THE BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM

The baccalaureate program, consisting of lower and upper divisions, provides students with essential knowledge and skills.  The lower division requires a foundation in the liberal arts, the sciences, and nursing to develop skills in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  In the upper division, advanced nursing courses, involving didactic courses and clinical practice, continue the preparation for the practice of professional nursing. 

OBJECTIVES

Students in the baccalaureate program:

a.       Use critical thinking skills and ethical decision-making in the provision of client care;

b.       Identify appropriate health outcomes based on comprehensive health assessment across the life span;

c.        Formulate culturally appropriate interventions for diverse individuals, families, and populations;

d.       Design interventions to meet identified health outcomes;

e.       Perform psychomotor skills that contribute to the achievement of appropriate health outcomes;

f.         Apply relevant theories of the physical, behavioral, and nursing sciences and the arts and humanities to achieve optimal health outcomes;

g.       Use research findings and data management systems to improve health outcome;

h.       Exhibit continuing personal growth and professional development.

CURRICULUM CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The undergraduate curriculum framework is based on the College of Nursing philosophy that views nursing, people, health and environment as interrelated concepts centered on the nurse and client in mutual processes.  A variety of theoretical approaches are used to conceptualize the interrelationships.  Health and illness are coexistent processes that arise from person-environment interaction and are reflected in human responses.  Diverse theories are used to conceptualize these phenomena and to provide the foundation for nursing science and practice.

Across the life span people are conceptualized as growing and developing toward increasing complexity and diversity as they interact with their environment.  Individuals, families, groups and communities are autonomous, culturally diverse, and assign unique meaning to health and illness. As consumers of health services, people collaborate with health care providers in identifying and achieving health outcomes.

There are many types of environments that influence people and their health.  The undergraduate curriculum focuses on the context in which health care is delivered.  Rural and urban settings across the continuum of health care comprise the environments of health care.

Nursing is the systematic integration of scientific information, a clinical reasoning process, and technical and humanistic skills to achieve therapeutic outcomes within the context of a nurse-client relationship.  Nursing interventions are based on “…clinical judgment about the phenomena of concern and theoretical, practical, or scientific knowledge” American Nurses Association, (1995).  Nursing’s Social Policy Statement.  Washington, D.C.:  American Nurses Publishing.  The goals of nursing are the promotion, restoration, and maintenance of health and the support of the dying.

ACCREDITATION

The baccalaureate program is approved by the State Board of Nursing for South Carolina and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.  The University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS FOR PROGRESSION

FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Maintaining "good standing" in the BSN Program is dependent upon achieving and maintaining a cumulative USC and collegiate summary GPA of 2.75 (2.5 for student admitted prior to Spring 2004) and earning a minimum grade of "C" in all required courses in the nursing program.  To remain in good standing in the lower division, only one course in either science or lower division nursing may be repeated once to earn a grade of "C" or better.  If a student receives a below “C” grade in more than one required science or nursing course, he or she will be suspended from the required course sequence and will be ineligible to apply for upper division and ineligible to continue in the College of Nursing.  In the upper division, only one nursing course may be repeated to earn a grade of "C" or better.  If a student receives a below “C” grade in more than one upper division nursing course, he or she will be suspended from the required course sequence and will be ineligible to continue in the College of Nursing.  When repeating a science course, it must be taken within the USC system.  When repeating a nursing course, it must be taken at USC-Columbia.

TRANSFER CREDIT

Students desiring to transfer nursing or general studies courses from other colleges or universities toward the USC BSN degree program must have their transcripts evaluated by the OSS in the College of Nursing before enrolling for course work.  The OSS academic advisors are available to assist with this evaluation process.  Students may be asked to provide a more detailed description of the course they wish to transfer for evaluation.  Transfer credit will be officially accepted after a transfer credit summary report is completed by an advisor and signed by the Assistant Dean.  Students will receive a copy after the process is completed.  Any evaluation done prior to this is unofficial.   A maximum of 76 semester hours may be transferred from a two-year junior or technical college.

