Institutional Policies

Advisors and Registration: Each student is assigned an advisor who will work with the student in planning for orderly transition through the program. Advisees should meet their advisors prior to registration for classes. Additional meetings may be held if deemed necessary by advisee, advisor or both.

Students are responsible for their own education. Each student is given a curriculum plan, which clearly outlines the requirements of the program, semester by semester. Additional pertinent information is provided in the University Student Handbook. It is the responsibility of the student to know and to follow the requirements and procedures contained in this handbook. As additional procedures are adopted by the program, students will be provided this information electronically or in writing.

Students should follow the University registration format as outlined in the semester schedule of classes. Advisors will generally post hours when they will be available for student advisement. Students should contact their advisor before making changes in their schedule of classes. Students who interrupt their program for any reason must meet with the program director and their advisor to determine the appropriate course of action.

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (Required element 8.1d): All students who are admitted to the Dietetics program have equal access to the program. Arkansas State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer with a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff. To that end, the University provides opportunities in employment practices, admission and treatment of students without regard to color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, age, national origin, religion, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or disability. A-State complies with all applicable federal and state legislation and does not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria. Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the university Affirmative Action Program Coordinator.

Privacy of Information (Required element 8.2r): Student files related to advisement, registration information, evaluations, etc. are kept on the dietetics drive. Only faculty members have access to these records and they are not accessible by other students or unauthorized individuals. A-State and the dietetics program adhere to the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act (FERPA) which affords students certain rights in regard to their educational records. Students have the right to inspect and review their education records except for specific exclusions contained within the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (Required element 8.2s). Consult the bulletins page for the complete policy. Students can contact the program director to see their dietetics file.

Student Support Services (Required element 8.2t): The Counseling Center offers personal, career or academic counseling and outreach programming to members of the A-State community. Counseling Center services are performed by psychologists and counselors, counseling interns, and counseling practicum students. All full time staff members are licensed mental health practitioners and services are always performed by those whose skills and training are appropriate to the task. Center staff provides lectures and workshops at sites across campus, in the residence halls, and to student organizations. Center staff is also available for consultation to academic departments and other University offices as well.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships office provides financial resources to students who would otherwise be unable to pursue a college education. Information on available financial aid is disseminated to both currently enrolled and prospective students. Every effort is made to meet the demonstrated financial needs of all students enrolled at A-State. Financial aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need except where funds are specified for recognition of special talents or abilities. Practices and procedures followed by the Financial Aid staff ensure fair and equitable treatment for all applicants. The director and the staff of the office compile composite financial aid packages for individual students to provide maximum grant and scholarship funds, along with part-time employment, in order to keep the necessity for loans at a minimum. They assist students in seeking, obtaining, and utilizing to the best advantage all financial resources available. The office seeks to obtain maximum funding for all aid programs—federal, institution, and state sources. Consult the bulletins page more information.

Dean B. Ellis Library functions as an educational center for the university community, providing extensive resources and central location on campus. The periodical collection and nutrition-related textbooks, as well as interlibrary loan services, are more than adequate to support the need for informational sources for the dietetic students. The library also holds a collection of books and periodicals in support of other health-related subjects, such as nursing, psychology, sociology, biology, sports medicine, and speech pathology.

Pack Support is a one-stop resource for students seeking campus resources, information and extra guidance. This program connects students, parents, faculty and staff to university procedures and resources via quick, effective communication. Specific issues or concerns may include but are not limited to academic performance, harm to self or others, financial concerns, food or shelter anxieties, housing issues, illness or hospitalization and student conduct. Contact PackSupport@astate.edu for assistance.

Arkansas State University’s Director of Access and Accommodation Services is also the university’s compliance coordinator for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this capacity, the coordinator arranges for academic adjustments and auxiliary aids to be provided to qualified students and coordinates workplace accommodations. The coordinator is the individual to whom concerns about physical access to facilities should be addressed. Arkansas State University will provide auxiliary aids, without cost, to those students with verified disabilities/handicaps who require such services. If service providers are necessary, Arkansas State University will provide appropriately trained providers (other than paid tutors).

Withdrawal and Refund of Tuition and Fees (Required element 8.2p): Students should consult with their instructor and academic advisor before changing class schedules or withdrawing from a course. Students receiving Financial Aid or Scholarships should also consult their Financial Aid Counselor. Students should consult the bulletins page for information regarding withdrawal and refund of tuition and fees.

