies. Liberal use of this invaluable resource will save many phone calls for information. It is also considered your contract with the University. The Graduate Bulletin can be found on the following web site: http://www.psu.edu/bulletins/whitebook. 

GRADUATION DEADLINES 

It is the responsibility of students to notify the University of their intention to graduate. Students will be able to apply for graduation in the LionPATH system. Once application is completed within LionPATH, students should confirm with the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Graduate Program office that they are appropriately scheduled for graduation within the system. 

After the activation period expires, graduate students must contact the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing Graduate Program Office if they wish to activate or remove their intent to graduate. 

Graduating students must then fill out the necessary forms for attending commencement. 

GRADING POLICY AND SYSTEM 

A grade is given solely on the basis of the instructor’s judgment as to the student’s scholarly attainment. The following grading system applies to graduate students:  https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-400/gcac-401-grading-system/

View here University Faculty Senate Grade polices 47-00 through 49-00 for details regarding the grading system, symbols, deferred grades, no grades, repeating a course etc. 

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

Because weather conditions will vary among campuses, do not assume that class is cancelled at all campuses if your local campus is closed. 

LIONPATH 

LionPATH is the system for student information that is used to register for classes and pay bills. For complete information and directions, go to the registrar’s website http://registrar.psu.edu/lionpath/knowledge-center.cfm.  

Here are some general training videos to help you navigate the new LionPATH system for graduate students: http://lionpathsupport.psu.edu/student-help/.  

You should be able to schedule all of your courses using LionPATH. If you have any trouble scheduling World Campus courses, please contact World Campus Registration at registration@outreach.psu.edu, 814-863-5256 or (800) 252-3592. Students can search for classes within the LionPATH Student Center via the Class Search or by using Schedule Builder. 

First time students logging in to LionPATH, must sign the Consent to Do Business Electronically agreement in order to use the system. While not technically a part of enrollment, this screen will prevent all other actions until students have clicked the box to indicate their agreement. If they do not agree, students will have to conduct LionPATH business outside of the system. 

Students will not be eligible to enroll in classes until they have completed their Pre-Registration Activity Guide each semester, which includes verification of emergency contact information and the new Financial Responsibility Agreement (FRA). A graduate student who is in residence at the University is expected to be properly registered. In residence means that the student (whether full- or part-time, whether commuting to campus or other instructional site or living nearby or on campus) is pursuing graduate credits and/or an advanced degree by (a) attending classes or seminars for credit or audit; (b) doing a term project, independent study, or similar research or scholarly work in a University laboratory or other research facility; (c) consulting in person or by other means of communication with one or more faculty members on scholarly matters, or projects (d) using the library, Computer Center, or other University information resources; or (e) using other University facilities provided for graduate study. The responsibility for being properly registered rests first with the student and secondarily with the student’s adviser. A student may register for course work or research or a combination of the two. In the later stages of the program, the situation will determine the requirements for the student’s registration.  

PLAGIARISM 

Talking over your ideas and/or soliciting comments on your papers from faculty and students are not examples of plagiarism. Taking someone’s published or unpublished work or ideas and using them or calling them your own is plagiarism (this includes work done by individuals who have previously completed a course in which you are enrolled). 

Referencing others’ works is extremely important. Direct quotes need to be placed in quotation marks and the page from where the quote was taken documented. All other works used in the development of the paper need to be cited in the reference list. It is considered plagiarism if these procedures are not followed. 

PROCEDURE FOR RESOLUTION OF STUDENT CONCERNS 

Formal mechanisms are in place to resolve student problems in the classroom, outside the classroom, and regarding grade disputes. Concerns about course grades and grading should be handled between the student and his or her instructor as outlined in the University Faculty Senate Policies 47-00, 48-00, and 49-00. To view the policies, visit the University Faculty Senate home page at http://senate.psu.edu/.  

Procedures for resolution of problems can be found in the Graduate Degree Programs Bulletin: http://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-800/gcac-802-procedures-for-resolution-of-problems/. 

RECOMMENDED PRACTICES IN GRADUATE EDUCATION 

Fostering successful interactions among faculty, administrators, and graduate students. 

