Read Email Regularly

The Conway School of Nursing uses email as the major vehicle for communicating important information to students. Students should check their email at least two to three times each week. The Catholic University email address is the official address used by the Conway School of Nursing for email communication on Conway School of Nursing or other Catholic University matters. The Conway School of Nursing has transitioned away from use of the postal service and mailed communication with only a few exceptions. Students are requested to allow 48-72 business day hours for faculty response to student email before following-up absent a medical or serious family emergency.

Schedule Appointments When Faculty Meetings Are Needed

Students who wish to meet with faculty in person may schedule an appointment during the faculty member's office hours or contact faculty directly via email or phone to request an appointment at a mutually convenient time.

Privacy of Communication

FERPA is a federal law that protects the confidentiality of certain student information. Consequently, students must provide written authorization to the Conway School of Nursing to share information about their Catholic University experience with individuals (including family members) not granted access under FERPA provisions.

Resolution of Concerns

On occasion, students may have concerns about some aspect of a course or program.

The Conway School of Nursing employs a "chain of command" approach to resolve such difficulties. Consequently, students should first communicate with the course faculty to address any problems or concerns. In instances where the difficulty cannot be resolved, the second level of contact is the course coordinator.

If the course coordinator is the faculty member with whom the student has been dealing and the issues has not be resolved, the student may then approach the assistant dean for that program. In the rare event that the problem has not been resolved, the dean will be consulted. Students and families will find it very beneficial to work through this "chain of command" system to address questions or concerns, since upper level University officials may not be cognizant of pertinent information regarding a particular matter.

Student are afforded the opportunity to file an appeal if they are being treated in a discriminatory way.  The University appeal of failing grades and grievance policies are available online at policies.cua.edu.

Management of Academic Program of Study

The student has primary responsibility for ensuring that they adhere to the prescribed academic plan/program. Central to this responsibility is the appropriate use of Cardinal Station, Blackboard courseware, academic advisement, and Conway School of Nursing registration requirements.

Cardinal Students: Cardinal Students is a comprehensive, online resource which allows students to manage their academic program, including course registration. Students are expected to know how to use the Cardinal Students functionalities including accessing the course catalog, schedule of classes, and registration processes. The University provides Cardinal Students training as part of the Orientation Program. Online Cardinal Students tutorial assistance is available here and the Office of Enrollment Management has a published brochure of course registration information explaining how to use Cardinal Station registration resources.

Blackboard and Other Courseware: The University supports various platforms for web-enhanced courses. The School of Nursing web-enhanced courses use Blackboard. The student is expected to learn how to use Blackboard components that will support their coursework. In addition, on occasion, textbooks have accompanying online or computerized elements. Students should learn how to use these elements and "plug ins." The School of Nursing uses your Catholic University network log on as your Blackboard log on; although the Blackboard system permits creation of other log ons, these may not be used for Conway School of Nursing courses with a Blackboard component.

Academic Advisement: Academic advisement is an academic support service provided by the Conway School of Nursing to each student. Students are assigned an academic advisor whose name is registered on Cardinal Station. The student should contact their advisor at least once per semester in advance of the registration period for the next semester.

Transcript Verification: It is the student's responsibility to periodically (beginning and end of the semester) review Cardinal Station information for accuracy. Students should pay particular attention to transfer credit and milestones. In the event an inaccuracy is found, students are responsible for contacting the appropriate office for resolution.

Registration Requirements: Each student is responsible for registering for the next semester on time, meeting prerequisites for each course for which they register, and for adhering to the program plan approved by their academic advisor. Because Conway School of Nursing courses are routinely offered during either the fall or spring semester as opposed to both semesters, students who do not follow the approved academic plan may not be able to complete their program of study by the projected date. The required courses for each degree program are found on the School of Nursing Website via links to the respective level and then to the specific degree.

Registration Permissions: Conway School of Nursing permission (a) is required for registration for all undergraduate nursing courses, and (b) may be required for select courses in the graduate programs

Pre-registration: Pre-registration is required for undergraduate clinical courses and may be required for some graduate level clinical courses.

Pre-registration may also be required for specific graduate clinical courses, most notably health assessment and clinical courses in the M.S.N. and D.N.P. programs. Failure to register for a course prior to the last day of pre-registration may result in placement on a waiting list and/or inability to register for the course.

Course Cancellation: The Conway School of Nursing reserves the right to cancel courses during the add/drop period if enrollment is low. Every effort will be made to assist the student to identify an alternate course via the Consortium or to help the student adjust his/her academic plan so that their progression is not unduly delayed.

Course Schedule: Most of the courses offered by the Conway School of Nursing are only offered once per academic year. Students who are unable to take a nursing course in the semester it is scheduled should consult with their academic advisor regarding the impact on their academic progression.