Policies and Procedures

Cohort Default Rate Notification Policy PDF

Conference/Business Travel Policy PDF - including Checklist and Authorization Form

The federal Copyright Law requires all members of the NMC community, including faculty, staff, students, volunteers, and patrons to respect the proprietary rights of owners of copyrights and refrain from actions that constitute an infringement of copyright or other proprietary rights.

Because of advances in technology and ease to copy, transmit, distribute, adapt, display, or perform copyrighted works, individuals must increasingly be aware of various copyright implications when using a wide range of materials and devices. Copyright violations related to printed materials, materials in digital format, audio and video recordings, music, Internet transmissions, computer programs and databases, or any other types of materials create potential legal liability for NMC and the individuals involved.

To support NMC's mission to create, discover, and disseminate knowledge and to further NMC's Mission and Core Values, members of the NMC community are strongly encouraged to access the "Copyright and Educational Fair Use" webpage here, wherein they can find guidance on copyright and fair use compliance at NMC. NMC adheres to and requires its faculty, staff and students to comply with all of the guidance, including fair use, found in the "Copyright and Educational Fair Use" page, unless the information contained therein does not reflect current federal Copyright Law. Faculty, staff, students, and any third-parties accessing www.methodistcollege.edu  must also be familiar with and comply with the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy as it relates to any and all material, including designs, methods, and structures found therein.

Faculty members, staff and other employees who willfully disregard the Copyright Policy place themselves individually at risk of legal action. In such cases, NMC may refuse to defend the employee in the court suit and in these suits personal liability may be incurred by the employee or student. Students who violate the Copyright Policy are also at risk of violating the NMC Code of Conduct, which may result in dismissal from NMC and employees may be at risk of termination.

Determination of Student Location Policy PDF

Facility Rental Policy PDF

FERPA Policy (PDF)

FERPA Frequently Asked Questions

FERPA Non-Disclosure Form (PDF)

FERPA Education Record Release Form (PDF)

In compliance with the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, Nebraska Methodist College is pleased to report a 4-year graduation rate for bachelor's degree programs of 68% in 2013-2014. 

Guide to Maxient Reporting Links PDF

Nebraska Methodist College is committed to protecting the privacy of protected health information (PHI) in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. To achieve this end, the College, an affiliate of Methodist Health System, has adopted policies and procedures to protect the privacy, and provide for the security of PHI. Students who have access to PHI in the course of their programs are required to maintain the confidentiality of any and all PHI they have been appropriately granted authorization to use and view.

Students with access to PHI must respect their patient's rights to privacy and understand and adhere to their clinical site's privacy policies. When using or disclosing PHI, or when requesting PHI from others, students must make reasonable efforts to limit the information to the minimum necessary to accomplish the educational purpose of the use, disclosure, or request. Students must remove any patient identifiers before transporting, disclosing, or transmitting any document or assignment. (See below for steps to remove patient identifiers).

Students who access PHI are responsible for protecting and safeguarding it and to properly dispose (i.e., shred) of any notes, e-mails, thumb drives, CD-ROMs, Care Plans, and any other device or medium that contains PHI. Because of the risk of loss or theft of mobile devices, PHI should never be stored on or transferred to mobile devices unless specific approval is given and the mobile device contains the appropriate safeguards.

Students are also prohibited from disclosing any PHI on social media. Social media include, but are not limited to, collaborative projects (e.g, Wikipedia), blogs and microblogs (e.g., Twitter), content communities (e.g., YouTube), social networking sites (e.g., Facebook).

Failure to abide by the College's HIPAA Privacy Policy, and any other Methodist Health System HIPAA policy, may result in the suspension or dismissal from the College and/or legal action brought against the student.

Removing/De-identifying Protected Health Information (PHI)

Protected Health Information (PHI): Information in any format that identifies the individual, including demographic information collected from an individual that can reasonably be used to identify the individual. Additionally, PHI is information created or received by a healthcare provider, health plan, employer, or healthcare clearinghouse; and relates to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual.

De-identified: Information that has certain identifiers (see "identifiers" below) MUST  be removed so that it is no longer considered Protected Health Information.

Identifiers: Under the HIPAA Privacy Rule "identifiers" include the following:

1. Names (e.g. patient initials (do not reverse order))
2. Geographic subdivisions smaller than a state (except the first three digits of a zip code if the geographic unit formed by combining all zip codes with the same three initial digits contains more than 20,000 people and the initial three digits of a zip code for all such geographic units containing 20,000 or fewer people is changed to 000).
3. All elements of dates (except year) for dates directly related to an individual, including birth date, admission date, discharge date, and date of death and all ages over 89 and all elements of dates (including year) indicative of such age (except that such ages and elements may be aggregated into a single category of age 90 or older)
4. Telephone numbers
5. Fax numbers
6. Electronic mail addresses
7. Social security numbers
8. Medical record numbers
9. Health plan beneficiary numbers
10. Account numbers
11. Certificate/license numbers
12. Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers
13. Device identifiers and serial numbers
14. Web Universal Resource Locators (URLs)
15. Internet Protocol (IP) address numbers
16. Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
17. Full face photographic images and any comparable images
18. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code (excluding a random identifier code for the subject that is not related to or derived from any existing identifier).

In accordance with the Fair and Accurate Transactions Act, Nebraska Methodist College has established a required Red Flags Rule/Identity Theft Prevention Program with comprehensive procedures intended to prevent, detect, and mitigate student identity theft. The detection of "red flags" is central to the program. A red flag is defined as a pattern, practice, or specific activity that indicates the possible existence of identity theft. NMC service providers (e.g., lenders, collection agency, etc.) are also required to be in compliance with the Red Flags Rule.

If a student experiences identity theft unrelated to business at Nebraska Methodist College, he or she should immediately contact the Dean of Students. A student who wishes to change his/her name or address on file at NMC should contact the Registrar's office for assistance.

Medical Amnesty Policy PDF

Purpose and Scope of Policy:

This statement sets forth the minimum expectations and requirements regarding Minors who participate in activities and programs taking place on Nebraska Methodist College's (hereinafter "College" or "NMC") land, in its facilities, or under the authority and direction of the College at other locations. Specific NMC programs can, and may be required to, set forth more requirements and more rigorous expectations depending on the degree of interaction with Minors within the program. The College expects each and every member of the NMC community to adhere to and act in accordance with this policy. Failure to comply with the requirements set forth in this policy may lead to disciplinary action and/or revocation of the opportunity to use College facilities.

This policy affects all units of NMC with the exception of those academic courses wherein interaction with Minors is integral to the educational and patient-care related purposes of the academic course. Such academic courses will be subject to their own policies relating to Minors.

This policy does not apply to general public events where parents/guardians are invited/expected to provide supervision of Minors.

Definitions:

1. Minors: A person under the age of nineteen (19) who is not enrolled or accepted for enrollment at NMC.
2. College Facilities: Facilities owned by, or under the control of, the College with the exception of the Whispering Pine townhomes
3. Program: Programs and activities offered by various academic or administrative units of the College, or by non-College groups using College facilities which are subject to separately-executed Facility Rental Agreements. This includes, but is not limited to, workshops, conferences, pre-enrollment visits, community outreach Programs, and student organization sponsored Programs.
4. Adult: Individuals, age 19 and older, paid or unpaid, who interact with, supervise, chaperone, or otherwise oversee Minors in College Facilities or NMC-sponsored Programs or activities. This includes but is not limited to faculty, staff, volunteers, graduate and undergraduate students, interns, employees of temporary employment agencies, and independent contractors/consultants.

Policy: The following requirements govern participation in Programs covered by this policy:

1. Program Registration: The person in charge of the Program shall register the Program with the Education Compliance Director within sufficient time to meet the requirements of this policy. (Please use the form provided on the NMC intranet under "Forms").
2. Execute Proper Written Agreements(s): In all covered Programs or activities, if necessary, the parent/guardian shall execute the appropriate agreements as established by the College.
3. Conduct Background Checks: The coordinator of the Program, whether the Program is sponsored by NMC or a private concern, will be required to conduct a criminal background check on all Adults, including but not limited to faculty, staff, students, and volunteers, who work with, instruct, or who come into contact with Minors. These criminal background checks will be conducted by an agency approved by NMHS Human Resources or NMC Developmental Resources. If a criminal record history is revealed, an appropriate evaluation will take place.NMC also strongly encourages the coordinator of the Program to request references of any participating Adults for the purpose of providing additional information.
4. Required Training: In recognition of the imperative of protecting Minors, NMC requires that all Adults working with Minors be trained regarding policies and issues relating to interactions with Minors. This training shall be at least annually before an Adult begins working with Minors. Adult training shall be documented, with the Adult signing a statement indicating his/her understanding and receipt of NMC policies and procedures. This training shall include:
   1. NMC policies regarding interactions with Minors;
   2. Use of background checks to screen Adults working with Minors;
   3. Responsibility for modeling respectful behaviors
   4. Consequences of conduct violations involving Minors;
   5. Behavioral signs that Minor victims may exhibit;
   6. Sexual abuse and sexual harassment;
   7. Inappropriate behavior with Minors;
   8. Other appropriate topics; and
   9. Reporting requirements and procedures.
5. Behavioral Expectations when interacting with Minors: Adults should be positive role model for Minors, and act in a caring, honest, respectful and responsible manner that is consistent with the mission and core values of NMC. Adults working in NMC programs covered by this policy must follow these expectations to avoid behaviors that could cause harm or be misinterpreted:
   1. Do not engage in any sexual activity, make sexual comments, tell sexual jokes, or share sexually explicit materially (or assist in any way to provide access to such material) with Minors.
   2. Do not be alone with a single Minor. One-on-one interactions should occur only when at least two Adults are present at all times with a Minor. If a one-on-one interaction is required, meet in open, well-illuminated spaces or rooms with windows observable by other Adults from the Program, unless the one-in-one interaction is expressly authorized by the coordinator of the Program being undertaken by a healthcare provider.
   3. Do not meet with Minors outside of established times for Program activities. Any exceptions require the written parental authorization and must include more than one Adult from a Program.
   4. Do not invite Minors to your home. Any exceptions, if any, required the written authorization by the Minor's parent/guardian.
   5. Do not engage or allow Minors to engage you in romantic or sexual conversations, or related matters, unless required in the role of counselor or healthcare provider.
   6. Do not engage or communicate with Minors through email, text message, social networking websites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.), internet chat rooms, or other forms of social media expect and unless there is an educational or Programmatic purpose and the content of the communication is consistent with the mission of NMC.
   7. Do not touch a Minor in a manner that a reasonable person could interpret as inappropriate. Touching should generally only be in the open and in response to the Minor's needs, for purpose that is consistent with the Program's mission and culture, and/or for a clear educational, developmental, or health-related (i.e. treatment of any injury) purpose. Any resistance by the Minor should be respected.
   8. Do not engage in any abusive conduct of any kind toward, in the presence of, a Minor, including but not limited to verbal abuse, striking, hitting, punching, spanking, or restraining. If restraint is necessary to protect a Minor or other Minors from harm, all incidents must be documented and disclosed to the coordinator of the Program and the Minor's parent/guardian.
   9. Do not use, possess or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs while on duty or when responsible for a Minor's welfare.
   10. When transporting Minors in a Program, more than one Adult from the Program must be present in the vehicle, except when multiple Minors will be in the vehicle at all times though the transportation. Avoid using personal vehicles if possible.
   11. Possession of or use of any type of weapon or explosive device is prohibited.

