Make-up examinations may be offered to students for approved circumstances (see Absence Policy). Under extremely unusual circumstance, students who plan to miss an exam or midterm for reasons that do not meet the excused absence qualifications, may submit a petition to the associate dean of academic progress for the opportunity to take the exam. The associate dean may refer to the faculty for input in these unusual circumstances and may take recommendations into consideration when making a determination. Students whose petitions are denied will not be allowed to make up the exam – which may result in failure of the course.

All make-up and remediation examinations must be completed by the stipulated deadline or a failing mark will automatically be recorded. Please adhere to the following procedures:

1. Within 24 hours of returning to class, students must contact the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Progress to petition for an excused absence.
2. Students are responsible for informing their faculty that a petition for an excused absence has been submitted.
3. Students who petition for an excused absence must provide the appropriate documentation to the associate dean’s office.
4. The Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Progress will notify the student, faculty and Faculty Support Office of the outcome of the petition. Students are not allowed to take a make-up quiz or exam prior to outcome notification.
5. Students who have been approved to make up an exam or quiz must schedule with the Faculty Support Office to take the exam within three (3) days of notification.
6. For make-up lab exams, the student must provide a copy of the paid receipt to the Faculty Support Office prior to taking the exam.

Remediation Exams *

An “FR” (Fail Remediate) is a temporary grade, and students who receive an “FR” are eligible to sit for remediation exams. All remediation exams must be completed and grade changes submitted to the Registrar’s Office by the end of week two of the following term (spring term grades have until week three of summer term). A group remediation date is scheduled for the Friday of week one in fall, winter, and spring terms, and the Friday of week two in summer term. Please adhere to the following procedures:

1.   Download the exam form from the Faculty Support Moodle page or pick up a hard copy from the Academic Support Office.

2.  Pay the exam fee in the Business Office and ask the Business Office staff to mark that you have paid on the exam form.

3.  Return the completed exam form to the Academic Support Office either before or during the Group Remediation period. 

4.   Take the exam at the scheduled Group Remediation period and submit a grade-change form with the completed exam.  All exams must be completed during the scheduled Group Remediation period unless the student has an excused absence from the associate dean of academic progress.

An unexcused absence from an examination or major graded exercise will generally be considered a failure. Students who submit a written request with supporting documentation may be excused provided the student has received written approval from the associate dean of academic progress before the examination or major graded exercise. With written documentation, the following absences may be considered excused and must be petitioned for through the Office of the Associate Dean of Academic Progress.

1. Illness
2. Attending a birth as part of an educational requirement
3. Bereavement
4. Family emergencies
5. Religious observance

Students who believe they have a disability that inhibits their attendance and ability to participate in class or clinic may contact the dean of students to discuss potential accommodations.

Students are allowed a maximum of two excused absences per clinic rotation. These include days missed because of clinic closures due to inclement weather or holidays. Students may make up hours missed through substitutions or scheduling extra holiday shifts.

Planned Absences  

These may include vacations, seminars and family emergencies.

• Planned absence notification must be submitted to the assistant registrar and the supervising doctor no less than two (2) weeks in advance using the absence request form. The assistant registrar is responsible for notifying the clinic front desk staff or community clinic staff of students’ planned absences.
• The supervising doctor has the authority to approve or deny a planned absence request.
• Students are responsible for obtaining a substitute unless approved in writing otherwise by the supervising practitioner.
• Requests for absence during the first week of the term will not be granted without appeal to the program dean using the General Appeal to Deviate from Current Policy or Requirements form.
• A request may be denied if there have been prior absences or if clinic closures due to holidays or inclement weather are anticipated.
• Students must notify their supervisor of a planned absence, speak with them about the best way to approach their patients’ care, and follow through with the agreed upon plan.

Appeals Process  

If an absence request has been denied, the student may appeal the decision by completing an Absence Request Appeal form and submitting it to the program dean. Appeals must be received at least ten (10) business days prior to the requested day off. Students should give themselves a four-week turnaround time on the entire process if they feel as though their absence request may be denied.

• An absence appeal must be requested before the student takes time off from clinic.
• It will be approved or denied based on the following factors: the availability of substitute coverage; make-up hours planned; and whether or not the reason for the request is considered to be adequate.
• If the request is denied, the student will be expected to attend the shift(s) in question or the absence will be unexcused.

