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Academic Policies
Make sure you read all the requirements and feel free to contact us at anytime.Code of Conduct and Regulations
Any student with a grievance should schedule an appointment with the Program Director to verbally resolve the issue(s). If the student needs further assistance, a written grievance should be submitted to the program director to request a formal process hearing with the Program Director and the Director of Education (DoE). Students will receive a written response from the DoE within 10 business days of the grievance process hearing.
Should the aggrieved be dissatisfied with the outcome of the formal process hearing, he/she can appeal the decision in writing.
- The written appeal should be sent to the DoE within five days of receiving the formal process hearing decision.
- An Appeals Committee consisting of the President, VP of Operations, VP of Enrollment, and Director of Education will review and discuss the student’s grievance letter and written appeal.
- The Appeals Committee will give the student a response in writing within 10 business days of the receipt of the written request for an appeal.
- Unresolved formal complaints that have followed the formal appeal process may be submitted to the State of Florida’s Commission for Independent Education or any current accrediting agency (See page 9 of the catalog for contact information).
Antigua College International awards Semester Credits.
Hours of Instruction Semester Credits
15 Hours of Lecture - 1 Credit
30 Hours of Laboratory - 1 Credit
45 Hours of Externship/Clinical - 1 Credit
A “class hour” (or contact hour) is defined as 50 minutes of supervised or direct instruction and 10 minutes of break. The Florida Board of Nursing recommends that a student plan to dedicate at least two-to-four hours of independent reading and/or study for every hour of class s/he attends. Estimated hours spent on out of class activities will be defined in more detail by the course syllabus and are not applicable to the total credit hours of the program.
Grades will be determined through quizzes, tests, projects, participation, assignments, examinations and/or task completion. The grading method for a course is described in the course syllabus received at the beginning of the class. Students are provided a final course grade at the end of each course or grading period. A permanent record of each student’s progress is maintained in the student academic file. Letter grades are assigned numeric equivalents so that each student’s progress may be reflected in terms of a cumulative grade point average (CGPA).
The grading system is as follows:
The CGPA is a weighted average calculated by multiplying the credit hours for each course by the grade point equivalent received for that course, summing the results, and dividing that sum by the total credit hours attempted. Students must achieve a CGPA of 2.0 or above to be eligible for graduation from their program of study. Letter grades, numeric grades, grade point equivalents, and sample CGPA calculations follow.
47 (earned points) / 15 (credits attempted) = 3.13 (CGPA)
Class participation is required. Attendance and participation are of utmost importance for student success. Student attendance may affect the completion timeframe and in turn affect a student’s progress. Students are expected to arrive to class on time.
If for any reason a student is unable to attend class or clinical practice, a call must be made to the college at least one hour before class or to the clinical instructor one hour before clinical rotation to inform the instructor of the nature of and/or reason for the absence. Each student must make these phone calls for him/herself. Phone calls of this nature cannot be made on behalf of the student by a third-party. All students should be made aware of their attendance records in a timely manner. Excessive absenteeism is not permitted, as the Florida Board of Nursing requires a specific number of hours for completion of a program.
- Students who have more than 10% of unexcused absences will be required to repeat the course and will be placed on probation.
- A written advisement will be prepared stating the terms of the probation before the student may return to class.
- Excessive absences in a subsequent course will result in withdrawal from the nursing program, depending on the student’s circumstances.
- Violation of the probation will result in withdrawal from the program.
- Tardiness and partial days of absence will be converted when applicable to full days of absences as the time accumulates.
- If a student is absent for an exam, s/he will be permitted to makeup the exam the first day back after the absence unless otherwise arranged with the faculty in advance of the return.
The course schedule and clinical assignments are subject to change at any time during the program. The staff will make every effort to notify students of any changes in a timely manner; however, flexibility is necessary in terms of class and clinical schedules. Children are not allowed on site during class or clinical assignments.
The End-of-Course Exams are in effect for the following courses:
- Adult Health Assessment
- Fundamentals of Nursing II
- Pharmacology II
- Medical Surgical Nursing III
- Community Health Nursing
- Maternity and Newborn Nursing
- Pediatric Nursing
- Psychiatric Nursing
- Nursing Leadership
These exams are standardized tests presented at the college’s discretion.