Academic Integrity and Ethics: Arkansas State University promotes academic integrity and professional ethics among all members of the A‐State academic community. Violations of this policy are considered as serious misconduct and may result in severe penalties, up to and including expulsion from Arkansas State University. A student deemed to have engaged in academic misconduct may not avoid academic sanctions by withdrawing from a class, a program, or the University.

The College Student Academic Honor Code exists in addition to the University Code of Conduct and the Academic Integrity Policy found in the Student Handbook. An academic honor offense by the college code is defined as an act of lying/willful misrepresentation, cheating/unapproved collaboration, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty of others. For the purposes of these definitions, an assignment includes any task assigned as a course requirement or program requirement. Assignments include but are not limited to papers, projects, homework, and exams. These terms are defined as follows

Lying/willful misrepresentation - a false statement (written or oral) made with the deliberate intent to deceive; something intended to or serving to convey a false impression.

Fabricating quotations and/or sources
Fabricating, dishonestly adjusting, omitting, or otherwise misrepresenting research results and records, including information, data, statistics, research facts, and its analysis
Engaging in selective reporting or omission of conflicting data for deceptive purposes
Altering graded work, then resubmitting it for a new grade
Providing false information about reasons for class absences or late work when requesting a make-up quiz or exam or an extension for homework
Submitting the same paper in more than one class without the approval of the instructors involved
Submitting a paper from a previous semester for a current class without the approval from the instructor
Failing to provide required or requested information regarding academic performance or enrollments at previous institutions
Intentionally obstructing or interfering with other students’ academic work, or otherwise undertaking activity with the purpose of creating or obtaining an unfair academic advantage over other students’ academic work.
Altering documents affecting academic records, such as falsifying information on an official academic document, form, grade report, letter of permission, clinical record, student ID cards, or any other official document.
Providing false information to others about academic performance, leadership activities, or membership in student organizations.
Falsification of information records
Recording hours not actually worked
Submitting an altered or fabricated preceptor evaluation
Altering a score, grade, or schedule change on an academic record.
Forging the signature of an instructor, advisor, dean, or another student without proper authorization
Video or audio recording lecture or private meetings without prior permission
Creating false university, college, or other official correspondences (such as medical documentation)

Cheating/Unapproved Collaboration - an act of dishonesty with the intent of obtaining and/or using information in a fraudulent or unauthorized manner. Examples of cheating include, but are not limited to:

Observing and/or copying from another student's assignment.
Giving or receiving assistance during an examination period. This includes providing specific answers to subsequent examinees and/or dispensing or receiving information that would allow the student to have an unfair advantage in the examination over students who did not possess such information.
Using class notes, outlines, and/or other unauthorized information during an examination.
Using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting, in part or in whole, the contents of an assignment when such action is not authorized by the instructor of the class.
Using for credit in a subsequent class an assignment written for credit in a previous class without the knowledge and permission of the instructor of the subsequent class. This includes when a student is repeating a course for credit.
Impersonating or attempting to impersonate another person, or permitting or requesting another person to impersonate you for the purpose of taking an examination or completing other assignments.
Unauthorized collaborating during an examination, lab, or any course requirement with any other person by giving or receiving information without specific permission of the instructor.
Altering grades or official records.
Falsifying or signing another person’s name on any academically‐related University form or document.
Sabotaging or interfering with the academic progress of others.
Submitting altered, fraudulent, or falsified data, course, degree program requirements, including but not limited to honor’s thesis; doctoral dissertation; qualifying exam; dissertation defense, and University records/forms.

Discipline: Faculty members may respond to cases of cheating in any of the following ways:

Allow the testing to progress without interruption, informing the offending student about the offense-and award a failing grade on the test—“F” if a letter grade is used or zero if a numerical grade is used.
Seize the test of the offending student and give a failing grade on the paper.
Give the offending student a failing grade in the course.
Recommend sanctions, including disciplinary expulsion from the university. All cases should be referred to the student conduct system.

Plagiarism - the act of taking, using, and/or presenting the idea(s), work(s), and/or writing(s) of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to:

Submitting as one’s own any theme, paper, report, computer program, presentation, creative work, or scholarly work of any nature belonging to, or written or created by another.
- To avoid plagiarism, give written credit and acknowledgment to the source of thoughts, ideas, and/or words, whether you have used direct quotation, paraphrasing, or just a reference to a general idea.
- If you directly quote works written by someone else, enclose the quotation with quotation marks and provide an appropriate citation (e.g., footnote, endnote, bibliographical reference).
- Research for an assignment, as well as the complete assignment, must be the work of the person seeking academic credit for the course.

