School of Nursing (SON)

http://www.umflint.edu/nursing

2180 William S. White Building
(810) 762-3420
Fax: (810) 766-6851

Dean: Cynthia McCurren
Interim Director for Graduate Nursing Affairs: Denise Cooper
Director for Undergraduate Nursing Affairs: Megan Keiser
Director for RN to BSN and Professional Programs: Jamie Koonmen
Assistant to the Dean:  Nicole Haynes
Business Administrator: Denise Shourd
Graduate Program Manager: Marcia Campbell
Undergraduate Program Manager: Maris Gilles
Clinical Coordinator: Peggy Sheffer
​Administrative Specialist: Dayna Jones
Academic Advisors: Tiffany Bishop, Zachary Payne, Julie Westenfeld, Monica Wielichowski
Assistant Clinical Coordinator:  Katrina Hines
Administrative Assistant Intermediate: Vickie Foster
Director of the Nursing Simulation Center: Carman Turkelson
Simulation Center Coordinator: Ronald Streetman
Simulation Center Technician: James McTiernan

Nursing Faculty: Christina Aplin-Kalisz, Lyn Behnke, Libby Bell, Roxanne Buterakos, Denise Campbell, Denise Cooper, Melva Craft-Blacksheare, Beverly Dabney, Lisa Fetters, Deborah Filos, Marilyn Filter, Elizabeth Fulks, Judy Haefner, Megan Keiser, Linda Knecht, Jamie Koonmen, Barbara Kupferschmid, Mary Linton, Suzanne Lugger, Cynthia McCurren, Marilyn McFarland, Veronica Robinson, Teresa Sienkiewicz, Carmen Stokes, Chontay Taylor Glenn, Carman Turkelson, Hiba Wehbe-Alamah, Kristi Wilson

Opportunities in the field of Nursing are evolving in new, challenging directions as healthcare settings expand and diversify. A generation ago, nurses were primarily prepared for work in hospitals. Today, a myriad of challenging opportunities is available.  Career venues for professional nurses are continually expanding and include: hospitals, clinics, physicians’ office practices, home healthcare agencies, schools, religious institutions, businesses, the military, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations, wellness centers, fitness centers, community and public health agencies and other settings. Nurses are finding opportunities in the fields of business, law and many sectors of the government.

Accreditation

The baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs at the University of Michigan-Flint are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation).

Mission

The School of Nursing is committed to providing quality education to diverse students in pursuit of excellence in nursing practice, leadership and scholarship. A student-centered approach and a focus on evidence-based and culturally competent care are the foundation for theoretical and clinical learning experiences. Interprofessional, local and global partnerships influence our commitment to health and well-being for all people.

Program Assessment

The School of Nursing participates in the University-wide effort to assess its academic programs. Students are expected to fully engage in this process. Information on assessment plans, including goals, methods and outcomes is available at http://www.umflint.edu/assessment/.

Academic Regulations and Procedures

Grading System

The following grading system is used in the School of Nursing: A, excellent; B, good; C, fair; D, poor; E, failure; I, incomplete; Y, work in progress; W, officially withdrawn (without penalty). The following scale is used in computing grade-point averages:

Grade point averages are computed by dividing total honor points by total credits. The computation is limited to points and credits earned at the University of Michigan-Flint and to credits transferred from other schools and colleges of the University of Michigan.

The grade of I (Incomplete) may be reported by the instructor only if the unfinished part of a student’s work is small, the extenuating circumstances have been explained, and the student is passing but unable to complete the coursework within the semester.  Work must be completed and a grade change submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the fifth week of the next major semester in which the student is enrolled or one calendar year from when the I was given, whichever is first.  Failure to complete the coursework and submission of the grade change form within the time allotted will result in the I being changed to a grade of IE, IF, IU, or IN as applicable.  An extension may be requested by the student, but must be approved by the instructor and an extension form signed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar before the initial five week deadline.

The grade Y indicates “Work in Progress” and is therefore used only for courses designated to extend beyond a single semester. After completion of the work, the Y grade will be removed and replaced by an appropriate grade, or it may also be replaced by an (I) Incomplete.

A grade once reported (with the exception of I or Y) may be changed only to correct a demonstrable error up to one calendar year after the end of the semester in which the grade was originally submitted and then only with the approval of the Dean.  Grade changes made and/or received after degrees have been conferred will not be processed as the records are closed.  Final grades are reported at the conclusion of each academic semester and become part of the official record of the student. Final grades are generally available on SIS within one week of the last day of the examination period.

Credit Without Grade (Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)

The pass/fail option is available for undergraduate students only and applies only to specific courses so designated in the course schedule. The satisfactory/unsatisfactory option is available for graduate students only and applies only to specific courses so designated in the course schedule. Courses elected for credit without grade are not included in the calculation of the grade point average.

Changes in Course Elections (Drop/Add)

Changes in course elections include dropping and adding a course. To make a course change before the first official day of the semester the student must drop and add on the SIS website. Beginning on the first day of the semester, students may add courses in SIS as follows:

• 1st - 5th day, if seats are available - NO SIGNATURES or OVERRIDES NEEDED.
• 6th - 10th day, if seats are available - WITH AN OVERRIDE from the academic department.

Students wishing to drop courses may do so in SIS without the instructor’s signature until the final drop deadline.

Students should check the course schedule or Registrar’s website for specific drop and add dates.

Any student who seeks an exception to these deadlines must do so by a petition to the Academic Standards Committee of the School of Nursing. A request to drop a course without a final grade after the deadline is considered only on medical grounds or for other compelling reasons.

Permission to drop a course after the deadline is not granted merely because the student is doing unsatisfactory work. If a student drops a course without official approval, the grade of E is recorded.

Undergraduate Recognition of Superior Scholarship

For those undergraduate students with 45 graded hours or more completed at UM-Flint, graduating seniors with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher are recommended for the degree with “Honors,” and students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.75 or higher are recommended for the degree with “High Honors.”  Undergraduate students who have completed less than 45 graded credit hours, but meet the requirements for graduation with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher are recommended for the degree with “Academic Distinction.”

See “Undergraduate Honors” in the “Academic Policies of the University” section of this Catalog for information regarding campus- and system-wide honors recognition.

Distinguished scholarship is also recognized by awards offered by the faculty of the University of Michigan-Flint and by other organizations.

Academic Standing

A student in the School of Nursing who maintains a grade point average of at least 2.3 overall for undergraduate students or 3.0 in each course for graduate students elected while enrolled in the University is generally considered in good academic standing. However, individual program standards may be higher. Grade point average requirements for graduation also vary. 

The academic records of all nursing students whose grade point average falls below C (2.0) undergraduate students or B (3.0) for graduate students are reviewed at the end of each semester by the Academic Standards Committee of the School of Nursing. According to individual circumstances, students with deficient academic records may be placed on warning or required to withdraw. Students of individual programs which have established policies and procedures to determine academic discipline do not normally come before the Academic Standards Committee unless the grade point falls below C (2.0) for undergraduate students or B (3.0) for graduate students.

Appeals Procedure

Students admitted to the School of Nursing programs agree to follow established policies and procedures which govern academic performance, clinical/experiential learning competency, and ethical standards of the profession.  Specific appeals procedures are outlined in the School of Nursing Student Handbook.  The University of Michigan-Flint provides several offices where you can go for help, information or advice about discrimination, harassment or misconduct.  For more information, consult the Student Rights & Responsibilities section of the University Catalog.