Students wishing to take general education courses at another institution once they have enrolled at USC must discuss their options with their advisor.  Students taking transient work must complete a Transient Enrollment form with their advisor before enrolling in the course.  Students may be asked to provide a detailed description of the course they wish to take in order to determine its equivalency.  Transcripts must be sent from the transient institution to USC immediately after completion of the course.  Those students taking transient work during the semester of application to upper division may be asked to hand deliver a report of their grade by an earlier date as indicated in the instructions on the progression application. 

Students must also comply with the probation requirements when taking transient course work.  The collegiate summary GPA must be a 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004) or above in order to remain a student in good standing.  

Students must be aware of the university residency requirement when taking transient work. The last 30 hours of a student’s degree curriculum must be taken at USC.

GRADES AND GRADING

Grades are determined by quality of work, performance on course assignments, examination grades and class attendance.  A, B, C, and D represent passing grades from highest to lowest.  Grades of B+, C+, and D+ may also be assigned.  Failure is indicated by a grade of F.  Nursing students must earn a grade of C or higher in required science and nursing courses. 

Incomplete (I) grades may be assigned in certain cases when, due to extenuating circumstances, the student is unable to complete required course assignments within the semester time frame. Incomplete (I) grades convert to F or to the default grade assigned by faculty if the I is not removed within the time specified at the time the I is assigned.  When the incomplete course work is completed, the faculty must file a special form to change the I grade. This form is filed in OSS, and forwarded to the Registrar's Office.  Incomplete grades are administratively converted to F grades after one calendar year if the grade correction paper work has not been filed or if additional time for course work completion is not officially authorized.  No Report (NR) grades are administratively converted to F grades at the end of the next major semester if a grade is not assigned by faculty.

Students’ grades are kept confidential in accordance with federal law (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended). Grades are reported to students via Student Information Online at   http://vip.sc.edu  Student identification numbers and secure PIN are required for access. The permanent address on file for each student is used for mailing reports of grades. Note: The only students who will automatically get a grade report in the mail are those who are scholastically deficient or ineligible to continue. Unofficial copies can be printed from the Student Information Online. If you need an official copy of your grades, go to the Registrar’s Information Services Center (3rd floor Petigru) with your student ID card. A complete official transcript may also be released for an $8.00 fee.

CON POLICY ON ROUNDING OF GRADES FOR UNDERGRADUATE COURSES

For Courses with a Clinical Component:
All clinical grades are Pass or Fail.
All grades will be recorded to the hundredth (two decimal points)
The final didactic grade (tests, quizzes, and exams) will be rounded according to the following rubric:
    01 to .50 rounds down to the nearest whole number, for example, 79.50 equals 79
   .51 to .99 rounds up to the nearest whole number, for example, 79.51 equals 80
The final theory grade will be rounded in the same manner. The theory grade includes papers, written clinical work, pamphlets, and all other graded written work not included in the didactic grade.
The final course grade will be rounded as described above. This rounding policy is consistent with the rubric of Blackboard.

For Courses without a Clinical Component:
All grades will be recorded to the hundredth (two decimal points)
The final grade will be rounded according to the following rubric:
   .01 to .50 rounds down to the nearest whole number, for example, 79.50 equals 79
   .51 to .99 rounds up to the nearest whole number, for example, 79.51 equals 80

SUSPENSION AND PROBATION

College of Nursing students who have less than a 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004) USC or collegiate summary GPA on all course work are placed on academic probation.  A student has the next semester or completion of the next 12 semester hours, taken at USC, to raise his or her GPA to a 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004) in order to be permitted to continue with the nursing curriculum.  Although grades of Incomplete are calculated as Fs in the cumulative GPA, they are completely excluded in the calculation of the GPA to determine probationary status.  During the probationary semester, the student is required to meet periodically with an academic advisor.  At the end of the probationary semester, if the USC or collegiate summary GPA is still less than 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004), the student is suspended from the required course sequence and may not continue taking nursing courses.  If a student who is ineligible to take nursing courses has registered for nursing courses; he/she will be administratively dropped from those courses.