Title IX: Sexual Harassment Policy

NMC maintains and strictly adheres to its Sexual Harassment Policy. Any reports of sexual harassment, assault, or violence may also subject the violating Adult to the processes, procedures, and sanctions as provided for in the Sexual Harassment Policy. This policy can be accessed online at www.methodistcollege.edu.

Reporting Allegation(s) of Inappropriate Behavior or Abuse of a Minor

Every member of the NMC community has an obligation to immediately report any instance or suspected instance of the abuse of or inappropriate interaction with a Minor - "If you see something, say something." Nebraska law requires any person who has a reasonable cause to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect or observes such a child being subjected to conditions or circumstances which reasonably would result in child abuse or neglect, report it to the proper law enforcement agency or to the Department of Health and Human Services. Accordingly, if you have reasonable cause to believe that child abuse or neglect has occurred, including sexual assault:

1. You must report it;
2. You should give as much information and details as possible;
3. Reporting Adults are immune from liability, civil or criminal, if the report is made in good faith and not giving maliciously false statements;
4. If you willfully fail to make a report, you will be in violation of Nebraska Statute 28-717.

DHHS has established the following toll-free number to be used by any person at any hours of the day or night to report child abuse: (800) 652-1999.

Any member of the NMC community who suspects any inappropriate behavior or abuse of Minor is also required to contact and report the inappropriate behavior and/or abuse to the coordinator of the Program, a College administrator, and/or campus security.

Nebraska Methodist College ("NMC" or "College"), as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, is prohibited from participating or intervening in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office. Political intervention includes not only making financial contributions but also the publication or distribution of written or oral statements on behalf of or in opposition to a particular candidate. There are no exceptions to this prohibition. Even an insubstantial violation may lead to monetary fines and exposes NMC to the possibility of revocation of its tax-exempt status.

Nonetheless, NMC is dedicated to the free expression of ideas. It encourages students, faculty, and other employees, in their individual capacities, to participate fully in the political process during campaigns by candidates for public office as long as they do not-either overtly or implicitly-involve the College.

In order to permit the most robust political discourse during partisan political campaigns for public office, while at the same time ensuring NMC's compliance with state and federal law, including the applicable restrictions placed on it as a tax-exempt organization, everyone connected with NMC must observe the following rules with respect to his or her participation in national, state, or local partisan political campaign activities:

1. When endorsing or opposing a candidate for political office or taking a position on an issue for the purpose of assisting or opposing a candidate, individuals and groups within the College should undertake to make it clear that they are speaking only for themselves and that they are not stating a College position. This is particularly important for those who in their official capacity frequently speak for the College.
2. Faculty and other employees may take part in partisan political activities freely on their own time, but they must not do so at the expense of their regular responsibilities to the College and its students.
3. NMC's name or insignia cannot be used on stationery or other documents intended for political purposes, including soliciting funds for political support or carrying on a political campaign.
4. Funds or other contributions may not be solicited in the name of Nebraska Methodist College for political support or carrying on a political campaign.
5. NMC employees may not-and should not be asked to-perform tasks related to partisan political activities during working hours.
6. The following may not under any circumstances be used for political campaign purposes:
   • The College's bulk-mailing privilege;
   • College mailing lists-including the addresses and e-mail addresses of departmental offices or the offices of faculty or other employees;
   • College-provided office supplies, telephones, facsimile machines, copiers, etc.;
   • The College's sales tax exemption for purchases of goods and services.
7. Any communication disseminated through the NMC e-mail system that could be construed as relating to political activity must include a clear statement that such communication represents the personal position of the author.
8. College-related organizations composed solely of members of the College community may utilize available College building space (College facilities regularly reserved for student use and other College space such as lecture halls and meeting rooms) to engage in partisan political campaign activities within the College community,* provided that such organizations (i) pay for the costs of such activities (typically, telephones, duplicating, electricity, etc.) and (ii) pay full rental fees for the use of such facilities that they would otherwise be charged. A disclaimer should be made at the beginning of any such event (and in any printed materials or advertising) that the College does not support or oppose candidates for political office, that the opinions expressed are not those of the College, and that the College-related organization has sponsored the event. All plans, publicity, and other information relating to such activities must be approved in advance by NMC's Education Compliance Director and Methodist Health System's Vice President of Compliance. The College's outdoor grounds may not be used for partisan political events.
9. Organizations that are composed of non-College members, participants or employees, in whole or in part, are ineligible for use of College space to engage in partisan political campaign activities.
10. Certain nonpartisan political activities (such as properly organized voter registration activities, voter education programs, and candidate debates) may be permissible if they do not evidence a preference for or opposition to a political party or to candidates who have taken a particular position. In order to ensure that all legal and College requirements are followed, advance approval for these events must be obtained from (and all materials must be reviewed by) both NMC's Education Compliance Director and Methodist Health System's Vice President of Compliance. In addition, an announcement should be made at the beginning of each such event and in any written materials setting forth the disclaimer described in paragraph 8 above.

As noted above, these policies are not intended to infringe in any way your individual right to support a particular candidate or participate in a political campaign. You remain entirely free to become involved in the election process as you choose, so long as you do so in a way that does not-either overtly or impliedly-involve the College.

*Note, however, that when such College-related organizations engage in partisan political campaign activities aimed outside the College community, they may not utilize College space for such activities, but instead must conduct all such activities off campus.

Parenting & Pregnancy Policy PDF

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires institutions to take steps to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials through peer-to-peer distribution or illegal downloading of intellectual property.

Definitions:

Peer to Peer (P2P) file sharing programs were developed to allow distribution and/or shared access to digitally stored information, such as computer programs, multi media (music and video), documents, or electronic books.

P2P file sharing connects users to a P2P client network that provides a platform for locating and sharing files. P2P users are typically required to install a software program on their own personal computers. Well-known client networks include Bearshare, BitTorrent, eDonkey, Gnutella, Limewire, and Morpheus. Risks of installing P2P software include identity theft, damage to the computer and the files on it (pictures, documents, etc.), and the possibility that the computer could be used to send spam or attack other computers.

P2P file sharing programs are not by themselves illegal. However, when they are used in aid of violating copyright laws by sharing copyright protected files without the authorization or consent by the copyright owners, they become illegal. Most commercially produced music and movies are copyrighted and cannot be freely shared. Using P2P file sharing software to distribute copyrighted materials without the permission and consent of the copyright holder is illegal and subjects the violator to the penalties provided for in the U.S. copyright laws. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials can lead to both civil and criminal penalties.

Liability and Penalties:

Civil penalties may include actual damages and profits, statutory damages (ranging from$750-$30,000 per work that is infringed).  For "willful" infringement a court may award up to $150,000 per work infringed. A court can in its discretion also assess cost and attorneys fees. Willful copyright infringement can also result in criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five (5) years and fines of up to $250,000 per offense.

Policy and Procedure:

Members of the NMC community must follow institutional policies for appropriate use of technology resources as well as comply with all state and federal copyright laws. Methodist Health System (MHS) maintains the computer network that supports the academic and administrative needs of NMC students, faculty, and staff. MHS Internet Access Policy states that all users are responsible for using the network in a professional, lawful, and ethical manner.  MHS, in cooperation with NMC, will monitor the use of P2P file sharing and pursue all violations of state and federal laws.

Sharing copyrighted works, as is easily done with P2P programs, also violates the MHS Internet Access Policy and NMC Code of Conduct Policy. Any NMC student, employee, or other individual will be subject to disciplinary action and elimination of internet access upon violation of this policy.

Sharing digital files (such as music, movies, television shows, games, computer software, text, e-books and photographs) under any of the following conditions constitutes copyright infringement

1. You did not create the original work
2. The work is not in the public domain
3. You do not have permission to share the work

Beyond the personal risks of P2P file sharing, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) vigorously pursue infringements of copyrights owned by their individual members, as is their right under the Copyright Law of the United States. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (DMCA), NMC is required to cooperate in the pursuit of alleged violators. NMC is under no obligation to accept responsibility for, or to help defend, the activities of students engaged in illegal file sharing.

File Sharing Legal Alternatives

The Higher Education Opportunity Act requires all colleges and universities, including NMC, to offer legal alternatives to illegal file sharing (See here). No endorsements or evaluations are implied.

Removing P2P Programs

To remove P2P file sharing programs from a computer, consult directions for removing P2P software. (See here).

All students are advised that NMC programs including, but not limited to, the Center for Health Partnerships, Upward Bound, and Student Government, take photographs and videos of students throughout the year. These photographs and videos often depict students in classrooms, study areas, graduation activities, and at other NMC related activities. NMC reserves the right to use these photographs and videos as a part of its publicity efforts, including, but not limited to, alumni newsletters, social media posts, and the NMC blog without providing the student or alumni compensation.

NMC Marketing also takes and uses professional photographs, videos, and testimonials of students for general and specific publicity and marketing efforts. Students who are asked to participate in NMC Marketing activities will be required to complete a Photo/Video/Testimonial Release Form before participating wherein they agree to NMC using, reusing, publishing, or republishing their photograph, image, likeness, voice, and any oral or written statement, regardless of format, which may include print, broadcast or electronic media, for commercial and marketing purposes without compensation.

The safety and wellbeing of the NMC community is the overarching goal of the NMC Emergency and Safety Procedure Manual. However, the existence of policies and procedures is of limited value without the active support of the students, faculty, and staff. Everyone at NMC should be prepared to take appropriate and deliberate action when an emergency arises. Safety is everyone's responsibility!

In addition to emergency procedures, prevention is a critical factor in any emergency plan. Faculty, staff, counselors, and students are in the best position to identify and react to any warning signals or potential dangers and must take personal responsibility for reporting concerns. These could range from safety concerns in a laboratory to unusual or suspicious behavior. It is through a trust-based partnership among administration, faculty and staff, and students that our campus can remain safe and focused on education.

NMC supports the use of social media to reach audiences important to the College such as students, prospective students, faculty and staff. The College presence or participation on social media sites is guided by College policy. This policy applies to all use of social media by NMC students, faculty and staff, unless otherwise provided, to represent or discuss matters concerning the College and/or members of the NMC community, whether or not such use involves the College's network or other computer resources, including online communications related to interactions in or about clinical and didactic course activities. Read the Entire Online Communications Policy below.

The health of our students is very important to success in and out of the classroom. All students must maintain and adhere to the student health policies and procedures.

The College does not assume any liability for loss, damage, or injury resulting from theft, explosion, fire, mechanical failure of either gas or water lines, loss of electricity, defective wiring, or negligence of any occupant of the building. It is strongly urged that students purchase appropriate insurance policies to protect themselves from loss or damage to personal possessions.

All students participating in off-campus programs and/or activities sponsored by the College are required to sign and submit a waiver of liability and hold harmless agreement.

All members of the academic community have the responsibility to create and support an educational environment which will achieve the basic purposes of an institution of higher learning. Each member of the community should be treated with respect and dignity. Each has the right to learn which imposes a duty not to infringe upon the rights of others.

The academic community environment is designed to encourage a variety of thoughts, behaviors, and values within the educational goals of the community. An important aspect of the community is the recognition of differences between individuals. In all instances, including informal College activities and associations, each individual should be treated in a fair and unbiased manner. Each member of the academic community shall actively encourage practices that insure that all persons are welcome at the College and are extended all the privileges of the academic community to which they are entitled.

Decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, while guaranteeing a student's freedom, have assigned two responsibilities to a student that are congruent with the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution:

• First Amendment: Students have a right to free speech and to assemble and petition to air grievances. Students may not interfere with another person's right to participate or decline to participate in this manner. Students have the right of expression in the classroom and the responsibility to learn from the course of study according to the standards of performance established by the faculty. Student behavior in a classroom should contribute to the learning process
• Fourteenth Amendment: Section 1 - Students may not "materially or substantially" interfere with the requirement of appropriate discipline in the operation of a school. Violations of these constitutional amendments are subject to disciplinary action.

Tobacco-Free Environment Policy PDF

Learn more from the CDC

Unauthorized access is defined as gaining access to space, materials and information without the consent and permission of designated personnel who have responsibility for the specified space, materials and information. In accordance with College policies and rights to privacy, only authorized personnel may have access to designated College space, materials and information. Authorized personnel include designated personnel with responsibility for the specified space, materials and/or information and students and College employees who have obtained permission and consent from designated personnel.

Unauthorized entry or use of College facilities (including residence hall and/or resident rooms, either through forced entry or other means), the reproduction or unauthorized use of College keys, unauthorized accessing, destruction of or interference with computer programs, data bases, files or information stored in College computer systems is prohibited. Further inappropriate use of a computer system and/or medical records at any clinical site for the purpose of accessing a patient's protected health information is prohibited. Students violating this policy are subject to disciplinary action.

Applicants pay a non-refundable application fee. Applicants who are granted admission pay an enrollment fee that is applied to the tuition for the first semester at the College. This fee will not be refunded to students who withdraw prior to the start of the semester. The enrollment fee is encouraged within thirty (30) days of admission.

Clinical facilities require that Nebraska Methodist College perform drug screenings and background investigations on all students before they are allowed to participate in clinical experiences. Therefore, students will be required to have a background investigation performed and submit to drug screening before being allowed into clinical practice. Further information about the requirements is online and provided at new student orientation. Students enrolled in exclusively online undergraduate and graduate programs may be required to have a background investigation performed and submit to drug screening based on the policies of clinical practice sites used in their communities.

Persons who have criminal records, substance abuse problems or health problems that could interfere with safe clinical practice in their chosen discipline may be ineligible for student clinical practice, licensure and/or professional certification, or employment. However, students with a history of these difficulties are not necessarily precluded from a career in healthcare, and will therefore be considered for continued enrollment on a case-by-case basis. The College always keeps the interest of the student as a top priority, and reserves the right to dismiss any student that the College feels will not be able to secure a career in their chosen profession as a result of a history of past legal or behavioral difficulties.

Phlebotomy Career Certificate

Admission Criteria

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is preferred. Students with higher cumulative GPA's will be more competitive. 
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Demonstration of success in science and math courses (from either high school or college).
• Demonstration of good physical health.
• Demonstrate good written and verbal communication skills.

Note:  A medical terminology course is recommended, but not required. 

Application Process

To be considered for admission to a certificate program, an applicant must provide and complete all of the following items:

• NMC application.
• Written statement.
• Official high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• Official college transcripts from all colleges attended.
• Program/Career Awareness Questionnaire.

Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, any individual who is or has been in attendance at NMC is considered a "student." In harmony with FERPA regulations, an individual applying to NMC is not considered a "student" unless and until they are admitted and in attendance. Once an individual is admitted and begins attending NMC, thereby becoming a "student", NMC will treat any application records as confidential to the extent permitted by FERPA. NMC considers an admitted student to be attendance when they attend their first day of classes.

Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) Doctoral Program faculty will evaluate all coursework submitted by the transfer applicant and reserves the right to accept or deny any of the credits offered for transfer. Please refer to the Doctoral Credit Transfer Policy below.

Doctoral Credit Transfer Policy

Admission to a graduate program at NMC is a selective process. All aspects of a student's record are evaluated in making an admission decision, with an emphasis placed on a student's academic success and potential. All components of the application must be submitted before an application will be reviewed. Official transcripts must contain evidence of good standing from the last school attended. There is no requirement to have a GRE or other standardized exam for admission to the Graduate Programs.

Final selection of applicants to be admitted shall be made by the College, which reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant for any lawful reason. NMC does not obligate itself to admit all students who meet the minimum admission criteria. Qualified students are admitted in compliance with federal and state non-discrimination laws. In compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, NMC endeavors to provide qualified students equal access to the College's educational opportunities, facilities, programs and activities.

Health Professions (non-nursing)

Admission Criteria

• Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally-accredited institution with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or above.

Application Process

• NMC Application.
• Written statement.
• Resume.
• Official transcripts from graduating institutions. (Unofficial transcripts or copies are acceptable through the admissions process; official transcripts are required at the time of enrollment.)
• Professional consultation with an admissions representative.

Master of Science in Nursing

Admission Criteria

Option 1 - BSN prepared applicants

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a state approved program of nursing or a program professionally accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.
• Current unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above for admission consideration.
• GPA below 3.0 will be considered on an individual basis.

Option 2 - RN to MSN

• Graduation from an associate degree or diploma RN state approved program of nursing or a program professionally accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.
• Current unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above for admission consideration.
• A GPA below 3.0 will be considered on an individual basis.

Application Process

• NMC Application.
• Written statement.
• Resume.
• Official high school transcripts.
• Official college transcripts from graduating institutions.
• Current unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse.
• Professional consultation with an admissions representative.

Post-Master's Certificate - Nurse Educator/ Nurse Executive

Admission Criteria

• Master of Science degree from a state approved program of nursing or a program professionally accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.
• Applicants who have a master's degree (MA or MS) in other healthcare fields will be considered on an individual basis for the Nurse Educator and Nurse Executive programs.
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Application Process

• NMC Application.
• Written statement.
• Resume.
• Official college transcripts from master's degree.
• Copy of unencumbered licensure as a Registered Nurse (if applicable).
• Professional consultation with an admissions representative. 

All students must show proof of required immunizations and complete a pre-entrance health assessment. Please refer to student health requirements on the Campus Health webpage. 

Applicants are evaluated based on Undergraduate Admission Criteria and follow the admissions process and the following:

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

• Proof of unencumbered LPN licensure.
• Graduation from a state-approved diploma program or a program professionally accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.

Registered Nurse (RN)

• Proof of unencumbered RN licensure.
• Graduation from an associate degree or diploma RN state approved program of nursing or a program professionally accredited by NLNAC or CCNE.
• Resume

Math Placement Prior Credit Policy PDF

The matriculation date is the desired initial enrollment date. Students indicate on the application their intended start date. If a student wishes to defer the matriculation date, a written request for a change of admission must be submitted to the Admissions Office. Due to the competitiveness of some programs, a change of admission may be denied and a student may be required to re-apply.

Students may enroll at Nebraska Methodist College for purposes of personal enrichment, professional growth or transfer to another institution. Students are required to complete the Non-Degree Application and submit appropriate application and enrollment fees. Non-degree seeking students may enroll in a course on a space-available basis. Permission of the administrator directly responsible for the course is required. The registration process and payment of fees are completed prior to enrollment in a course as a non-degree seeking student. Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid. A student wishing to transfer to degree-seeking status must submit a formal application to the College. An application to a degree program may be submitted at any time, but must meet application deadlines. Up to nine (9) semester credits earned as a non-degree seeking student may be applied toward a degree. The Admissions Office can provide details regarding moving to degree-seeking status.

A student who withdraws from the College and returns within one year must have a Leave of Absence/Withdrawal Request Form requesting a leave of absence on file with the Office of the Registrar. If this form was not submitted, or if the student has not been in attendance longer than one year, the student must reapply to the College. A student will be subject to the policies and curriculum in effect at the time of readmission.

The College will waive the $25 admission application fee for individuals who are supported by or participating in an agency or program that seeks to guide first-generation, prospective students to post-secondary education. An applicant must provide written requests from the agency/program to validate their eligibility and participation for support and services.

In compliance with federal regulations the following retention of records is required. 

• One year for received application materials. 
• Three years for students who apply for admission and do not matriculate.

The College is committed to working with potential students to maximize transfer credit. The Admissions Office can provide an initial evaluation during the application process. Applicants granted admission will have an official evaluation completed by the Registrar's Office. Credit for courses taken elsewhere may be accepted for transfer from another college provided:

1. Course credits are listed on the official, electronically verified or raised-seal transcript mailed to the College from the former institution.
2. The educational institution is accredited by a regional accrediting body and, where applicable, the program is approved by the state and is accredited by professional organizations.
3. Course is determined to be comparable to one required in the curriculum or is considered to be appropriate as an elective.
4. Grade of "C -" or better is achieved at the certificate and undergraduate levels and a grade of "B" or better at the graduate level.

Grades earned in transfer courses will not be used in determining the student's cumulative grade point average, unless the student has already matriculated and has been given permission to enroll at another institution. All courses accepted for transfer will be noted on the transcript. Such transfer courses will be included in the total number of hours passed.

Admission to a degree program at NMC is a selective process. All aspects of a student's record are evaluated in making an admission decision, with an emphasis placed on a student's academic success and potential. All components of the application must be submitted before an application will be reviewed. Official transcripts must contain evidence of good standing from the last school attended.  Final selection of applicants to be admitted shall be made by the College, which reserves the right to deny admission to any applicant for any lawful reason.

NMC does not obligate itself to admit all students who meet the minimum admission criteria. Qualified students are admitted in compliance with federal and state non-discrimination laws. In compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, NMC endeavors to provide qualified students equal access to the College's educational opportunities, facilities, programs and activities.

Applicants are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

• High school record (minimum unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.5)
• ACT/SAT exam scores (ACT Composite of 20 or higher or SAT combined score of 950 or higher)
• College record (evidence of good standing from most current school)
• Written statement
• Success in prior Math and Science courses
• Program technical standards
• Shadowing experience as recommended by program

Refer to the program webpage for the most current program requirements and recommendations.

Application Process

To be considered for admission to an undergraduate degree program, an applicant must provide and complete all of the following items:

• NMC application.
• $25 non-refundable application fee.
• Written statement.
• An official high school transcript.
• If appropriate, official GED test scores.
• ACT/SAT exam scores required for all applicants within two years of high school graduation.
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended.
• Program/Career Awareness Questionnaire.

Homeschooled Applicants

Completion of application items listed above.

• Home school educational transcript.
• ACT/SAT exam scores are required for all applicants within two years of home school completion.
• Exempt status notice (copy of letter signed by the Commissioner of Education "acknowledging" choice to receive exempt status).
• Students with home school completion of more than two years and no results of ACT or SAT are required to show success in a minimum of 12 college credit hours. 

When to Apply

Application for admission should be made several months in advance of an applicant's intended enrollment date. Application deadlines vary by program and are listed under the academic programs pages.

Students should be advised that the Academic Calendar may vary among programs and ground versus online courses. The on campus and online academic calendars are posted to the College website. Calendars for specific academic programs can be obtained from the respective Program Director or Dean.

Students of all races, cultures and heritages bring to the College a rich and valuable perspective. We welcome the attendance of all students and will endeavor to be supportive of various faiths and practices. Although the designated holidays for the College are New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, we expect that students of various faiths will request excused absences for other religious holidays. Please direct requests to the instructor. Refer to the Academic Calendar for specific recess periods.

Academic Concerns Resolution Policy PDF

Student enrollment status at the college is classified as active or inactive.

Active Status

Active students are:

Certificate Students:

• Full-time when enrolled in a minimum of 240 clock hours per term.
• Part-time when enrolled in fewer than 240 clock hours per term.