Discipline: Faculty members may respond to cases of plagiarism in any of the following ways:

Return the paper or other item for rewriting; the grade may be lowered.
Give a failing grade on the paper or other item—“F” if a letter grade is used or zero if a numerical grade is used.
Give the student who plagiarized a failing grade in the course.
Recommend sanctions, including disciplinary expulsion from the university. All classes should be referred to the student conduct system.

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty of Others – intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help others commit an act of academic dishonesty.

Writing a paper for another student
Allowing another student to use your past homework assignments, paper, labs, or similar items
Sharing homework with another student when told collaboration is not allowed
Allowing or helping another student to look at your exam or quiz during a test
Sharing with other students your notes, books, calculators, phones, photos, computers, web sites, tweets, social media, or other aids during a quiz or an exam when not allowing by the instructor
Completing another student’s exam or quiz by filling in the student’s scantron card or other answer sheet or by attending the exam in place of the other student
Providing any materials, information, or assistance to another person with the knowledge or reasonable expectation that such would be used for dishonest purposes
Stealing, reproducing, circulating, or otherwise gaining access to a quiz, exam, or homework materials prior to the time authorized by an instructor

These academic honor code violations apply whether they are performed individually or in groups. They apply to didactic, laboratory and clinical experiences of the program.

Procedures: If a student is aware of an honor offense, he/she should report that offense to either the faculty member of the course in question, the program director or the department chair. An investigation will result.

If there is evidence to bring forward, the student will be notified, in writing, of the specific charges, who the hearing body will be and the time and place of the hearing. Such notification will be delivered at least two working days in advance of the hearing. The date of the hearing, if possible, must be set within 10 working days from the date of notification to the student.

The College Code of Ethics Committee will hear the case. The Ethics Committee is comprised of five CNHP student representatives and two CNHP faculty appointed by the dean. Actions by the Ethics Committee may include: 1) dismissal of the case, 2) sanction the student, 3) refer the case to the Dean of Students, Student Affairs. Disciplinary sanctions by the committee may include educative, reprimand, restrictions and restitution. The committee does not have the authority to suspend or expel the student.

Student rights in this committee process are outlined in the A-State Student Handbook under the caption "Disciplinary Hearings". The student is entitled to one appeal rendered by the Associate Dean for Judicial Affairs. The process for appeal is in the section on "Appeal Process”.

Tobacco Policy: Effective August 1, 2010, A-State will be a Smoke Free campus. See Appendix for complete policy. While in the supervised practice setting, students will comply with the organization’s specific policy. Effective October 1, 2005, Arkansas state law prohibits smoking on any grounds owned by a hospital including, but not limited to, buildings in and on which medical facilities operate together with all property owned by a medical facility that is contiguous to the buildings which medical services are provided. Any student who smokes or uses smokeless tobacco products in a classroom, lab or supervised practice site will be subject to that facility’s policy or procedure actions [removal from premises or fined] and will not be allowed to return to the site. This may result in removal from the practicum course.

You are solely responsible for what you post online. Inappropriate postings specific to patients, classmates or faculty that include discriminatory remarks, harassment or threats, or violations of professional codes of conduct are subject to disciplinary action. Your actions could adversely affect your standing in your health professions program which could include program dismissal.

You should be aware that future employers may view potential candidate’s websites. Students are advised to review their site (s) for any unprofessional images or language which could adversely affect successful employment upon graduation. Please make responsible decisions about your use of social media.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): FERPA or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 provides protection for all educational records related to students enrolled in an educational program. Information about your rights and protection of your records is available on A-State’s website. If you have questions or concerns about FERPA issues, you may email registrar@astate.edu or contact the Office of Admission, Records, and Registration.

BIO SIG (Required element 8.2o): Arkansas State University is required by federal law and regional accreditors to confirm the identity of all students who take online courses. Authenticating students’ identities throughout their coursework ensures the academic integrity of the institution while also preserving the quality of the online degree you earn. To meet the requirements of federal law and regional accreditation, Arkansas State University requires online students to authenticate their identity through BioSig ID.

BioSig ID requires that you create a biometric password with a mouse, stylus, or your finger on a variety of computers and devices. Your biometric password cannot be replicated by someone else. You will be required authenticate your identity with BioSig ID prior to completing quizzes and exams as well as periodically throughout each course. All authentications take place within Canvas. Please see the Create BioSig ID folder in Canvas for further details.