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Online Course Policy

The University expects students to participate in all instructional activities. Online courses are no different from classroom courses in this regard; however, participation must be defined differently. The grade a student earns in a course should be a measure of comprehension and achievement. Regular class attendance, whether in a traditional classroom or online, promotes both of these goals.

Each course is 8-weeks. Each week begins on 12:01 AM Monday and ends the following Sunday at 11:59 PM. All due date times are Central Standard Time (CST). Please note based on the University calendar, Week-8 ends on a Friday at 11:59 PM. Student “attendance” in online courses will be defined as active participation in the course as described in the individual course syllabus and assignment instructions. Each course is eight weeks, and students need to be actively participating from the beginning of the course. At a minimum, students are expected to log on to a course at least three times per module, which can be documented by any or all of the following methods within the prescribed time.

  1. Submission/completion of assignments
  2. Submission of initial and peer response within the discussion board
  3. Communication with the faculty
  4. Communication with team members for any team assignment

Students who do not log on to the course within the drop/add period for the course will be dropped from the course. Drop/add, and withdrawal dates are determined by the Registrar and posted on the Registrar web page. Faculty have the prerogative of assigning a failing grade to those students who fail to maintain active participation in an online course as defined in the course syllabus. Students are required to check course announcements and UHV email several times a week. In the event of an unexpected “absence,” such as a serious illness, the faculty member should be notified by email or phone so that a decision can be reached regarding continued enrollment in the course. Non-participation (absence) may place a student in academic jeopardy.

Course Assumptions

Students are required to follow specific directions given for graded activities. Faculty will consider crises on a case-by-case basis. If an illness or emergency is experienced that prevents the student from accessing the online course and completing assignments promptly.

The student should notify the faculty member as soon as possible (24 hours minimum of the due date in non-emergent cases) so that options can be discussed. Technology issues need to be addressed by the student using the online Canvas Help link located within the course. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the appropriate coursework has been uploaded into Canvas. The timeframe for course work and associated deadlines are provided on the course schedule.

Assignment Policy

  1. Please refer to the course schedule for assignments. Specific grading criteria will be provided on Canvas for each assignment. Faculty will assign the specific score based on the criteria listed.
  2. All assignments are due on Sunday 11:59 PM CST unless otherwise indicated by faculty.
    1. When submitting an assignment in Canvas, please use the following format to name and save the Word document: NURS XXXX_first name_ last name_assignment name.
    2. Ten (10) points will be deducted for each day an assignment is late (after Sunday 11:59 PM CST), up to 5 days. Assignments submitted greater than 5 days from the due date will receive a grade of “0” unless otherwise determined by the course faculty.
    3. If the assignment requires, the student will upload and submit to both Turnitin and the final Canvas assignment link before faculty will grade the assignment.
    4. Students can expect to receive feedback on assignments within 5 days of the assignment due date, unless otherwise communicated in by course faculty.

[Amended by NPFC 07/2020]

Discussion Board Policy

  1. All initial discussion postings are due by Thursday at 11:59 PM CST and response posting to peers by Sunday 11:59 PM CST. Any discussion posted after Sunday earns a zero.
  2. Due to the nature of discussion postings, late response discussion postings (posted after Sunday midnight CST) will not be graded.
  3. Discussion board grade will be reduced by 10 points for each day late (Friday through Sunday the last day of Discussion Board). Due to the nature of discussion board postings, any late response postings after Sunday 11:59 pm CST will not be graded.
  4. Refer to course syllabus and rubric for specific guidelines and grading criteria.
  5. For peer response postings, students will read a sampling of your colleagues’ postings and respond to the number of postings required for the discussion during the week in one or more ways:
    1. Suggest why you might see things differently (cite/reference in APA).
    2. Ask a probing or clarifying question.
    3. Share an insight after reading the colleague’s posting.
    4. Offer and support with evidence from the literature an informed opinion (cite/reference in APA).
    5. Validate an idea with your own experience.
    6. Make a suggestion supported with evidence from the literature. (Cite/reference in APA format)
    7. Expand on the colleague’s posting.
    8. Ask for evidence that supports the posting.
  6. Please refer to the Discussion Board Grading Criteria. Review the discussion rubric before and after you write your initial and response postings. Faculty will assign the specific score based on the criteria listed.

Online Netiquette Policy

Students are expected to interact professionally and courteously; be prepared for the weekly lesson(s) and assignment(s); and read attentively, your peers and/or faculty postings. During a presentation or webcam, students must provide a professional/academic environment. Students will not sit or lay on beds. Consider the environment used for the webcam/video and ensure there is proper lighting, no pets, or non-participants in the room. Private conversations should be avoided, pets should be placed outside of hearing range and view, and cell phones/landlines must be silenced during synchronous webinar activities.

Students who are participating in a webinar and using a webcam must be dressed in business casual attire for presentations, including shoes. If students are videoing a health assessment, they must be dressed in plain scrubs or business casual attire and lab coat with UHV Nursing Program patch only. [Amended by NPFC 1/12/16]

Netiquette Guidelines

  1. No yelling (USE OF CAPS)
  2. Do not post sarcastic comments, write your responses in Word, and read before posting into a discussion or email.
  3. Attempt to find your own answer. Use the proper forum for personal assignment/course questions (Online Course Email) to the faculty and “Ask the Professor” for general course questions located in Discussion Board.
  4. Do not get cute with text font colors, use black font for postings your discussions.
  5. Brevity rules. Keep your email message short and to the point. Focus on the essential information to ensure that your question and or message does not get lost.
  6. Read first. Take some time to read through each of the previous discussion post responses before writing your response.
  7. Do not over share personal information.
  8. Respect your student peers and faculty.