Undergraduate Students (not including accelerated BSN students):

• Full-time when enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
• Part-time when enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours per semester.
  

Undergraduate Accelerated BSN Students:

Graduate Students:

• Full-time when enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours per semester.
• Part-time when enrolled in fewer than six credit hours per semester.

Inactive Status

Students are classified as inactive when they do not register for and enroll in at least one course per semester.

Updated: July 2013

Honor Roll

Upon completion of a term, all certificate students earning a grade point average of 3.75 or above will be listed.

Dean's List

All full-time undergraduate students earning a semester grade point average of 3.75 or above will be listed. Students with an incomplete on their semester grade report are not eligible for the list.

Graduation Honors

Graduates with an Associate Degree or a Certificate in Medical Assistant will be awarded honors based on cumulative grade point averages as follows:

 
Graduates with a Baccalaureate Degree will be awarded honors based on cumulative grade point averages as follows:

 
Graduates who complete exemplary portfolio and portfolio presentation will be enrolled in the Educated Citizen Honor Society.

Updated: July 2013

Academic Integrity Policy PDF

All programs at NMC require that satisfactory progression be made during the student's academic career. Students who experience difficulties are notified through the various mechanisms as described below. Unsatisfactory performance can have serious consequences for the student, both in relation to the program in which the student is enrolled as well as the student's standing at the College.

Each semester, the Registrar reviews the academic performance of all students at the College, and identifies students whose academic performance is unsatisfactory. The Registrar notifies students of changes to student status relative to the College by letter, sending copies of the letter to the Program Director, Advisor, Financial Aid Director, and Dean of Students.

Cohort Programs

Accelerated Nursing, Sonography, Radiography, Respiratory Care, Surgical Technology, and Physical Therapist Assistant are cohort programs, meaning that the programs are designed to be completed by the student in a lockstep fashion from beginning to end, according to a preset schedule. Satisfactory progression with the cohort is necessary to maintain one's position in the clinical portion of the program because of limited clinical availability.

When a student fails a professional course or professional course prerequisite in the Respiratory Care program, the student cannot progress in the program until the course is successfully repeated. Because most professional/technical courses are only offered once per year, students are advised that progression may be delayed by as much as one year. Furthermore, when a student is unable to progress with their cohort, they forfeit their clinical position. Therefore, enrollment in subsequent clinical courses will be determined by clinical space availability. Refer to the specific program handbook for additional related policies.

If a student enrolled in the Sonography, Surgical Technology, Radiologic Technology or Physical Therapist Assistant program fails to progress within the professional curriculum (including all pre-requisite courses), the student will be dismissed from the program and will be eligible to apply for readmission into a subsequent cohort, but readmission is not guaranteed. Exceptions based on extenuating circumstances will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

If an accelerated nursing student fails to progress within the professional curriculum, the student may be eligible to apply to transfer to the traditional nursing program, but admission is not guaranteed.

Competency Assurance Following Absence

When a student returns to the College after being on a leave of absence, or following a disruption in academic progression within the professional/technical portion of their program, the student must contact the Academic Advisor who will work with the student and Program Director on a registration plan to ensure the student has the knowledge, competency and skills needed to resume professional course work within the student's program. The plan may include assessments, skills checks, reviews and/or bridge course work to ensure that their knowledge and skills in the technical/professional courses are current and proficient.

Academic Probation

Undergraduate Students: All students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress while enrolled at the College. Academic progress is considered unsatisfactory if the student fails to maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, or if the student earns a GPA of less than 2.0 while enrolled in at least six credit hours in any given semester. Students who have unsatisfactory academic progress are placed on academic probation. When a student is placed on academic probation, an Academic Development Plan will be established. Refer to Academic Development Plan policy.

Academic Suspension

Undergraduate Students: A student will be suspended if placed on academic probation for two consecutive semesters, if placed on academic probation three or more times or if an unsatisfactory grade (below "C") is received in the same course twice. Individual programs may also have additional circumstances that warrant suspension and are valid as approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Upon suspension, a student is required to meet with his or her advisor and initiate an Academic Development Plan as dictated in the section below.

The length of suspension will be determined by the Academic Dean after consultation with the student's advisor and Program Director. Reinstatement to the College after suspension is not automatic. After the time of suspension has elapsed, the student may request reinstatement to the College. The request must be in writing directed to the Council of Academic Deans and will be accompanied by evidence of completion of the Academic Development Plan. To maximize the chance of reinstatement the student should strictly adhere to the Academic Development Plan, although completion of the plan is not the sole determinant of reinstatement. The Council will forward a recommendation to the VPAA for final decision.

If a student feels that extenuating circumstances contributed to the suspension, the student may appeal the suspension to the Council of Academic Deans. The student must submit a written appeal to the members of the Council of Academic Deans within thirty days from the date of suspension and should include any supporting evidence as well as a detailed plan for academic improvement. The decision of the Council is final.

Academic Dismissal

A student may be dismissed from a program and/or the College as separate actions.

Dismissal (from the College) is considered a permanent action, although appeals for readmission in exceptional circumstances will be considered. Upon dismissal, all official ties to the college are terminated, including email, ID card access, and access to campus spaces. Former students wishing to access campus personnel or spaces must check in with the front desk before doing so to obtain proper permission.

A student who is dismissed from a program should refer to the Program Student Handbook and meet with the Retention Specialist to explore viable alternatives at the College.

Certificate and Undergraduate Students: Students suspended more than once will be dismissed from the College.

Graduate Students in the MBH, MOT, MSN, DNP and Wellness & Health Promotion Management Programs: Receipt of a second course grade below "B" will result in dismissal from the College. If a student feels that extenuating circumstances contributed to the second course failure/dismissal, the student may appeal the terms of dismissal to the Council of Academic Deans and request reinstatement. The student must submit a written appeal to the members of the Council of Academic Deans within thirty (30) days from the date of dismissal and should include any supporting evidence as well as a detailed plan for academic improvement. The Council of Academic Deans will forward a recommendation to the VPAA for a final decision.

Graduate Students in the Healthcare Operations Management Program: Graduate students enrolled in the Healthcare Operations Management Program may not receive more than two final course grades below "B" during their enrollment in an NMC graduate program. A third unsatisfactory grade (below "B") will result in dismissal from the College. If a student feels that extenuating circumstances contributed to the third course failure/dismissal, the student may appeal the terms of dismissal to the Council of Academic Deans and request reinstatement. The student must submit a written appeal to the members of the Council of Academic Deans within thirty (30) days from the date of dismissal and should include any supporting evidence as well as a detailed plan for academic improvement. The Council of Academic Deans will forward a recommendation to the VPAA for a final decision.

Updated: May 2017

Students are expected to be prompt and attend all classes and clinical/practicum experiences in their entirety. Instructor expectations for attendance will be made available to the students in writing via the course syllabus during the first week of class. Extenuating circumstances will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Online Course Participation Policy

Regular and substantive interaction between students and faculty in distance education programs is required by the US Department of Education.

1. Students must demonstrate activity in the course within 48 hours of the course start date.  All courses begin Monday at 12:01 AM Central Standard Time, therefore the 48 hour period during which activity must be initiated ends at 11:59 PM Tuesday Central Standard Time.  For financial aid purposes, any activity prior to the actual course start date will not be considered as demonstrated activity.
2. Activity must be demonstrated by logging into the course and completing one or more of the following academically related activities:
   • downloading or viewing the syllabus,
   • reviewing course material,
   • submitting an assignment,
   • taking a quiz or exam,
   • participating in an online discussion related to the course content,
   • initiating contact with the faculty to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.
3. Students who feel they are unable to complete the course or have decided to drop the course  must initiate the official drop process by contacting their advisor within the 48 hour period (as described above) to be eligible for full tuition refund.  A course dropped within the first 48 hours does not show on the student's academic transcript.
4. Students who do not drop the course and do not demonstrate activity in the prescribed period of time will be administratively withdrawn from the course on the Friday of the first week. The student will be ineligible to receive financial aid for the course and will receive a grade of "W" for the course on his/her academic transcript.
5. Students who initiate attendance during the first 48 hours of the course may withdraw from the course with a "W" if the withdrawal date is on or before 55% of course completion. After this date students will receive a grade of "W/F".
6. Students who initiate attendance during the first 48 hours but later fail to participate in the course for 14 consecutive days will be considered to have withdrawn for financial aid purposes, though they may still receive a grade of "F" for the course.  The faculty is not required to administratively drop a student in this situation.

Student eligibility for financial aid will be based on the above criteria.  Financial aid recipients should review the financial aid policies related to Refunds & Withdrawals, Treatment of Aid When a Student Withdraws, and the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for further information on the consequences of dropping/withdrawing from a course or failing to initiate or maintain participation in a course.

On-Ground Students Procedure

The SAP policies meet the federal regulatory requirements specified in 34 CFR 668.34, and the same policies are used to determine state grant eligibility.  The faculty will address all non-attendance with the student and complete a Maxient incident report form that will be sent to Dean of Students and Financial Aid.

Online Students Procedure

NMC has adopted a policy for online course participation & attendance (see above).

• Dean of Students will send an email to all online faculty by 9 a.m. Tuesday (after the start of the course) requesting faculty to submit a Maxient incident report form for students who have not actively participated in the course by 9 a.m. Wednesday (definition of active participation above).

• The Dean of Students will forward the names to the students' academic advisor(s) and to the director of financial aid.

• The academic advisor will attempt to contact the student.

• The Financial Aid Office will review each student's financial aid eligibility and make any necessary changes as required by federal regulation, state guidelines and/or institutional policies.

• Advisors will follow up with students, make schedule changes if necessary and communicate student progression changes or issues to Program Directors. Advisors will document all correspondence in EX.

Updated: February 2016

The purpose of this policy is to assure the safety and well-being of patients, students, faculty and staff in the clinical and academic environments and to attest to clinical agencies the students' eligibility to participate in clinical activities. This policy applies to all undergraduate and graduate students, on-ground or online, enrolled in a program of study that has a clinical component. Read the full policy by clicking on the link below.

Updated: July 2013

Grading Policy

To ensure consistent awarding of course grades throughout the College, the grading system is as follows:

*Not used in calculating grade point averages.

  
Every undergraduate course uses the "70" mark as the minimum grade required for passing the course as a whole. However, certain assignments within a course may carry additional requirements that are more stringent (e.g., a required minimum '75' on all tests), and are determined at the discretion of the instructor. Students must meet all requirements of the course at the level determined by the instructor in order to successfully complete the course.

Certificate and Undergraduate Students: A grade of unsatisfactory or a letter grade less than "C-" in any course is unacceptable and must be repeated. See specific course grading policies in program handbooks.

Graduate Students: A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation. A grade below "B" in any course triggers an automatic progression review by the program. A student receiving a course grade of "C" for the first time will receive credit for the course*. A grade below "B" in two courses is unacceptable and results in dismissal from the college. All required coursework for a Master's degree must be completed within six calendar years from the program matriculation date.

*In the MSN program, any grade below "B" for NRS 523, NRS 524, NRS 558, NRS 559, NRS 568, NRS 569, NRS 592, or NRS 594 is unacceptable, and results in the student having to retake the course.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

Cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is computed based on final course grades. The CGPA is not affected by "S", "U", "AU", "CR", "NC", "NR", "I", "W", "WX". When a student repeats a course, the better grade will be computed in the CGPA. Both grades will appear on the official transcript. Each letter grade equals the quality points per credit hour as shown above.