This document suggests examples of recommended practices in each of three core areas for all of the key participants in graduate student education. Programs use these as a set of recommended practices that meet the needs of their students. More information can be found on: http://gradschool.psu.edu/faculty-and-staff/faculty/recommended-practices/. 


RE-ENROLLMENT POLICY 

The process of re-enrollment is required of all students who have withdrawn from the University. Withdrawn status is defined as a graduate student dropping all registered courses during the fall or spring semester or not registering for more than one semester with plans to enroll in a subsequent semester. If space is available, approval for re-enrollment will normally be given to students who were in good academic standing in the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing prior to their withdrawal. Students initiate this procedure by completing the graduate resume study form (https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-admissions/how-to-apply/current-students/) and submitting it to Office of Graduate Enrollment Services; The Pennsylvania State University; 114 Kern Building, University Park, PA 16802-3396. 

REGISTRATION STATUS 

A graduate student who is in residence at the University is expected to be properly registered. In residence means that the student (whether full- or part-time, whether commuting to campus or other instructional site or living nearby or on campus) is pursuing graduate credits and/or an advanced degree by (a) attending classes or seminars for credit or audit; (b) doing a term project, independent study, or similar research or scholarly work in a University laboratory or other research facility; (c) consulting in person or by other means of communication with one or more faculty members on scholarly matters, or projects (d) using the library, Computer Center, or other University information resources; or (e) using other University facilities provided for graduate study. The responsibility for being properly registered rests first with the student and secondarily with the student’s adviser. A student may register for course work or research or a combination of the two. In the later stages of the program, the situation will determine the requirements for the student’s registration.  

The Penn State registration process is not complete until tuition and fees are paid. After students schedule their courses, the Bursar's Office will send an e-mail message to the student's official University e-mail account announcing that the eBills are available. Regardless of the amount due, action is required to complete the registration process. For detailed information concerning your tuition bill please contact the Bursar's office. 

CONSEQUENCES OF INCOMPLETE REGISTRATION 

 

TRANSFER OF CREDIT 

Subject to the limitations given below, a maximum of 10 credits of high-quality graduate work done at an accredited institution may be applied toward the requirements for the Ph.D. degree. However, credits earned to complete a previous graduate degree, whether at Penn State or elsewhere, may not be applied to a second graduate degree program at Penn State.  

The student should distinguish carefully between the transferability of credit and its applicability in a particular degree program. Approval to apply any transferred credits toward a degree program must be granted by the student’s academic adviser or Director of the Ph.D. program in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Graduate Education, and the Graduate School. Transferred academic work must have been completed within five years prior to the date of first-degree registration at the Graduate School of Penn State, must be of at least B quality (grades of B- are not transferable), and must appear on an official graduate transcript of an accredited university.  

Pass/fail grades are not transferable to an advanced degree program unless the “Pass” can be substantiated by the former institution as having at least B quality.  

Forms for transfer of credit can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Enrollment Services: https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-education-policies/gcac/gcac-300/gcac-309-transfer-credit/. 

TRAVEL FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS 

For information regarding internationl travel requirements, please see policy TR01 at the following link https://policy.psu.edu/policies/tr01. 

TUITION SCHEDULES/BILLS 

Students can get information about pay their Tuition Bill from the Bursar’s website. 

To view current Tuition Rates and schedules please visit Penn State’s Tuition website. 

 WITHDRAWAL POLICY 

Students may request a Short-Term Absence, Extended Absence or Leave of Absence. GSAD-906 Graduate Student Leave of Absence (psu.edu)

Withdrawal from the University is defined as dropping all registered courses for the current semester or session or non-registration for one or more semesters. Officially withdrawing from the University will also cause a cancellation of scheduled and registered courses for any future semester. In the case of a “summer-only” withdrawal, fall registration will be maintained and re-enrollment/readmission is not necessary. Anyone who has withdrawn from the University and now plans to register for coursework is required to apply for re-enrollment (see resume study information: https://gradschool.psu.edu/graduate-admissions/how-to-apply/current-students/).