Quiz/Exam Policy

The UHV Nursing Program quizzes/exams are faculty-directed and administered under the purview and discretion of the faculty. Students are expected to follow the University and Nursing Program Academic Honesty Policy. Courses contain online quizzes unless otherwise stated. Quizzes are timed and completed without any assistance either from individuals or any form of technology, such as opening another computer to view the course content, searching the internet or use of other mobile devices. Students will view the online test tutorial before taking their first quiz. See Online Test Taking and Canvas Help.

All faculty will comply with any requirements set by the University Office of Disability Services for reasonable accommodation. Students are responsible for submitting the appropriate documentation to each course faculty. Faculty may not provide accommodations without the Student Accommodation Form. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Student Success Center to schedule all quizzes/exams if taken on campus.

Online Quizzes/Exams

  1. You will have one attempt per each quiz/exam with a designated time limit per quiz/exam.
  2. Please read and prepare for *quizzes. Do not share, reproduce, copy quiz questions, or any portion of the quizzes. The quizzes will be located in Canvas. You may use your book and any notes you have taken or were provided in class. Quizzes must be completed independently of other persons.
  3. Quizzes must be completed within the designed time-frame for the module assigned and are due by date and time specified in the course schedule.
  4. Quizzes will be graded in Canvas. After the due date and time for the designated quiz is completed by all students, students can reach out to the course faculty via In Course email regarding review of the quiz. [Amended by NPFC 05/2019]
  5. Late quizzes are not accepted.
  6. The timeframe associated with each quiz is provided on the course schedule.
  7. Specific instructions for the Summative Quiz will be provided in the last module.

*Quiz (includes any online testing) throughout this section. [Amended by NPFC 12/1/16]

Verification of Student Identity in Online Education

The federal requirement has been put into place by the U.S. Department of Education requires schools to verify the identity of online students. In response to this requirement, the UHV Nursing Program has adopted the following policy:

  • The student who registers in an online education course or program is the same student who participates in and completes the course or program and receives the credit by verifying the identity of a student who participates in class or coursework.
  • The student who registers for an online course may elect either of the following for a proctored exam. Student verification options that are offered by UHV Nursing Program:
    • Face to Face testing (exams) at a UHV designated site
    • Proctored Examinations (Proctor U)
    • Students taking exams off campus should be aware of the University’s Help Desk hours before scheduling the exam.

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Online Student Regarding Proctored Exams

  • Course syllabi will denote if a course has an end, of course, proctored the exam. The student is responsible for contacting the faculty to schedule the on-site exam. Students requiring off-campus proctored exams will use (Proctor U). The student is responsible for making arrangements with the faculty member to make the exam available through Proctor U.
  • The student is responsible for any fees charged by Proctor U and for reimbursement of any mailing costs incurred.
  • The student will use or have available any books, bags, electronic devices, or any other item at the exam except materials identified by the course faculty member as not being allowed or needed for the exam.
  • The student will provide proper identification to the proctor before the exam can be administered. An example of appropriate identification includes both a UHV ID and a Photo ID (driver’s license).
  • The student will not communicate with anyone regarding the exam other than the course faculty before, during, or after the exam to discuss content, questions, answers. Students may not photograph, screenshot, or reproduce the exam or any question in any format; this includes sending any part of the exam to the faculty.
  • If the student does not show up at the appointed time or is unduly late, the student may not be able to test and will need to contact the course faculty member within 24 hours.

Proctor U will:

  • Connect with the test taker via webcam
  • Follow the faculty-specific test-taking criteria
  • Monitor the test taker’s computer screen in real time
  • Authenticate the test taker’s identity using a multi-factor process

The Roles and Responsibilities of the Faculty Member Regarding Proctored Exams

An online student cannot be required to come to campus. Faculty members who teach online courses and who require proctored exams must accept a request from a student for the use of Proctor U. The faculty member must send the exam instructions to the Proctor U in a timely fashion.

All students should take online quizzes/exams using a desktop or laptop computer and not mobile devices. Direct internet connection should be used instead of wireless, as well as the use of electronic plugs into an outlet instead of a battery. Should the connection be disconnected, the student will not be able to return to the exam until they contact the faculty.

Make-up Quizzes

Quizzes not taken within the designated timeframe are not available for make-up, and the student will earn a zero, except for emergencies and appropriate faculty notification and documentation.

Make-up for Missed Exams

Make-ups for missed exams may be given, only at the discretion of the course faculty member.

Orientation to Courseware Policy

Students are expected to complete an orientation for the course delivery system, Canvas, Turnitin, courseware products before beginning online or hybrid courses.

Turnitin

Turnitin Student User Manual

Email Account Policy

The University provides email accounts to all current students. Students are required to use their UHV Canvas email address when communicating with the Nursing faculty regarding course concerns. When communicating by email with Nursing Administration, faculty, and staff, students are required to use their UHV email address.

Audio/Video Recording, Screen Shot, Reproducing, and Photographing Policy

Students must receive prior permission of the person(s)/vendor presenting class information before photographing, taking screenshots, sharing, or in any way audio and/or recording or videoing formal presentations or informal discussions. Taping, video recording, or photographing in PLE settings is not permitted under any circumstance except in NURS 3411 Health Assessment; for a specific assignment and only as outlined in the course syllabi/guidelines with the written consent of the client and or guardian.

Photographing, videotaping, filming, digitally recording, or by any other means, secretly viewing with or without a device, another person without that person's consent in any location where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, or in a manner that violates a reasonable expectation of privacy will be considered a breach in professional conduct.