 
The Registrar will compute the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) based on quality points and credit hours earned for courses completed after matriculation to this campus. Only courses in which quality points are assigned are computed in the CGPA. The CGPA is computed by dividing total quality points earned by total credit hours attempted in didactic class work.

Course Incomplete

An "I" is given to a student who has substantially completed a course, but who as a result of serious illness or other justifiable cause cannot complete all requirements of the course by the end of the term. The "I" is not granted to a student who has been excessively absent during the term or who has simply failed to complete the work of the course before the end of the term without an exceptionally good reason. The student faced with extenuating circumstances that prevents satisfying course requirements according to the established schedule must contact the faculty in the course. The faculty reviews the situation and agrees or disagrees with the student request. If a faculty member agrees, the student and the faculty member will complete and endorse an Incomplete Approval Form (available from the Registrar) detailing the requirements and plan for completion of the course. This agreement will specify the final grade to be assigned if course work is not completed by the deadline specified. The faculty member will forward the agreement to the appropriate Academic Dean for final approval. Upon approval, the faculty member will provide the student and Registrar with a copy of the Incomplete Approval Form.

The responsibility for completing all coursework rests with the student. The maximum time allowed for clearing a grade of "I" is one year from the START of the course. If, after one year, the student has not completed the necessary requirements to finish the course, the instructor will assign the final grade as agreed to in the Incomplete Approval Form. The student must be passing the course at the time of the request for the incomplete. Completion of the course material should be done within a month of the last day of class if at all possible. When the course is completed, a Change of Grade Notice must be filed.

Change of Course Grade

A permanently recorded grade may be changed by the person(s) who assigned it or, in case of change of personnel, by the appropriate Academic Dean.

If a student believes a grade is recorded incorrectly, it is the responsibility of the student to notify the course faculty within 30 days of receipt of the grade report from the Registrar. If a change in personnel has occurred, the appropriate Academic Dean is to be contacted. Evidence should be reviewed. If a grade change is indicated, a Change of Grade Notice is initiated by the faculty member, forwarded for appropriate signatures and then entered in the student's permanent record by the Registrar. The Registrar replaces the course grade with the corrected grade.

Repeating Courses

When certificate or undergraduate students have an unsuccessful academic experience resulting in a final course grade of "D" or "F," students may be allowed to repeat the course depending on the progression policy of the program. However, the initial grade remains on the official transcript. If a student is granted special permission to repeat a course at an institution other than NMC, that course repeat will be calculated into the student's semester grade point average and cumulative grade point average, and probation/suspension/dismissal policies will apply if the student is not successful. The student is responsible for having official transcripts forwarded to the Registrar within thirty (30) days of course completion. Graduate students should refer to "Grading Policy."

When a course is failed, the student must meet with his/her Academic Advisor to facilitate a written Academic Development Plan. The Academic Advisor will consult with faculty and Student Services personnel as appropriate. Refer to the Academic Development Plan Policy below.

The plan must be implemented prior to the student's re-enrollment in the course. Re-enrollment in the course is on a space-available basis and the student must wait until general registration to register for the course to be repeated.

Academic Development Plan

The academic advisor will contact the student to initiate the Academic Development Plan (ADP) for any student who fails a course or is placed on academic probation. Students placed on academic suspension are required to initiate the creation of the ADP by contacting their academic advisor. Failure to maintain an active ADP once it is established may negatively impact financial and/ or result in dismissal from the college.

The academic advisor or appropriate college personnel will facilitate the development of the ADP and may consult with faculty, college personnel or agents of the college (such as clinical instructors/preceptors). Copies of the ADP will be provided to the student, the academic advisor and the program director, and will be placed in the student's academic advising file. Each student's ADP will be reevaluated according to the timetable established in the plan at a minimum, but also as needed based on student needs or changes in performance. The Financial Aid Office will be notified of student failure to meet the terms of the ADP in the established time frame who will notify the student of any changes to their financial aid status. In addition, students may end up on financial aid suspension due to withdrawing from courses rather than failing them. If students choose to appeal financial aid suspension, they must contact their academic advisor to initiate the ADP. The ADP must be submitted with the letter of appeal for consideration of reinstatement of financial aid.

Updated: July 2015

Course/Program Changes/Withdrawals Policy PDF

Rationale:

The Department of Education requires that all institutions comply with the definition of the credit hour as provided in section 34 CFR 600.2 (11/1/2010), which defines the credit hour as:

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

(1)  One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out-of-class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester or trimester hour of credit, or ten to twelve weeks for one quarter hour of credit, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time;

(2)  At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution, including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Compliance Statement:

To comply with 34 CFR 600.2 definition of credit hour, the College, with the foundation of the "Carnegie Unit", calculates credit hour as demonstrated in Table 1 below. While the length of a course may vary, the Carnegie definition is used to calculate the equivalency. Thus, a unit of credit equates to a minimum of three hours of student work per week (1 hour lecture plus 2 hours of homework) for 15 weeks. In certain circumstances, it is possible to have more hours, but not less. A unit of credit equates to 3 hours of lab. Clinical hours are based on programmatic accreditation standards.

Table 1

Alternative Format Courses

Lecture Courses:

Alternative format lecture courses are prorated so they contain the same number of hours as if the course were scheduled for a full 15 weeks. Table 2 below provides examples of calculated credit hours for alternative format lecture courses in accordance with the compliance statement above irrespective of whether a course is delivered on-ground, hybrid, or online.

Laboratory Courses:

For laboratory courses, one unit value is equal to 4.5 contact hours minimum per laboratory course. However, contact in labs may vary where pre-lab and assigned projects/experiments happen outside of the scheduled lab time.  Table 3 below provides examples of calculated credit hours for laboratory courses.

Clinical or Fieldwork Experiences:

Clinical or fieldwork hours are based on programmatic accreditation standards.

Table 2

Table 3

Updated: July 2017

Clock to Credit Hour Policy PDF

The purpose of this policy is to provide a safe working and learning environment for patients, students, clinical and institutional staff and property in the clinical programs of Nebraska Methodist College. Healthcare accreditation organizations mandate that hospitals and other healthcare agencies require students who participate in the care of patients be subject to the same standards as their employees. Accordingly, submitting a negative urine drug screen is a condition for participation in the clinical component of all programs.

Applicability and timing

For all programs, submitting a negative drug screen will be a requirement prior to the start of clinical courses. Testing is done through the NMC Campus Health Center. Repeat testing may also be required for cause or to retest a dilute sample. Failure of the drug test, tampering or attempting to tamper with a specimen, or refusal to cooperate with any aspect of this policy, or any health system policy on substance abuse, will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, refusal of enrollment or denial of clinical course progression.

Cost

The student shall be responsible for paying any and all associated costs of urine drug screening including necessary retesting for any reason. Charges will be added to the students' account.

Use and care of information

Test results will be kept confidential with disclosure of results provided only to approved persons involved in evaluating qualifications for clinical programs. Because of the mandate to comply with health system policies, disciplinary actions against students may be imposed without the customary mechanisms of academic warning and probation. Any records generated by an adverse sanction levied against a student's   will be considered College property, and will not be provided to the student unless requested.. All student drug screening records will be kept in confidential in Student Development Services for at least ten (10) years.

Updated: July 2013

NMC retains the exclusive right to judge academic proficiency and may decline to award any degree, certificate or other evidence of successful completion of a program, curriculum or course of study based thereupon. All College and Program requirements must be satisfied prior to commencement in order to participate in the ceremony.

Certificate Programs

Successful completion of Certificate Programs includes student compliance with program and College policies. Students must also satisfy all classroom, laboratory, clinical, and examination requirements. Students must also complete appropriate clinical requirements.

Undergraduate

Undergraduate study comprises two areas: arts and sciences and professional/technical education requirements. Students are expected to assume responsibility for understanding the requirements of the program and for seeking appropriate assistance to do so. Students must complete the arts and sciences and professional education requirements described in the program section of this catalog.

Students should expect to fulfill the requirements for the program under which the initial enrollment occurred. However, students taking longer than six (6) academic years to meet the requirements of a baccalaureate or three (3) academic years of an associate program of study may be required to meet curriculum changes and/or modifications regardless of the coursework previously completed.

Graduation is dependent upon a student attaining a "C" (2.0) minimum cumulative grade point average for the required course of study. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0) must be attained for each course. Additionally, the student must satisfactorily complete all requirements for the Student Portfolio Assessment in order to graduate.

The minimum credit hours required per program are as follows:

Graduate

The following graduation requirements apply to the NMC Master's Degree Programs:

• Students in the NMC Master's Programs must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to graduate.
• Graduate students in MBH, Family Nurse Practitioner, Health Promotion Management and Nursing are allowed to incur a grade below "B" in no more than one course. In the MSN Program, students are not allowed to incur a grade below "B" in NRS 523, NRS 524, NRS 558, NRS 559, NRS 592 or NRS 594. In the Healthcare Operations Management program, students are allowed to incur a grade below "B" in no more than two courses.
• Students must complete the minimum number of credit hours required for the program in which they are enrolled.
• All work for the Master's degree must be completed within six calendar years from the date of credit for the first graduate course in the program.

  
Residency Requirement

Undergraduate students must complete 30 of the last 36 hours in residence to receive a baccalaureate degree.

Students must complete 15 of the last 18 credit hours in residence to receive an associate's degree. One exception to this policy is for those who graduated with a 12-month certificate from NMC and return to the College having not attended an institution of higher learning in between earning the certificate and returning to complete an associate of science degree in health studies. For these students, a minimum of 9 out of 21 arts and sciences credits must be taken at NMC.

Graduate students may transfer in a maximum of nine credits toward their master's degree.

Students in graduate-level certificate programs must complete the prescribed plan of study in residence to receive the certificate of completion for the program.

Doctorate students in the BSN-DNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) program may transfer in a maximum of 18 credits, and students in the APRN-DNP (Advanced Nursing Practice) program may transfer in a maximum of six credits.

Exceptions to the residency requirement can be made in extenuating circumstances but require the approval of the Academic Dean.

Graduation Application

All students (certificate and degree-seeking) must submit an application for graduation. This will initiate a degree audit to ensure that the student is on track to complete all required coursework. Graduation applications are due:

• Fall graduation: due by May 15th
• Spring graduation: due by October 15th
• Summer graduation: due by February 15th

The Registrar's Office will audit the student's academic record to ensrue compliance with graduation requirements. If all degree requirements are not completed by the anticipated graduation date, the student must resubmit a graduation application in a later term.

Licensure and Certification

While the academic programs described herein are designed for the purpose of qualifying students for licensure, certification or registration in a profession, successful completion of any such program in no way assures licensure or certification by another agency. For specific programs, certification examinations are a program requirement for graduation. (See specific program handbooks.)

Updated: July 2015

Reason for Policy: To prohibit or limit recording of class activities or re-distribution of classroom materials in order to:

• Respect the integrity and effectiveness of the classroom experience;
• Protect students and faculty dignity and privacy;
• Respect faculty and College rights in instructional materials, and
• Comply with copyright law.