For students seeking RN licensure, the exams will be scheduled at the immediate end of each of the courses above, the date and time of which will be announced at the start of the course. Students are allowed one retake of the end-of-course exam, at the date and time specified by the college. Failure to sit for both opportunities of the end-of-course exam will result in a zero-score. If a student fails both the initial and retake s/he may need to retake the entire course.
Upon completion of all other courses and clinical requirements, students seeking RN licensure will have two opportunities to pass the NCLEX Readiness course (NUR290) which includes two Exit Exams of the college’s choice to be eligible for graduation. If the student does not pass both exams, then the student will fail the course (NUR290) and must retake it. If the student fails to pass the course a second time, the student will automatically be withdrawn from Antigua College International.
Please note: Along with the other required course elements, the student will need to pass both exams during the course retake regardless of any exam passed in the first attempt. No credit or test scores will be carried over from a previous attempt.
Upon completion of all other courses and clinical requirements, students seeking PN licensure will have two opportunities to pass the NCLEX Readiness course (PRN 934) which includes two Exit Exams of the college’s choice to be eligible for graduation. If the student does not pass both exams, then the student will fail the course (PRN 934) and must retake it. If the student fails to pass the course a second time, the student will automatically be withdrawn from Antigua College International.
Please note: Along with the other required course elements, the student will need to pass both exams during the course retake regardless of any exam passed in the first attempt. No credit or test scores will be carried over from a previous attempt.
Based on their college entry or reentry dates, RN-seeking students required to take Exit Exams but not NUR290 must also pass both Exit Exams to be eligible for graduation. The Exit Exams must be taken at the dates/times assigned by the college, within 70 days of the completion of all other courses and/or clinical requirements. Students will have two opportunities to pass each exam. If the student does not pass both exams, then the student will be enrolled in the NCLEX Readiness course (NUR290) and will need to pass the course or be dismissed from the college.
The passing scores for the Exit Exams are as follows:
- 900 points for a HESI-style scoring exam
- 70.0% for an ATI-style scoring exam
Students may be allowed to make-up missed or delayed class assignments or tests resulting from absence, tardiness or other situations at the instructor’s discretion. Make-up assignments must be pre-approved by the instructor and must be appropriately documented and recorded. A student needing to make-up work past the last day of a course must see the Program Director or instructor to request an (I) Incomplete grade prior to the last day of said course except for students on a leave of absence, which will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. A letter grade of (I) for incomplete will be assigned during this time frame. However, if a final grade is not input within the given timeframe, typically 5 weeks, the grade will automatically revert to the student’s average for that course at the time the incomplete was requested. A non-passing grade will be computed as a part of the student’s CGPA, and the course must be retaken to successfully complete the program. All attempts will be computed in the CGPA. Students will be financially responsible for the retake of the failed course (see the Retake Policy, following).
A student will be financially responsible for retaking a course regardless of the reason for retake (failure or withdrawal). The student will be charged tuition for each retake.
A student may voluntarily withdraw outside of the Drop-Add Period, earning a grade of W, at any point prior to the midterm exam. Once the midterm exam has been administered in the course, completion of the course is obligatory regardless of its outcome (e.g. failure). Only one voluntary withdrawal is allowed per Course Number within the student’s chosen program. E.g.: A student who drops course NUR120 outside of the Drop-Add Period, resulting in a grade of W, will not be allowed any subsequent drops of NUR120.
In the case of a medical or personal emergency, a student may request a Leave of Absence from his/her program of study. This leave should be requested in writing and must be approved by the DoE and/or Program Director. Before requesting a leave of absence, students must make an appointment with the Program Director or Director of Education for advisement. By law, a leave of absence may not exceed 180 days within a 12-month period. If the student does not return to class immediately following a leave of absence, by the date indicated on the request, the student will be automatically withdrawn from the college and any pending refund will be issued in keeping with the published refund policy. The student is still responsible for any unpaid balance s/he owes the school. When students are on a leave of absence status, they are required to continue making their scheduled monthly payments. (Please refer to page 15 of this catalog for the Refund Policy.)