Unplanned Absences

These include illness, family emergencies, attending a birth and, in some cases, transportation issues. Due to the short notice that typically occurs with such absences, the student is responsible for the following:

• Contacting the supervising practitioner about the absence. If unable to reach the supervisor directly, the student may leave a voice-mail message for her/him.
• Notifying the assistant registrar and the appropriate front desk staff or community clinic representative of the absence.
• Reviewing the patient schedule for that day. The student is responsible for consulting with the rotation’s supervising faculty to determine which, if any, patients should be rescheduled with the student for another time and which, if any, patients should be seen that day with an alternate student. This is an important step in quality patient care and it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that it happens.
• If a student attends a birth, she/he must provide documentation of the birth to the clinical supervisor.
• If a student calls in sick the first week of the term, she/he must provide the assistant registrar with a doctor’s note before the second week of the term. In the event of an emergency, a telephone number and detailed explanation should be given.
• If requesting an absence during week 12 (or week 11 during summer term) alternate arrangements must be made with the student’s clinical supervisor for completing the final clinical evaluation.

Unexcused Absences *

These are unprofessional and create hardships for patients, faculty, staff, and peers. Students will be referred to the Honor Council and may be docked 20 clinic hours for any unexcused absences.

Students considering a leave of absence should schedule an appointment with the dean of students. A student may apply for a leave of absence of up to one year, which entitles the student to re-enter NCNM during the next calendar year, provided there is space in her/his class. Students taking less than a full year off may not be allowed to continue with a full class load due to sequential courses, and missing prerequisites. In such instances, the student may be required to enter a new educational track which must be approved by the student’s program dean and registrar. The program deans and/or associate dean of academic progress can guide students through their new schedule. 

The registrar must be advised of a student’s intention to return to NCNM within 30 days of intended return, and before the beginning of the quarter in which she/he plans to register. The registrar will instruct the student to fill out and submit a Returning Student Notification form to the following offices: Registrar; Financial Aid; Business Administration; and Student Services. The form should be returned to the Registrar’s Office when it is completed. 

If a student does not return within one year, she/he will be considered administratively withdrawn from NCNM and will be required to submit a new application for admission. The student will need to satisfy admission requirements in effect at the time of reapplication, but may request that the application fee be waived. A leave of absence normally will be granted to any student who is in good standing (i.e., has no outstanding grades of Incomplete, Fail Remediate or Failure for required courses, and is not on academic or disciplinary probation) and who has satisfied all financial obligations to NCNM.

Medical Leave of Absence *

Students considering a medical leave of absence must schedule an appointment with the dean of students. In the case of a medical leave of absence, which may be granted to a student on academic probation, appropriate documentation is required from the attending physician. The physician must indicate the necessity of granting the leave. Students who are on medical leave of absence cannot participate in any academic activities, including remediating incomplete grades or exams, and/or participating in clinical rotation shifts, including field observation. A student who wishes to return from a medical leave of absence must provide to the dean of students adequate documentation from the attending physician demonstrating the student’s fitness for returning to the program. After documentation has been reviewed and accepted by the dean of students, the registrar will be advised of the student’s intention to return to NCNM. The advisement of a student’s intention to return must be given within 30 days of intended return, and before the beginning of the quarter in which she/he plans to register. The registrar will instruct the student to fill out and submit a Returning Student Notification form to the following offices:  Registrar; Financial Aid; Business Administration; program dean; and Student Services. The form should be returned to the Registrar’s Office when it is completed. 

If a student on leave does not return within one year, she/he will be considered administratively withdrawn from NCNM and will be required to submit a new application for admission. Any incomplete grades will be converted to a failing grade. The student will need to satisfy admission requirements in effect at the time of reapplication, but may request that the application fee be waived. 

A student may request a review of a grade given in an exam or a final grade for a course only in the following manner:

A written request by the student, for a review of the grade, must be submitted to the faculty member. This appeal must be within two weeks of the posted grade. The faculty member will advise the student in writing of her/his decision within seven days of receipt of the request. Passing grades cannot be appealed to receive a grade of “honors.”

The student may appeal the faculty member’s decision in writing to the program dean. This appeal must be made within seven days of the faculty member’s written notice to the student regarding her/his decision. The written appeal to the program dean must be accompanied by appropriate written documentation as to why the student feels the grade is in error, and what the outcome was of the discussion and appeal with the faculty member. The dean will forward the appeal to the Academic Appeal and Review Committee. The Committee will review the documentation including a discussion with the faculty member and issue a recommendation to the program dean. The recommendations from the Committee may include upholding the grade as submitted, or requiring the student to remediate an exam. The Committee may not recommend a passing grade to be substituted in place of a failing grade. The program dean will review the recommendations and will make a final decision. The student and faculty member will be notified in writing of the final decision. The decision is final and may not be appealed to higher authority.