Policy Statement: Nebraska Methodist College prohibits recording and transmission of activities (e.g., lectures, discussions) that occur as part of a classroom session by a student unless written permission from the course instructor has been obtained and all students in the course as well as any guest speakers have been informed that audio/video recording may occur. A recording is defined as a video or audio replication or photographic image recorded on devices, including, but not limited to, audio recorders, video recorders, cellular phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, computers, tablets, and other handheld devices that records images and/or sound. If a student is granted permission to record any portion of a classroom session, that student understands that the recording is for the sole use of the individual student and may not be reproduced, sold, posted online, or otherwise distributed. A student does not have permission to reproduce or post the information on any social media (e.g., YouTube, FaceBook, etc), or other public or private forum that would infringe on the privacy rights of others represented in the recording.

Public distribution of such materials may constitute copyright infringement in violation of federal or state law, or College policy. Violation of this policy may subject a student to disciplinary action under the College's Student Code of Conduct and Resolution Process policies.

Exception: It is not a violation of this policy for a student determined by the College's Academic Skills Specialist to be entitled to educational accommodations, to exercise any rights protected under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, including needed recording or adaptations of classroom lectures. Qualified students with a disability should follow the College's Services for Students with Disabilities Policy. The restrictions on third party sharing and external distribution apply in such cases.

Destruction of Approved Recordings: Students must destroy recordings at the end of the semester in which they are enrolled in the class unless they receive the instructor's written permission to retain them or are entitled to retain them pursuant to authorized accommodations.

Procedures: A student should review the course syllabus for instructions regarding the instructor's policy on class recordings. Unless directly authorized by the syllabus, any student wanting to record a classroom session must discuss the request with the instructor and obtain written permission and inform others in the class that a recoding is being made.

Updated: July 2013

Registration Policy PDF

REVIEWED/REVISED:

7/2016; 8/2017

PURPOSE:

To ensure a proper environment for learning for all NMC students.

The U.S. Department of Education requires that institutions participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs must have a fair and equitable refund policy.  NMC's policy for refunding of tuition and housing charges is available online.  The College's refund policy applies only to institutional charges and does not affect the amount of a student's earned or unearned financial aid.  However, depending on the circumstances, refunds may be issued to the student or returned to federal financial aid programs in compliance with federal regulations.  In many cases, financial aid must be returned to the respective funding source even after the College's refund period has ended.  This can result in the student having a new or larger balance owed to the College.

For the purpose of this policy a withdrawal occurs when a student:

• Drops or withdraws from all NMC classes during a semester or payment period, or
• Is enrolled in modules (courses that do not span the entire term) and drops all subsequent courses in the term, or
• Drops a course offered in modules without providing written confirmation of the intent to return in a module within the same term that begins no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the module the student ceased attending, or
• Ceases attendance in all courses without officially dropping or withdrawing. 

Exemptions - a student who meets one of the following conditions before ceasing attendance for the term is not considered to have withdrawn:

• Successfully completed the requirements for graduation from the program for which financial aid was received before completing all the hours the student was scheduled to attend in the term, or
• Successfully completed* Title IV eligible coursework in one module or a combination of modules which contains 49% or more of the "countable days" in the payment period (term), or
• Successfully completed* Title IV eligible coursework equal to at least half-time enrollment (6 credits for undergraduate and 3 credits for graduate), or
• The student provides written confirmation that they plan to attend a later module in the same term that begins no later than 45 calendar days after the end of the module the student ceased attending. This written confirmation must be provided near the time that would have been considered a withdrawal.

*For these exemptions, successful completion is a passing grade based on NMC's general grading policy, which requires at least a "C" or higher for undergraduates, a "B" or higher for graduates, and an "S" for courses graded on an S/U basis. 

"Countable days" include all days in the term, excluding scheduled breaks of 5 or more consecutive days and all breaks between modules. Countable days are the same for every student in the program.  

The process to withdraw is outlined on the College website under Academic Policies.  Students who cease attending but do not complete the official withdrawal process may be charged for a greater portion of the semester than the time the student was actually in attendance.  Therefore, it is always in the student's best interest to follow the official withdrawal process.

This date is used for several purposes. It determines the student's charges and refunds for the term, the amount of financial aid the student has earned, and the amount that must be returned to federal aid programs. In addition, this date will be reported to the student's educational loan lenders and servicers where it will be used to determine interest charges and repayment dates. The date that is used depends on the type of courses and whether the withdrawal is official or unofficial.  

•   For an official withdrawal from campus-based credit hour courses, the withdrawal date is the date that the student began the withdrawal process, or the date the student officially notified the institution, in writing or orally, of their intent to withdraw.  
•   For an unofficial withdrawal from campus-based credit hour courses, the withdrawal date is the last documented date that the student either attended classes or completed an academic-related activity, as determined by the faculty teaching the course. If the last date of attendance is not available, the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the payment period.
• For an official or unofficial withdrawal from online courses, the withdrawal date is the last documented date of academic engagement in the course, according to the online activity logs for the course.

For credit hour programs the payment period is the term or semester (fall, spring or summer). The number of days the student is scheduled to complete in the payment period is based on the modules/courses the student is enrolled in as of the R2T4 Freeze Date. 

Beginning with the 2022 spring term, NMC will utilize a Freeze Date to determine the number of days the student was scheduled to complete in the payment period. The R2T4 Freeze Date (RFD) will be the second Wednesday after the start of the term. 

• For withdrawals that occur before the RFD, the number of scheduled days will include days associated with any course the student began attendance in, and any course the student was enrolled in as of the withdrawal. If there is no evidence of attendance or participation, the course or module must be excluded. 
• For withdrawals that occur on or after the RFD, the number of scheduled days will include days associated with courses the student was registered for on the RFD and any courses that the student began attendance in but was not registered for on the RFD.

NEBRASKA METHODIST COLLEGE & STATE AID

For NMC scholarships or grants and the Nebraska Opportunity Grant, recipients will be allowed to keep the amount earned at the end of the first week of the term or payment period. However, the amount the student is allowed to keep will not exceed the amount of tuition, fees and other charges which NMC retains. 

NURSE FACULTY LOAN PROGRAM (NFLP)

The NFLP loan amount is typically a specific amount per credit hour. Therefore, if a recipient does not begin attendance in a course or drops a course during the 100% refund period, the amount will be reduced based on the number of remaining credits. This includes the book allowance portion, so the reduction could be greater than the amount of refunded tuition. If a recipient begins attendance in a course and receives a partial tuition refund, the refund will be returned to the NFLP program. 

FEDERAL AID (Title IV Programs)

Federal law specifies how the College must determine the amount of Title IV assistance a student has earned if the student withdraws from school during a payment period or term. Title IV programs covered by this law are: Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS), and Federal SEOG Grants. The amount of assistance that is earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. 

Percentage of the payment period completed at the time of withdrawal -

• For credit hour programs, the percentage of the payment period completed is based on the number of days completed divided by the number of days the student was scheduled to complete in the payment period. See Freeze Date information above.
• The percentage of the payment period completed then determines the amount of aid the student earned. For example, if a student completed 30% of the days they were scheduled to complete in the payment period, the student earned 30% of the assistance that they were originally scheduled to receive. Once a student completes more than 60% of their scheduled days in the payment period the student is considered to have earned 100% of the funds scheduled to be received for that period. 

A student who received less assistance than was earned may be eligible to receive those additional funds through a post-withdrawal disbursement.

• A post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds will be automatically credited toward any unpaid charges for tuition, fees, and room within 45 days of determining that the student withdrew. Funds in excess of those charges will be disbursed to the student no later than 14 days after the calculation of earned and unearned aid is completed.
• If the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds, NMC will notify the student within 30 days of determining that the student withdrew, and the student shall have 14 days to respond. NMC must obtain the borrower's permission before we can disburse those funds.  Any credit balance remaining after payment of allowable charges for tuition, fees and room will be issued to the borrower within 14 days. 

In some cases, a student may have been offered Title IV funds that the student is no longer eligible to receive after the withdrawal. For example, if the student did not complete the Direct Loan application process by the last date of attendance, the Financial Aid Office is unable to originate the loan and request funds.

If a student received more assistance than was earned, the excess funds must be returned by NMC and/or the student. It is possible that NMC charges once paid by federal financial aid may now become a debt that the student is responsible for paying. If the amount of aid disbursed exceeds the amount of earned aid, the unearned portion of the funds must be returned to the Title IV programs from which the student received aid during the term, in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan  
2. Subsidized Federal Direct Loan
3. Federal Direct PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant
6. Federal SEOG Grant

The school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

1. The student's institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage, or
2. The entire amount of excess funds.

If the total amount to be returned exceeds the amount that NMC is required to return, the student has an obligation to return the remaining amount.  Any loan funds that must be returned by the student are repaid according to the terms of the promissory note.  That is, the student makes scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.  If a repayment is due to a grant program, the maximum amount of grant funds to be repaid is half of the grant funds the student received or was scheduled to receive.  No repayment is required if the original amount of grant overpayment is $50 or less.

Upon notification that a student has withdrawn, the Financial Aid Office will calculate the student's earned and unearned aid. Funds that are required to be returned by NMC are promptly returned to the respective financial aid program, but not later than 45 days after determining  that the student has withdrawn. The student will be notified of any funds returned by NMC to the respective financial aid programs, as well as any repayment for which the student is responsible.  If the College is required to return funds that were used to pay the student's charges, NMC will bill the student for those charges that are no longer considered paid. Notification will be sent by mail and/or an email to the student's personal account. 

Students who owe a repayment to a federal grant will have 45 days from the date the school sent the notification to take one of the following actions. 

1. Repay the overpayment in full to the school.
2. Sign a repayment agreement with the school.  Maximum repayment period is two years.
3. Sign a repayment agreement with the US Department of Education. 

If the student fails to take one of these actions within 45 days, the school is required to report the overpayment to the US Department of Education's Debt Resolution Services for collection, and the student will be ineligible to receive additional federal financial assistance.

Tuition Refund Policy (PDF)

1. Instructions to set up your eRefund with our service provider ECSI:
2. Get your “YOUR HEARTLAND ESCI KEY” (if not available call the NMC Business Office, (402) 354-7105) 
   • Go to this site:  https://heartland.ecsi.net/index.main.html#/access/signIn (you will need to copy and paste the web address)
   • Click on Register in the middle of the page to create an account
3. If you already have registered then click on Sign In or Register at the top of the page
4. Use your Heartland Key to connect our school
5. Select the eRefund delivery method for your refund
6. You may need to enter your student ID to validate your account – DO NOT use the “s” this is an all alpha field

Military Tuition Assistance is a U.S. Department of Defense program. Tuition Assistance rules vary by branch of service and even vary between different units within the same branch depending on whether the unit is active, reserve, or National Guard. Tuition Assistance funds will be applied to tuition costs only. 

Military Tuition Assistance Recipients

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded.  When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the U.S. Department of Defense policy, NMC will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided.  If a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, NMC will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.

Withdrawals

A student's official withdrawal date is used as the last date of attendance and to calculate earned percentage of TA. A student's official withdrawal date is determined by using the last date of attendance that is documented and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Once the last date of attendance has been determined, NMC will recalculate a student's TA eligibility based on the following formula:

The amount of TA funding that is earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. For example, if a student completed 30% of the course, s/he earned 30% of the TA funds that s/he was originally scheduled to receive. The remainder of the unearned funds (70%) would be returned to the TA program. If this results in an unpaid tuition balance, payment would be the responsibility of the student. Once a student has attended at least 60% of the period for which TA funds were approved, the student is considered to have earned 100% of the TA funds.