Probation from the College of Nursing and suspension from the University are two different academic regulations.  Suspension from the University is determined by Grade Point Deficit (GPD), which accumulates when a GPA is less than 2.0 (see Undergraduate Studies Bulletin, Academic Regulations, and Academic Suspension).

ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS

Former USC students with less than a 2.0 cumulative GPA on work done at USC may be eligible to apply for academic forgiveness.  Academic forgiveness allows for a recalculation of the GPA to permit a student to graduate or pursue a specific academic program.  A student may apply for academic forgiveness if the student has a previous USC GPA of less than 2.0; has not been enrolled at USC for at least 48 months; after readmission to USC earns at least a 2.0 GPA; completes 24 credit hours at USC prior to applying for academic forgiveness; and has not previously been granted academic forgiveness.  Students granted academic forgiveness are not eligible for academic honors upon graduation.  Qualified students, once meeting requirements, must submit a written request for academic forgiveness to the Assistant Dean for Student Services.  Refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin for additional information.

LOWER DIVISION REGULATIONS

Progression to the upper division nursing courses is very competitive.  Each fall and spring semester the most qualified lower division students are admitted to the upper division.  Students must apply for progression and at a minimum meet the following criteria at time of application: a cumulative USC, collegiate summary, and progression GPA of at least 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004) on all course work; at least 45 hours of course work applicable to the College of Nursing curriculum successfully completed by the end of the semester in which application is made; a grade of "C" or better in all required courses in the nursing program; and successful completion of eight hours of the required sciences and nine hours (six hours for  Freshman entering prior to Fall 2003) hours of the required lower division nursing courses included in the 45 hours for progression.  Only one course in either science or lower division nursing for which an unsatisfactory grade was achieved may have been repeated once to earn a grade of “C” or better. All attempts at courses will be included in the calculation of the progression GPA.  Students may not repeat a course for a better grade unless the initial grade was below a “C”. Students earning less than "C" in any required science or nursing course taken at USC, must repeat the course at USC.  All incomplete grades posted on the transcript must be removed before applying for the upper division.  Students needing academic forgiveness to be eligible to apply to upper division must have obtained the forgiveness prior to application for progression.

Eligible students must submit a completed application to OSS by December 1 for entry in the following Fall semester and May 1 for entry in the following Spring semester.  Since enrollment is limited to the most qualified applicants, students are encouraged to strive for excellence in their academic performance.  Selection to the upper division is based on Progression GPA, which includes grades in all courses completed that are required in the nursing major.  Applications that are made to the upper division by those who meet the minimum criteria for progression are processed by the OSS and selection of those to progress is approved by the Student Affairs Committee.

UPPER DIVISION REGULATIONS

Notification of acceptance into the upper division occurs approximately one month after the final grades of the semester of application are posted.  Those accepted must complete a progression acceptance form.  Those students not accepted are placed on a waiting list. The first ten students on the waiting list are notified of their specific position.

The required science and lower division nursing courses must be successfully completed before beginning the upper division course work.  Once accepted, a GPA of 2.75 (2.5 for students admitted prior to Spring 2004) must be maintained.  A grade of “C” or above must be achieved for all upper division nursing courses.  Only one course with a below “C” grade may be repeated one time.  If a student makes a below “C” grade in more than one upper division nursing course, he or she is ineligible to continue in the College of Nursing.

Upon entering into the upper division, a student must go full time and follow the required sequence of courses.  A student may not accelerate into the next group of courses without successful completion of the previous set of courses.  The course sequence for upper division, students entering the College of Nursing prior to Fall of 2003 is as follows: