Connell School of Nursing

Graduate Academic Policies in the Connell School of Nursing

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to have high standards of integrity in both the academic and clinical settings. CSON adheres to the Boston College policies surrounding academic integrity. This policy may be accessed online at the Policies and Procedures section of this Catalog.

Expected ethical behavior in clinical situations is based on the American Nurses’ Association Code of Ethics for Nurses (ANA, 2001, 2010). Students are expected to protect patients’ confidentiality at all times, and to be honest in any documentation regarding the patient’s condition and their own assessments and interventions. Students are expected to maintain high professional standards, including being physically, intellectually, emotionally, and academically prepared when caring for patients. Unprofessional conduct is considered serious and may result in dismissal from the school.

Graduate Academic Standing and Progression Policies

The Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee, composed of professors responsible for the nursing (NURS) courses and courses in the MS and DNP (nursing) program, meets at the end of each semester to review the records of graduate students with course failures, course deficiencies, low GPAs, or other academic concerns. The Committee may also meet at any time during the academic year in exigent circumstances upon faculty request (i.e., unprofessional conduct or clinical safety concerns).  Students will be promptly notified before undergoing Committee review. This Committee makes recommendations about progression in the program in accordance with the policies described below and other relevant university policies. Final progressions decisions are made and implemented by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs.

Graduate students are expected to maintain good academic standing at all times and progress through their program of study in accordance with program standards and performance expectations. Those who are not in good academic standing or are not progressing are subject to review by the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee.

Grade Point Average

All graduate students in the Connell School of Nursing are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to remain in good academic standing. If a student has a GPA of less than 3.0, the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case.

Pre-licensure Coursework

If a student receives a grade of B- (80%) or above in a pre-licensure course they will pass the course. If a graduate student receives a C (74-79%) on a NURS pre-licensure course (listed below), the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case. 

• NURS 8001 Pharmacology and Nutrition         
• NURS 8004 Direct Entry Adult Nursing Clinical with laboratory         
• NURS 8005 Direct Entry Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Theory
• NURS 8006 Direct Entry Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical       
• NURS 8007 Direct Entry Child Health Theory
• NURS 8008 Direct Entry Child Clinical
• NURS 8009 Direct Entry Childbearing Theory  
• NURS 8010 Direct Entry Childbearing Clinical
• NURS 8011 Nursing Synthesis Practicum
• NURS 8012 Population Health Clinical  
• NURS 8013 Direct Entry Adult Health Theory

The Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will determine the best course of action. The student will be placed on academic notice and remedial steps may require the graduate student to:

• Contact the Connors Learning Center to receive support and/or tutoring;
• Achieve >83 on a course-specific NCLEX preparation platform approved by the Graduate Dean.

If a graduate student receives a failing grade F (< 74%) on a NURS pre-licensure course or strategically withdraws from the course (i.e., withdraws from the course on a date later than the course withdrawal deadline to avoid failure from the course), the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case and determine the best course of action. The student will be placed on academic notice and  at minimum, be required to retake the course before advancing in the curriculum. Students have only one opportunity to repeat a nursing course after course failure or strategically withdrawing from the course. All above NURS courses must be taken at Boston College.

Graduate Coursework

The minimum acceptable passing grade for graduate courses (other than the NURS pre-licensure courses listed above) is a B- (80%). If a student receives a grade below B- in any graduate course other than the above NURS pre-licensure courses or strategically withdraws from a course, the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case. The student will be placed on academic notice and at minimum, be required to retake the course before advancing in the curriculum. Graduate students have only one opportunity to repeat a nursing course after strategically withdrawing from the course or not achieving a B- (80%).

If a graduate student has more than one grade below B- (80%),  more than one strategic withdrawal, or a combination of a grade below a B- and a strategic withdrawal (in any graduate nursing course other than the pre-licensure courses listed above), the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case and determine the best course of action, including up to dismissal from the nursing program.

Any graduate student who, by the faculty’s evaluation, is deemed to have engaged in unsafe clinical practice or who otherwise demonstrates unprofessional conduct in the clinical setting, will be removed from the setting immediately. These behaviors are grounds for failure in any clinical course.  In such cases, the Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee will be convened to hear the case and determine the best course of action, including up to dismissal from the program.

If a graduate student demonstrates unprofessional conduct in the classroom and/or interactions with BC faculty or staff, or engages in academic dishonesty and/or other ethical violations, including in the conduct of academic research, they will be reviewed by Graduate Academic Standards and Progression Committee to hear the case and determine the best course of action, including up to dismissal from the program.

