ACADEMIC POLICIES

Academic Standards and Policies 

Approved by Faculty, May 2006; Revised August 2025 

The Academic Standards and Policies of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing reflect the level of intellectual rigor required by both the University and the profession of Nursing. As a professional school, the School of Nursing must maintain the highest standards to ensure that the graduates of the program exhibit the level of knowledge, clinical skill, and integrity expected by the public and the profession. 

On the Use of Artificial Intelligence 

Content generated by artificial intelligence programs must be cited and properly acknowledged, and students should only use this content in instances when the professor of the course has authorized it. Editing content generated through artificial intelligence programs is not considered to be work "written entirely in the words of the student" and must, therefore, be cited. 

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Genesis, Copilot, or any other AI-generated content platforms is strictly prohibited for the creation of assignments, papers, examinations, homework, or creative work unless expressly authorized in writing or orally by the course faculty. This includes using AI to draft, edit, or brainstorm content. 

Content generated by artificial intelligence programs must be cited and properly acknowledged when their use is permitted. Students may only use AI-generated content when explicitly authorized by course faculty. Editing content generated through artificial intelligence programs is not considered work “written entirely in the words of the student” and must therefore be cited. 

Using an AI program to generate any content for any assignment (including, but not limited to examinations, papers, homework, and creative work) constitutes plagiarism and is a violation of the Honor Code, unless: 

• The student acknowledges the extent to which an AI program contributed to their work, and 

• The assignment permits the use of outside resources, including AI tools. 

The use of an AI tool when outside resources are not allowed or when its use is explicitly prohibited may also constitute seeking unauthorized assistance or violates other provisions of the Honor Code. Students are responsible for clarifying expectations with faculty prior to using any AI tools. Misuse of AI will be considered an academic integrity violation and subject to disciplinary action. 

Grading Scale 

The symbols: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F, W, WF, S, U, WU, I, IF/IU and AUD are used in the School of Nursing for pre-licensure and post-licensure students. 

Students enrolled in the PhD program will follow the Laney Graduate School grading scale. The responsibility for assigning grades rests exclusively with the faculty of a course. 

Grading Policies for Pre-licensure and Post-licensure Courses 

Final grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number if the 10th space number is 5 or higher. For example, 69.3 = 69% (D+); and 69.5 = 70% (C-). Grades are reported to the Registrar at the end of each semester. 

Graded or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Course Options 

Some courses in the School of Nursing can be taken as a graded or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) option. The student may select either option during registration. If a student chooses to change the grading option, this decision must be made by the end of the first week of class during the Drop/Add period. After the first week of class, the grading option will not be changed. The course faculty will define what constitutes earning a grade of S/U. 

Calculating the Grade Point Average (GPA) 

COURSE GPA = Credit Hours X Grade Numerical Equivalent 

SEMESTER (TERM) GPA = (Course I GPA + Course 2 GPA + Course 3 GPA) / Total Semester Credit Hours 

CUMULATIVE GPA = Total Quality Points / Total Credit Hours 

The GPA is calculated by multiplying the course credits for each course by the numerical equivalent for the grade received in the course, adding the total number and dividing by the total number of credits taken. Averages are tabulated for each semester and on a cumulative basis.