Student Record Retention Policy *

Degree audits document student completion of degree requirements. Records are maintained by the Registrar’s Office for five (5) years after last enrollment.

Evaluation Process *

Sixth Week Review

During the sixth week of each term, students meet with their faculty advisors to discuss their clinical performance. The evaluation covers clinical skills, knowledge, thought processes, and professional behavior. The meetings are designed to give students constructive feedback, identify areas of excellence or concern, and assess students’ overall progress in an informal, supportive atmosphere.Week six reviews are provided to students in written form, but are not tracked through the Registrar’s Office.

Evaluation

Final evaluations of all ND students are conducted during either week 11 or week 12 of each term. Supervising faculty meet with each student individually to discuss their evaluation of the student’s performance over the duration of that clinic rotation. Student grades are based on these evaluations. In addition, students do a self-evaluation prior to meeting with their clinical faculty member. Grades are submitted as pass or fail. Students must repeat a failed shift, and the faculty member must document areas the student must develop during remediation if remediation is required by the faculty member on their final grade form.

Skills-Building

ND students requiring extra support in meeting minimal levels of clinical competency are counseled and referred for additional instruction by their clinical supervisors or the dean of naturopathic medicine.

Skills-building tutorials are generally scheduled over a six-week period of time; students may be referred to these shifts at any point during the term. The skills-building instructor carefully assesses each student’s abilities and works with her/him directly throughout the duration of the shift. At the end of the referral period, the instructor reassesses the student’s abilities and determines if the student should continue with the skills-building shift. A faculty member may require a skills-building shift, even if a student receives a passing grade, if the faculty member feels the student needs additional help to remain on track in their clinical education.

If a student fails only one course the following occurs:

Once a student is placed on academic probation they must sign an academic contract and they must repeat the course the next time it is offered and they cannot take any courses in which the failed course is a prerequisite.  Once the failed course is repeated and passed the student is removed from probation.

If a student fails two or more courses then they must appear before ARAC:

Academic Probation *

Students failing required courses will be placed on academic probation. When placed on probation all students must meet with the associate dean of academic progress to sign an academic contract within one week. This agreement will delineate a timetable for repeating failed courses, identify other needed resources, and requires that the student not fail any other required courses during the probationary period. Students may not register or receive financial aid until a current academic contract is on file in the Registrar’s Office. Students who fail to complete an academic contract will be withdrawn from any courses in which they are currently enrolled. Students are advised to meet with their college advisor(s) to discuss and create an academic action plan which includes strategies for successful completion of their program.

Students are removed from academic probation once any courses or clinic shifts are repeated and passed, and the terms of the academic contract are met.

Unsatisfactory Academic Progress *

Students who do not make satisfactory academic progress may be referred to the Academic Review and Appeals Committee (ARAC). This committee reviews student progress both in required courses and in the clinic. ARAC makes recommendations to the program dean for final determination.

Essential elements reviewed include but are not limited to:

• Failure of a course or clinic shift.
• Failure to complete an Academic Contract in a timely manner.
• Failure to comply with the terms of an Academic Contract.

The committee will review the situation, meet with the student and take action. Possible actions include:

• Revised conditions of the academic contract.
• Suspension from NCNM or from a specific program for up to a year.
• Dismissal from NCNM or from a specific program.

Dismissal from the college may occur in the following cases:

• Failure to satisfy an academic contract.
• Failure of two clinic shifts in an academic year.
• Failure of three required classes in a given quarter.
• Failure of two sequential classes.
• Failure of same class twice.
• Violations of professional conduct.
• Failure to meet technical standards.
• Receiving three or more RPs in an academic career.
• Failure of the GPA3 for ND students three times.

Summary of Community Hour Requirements *

Students may begin accumulating community education hours upon matriculation to NCNM. All activities must be pre-approved by the program dean (ND or CCM) or the associate dean of academic progress. A tracking form must be signed and filed with the Registrar’s Office upon completion of the event.

Community education activities are designed to enhance the student’s ability to present oneself professionally to the public while increasing the awareness of naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine in the community. Community education opportunities are plentiful and may be of the student’s own design or may be pre-planned events such as health fairs, community events, and professional association activities where students are educating the public about natural medicine.

In addition to public speaking, students may accumulate community education credits for conducting research and/or producing written materials that increase community awareness of naturopathic and classical Chinese medicine. These events are not to be used as forums in which students practice medicine, give specific medical advice or diagnose disease.