The Associate Dean of Graduate Programs will notify the student of the outcome of academic review as soon as possible. A student may submit a formal appeal if they believe there has been a procedural violation, a mistake of fact, or an arbitrary or unethical evaluation. See Graduate Students Rights & Grievances – Formal Appeals.

Graduate students who are on notice are not eligible for teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships and/or any type of merit-based tuition remission award.

For the procedure for graduate student grievances and the formal appeals procedure, please refer to the student handbook:

CSON Graduate Student Handbook 2022-2023

Transfer of Credits

Matriculated graduate students may request permission to transfer in up to 6 credits of graduate course work completed at another regionally accredited graduate university.

To request to have an outside course considered for transfer, the student must email a copy of the course description for electives and course syllabus for core courses to the graduate office. To be considered for transfer, the course must meet all of the following criteria:

1. The course was completed within the past five years.
2. The course was not applied to a prior degree*
3. The student earned a grade of 80% (B-) or better in the course.
4. The CSON TOR and Graduate Associate Dean deem the course equivalent.

 *if the course was applied to a prior degree, the student may be approved to Opt-Out of the course, and would have to replace the credits with electives.

If approved for course transfer, the student must submit an official transcript documenting a grade of 80% (B-) or better to the graduate office for processing. The transfer course and credit will be recorded on the student's transcript after the completion of one full semester at Boston College. Once matriculated, only graduate courses taken at Boston College (or consortium) will count towards degree requirements. Core courses (i.e., Boston College Graduate nursing courses) that were taken prior to matriculation may be considered on a case-by-case basis (i.e. an Ethics course completed at BC).

Time to Degree Completion

Students in the M.S. program have five (5) years from initial enrollment to complete their program of study. Students in the DNP program have eight (8) years from initial enrollment to complete their program of study. Students in the Ph.D. program have eight (8) years from initial enrollment to complete all degree requirements, including defending and submitting the final version of the dissertation.

Graduate students may apply for a leave of absence (LOA) for personal reasons, health reasons, or other extenuating circumstances. LOAs are usually granted for one semester; a two semester LOA may be granted under unusual circumstances. Leaves of Absence do not “stop the clock” or extend the program time limits. An exception is made for graduate students who require an LOA due to active military service. Students should contact the Graduate Associate Dean. Graduate students who exceed the program time limits or who fail to make progress towards their degree will be reviewed by the Graduate Academic Standards and Progressions Committee and may be subject to dismissal from the program.

Financial Aid

Applicants and students should refer to the Connell School of Nursing web page for Financial Aid resources at the Admission and Aid page. Refer to the Financial Aid section of this Catalog for additional information regarding other financial aid information.

Housing

The Boston College Off-Campus Housing Office offers assistance to graduate students in procuring living arrangements. Please refer to the Off-Campus Housing website.

Transportation

Precepted clinical practices are held in a wide variety of hospitals, clinics, and health-related agencies and are a vital part of the graduate nursing program. Most of the clinical facilities are located in the greater Metropolitan Boston area, although some are located in the suburbs, eastern Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from the clinical facilities.

Graduate Program Contacts in the Connell School of Nursing

The Dean of the School of Nursing is responsible for the overall administration of the school.

Katherine E. Gregory, Ph.D., RN, FAAN
Dean
Office: Maloney 294
Telephone: 617-552-4251

The Associate Deans are responsible for academic and financial administration.

Andrew Dwyer, PhD, FNP-BC, FNAP, FAAN
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
Office: Maloney 220
Telephone: 617-552-8018

Christopher Grillo
Associate Dean for Finance and Administration
Office: Maloney 294
Telephone: 617-552-8531

The Program Directors are responsible for the direct oversight of their respective APRN programs.

Graduate Clinical Specialty Program Directors

Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Program:
Kellie LaPierre, DNP, GNP-C           
Office: Maloney 370
Telephone: 617-552-4270

Family Primary Care Program:
Patricia Underwood, Ph.D., FNP, RN
Office: Maloney 373A
Telephone: 617-552-1846

Pediatric Primary Care Program:
Laura White, Ph.D., M.S., RN, CPNP, PMHNP-BC
Office: Maloney 361A
Telephone: 617-552-1630

Psychiatric-Mental Health Program:
Victor Petreca, Ph.D., DNP, PMHNP-BC, CNP
Office: Maloney 378B
Telephone: 617-552-0194

Women’s Health Program:
Erin Murphy-Swenson, DNP, MSN, BSN
Office: Maloney 368
Telephone: 617-552-1246

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Program:
Susan Emery, Ph.D., CRNA
Office: Maloney 234
Telephone: 617-552-6844