Probation is intended to assist the student in achieving acceptable disciplinary, academic or attendance thresholds. Any student that has a disciplinary, academic or attendance issue may be placed on probation until s/he attains satisfactory improvement. A student will be advised by the instructors, via verbal or written form, of specific areas of improvement. If the instructor warnings are not heeded or acted on, the student will not be allowed to remain in or attend class until a meeting with the Program Director and/or the Director of Education is achieved. Administration will follow the following procedures as needed:
Verbal Warning: A documented verbal warning will be issued to the student with specific instructions on corrective actions. If issue persists and corrective actions are not met, the situation will be escalated to a written warning.
Written Warning: A written warning will be issued to the student with specific instructions on corrective actions including a detailed timeframe. If issue persists and corrective actions are not met by the designated timeframe, the situation will be escalated to a probation status.
Probation: Student will be placed on probation with specific instructions on corrective actions, including a detailed timeframe (according to SAP evaluation periods). All contingencies must be met within the allotted timeframe to be removed from probation status. If the issue persists and corrective actions are not met by the designated timeframe, the student’s probation may be extended for an additional evaluation period. Students not meeting standards after the extension will be withdrawn from their program of study and will be processed as a drop and all refund policies will apply.
These steps are intended for a progressive escalation; however, steps may be skipped depending on the severity of the situation. Students who fail a course will automatically be placed on academic probation. During the probation period the student may be required to complete 45 hours of strategies/content review before he/she may re-enter a core course. Students who fail a second course will be withdrawn or given the opportunity to transfer to the college’s Practical Nurse Program.
Students at Antigua College International are expected to maintain and uphold the college’s standards of academic integrity. Honesty in all academic matters, including program, classroom, clinical, and off-site activities, is part of this expectation. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to:
Cheating: The unauthorized use of textbooks, notes, examinations, course materials, and/or cell phones, as well as giving or obtaining unauthorized assistance in academic exercises, such as examinations, quizzes, research papers, etc.
Forgery: The act of willful misrepresentation by means of adapting, changing, or creating any forms or documents for personal gain, or knowingly making false statements in writing with the intent to deceive.
Plagiarism: The use and appropriation of another writer’s work without proper citation of the source material and the representation of such work as the one’s own. Students are expected to cite their sources for all academic work submitted in completion of their respective programs.
Depending on the severity of the infraction, penalties for Academic Dishonesty range from an “F” in the course to being dismissed from the college. If a student receives a failing grade in a course as a direct result of Academic Dishonesty, all subsequent infractions dealing with academic dishonesty will result in immediate dismissal from the college.
Depending on the severity of the incident reported, ACI reserves the right to withdraw students from the Nursing Program for reasons related to the inability to safely carry out professional responsibilities.
Students must conduct themselves in a manner that will enable the school to recommend them to prospective employers as courteous, considerate, and well-mannered individuals. The student must adhere to conduct that will not interfere with the learning process. It is strictly prohibited to be on campus while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Unlawful possession of drugs or narcotics of any kind is grounds for immediate dismissal. Smoking, eating, drinking (i.e. soda or coffee) or chewing gum is not allowed in classrooms, laboratories or Externship Sites other than in designated areas. Students will be responsible for all school property damaged or destroyed with or without intent. Intentional defacing or destruction of school property by any student will result in immediate dismissal. Students are required to keep their work areas clean and orderly and return all equipment and supplies to their proper storage area before they leave the classroom or laboratory for the day.
Antigua College International maintains a standard of conduct regarding the unlawful use,
possession, or distribution of illegal drugs, controlled substances (drugs and alcohol) by its students. Students are to report to the campus and clinical sites free from the effects of any substances. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action by Antigua College International, up to and including dismissal.
Students will be issued one Antigua College International photo ID card at no charge. ID cards must be worn to clinical facilities with photo-side facing forward. Replacement cards, due to loss or damage, will be issued at the student’s cost of $10. Externship students are required to wear their ID cards at their externship sites unless otherwise requested by the site supervisor.
