General Institutional Information

Privacy of Student Records − Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Students have the right to inspect their education records, to request corrections or deletions and certain rights to limit access to such records by other persons. A written request to view the records should be submitted by the student to the appropriate academic person. Records or transcripts may be disclosed to parents only with written consent of the student. Students are required to sign a release of information statement prior to graduation or termination from the College. This statement designates whether a formal written request is required. Academic records of all students currently enrolled in the College are kept and maintained by the College. Other records kept include permanent Alumni records, Clinical Evaluation form, Financial Aid records and an Advisement record. An Advisement Record is kept by each student's academic advisor. This Advisement Record contains the student's admission worksheet, ongoing course requirements, current grade record, advisement session log sheet, and the student's determined academic plan. According to the Buckley Amendment, students have access to information placed in the Advisement Record.

Access to Official College Records
All records containing confidential material are kept in locked file cabinets with access limited to those who have legal authority to review them. The provisions of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 are used as guidelines in determining protection of information. The policy statement concerning students’ access to their records appear in the College catalog. Students are asked to sign a statement concerning parental access to grades and other materials when they enter the College. This statement is kept in the student's file and may be changed at any time by the student. Enrolled students and/or their parents may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they believe the College has failed to comply with the Family Education Right and Privacy Act.

Procedures for Challenging Content of Official Records
Students who wish to challenge any aspects of their official record which they feel could be inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of their privacy may proceed through the appeals procedure.

Disclosure to Parents
Student records or transcripts may be disclosed to parents only with written consent of the student. Records of requests and disclosures, whether granted or not, are maintained in the Registrar’s Office. These are considered a part of the permanent record of the student.

Price of Attendance - Tuition fees

Refund Policy and Requirements for Withdrawal and Return of Federal Financial Aid
To be fair and equitable to all students who withdraw from the College, the federal formula is used to determine the refund a student is to receive even if no federal financial aid is involved.

The Higher Education Act as Amended mandates the way funds paid towards a student's education are to be calculated when a recipient of Title IV funds withdraws. Withdrawal or termination procedure follows established college policy. Completion of withdrawal procedures will automatically initiate calculation of refunds. An administrative fee of up to 5% of school charges or $100 (whichever is less) will be calculated against all refunds.

The federal formula mandates a return to Title IV aid if the student received federal financial assistance in the form of a Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Federal Stafford Student Loans, and Federal Plus Loans. A statutory federal formula is applied to determine the amount of Title IV funds a student has earned at the "date of withdrawal."

Generally, after completion of 60% or more of the semester, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds and is charged 100% of the cost for tuition and fees. The student is always responsible for miscellaneous charges to their account.

If a student does not complete 60% or more of the semester, the percentage of Title IV aid to be returned is equal to the number of calendar days remaining in the semester divided by the number of calendar days in the semester. Scheduled breaks of more than 5 consecutive days are excluded.

If any funds are remaining after the return of the Title IV aid, they will be used to repaly state funds, private or institutional aid. All aid sources will be repaid before any funds are returned to the student.

If funds were released to a student because of a credit balance on the student's account, the student may find he or she owes a balance to the College.

Withdrawal from a Course
Students may withdraw from a course any time after the drop period and before the last day of class or clinical. Withdrawals will be recorded on the transcript according to policy as WX if before midterm, WP if passing the course after midterm, WF if failing the course after midterm, and WA if auditing the course. Any course in which a grade of WX, WP, WF or WA is received must be repeated in its entirety. (See Financial Aid Withdrawal Calculation Policy)

Add/Drop/Withdrawal Procedure
Students adding, dropping or withdrawing from a course must complete the Change of Study form. This form is available through the Academic Advisor. After this form is completed and signed, the student takes the form to the Academic Dean for approval. Withdrawal from the College Students withdrawing from the College must complete the official withdrawal procedure. This procedure is available through the Academic Advisor. The student is responsible for providing written documentation that all library and course materials, identification badge and parking permit have been returned. The student is responsible for finalizing all financial obligations to the College. The appropriate status at withdrawal will be recorded on the student’s transcript according to policy. (See Financial Aid Add Drop Policy)

Readmission
Students who have not been enrolled in the college within the last year must complete the readmission process. Those seeking readmission must contact the appropriate academic person for full details concerning the process. Decisions regarding readmission will be made by the Student Affairs Committee with full consideration of individual student circumstances and space availability. Students re-enter under current academic and clinical policies/requirements.

