Academic Policies
All Aspen University students are held to the policies, including policies regarding admissions requirements, transfer credit, and graduation requirements, outlined in the Academic Catalog.
In addition to the policies in the Academic Catalog, MSN students must abide by the following grading policy for Practicum courses.
Practicum Grading Policy
The practicum courses N550, N552, and N586 have unique grading policies that deviate from the general Aspen University policies. These courses have a practicum component with a preceptor within the student’s home community. The additional details on specific requirements for these practicum courses as well as practicum evaluation criteria and tools are discussed under the practicum section.
Evaluation of the student’s practicum performance is the responsibility of the faculty with input from the preceptor. These practicum evaluations are comprised of a preceptor evaluation, a self-evaluation, and review by the faculty of practicum experiences with appropriate documentation and satisfaction of the minimum required practicum hours. The practicum performance is graded as "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory." In the practicum setting, students are expected to function with independence and increasing complexity as they progress through the course.
Unsatisfactory practicum performance encompasses an array of behaviors and attitudes. Examples include unprofessional attire, failure to submit required practicum documents, "no-show" at the practicum setting, cross-cultural issues, and functioning at a level inconsistent with expectations. In the event that a preceptor detects performance moving in an unsatisfactory direction, a conference with the student will be prompted, the result of which will be development of a plan of action to correct the deficiency. This plan of action will be the responsibility of the student working in coordination with their preceptor and the Practicum Coordinator.
Students must pass practicum course(s) in order to pass the course. Students who do not satisfactorily pass practicum will not be permitted to progress to the next course in the program sequence. Likewise, students must complete the Practicum course(s) prior to entering Capstone.