Updated: March 2016

Returning Unearned Military Tuition Assistance Funds

Alcohol & Drug Policy PDF

2018-2020 Biennial Review PDF

College Code of Conduct PDF

Drug Prevention Program Policy PDF

Individuals found to be in violation of various rules and regulations may be subject to disciplinary sanctions.  It is the belief of the College that sanctions should maximize safety for all students and College constituents, relate to the nature of the behavior, and provide an opportunity for growth and learning. Thus, these examples are not meant to represent the only sanctions that may be used by the College.

Reprimand: A written warning to a student for a violation of College policy. The warning shall include notice that further violations of the same or other regulations will result in a more severe disciplinary sanction. A copy of the warning letter is placed in the student's academic file.

Apology: A required formal apology, given either verbally or in writing (as designated by the sanction), either private or public, to an individual, outside agency, or the College. Evidence of the offering of the apology may be required.

Restitution: In the event of damage, destruction, or theft, a student may be required to make a full and complete reimbursement to the College or others. Restitution for College property, damage, or theft may take the form of financial payment, appropriate service, or other compensation. Failure to make arrangements to pay may result in a hold being placed on the student's NMC account.

Monetary Fine: The student is required to pay a specific monetary fine to the College.  Failure to pay or to make arrangements to pay such fines may result in a hold being placed on the student's NMC account.

Work Project: The student is assigned a specific work or service project, as outlined in a work agreement. This sanction will normally be assigned to help the student reflect upon the negative implications of his/her behavior.

Disciplinary Warning: This sanction is administered to serve as a notice to the student that his/her behavior was unacceptable and inconsistent with the College's values and standards of behavior. The Warning will note that any future violations of the policy could result in the imposition of more severe sanctions. In some cases, it may be the preliminary step to Disciplinary Probation. This sanction may also involve specific conditions that may include, but are not limited to:

1. Removal from campus housing or relocating within the apartments.
2. Restriction of access to specific campus facilities.
3. Loss of privileges, to include, but not limited to, the following:
   1. Active participation in any or all public events sponsored by the College or by students;
   2. Attendance at any or all public events sponsored by the College or by students;
   3. Normal visitation rights.
4. Work project requirements/assignment.

If a student is found responsible for a violation of the College's Title IX-Sexual Misconduct Policy, a Disciplinary Warning could also include one or more of the following:

1. Required consultation with a member of the College's counseling staff, as well as required participation in any on-going counseling and/or educational programming recommended by the counselor.
2. Issuance of a public apology by the student.
3. Prohibited contact for a specific period of time between the violator and the victim.

Disciplinary Probation: This sanction may involve specified conditions that may include, but are not limited to:

1. Removal from campus housing or relocating within the apartments.
2. Restriction of access to specified campus facilities.
3. Loss of privileges to include, but not limited to, the following:
   1. Active participation in any or all public events sponsored by the College or by students;
   2. Attendance at any or all public events sponsored by the College or by students;
   3. Representation of the College in specified manners;
   4. Holding office in a College-approved organization;
   5. Participating in specific extracurricular activities;
   6. Normal visitation rights.
4. Required participation certain groups and/or educational programs as they relate to the violation.
5. Required period of appropriate work project.

Disciplinary Probation can also carry other sanctions imposed by certain campus organizations and academic departments. For example, a student on Disciplinary Probation may be ineligible to hold positions in Student Senate, participate in clinical rotation, or hold positions on the student housing staff. Any such sanctions are considered independently by those organizations or departments and may be imposed in addition to the sanctions identified above. Notification of Disciplinary Probation may be sent to a minor student's parents, subject to regulations governing a student's right to privacy.

Suspension: Suspension from classes and/or the College property may occur for a period of up to one (1) regular semester. A student wishing to re-enroll at the end of the suspension period must notify the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success in writing six (6) weeks prior to the start of the semester.

Dismissal: Dismissal constitutes expulsion from the College. Students who have been dismissed are not eligible for return or reapplication.

Required Assessment and/or Counseling: In the event a student's conduct creates safety concerns and/or violates the NMC Code of Conduct Policy, he or she may be required to receive counseling, not necessarily as a disciplinary measure, but as an attempt to facilitate growth and/or safety. The student's conduct will be individually evaluated based on observations of his or her actions that indicate safety concerns or violations of the Code of Conduct. Following this individual assessment, College, at its discretion, will determine whether the student will be required to obtain treatment or evaluation from a qualified healthcare professional. Based on the results of the student's assessment, the College, using careful judgment, will determine whether the student is otherwise qualified to take classes.

Before the College concludes that the student's conduct merits suspension or other appropriate disciplinary measures, student will be provided with a forum in which he or she will be given a reasonable opportunity to be heard and respond. However, in exigent circumstances, the College may take immediate measures to dismiss or withdraw the student. Any decision to suspend or withdraw a student will be made by the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Success or the Vice President of Academic Affairs and the College President. If the College takes immediate action to dismiss or withdraw the student, the student will be given the opportunity at a reasonable time afterwards to be heard and to present his or her position.

Updated: August 2015

A student may be assigned to a situation that may pose an ethical dilemma for them.  The student who objects to providing care for assigned patients based on matters of conscience will notify the instructor as soon as possible. The student will remain aware that their first responsibility is to the patient, and that they should complete the necessary care to meet the immediate needs of the patient. The student shall not abandon the patient. The faculty will attempt to provide individual guidance to the student in the immediate situation.

Updated: November 2015

The relationships between students and their teachers, advisors, and others holding positions of authority over them should be conducted in a manner that avoids potential conflicts of interest, exploitation, or personal bias. Given the inherent power differential, the possibility of intentional or unintentional abuse of that power should always be borne in mind. For example, a conflict of interest arises when an individual evaluates the work or performance of a person with whom he or she is engaged in a romantic or sexual relationship. In addition, relationships between students and others holding positions of authority can also lead to possible Title IX sexual harassment claims.

Romantic or sexual relationships between students and persons in positions of authority compromise the relationship between students and the College. No member of the College community should simultaneously be romantically or sexually involved with a student whom he or she teaches, advises, coaches, or supervises in any way. Individuals in such positions of authority must not allow these relationships to develop or continue.

Updated: November 2015

REVIEWED/REVISED:

7/2013; 7/2015; 9/2017

RELATED POLICIES:

Title IX-Sexual Misconduct Policy

PURPOSE:

To communicate the College's programs and resources available concerning sexual harassment/assault prevention.

REVIEWED/REVISED:

10/13; 11/13; 9/14; 2/15; 10/15; 4/16; 9/17

RELATED POLICY:

Minors Involved in NMC Programs; College Code of Conduct

PURPOSE: 

To provide the NMC community (faculty, staff, administrators and students) and members of the public visiting a work place and educational environment free of harassment, interference and intimidation, NMC has adopted and published the following policy and grievance procedures for complaints under Title IX.

Nebraska Methodist College (NMC) strives to create a respectful, safe and non-threatening environment for its students, faculty, staff, administrators and visitors. This policy sets forth the resources available to students, describes prohibited conduct and establishes procedures for responding to sexual misconduct incidents that includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and other unwelcome behaviors.

Copyright Use

Respect copyright and fair use: When posting, faculty, staff, and students must respect and adhere to any copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of the college.  See also NMC's Copyright Policy.  

Endorsements

All Nebraska Methodist College logos and/or the Methodist Health System logos are trademarked and the property of the Methodist Health System.  No person is allowed to use any logos for endorsements or other purposes without the express written permission of the appropriate authorizer. No NMC logo or any other college images may be used on personal social media sites. The Nebraska Methodist College name may never be used to promote a product, service, cause, or political party or candidate.  

College Property

Respect College time and property: College computers and time on the job are reserved for college-related business as approved by supervisors.  

Terms of Service

Obey the Terms of Service of any social media platform employed.  

Important Considerations

Before creating a blog or making any entries using College resources such as computers, internet, software, etc., students, faculty or staff must contact the Marketing department. Blogs that engage students, alumni, faculty, donors, and other constituents must receive prior approval.  

Blogging Recommendation

Anything posted on a blog may have repercussions in the future. People have been sued, refused jobs or fired from their jobs because of material they posted on their blogs.  

In addition to controlling what you post on your blog, you can monitor the comments that other people post. While your credibility as a blogger depends in large part on your openness to comments by others, you can set your blog so that all comments come to you for review prior to appearing on your blog. Some bloggers post their policy directly on their blogs.  

For your own protection, you should never give information that identifies you, such as your full name, your address or phone number. Don't make yourself a target to scam artists or predators.

All employees are expected to use email for college business communications only.

Employee, faculty and student NMC e-mail accounts are the primary sources for distributing important college information.  Information for students will also be posted on MyMethodist, the College student portal.  

Although there are a variety of distribution lists available within the Nebraska Methodist Health System network, it is important to use good tact.  When sending emails outside of the college, employees, faculty, and staff must abide by the CAN-SPAM Act.  

Employees and students may not communicate via email any material that violates the privacy or publicity rights of another. Policies concerning privacy, confidentiality, including FERPA and HIPAA regulations, shall be strictly enforced for communications involving patients, employees, volunteers, employees, customers, visitors and other constituents.

In addition, published email communications may not disclose any sensitive, proprietary, confidential, or financial information about the Nebraska Methodist College.

If an employee, student, or agent of the College posts any material on behalf of an NMC department, the following policies must be adhered to in addition to all policies found herein:

Notify the college: Departments or college departments that have a social media page or would like to start one must contact Marketing at NMCmarketing@methodistcollege.edu.  

All institutional pages must have a full-time appointed employee who is identified as being responsible for content. Current students can help manage pages but there must also be a staff member or faculty with administrative privileges.  

Acknowledge who you are: If you are representing Nebraska Methodist College when posting on a social media platform, acknowledge so.  

Have a plan: Departments should consider their messages, audiences, and goals, as well as a strategy for keeping information on social media sites up-to-date.  

Link back to the college: Whenever possible, link back to the NMC Web site. Ideally, posts should be very brief; redirecting a visitor to content that resides within the Nebraska Methodist College website. When linking to a news article about NMC, check first to see whether you can link to a release on the NMC News page instead of to a publication or other media outlet.  

Protect the institutional voice: Posts on social media sites should protect the College's institutional voice by remaining professional in tone and in good taste. No individual NMC department should construe its social media site as representing the college as a whole. Consider this when naming pages or accounts, selecting a profile picture or icon, and selecting content to post-names, profile images, and posts should all be clearly linked to the particular department rather than to the institution as a whole.

Faculty, staff and students are strongly encouraged to follow the recommended practices below so that they may bring their online social media communications and presence in compliance with this and other applicable policies:

Be careful.  Privacy does not exist in the world of social media. If you wouldn't say it on the front page of the newspaper, consider whether you should post it online. If you are unsure about posting something or responding to a comment, ask your supervisor for input or contact Marketing at nmcmarketing@methodistcollege.edu. In all instances, think twice before posting  

Be accurate.  Get your facts straight before posting them on social media. Review content for grammatical and spelling errors. This is especially important if posting on behalf of the college in any capacity because regardless of who is posting content, it is the institutional voice.  

Be respectful. Understand that content you and others contribute to a social media site could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should always be considered carefully in light of how they would reflect on the 'poster' and/or the college and its institutional voice.  

Be aware. Remember your audience and who you're talking to with your posts.  This includes prospective students, current students, alumni, donors, current employers and colleagues, peers and other constituents. Consider this before publishing to ensure the post will not alienate, harm, or provoke any of these groups.  