Instructional Facilities

St. John's College is housed in a building adjacent to the hospital at 729 E. Carpenter Street in Springfield, Illinois.  The administrative offices, financial aid office, faculty offices, classrooms, and recreational rooms are all conveniently located in this two-story building. A fully equipped nursing arts laboratory with state-of-the-art material is provided or student use.

The computer laboratory with its nursing education programs is also made accessible to students to assist learning in a highly technological environment.

The office of the Financial Aid Officer is located on the first floor of the College to allow ready access in the event questions or concerns arise about financial aid matters.

Recreational facilities are also located on the second floor with lounge areas, and a television for students during the hours the building is open (Monday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Being adjacent to St. John's Hospital makes access to its services possible at all times.

Reasonably priced cafeteria services and a full range of health services are readily available in the hospital.

A large, well-provisioned Health Science library is located on the second floor of St. John’s Hospital. In addition to the educational opportunities offered on the St. John's campus, students may use the medical library at Southern Illinois School of Medicine and the many services available in the city of Springfield. Lincoln library, the state library and the various governmental offices are within walking distance of the College.

Faculty List - View list

Transfer of Credit Policies
Transfer of credit from St. John's College, Department of Nursing to other institutions is dependent upon the policies and procedures of the receiving institution. St. John's College cannot guarantee acceptance of transfer credit or equivalency of transferred credit in other institutions.

Transfer of Upper Division Credit
Students who wish to transfer credit for courses completed in other accredited baccalaureate programs must meet the general admission criteria and submit an official transcript and a college catalog. In addition, students seeking admission to the Nursing major must submit a statement indicating the reason they wish to transfer and provide copies of all nursing course syllabi. Upper division non-nursing courses taken on a CR/NC or P/F basis will be accepted only if the granting institution evaluates this option as a grade of C or above. The course hours will be counted towards graduation, but will not be calculated in the GPA.

Accreditation, Approval, and Licensure of Institution and Programs
The College is approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation to grant the baccalaureate degree in nursing. It is also approved by the State Agency for Veterans’ Benefits for the Montgomery G.I. Bill.

St. John’s College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCAHLC).

The Higher Learning Commission of North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Address: 230 South LaSalle St., Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604-1413

Phone: (312) 263-0456

Website: http://www.ncahlc.org

St. John's baccalaureate nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).

The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission

Address: 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326

Phone: (404) 975-5000

Website: http://www.nlnac.org

Computer Use and File Sharing
Students have access to the College’s computer laboratory during the hours posted. Instructional aids available include Microsoft Office 2003 package with word processing (Word), Microsoft Excel, Power Point, various software-learning programs, and NCLEX Review programs. This lab is also equipped with the SAINTS system and Francis, St. Johns Intranet. Students must sign an Internet user agreement in order to utilize the Internet. The campus is equipped with WiFi.

Student Services / Activities

Lockers
Each student is assigned a locker. Student must provide their own padlock and students are advised to keep their combinations confidential. The College is not responsible for loss or theft of items from lockers.

Student Lounge
The student lounge is located on the second floor of the College. There is a refrigerator, two microwaves, telephone, typewriter and television available for student use. Each student is responsible for keeping the lounge clean and neat. All food items brought to the lounge must be properly discarded after use. All eating utensils and trays are to be removed from the lounge after use. The privilege of using the lounge furnishings is dependent upon the appropriate utilization of the area and its equipment.

Quiet Study Room
The quiet study room is available for students on first floor of the college. It is equipped with computers, printer and computer stations.

Study Lounge (North Building)

Additional study space is available on the first floor of St. John's North Building. It is furnished with tables, chairs, and sofas. It is conveniently located across from the break room that is equipped with a snack and soda vending machine, ice machine, and a microwave.

Library Services
St. John’s College is a contributor to the Health Science Library of St. John’s Hospital, located on the second (main) floor of the hospital. The library staff provides circulation of library materials to the faculty and student body and also provides library services for internal and external health professionals. The Library personnel processes and maintains all holdings and provides general circulation, references, audio-visual, and inter-library loan services.

The Health Sciences Library at St. John’s Hospital provides students with easy access to the internet, thousands of electronic journals and books, and an extensive collection of print materials, as well as media and audiovisual equipment. Many of its electronic resources are also available from home and throughout the campus. As a member of various state and national organizations, the library can borrow materials owned by libraries anywhere in the U.S.

The library is open Monday through Saturday during the school year . The current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association will be the manual of style adopted for all written work and will be available in the library. The Library collection includes current nursing books, journals, and audio visuals and a large historical collection of nursing books and journals.

Student nurses may check out Library materials. The due dates for these materials are: books, four weeks; journals, one week; audiovisuals, one week. Students may also complete an interlibrary loan form to request items not owned by the Health Science Library. There may be a charge for this service. The Reserve Section holds packets of information designated for specific courses and are restricted to library use only.

Student Financial Assistance

Available From Federal, State, Local, and Institutional Programs
St. John's College believes that education is a continuous and unifying process by which a person develops skills, values, knowledge, and forms a behavior of positive value in the society and profession in which he/she lives and works. We believe education takes place for learners, when self-direction and personal responsibility for learning are combined with clinical and educational facilities. With this thought in mind, the institution continues to promote scholarship and loans for its qualified, deserving students who must find funds to attend. The fundamental purpose of the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) is to make it possible for students with inadequate funds who would normally be deprived of a nursing education, to attend the College.

Financial Aid
Financial assistance includes gift aid (scholarships and grants) and self-help aid (work and loans) which may be offered singularly or in combination. In selecting students to receive institutional gift consideration shall be given to gift aid already available to the student from other sources. This should prohibit a concentration of gift aid among students for any single group, i.e., "the most needy of the needy." This ensures a much more equitable distribution of funds. Selection of students to receive financial aid will be made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, handicap or veteran status. In determining a student's resources, four things are considered: family income, family assets, student assets, and student income. The total amount of financial assistance offered a student shall not exceed his/her cost of attendance. Need for financial assistance is considered after all other resources available to the student.

Student Loan Information - http://www.nslds.ed.gov/

Direct Loan EntranceCounseling - http://studentloans.gov

Direct Loan Exit Counseling - http://mappingyourfuture.org/

Federal Nursing Loan Entrance Counseling - http://mappingyourfuture.org/

Federal Nursing Loan Exit Counseling - http://mappingyourfuture.org/

Institutional Code of Conduct for Education Loans - Code of Conduct

Addtional Student Consumer Information

Health and Safety
Students and faculty are expected to apply safety/security principles in the clinical/community setting to assure protection of themselves and their possessions. Students and faculty are expected to use universal precautions at all times when in contact with the client or the client's bodily fluids. Transferring of clients safely requires proper transfer techniques, use of good body mechanics, and adequate assistance. Students are required to have faculty present when transferring clients who require more than one person to assist them. Students may transfer clients with the aid of nursing staff if so directed by the faculty. During their nursing education, students are required to participate in various experiences in community and/or inpatient settings wherein they may be exposed to potentially unsafe situations. Attendance at College-sponsored personal safety programs is mandatory.

Drug and Alcohol Policy
Use or abuse of alcohol or illegal drugs is opposed to the principles of safe care for patients and personal growth of students. Therefore, the College supports the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse in all settings and strictly prohibits use of either by students on college property. Students and employees must attend a mandatory drug and alcohol abuse prevention program offered by the College. Students will not be allowed to have drugs or alcoholic beverages on the premises and will not be permitted to remain on the premises under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The College reserves the right to use whatever means appropriate to enforce possession and usage regulations. Such procedures shall be determined by the College administration. If a student is found to be in possession of, using, diverting, or selling a legally controlled substance, the student will be required to meet with the College administration. At that time the student may be requested to seek professional counseling, withdraw from the program or be dismissed from the College, depending on the gravity of the situation.