There will be six hours of lecture to instruct students in the different approved community education activity skills, such as public speaking, writing, working at a health fair, networking, and other activities.  These are presented to students on either a set date or variable date classes and workshops. There are then 18 required hours of community education activity as approved by the program dean or associate dean. 

2 hour lecture: mandatory, set date (2nd year)

2, 1 hour workshops: mandatory but variable date

2 hour lecture: mandatory, set date (4th year, spring term)

Community Education Activities: 18 hours, variable as approved by program Dean

Graduation Requirements *

Candidates for graduation must:

• Satisfy all courses in the prescribed curriculum.
• Satisfy clinic requirements.
• If a transfer student, complete at least three years (3) of professional training enrolled as a student at NCNM.
• If a second professional degree student, complete at least two (2) years of professional training enrolled as a student at NCNM.
• Satisfy all financial obligations to NCNM.

Only students who have completed all their academic coursework, MSiMR thesis and capstone project, ND case papers, and clinic hours by the scheduled commencement ceremonies may participate in the ceremony and in taking the oath. Students who have not completed all requirements may participate in the following year’s ceremony.A student who has completed all their coursework, except for a small number of clinical hours or final revisions to the MSOM thesis, may be allowed to petition to participate in commencement ceremonies.

Remote Rooms *

A remote classroom with audio/video live feeds is only available for nursing mothers and others with permission from the Office of Student Services. Students are required to submit a request form, including faculty signature, to establish expectations of class participation. Please note that not all classes are available for remote viewing due to the nature of some classes and specific instructor requirements. Babies-in-arms are permitted in remote rooms, but parents must find off-site childcare once babies begin crawling or are over 12 months of age. Due to academic concerns regarding class participation and video education, students are permitted to use the remote classroom for a maximum of two terms during their NCNM degree program (or concurrent-degree track). 

Disability and Accommodation Services *

The Office of Student Services coordinates academic accommodation services for students with disabilities, and promotes campus awareness of issues and needs of students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should submit a written request concerning their accommodation needs. Written requests should be made at least eight (8) weeks in advance of the quarter. Documentation of an existing disability is required and must be no older than five years prior to enrollment into NCNM. Documentation and requests may need to be submitted each quarter and may be re-evaluated each quarter. 

Add/Drop Policy *

Academic Courses

Students may register online for elective courses during the designated time period to change sections. Add/Drop form must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office with the appropriate signatures. Students may not deviate from the established curriculum unless they have submitted and received approval via a “Deviate from Standard Policy” form. Courses may be dropped weeks 3-6 with proper signatures. The grade for courses dropped weeks 3-6 will be recorded as "W" (withdrawal passing) or “WF” (withdrawal failing). Students may not drop after week 6. Non-attendance in any course will earn a grade of “F.” Weekend courses may be added or dropped up to the day before they begin based on the same criteria as above. Weekend courses that are dropped before they begin will receive a one hundred percent (100%) tuition refund. Lab and retreat fees are non-refundable once the term begins. In addition, students who are on federal financial aid and whose reduced course loads change their status from full- to part-time must meet with the director of Financial Aid.

All core curriculum courses require a dean’s signature to qualify as an approved dropped course.

Week one of term – Students may add/drop/change sections/change to audit and receive a 100 percent (100%) refund. 

Week two of term – Students may add/drop/change sections/change to audit and receive a 100 percent (100%) refund. Students withdrawing from school completely will receive a 90 percent refund.

Week three–six of term – Instructor signature required and instructor must indicate drop/pass or drop/fail; refund of eighty percent (80%), seventy percent (70%), sixty percent (60%), or fifty percent (50%), respectively.

After week six students may no longer drop a course.If a student withdraws from school, no refund is allowed.

All courses starting after week one of the term will follow the same add/drop policy as outlined above.

Clinic Shifts

To add or drop a clinic shift, students must have an Add/Drop form approved by the assistant registrar. Students have a three to five day period after the first clinic schedule has been posted to make any additional changes in their clinic shift schedule (add or drop) without being charged. This period is known as the “schedule adjustment” period. The actual deadline date is indicated on all schedules posted on campus prior to the beginning of the term. A $50 add/drop fee will be charged for any shift changes after the deadline date, which is approximately one week after the “schedule adjustment” period has ended. Students who request any changes in their clinic shifts after the deadline must fill out the “General Appeal to Deviate from Current Policy or Requirements” form and submit it to the assistant registrar. A decision will be made, and then the student will be notified by the assistant registrar of the outcome. Students are responsible for attending their current clinic shifts until decisions are finalized. All fees concerning clinic shifts will apply.

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