Own Your Viewpoints. On personal sites, identify your views, opinions, and other comments as your own. If you identify yourself as a Nebraska Methodist College faculty, staff member or student online, make it very clear that your views are yours and not those of Nebraska Methodist College or its affiliates.

Social media has the opportunity to create positive interactions with students, alumni, healthcare professionals and the community at large.  However, there may be instances where an individual or group posts negative comments pertaining to Nebraska Methodist College and its constituents online. This could take place on blogs, social media outlets, aggregate review sites, comments sections on mass media publications, NMC's own internet holdings, and more. This policy is not intended as a means of infringing upon freedom of speech or silencing constructive criticism of the College.  NMC is devoted to the concept of free speech, but recognizes that the safety and well-being of its students, faculty, and the community may require a response.

NMC takes each online comment made toward or about the College and its constituents seriously. While many such comments can be construed as frivolous, there some comments may inflict actual harm upon the College and members of the community. When a negative or inappropriate comment, review, blog post, or similar communication is posted about the College or its constituents and comes to the attention of the College, NMC will take the following action:   

1. The employee or student who reads the post initially should not respond.
2. The post should be printed and saved for record keeping. This information should include the date and author of the original post.
3. The post will be referred to the NMC Marketing Department for immediate review with copy forwarded to the Compliance Director.
4. Depending on the sensitivity of the publication, the post may be subject to deletion, the author subject to discipline, or the author will be invited to file a formal complaint.

If the comment is not serious in nature, the NMC Marketing Department will offer the individual or group to file an official complaint.  This response may appear as follows:  

"We're sorry that you feel that way and we are looking into the situation. If you wish to file a formal complaint with Nebraska Methodist College, please visit the website here."  

Although this will remain the primary response for the majority of situations that may arise, the NMC Marketing with the assistance of the Compliance Director is given the authority to approach each comment on its own merits so as to be able to adequately respond to the extraordinary nature of some forms of online communication.  This may include requests for takedown made to the forum hosting the comment, disciplinary action of the writer if such person falls under the authority of the College and is found to be in violation of College policies, or if the post could be perceived as dangerous, filing a report about the person to the proper authorities (to be done only in situations deemed to pose an actual danger to the College or its constituents) as well as any additional action deemed appropriate to the specific situation being addressed.

Degree and Certificate-Seeking Students Policy PDF

Health Insurance Policy PDF

Immunizations Policy PDF

Important Health Forms Policy PDF

Infectious Disease Policy PDF

Return to Clinical, Class, and Lab Following Illness or Injury Policy PDF

Student Exposure to Illness Policy PDF

Tuberculosis Policy PDF

Drug Screening Policy PDF

• Title IX does not apply only to female students.
• Sex discrimination includes sexual harassment and sexual assault.
• If NMC knows about sexual harassment or sexual assault Title IX requires NMC to take action immediately.
• All Title IX complaints must be processed.
• Title IX investigations are separate from law enforcement investigations.  Even if you file a police report, NMC is required to independently investigate the assault.

Nebraska Methodist College students or employees reporting victimization of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking will be provided their written rights, which are:

(i) To be assisted by campus authorities if reporting a crime to local law enforcement;

(ii) Change academic, living, transportation, or working situations to avoid a hostile environment;

(iii) Obtain or enforce a no contact directive or restraining order;

(iv) Have a clear description of NMC's disciplinary process and know the range of possible sanctions; and

(v) Receive contact information about existing counseling, heath, mental health, victim advocacy, legal assistance, and other services available both on-campus and community.

Please see the NMC Title IX policy including definitions: Under Sexual Misconduct Policy.

Title IX coordinator Lindsay Snipes (402) 354-7259 lindsay.snipes@methodistcollege.edu

Prompt reporting of a complaint is strongly encouraged as it allows for rapid response to and resolution of objectionable behavior. Contact 911 if you are in immediate danger.

To file a Title IX complaint, please click here.

You are not alone:

The following resources can provide guidance and support:

Confidential Resources:

Student Counseling:  Kathy Dworak - (402) 354-7080
Campus Health Center: (402) 354-7210 / (402) 354-7260

Campus Resources:

Campus Security:  (402) 354-7000 / (402) 740-6368 (cell)
Lead Title IX Coordinator:  Lindsay Snipes - (402) 354-7259 or lindsay.snipes@methodistcollege.edu

Community Resources:

Methodist Emergency Room SANE/SART-  (402) 354-4000

Locations:

8303 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE
717 N. 190th Plaza, Omaha, NE

Women's Center for Advancement (WCA) - (402) 345-6555 or 24/7 Crisis Line (402) 345-7273

24/7 Hot Lines:

National Domestic Violence Hotline-(800) 799-SAFE (7233) and (800) 787-3224
National Sexual Assault Hotline - (800) 656-HOPE (4673)

Websites:

Not Alone:  www.notalone.gov
Nebraska Domestic Violence Sexual Assault Coalition:  www.ndvsac.org
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network):  www.rainn.org
LGBTQ:  The Survivor Project:  www.survivorproject.org

REVIEWED/REVISED:

7/2013; 7/2015; 9/2017

RELATED POLICIES:

Title IX-Sexual Misconduct Policy

PURPOSE:

To communicate the College's programs and resources available concerning sexual harassment/assault prevention.

Title IX Sexual Misconduct Policy PDF

The purpose of this syllabus addendum is to provide students with information that supplements the College Catalog and other institutional policies. It is the student's responsibility to become familiar with these items and abide by all policies while enrolled at NMC.

All NMC students are provided with an NMC email address. It is the responsibility of the student to check this email account on a regular basis to receive important information from faculty and other NMC personnel. In general, email communication with a faculty member MUST be only through your NMC email account.

Reasonable accommodations may be provided to students who have a documented physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Students who qualify for a reasonable accommodation are encouraged to follow the "Services for Students with Disabilities" policy found in the College Catalog and make the appropriate arrangements with the Coordinator of Academic Success (Clark 2243, 402-354-7029). It is the student's responsibility to notify the College of need for accommodations. Please note that accommodations will not be granted retroactively, and late notification of a qualifying disability does not excuse the student from work already completed in the course. Additional details on the NMC's policy for services for students with disabilities are published in the College Catalog.

• Password Reset: If you have a password question or need to have your password reset for any of the above functions, contact  the Methodist Health System IT Help Desk (anytime, 24 hours a day) at (402) 354-2280or support@nmhs.org and refer specifically to your "Network" password (if you reference MyMethodist, they will not know how to help you).
• Other support: If you need technical help with MyMethodistor other technology issues, please contact NMC help at nmchelp@methodistcollege.edu or call the NMC HELP LINE at (402) 354-7008.  If you need assistance after hours (after 4:30 M-F or weekends) email is the best form of communication. Response will occur within 24 hours.

The faculty and administration of NMC value constructive and professional feedback of students. Information from the course evaluation is used for program and college accreditation. This information also provide faculty with formative feedback that could be used to impact and improve future instruction. The course evaluation is completely anonymous and will be completed electronically by the student. Before completing a course evaluation, a student should reflect on their learning experience in order to provide thoughtful responses to the questions asked in the evaluation. The faculty and administration expect students to adhere to the tenets of professionalism and the College Core Values when rating the course and faculty, especially when providing written comments. Any irrelevant or inappropriate comments will not be considered in relationship to impacting course instruction or as evaluative of faculty performance.

Free online tutoring services from NetTutor are available through My.Methodist portal for currently enrolled students. Available subjects include: Writing, Patho/Pharm, Math, Medical Terminology, Statistics, Anatomy &Physiology I and II, Pathophysiology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Nutrition, Pharmacology, Radiographic Imaging Physics, and Advanced Anatomy & Applied Physiology. For more information, please visit the Tutoring site in MyMethodist.

Students must demonstrate activity in a course within 48 hours of the course start date. Activity must be demonstrated by logging into the course and completing one or more of the following academically related activities: downloading or viewing the syllabus, reviewing course material, submitting an assignment, taking a quiz or exam, participating in an online discussion related to the course content, and/or initiating contact with the faculty to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course. Student eligibility for financial aid will be based on the aforementioned criteria. See Attendance and Course Participation Policy.

NMC prohibits audio/video recording of classroom activities by students without the written permission of the instructor. You may not record class sessions or portions thereof unless the Coordinator of Academic Success has authorized recording as an academic accommodation for a qualified student with a disability and has notified the instructor of that authorization. All such recordings are for the sole use of the individual student and may not be reproduced, sold, posted online, or otherwise distributed. See also Recording of Classroom Sessions Policy.

• Appropriate salutation or greeting by name (e.g. Hello, Dr. Smith; Hi Jane)
• Full sentences with appropriate grammar. Do not use text message shortcuts, shorthand notation or acronyms (such as "TTYL"," LOL", or "IMO")
• Closure statement (e.g., Thanks, Mary; Regards, Tom)
• Netiquette Core Rules excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea.

Air Force ROTC Policy PDF

Military Policy

A student who is called to active duty in the United States Armed Forces (including the National Guard or Reserve) for a period of more than 30 days is entitled to reenroll at Nebraska Methodist College, providing the following conditions are met:

The student gives advance written notice of the call to active duty or, upon seeking readmission, submits written verification that such service was performed, necessitating their absence.Both the advance notice of the call to active duty and verification of service performed should be submitted to the NMC Director of Registration and Records;
The cumulative length of the student's absence from NMC because of active duty service does not exceed five years;
The student submits a notification of intent to reenroll within three years after the completion of service or within two years after recovery from an illness or injury incurred during the service; and
The separation from service was not a dishonorable or bad conduct discharge.
Institutional determination of a student's preparedness to be readmitted with the same academic status will be made on a case-by-case basis. Should Nebraska Methodist College determine that the student is not prepared to be readmitted with the same academic status, the College will make reasonable efforts, at no cost to the student, to help the student become prepared (e.g., refresher courses).

During the first academic year, the student will be assessed the same tuition and fee charges that were in effect during the academic year he/she left Nebraska Methodist College. Veteran or other service member education benefits may be considered as well.

Students Called to Military Service Policy PDF

Military Tuition Assistance is a U.S. Department of Defense program. Tuition Assistance rules vary by branch of service and even vary between different units within the same branch depending on whether the unit is active, reserve, or National Guard. Tuition Assistance funds will be applied to tuition costs only. 

Military Tuition Assistance Recipients

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded.  When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the U.S. Department of Defense policy, NMC will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided.  If a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, NMC will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.

Withdrawals

A student's official withdrawal date is used as the last date of attendance and to calculate earned percentage of TA. A student's official withdrawal date is determined by using the last date of attendance that is documented and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

Once the last date of attendance has been determined, NMC will recalculate a student's TA eligibility based on the following formula:

The amount of TA funding that is earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. For example, if a student completed 30% of the course, s/he earned 30% of the TA funds that s/he was originally scheduled to receive. The remainder of the unearned funds (70%) would be returned to the TA program. If this results in an unpaid tuition balance, payment would be the responsibility of the student. Once a student has attended at least 60% of the period for which TA funds were approved, the student is considered to have earned 100% of the TA funds.

Updated: March 2016

Returning Unearned Military Tuition Assistance Funds

Veterans and active duty military personnel with military obligations are encouraged to communicate these to the faculty. These communications need to occur within the first two weeks of a course, or as soon as military obligations are identified, and the student needs to provide relevant documentation to the faculty. If necessary, once the student has self-disclosed and provided proper documentation to the faculty, reasonable arrangements will be implemented to help the student complete their academic coursework.