Policies
Privacy of Student Records
George Mason University fully intends to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. The Notification of Rights under FERPA and the Public Notice Designating Directory Information detail students’ rights and the procedures implemented by the university to comply with FERPA. Both notices are published in the Schedule of Classes and are available on the registrar’s website.
Honor Code
The Honor Code is an integral part of university life. Upon application to GMU, students sign a statement agreeing to conform to and uphold the Honor Code. The complete Honor Code is printed in the University Catalog (pages 30-31). Students and faculty must report all alleged violations to the Honor Committee.
Drug and Alcohol Policy
The abuse of drugs and alcohol by members of the campus community is not compatible with the goals of the university. Use or possession of illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia is prohibited on campus. The possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages is limited to those locations and circumstances authorized by university policy. Violations will be considered serious offenses and will be enforced according to the University Judicial Code. The complete drug and alcohol policy is published in the University Catalog (pages 48-49).
Academic Appeals
The process for appealing academic procedures is detailed on page 30 of the University Catalog.
Procedures for grade appeals are detailed on page 37 of the University Catalog and augmented in the CHHS policies and procedures section of the student handbook (pages 11 and 16).
CHHS HIV/HBV Policy
No student or faculty member is discriminated against or denied admission to the nursing program for the sole reason that the student of faculty member has been exposed to, infected, or diagnosed with HIV or HBV. In the event that a student has a clinical experience or practicum exposure to body fluids of a client, procedures and appropriate incident reports are to be completed according to institutional and nursing policies. A complete and detailed HIV/HBV policy is available in the CHHS Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
CHHS Professional Conduct Policy
The College of Health and Human Services reserves the right to place on probation, suspend, or dismiss any student from the program who does not demonstrate professional conduct. This includes, but is not limited to, verbal abuse, and/or insubordination, as well as behavior that threatens the safety of a client, another student, a faculty member, or other health care provider when the behaviors occurs within the context of the academic program. The student has the right to appeal.
Email Account
All students are required to have an active GMU email account.
Communication between faculty and student will be conducted through email.
The email account must be the GMU email account. If a student has an email account with another provider, he/she needs to arrange for GMU’s email to be forwarded to that account. Faculty will only send email via GMU email.
Activate your GMU email account at https://mail.gmu.edu.
CHHS Health and Immunization Requirements
In order to comply with the regulations established by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the agencies to which students are assigned, and to minimize risks to student health, every student enrolled in a College of Health and Human Services program requiring clinical coursework must document and submit evidence of good health and currency in immunization requirements on admission to the CHHS. Immunization can be obtained from Student Health Services in SUB I on the Fairfax campus of GMU.
TB screening by Mantoux PPD within the past year is required on admission to the CHHS nursing programs and must be renewed annually based on the date of your most recent screening. Students who have previously had a positive skin test prior to admission to the College will be required to submit evidence of a normal chest X-ray and prophylactic treatment on admission. Students who convert to a positive skin test while enrolled will be required to provide documentation of a normal chest X-ray and appropriate prophylactic treatment before continuing in coursework.
Current CPR certification at a professional level is required and must be renewed annually. Either Basic Life Support from the American Red Cross or BLS for the Healthcare Provider from the American Heart Association is acceptable.
Students must submit copies of required health records to the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. The Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management may verify compliance for clinical agencies, but health records will not be released to any clinical agency without authorization from the student. Students should keep their own copies of health records available for clinical assignments, should the agency require documentation.
All costs associated with immunization and certifications are the responsibility of the student. Health records are confidential and subject to FERPA protections.
Criminal Background Checks and Drug Screens
Clinical agencies mandate that all students have a criminal background check. Failure to clear the criminal background check will prevent a student from entering or proceeding in nursing studies. Results of criminal background checks are confidential.
Any arrests, regardless of adjudication, occurring after acceptance and during enrollment in a nursing program must be reported to the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management. Failure to promptly notify the Assistant Dean may be grounds for dismissal from the program.
In some cases, clinical agencies may require a drug screen prior to entry into the clinical environment. CHHS does not presently conduct or record the results of drug screens. Any required screening will be conducted according to the policies of the clinical agency.