The appropriate authorities will be notified. Clinical agency policies concerning drugs and alcohol will be in effect for students working in the clinical area. Any student convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving drugs or alcohol must notify the College administration within 5 days of such conviction. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action. (see Financial Aid D&A Policy)

Campus Security Policies and Crime Statistics - College Safety Security

Fire Safety Policies
Fire drills are held at intervals during the year. Quiet should be maintained. Walk quickly. Do not run. In addition to the information and regulations contained in the St. John's Hospital Fire and Safety Manual, the following regulations apply to the College building. When fire has been reported in the College, the public address system will announce: “Doctor Dan Firestone, please report to Building S.” The emergency lights will begin to flash. When there is a house-wide fire drill, the public address system will announce: “This is a house-wide fire drill.” The emergency lights will begin to flash.
When these alarms are activated:
Do not stop to collect clothing or valuables in other parts of the College.
Close windows and doors to the rooms and halls and leave.
Move quickly, quietly and carefully on the stairs. Vacate the building via the 7th or Carpenter Street door. (DO NOT exit fire exit door during drill). Do not use elevator.
Do not return to building until told to do so.

If students are in class during a fire, evacuate the building. If a fire is discovered in the College:
Go to the nearest pull station and pull handle.
Call front desk or 44021 (Security), give exact location of fire, what is burning and extent of fire.
If possible attempt to extinguish with materials at hand such as fire extinguisher or rug.
If unable to extinguish immediately, close windows and doors to the area to confine the fire.
Ask others to close all doors to other areas to prevent spread of smoke.
Vacate the building via the 7th or Carpenter Street door. Fire doors to the stairs are to be kept closed at all times.
Never prop these doors open or block them in anyway.

Student Outcomes Retention Rate - Retention and Promotion Rates

Job Placement for Graduates
Students are exposed to various nursing roles and potential opportunities for careers throughout their educational process. Information regarding employment and educational opportunities is distributed to both faculty advisors and students through presentations and bulletin board displays.

Vaccination Policy

In accordance with Illinois Law (Public Act) 85-1315 and St. John's College clinical agency agreements all students enrolled at St. John's College, Department of Nursing, are required to provide proof of immunity. All students entering the Nursing Program are expected to be in compliance with all Health Requirements. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following: immunizations, a health physical evaluation, blood titers, TB screening, work test, fit test, and drug test. Those students not in compliance with these requirements by the specified timeframes may NOT attend theory courses and/or clinical placements until deficiencies are completed.

Proof of Health Insurance

Beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year, St. John's College students must provide proof of health insurance to the Admissions Officer. Proof of insurance must be provided prior to the first day of classes. If a student is uninsured and needs assistance in obtaining inshrance, he/she may contact the Admissions Officer.

Services for Students with Disabilities

Learning support services and reasonable accommodations are available to students covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants who meet the admission criteria for St. John's College must also be able to meet the core performance outcome standards as stated in the Student Catalog, with or without reasonable accommodations. For accommodation services, students with disabilities are required to identify themselves to the Student Development Officer and provide documentation of the disability. In order to best meet learning needs, the student is encouraged to be proactive and meet with the Student Development Officer prior to the beginning of classes or as soon as possible thereafter. The Academic Lead reserves the right to determine if the requested accommodations are reasonable. An early and collaborative approach initiated by the student and planned with the Student Development Officer, Academic Lead, and course faculty will help foster a positive accommodation experience.

Voter Registration
St. John’s College, Department of Nursing, is required by the 1998 Amendment to the Higher Education Act to make a good faith effort to distribute voter registration applications to all students who are enrolled in a degree or certificate program. The voter registration requirement applies to general elections and special elections for the election of governor or other chief executives within a state and for election of federal offices. A supply of Illinois Voter Registration applications are placed in common areas available to students at least 120 days prior to the deadline for registering to vote within the state. You can also complete the registration process online at https://registertovote.org.

 

For complete details of all our policies and procedures please review Student Handbook