Cell phone use is not permitted during class time. This rule extends to any form of communication using a cell phone, including text messaging and emailing. Placing and receiving calls or sending and receiving text messages or emails during class disrupts the learning process and is strictly prohibited. Cell phones are not allowed under any circumstances during exam sessions. A student found using a cell phone during an exam will automatically earn an F (failure) for the exam, regardless of reason. Antigua College International strives to maintain a positive and honest learning environment and remains committed to preparing students for professional working environments.
Students must use the college’s computers responsibly and not engage in computer or internet use that is inappropriate, offensive, or includes pornographic material. Students may not install or remove software from the computers in the classrooms or library unless authorized by an instructor for class work. Students may not use the college’s internet connection to conduct business or download trial or promotional software. Deliberately infecting Antigua College International computers with a virus is grounds for immediate dismissal.
Hazing is any conduct or initiation into any organization which willfully or recklessly endangers the physical or mental health of any person. Its use or imposition, in any form, is strictly prohibited. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary actions against the violator and will include counseling and possible dismissal from the college.
Students are required to wear the college uniform and student identification while attending class, on campus or at an externship site, unless otherwise requested by the externship site. Since the primary objective of this college is to prepare students for employment, students are expected to be neat and clean in appearance while attending classes and clinical sites. The approved uniform of Antigua College International is a blue scrub shirt with our logo affixed, blue scrub pants, and closed-toe shoes. The student shall appear well-groomed in both class and clinical settings, adhering to the Dress Code below.
Adherence to the dress codes is mandatory, as students are representing Antigua College International and the nursing profession. Students violating these rules will be given a verbal warning the first time; a second incident will be in the form of a written advisement. Finally, a third incident will result in probation and/or dismissal from the program.
- Clean, unwrinkled college uniform
- A solid-colored matching t-shirt or cotton/turtleneck/jersey may be worn under the uniform top
- Matching shoes and plain socks (shoes must have noiseless rubber heels)
- No open-toes or open-back shoes
- Identification badges: the college picture ID should be worn at all time in the clinical area and on college premises
- Plain matching sweater or scrub jacket
- Fingernails must be clean and short; colorless or flesh tone polish may be worn
- Makeup should be minimal and natural looking
- Students are required to bathe daily and apply deodorant
- Facial hair must be conservative and neatly trimmed
- Proper oral hygiene is required; designer caps are not permitted
- Heavy perfume and colognes are not permitted; the excessive odor of perfume, cologne, scented powders, tobacco, bad breath or other offensive body odors is unacceptable in the healthcare environment
- Men’s hair must not touch the collar of the uniform and styling must be professional and appropriate
- Women’s hair should be styled neatly and in such a manner that it does not move about freely, thereby becoming a possible source of contamination
- Wigs must comply with the above
- Hair decorations are not permitted
- Jewelry is limited to the following: wedding band, watch, one pair of conservative earrings in the lower lobe (women only), and/or medic alert
- Visible body piercings are not allowed
- Chewing gum is strictly prohibited in all clinical facilities and classroom
Antigua College International reserves the right to dismiss or terminate a student for breach of the college’s rules and regulations or for any cause by which Antigua College International deems necessary for the good of the college. Student conduct in the classroom, on college premises, or at affiliate sites must be professional at all times. The following list includes some, but not all, unacceptable behaviors that can and may lead to dismissal:
- Obscene language
- Hostile arguing
- Failure to pay tuition
- Falsification of records
- Striking and physical fighting
- Physical or mental intimidation • Theft of college or personal property
- Disrespectful behavior towards a staff member
- Violent behavior or threats of violence
- Behavior disruptive to teaching or learning
- Behavior deemed harassing and/or discriminatory of any nature
- Violation of the Acceptable Internet Use Policy
- Failure to maintain acceptable Standards of Academic Progress (SAP)
- Failure to comply with all the college’s policies and procedures
AN INSTRUCTOR MAY DISMISS A STUDENT FROM THE CLASSROOM OR CLINICAL AREA FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THESE REGULATIONS.
Students may be dismissed from the college for violating the policies, participating in unsafe, dishonest, or unethical behavior, or failure to comply with academic requirements. ACI reserves the right to withdraw students from the Nursing Program for reasons related to the inability to safely carry out professional responsibilities.