Rutgers School of Nursing (Rutgers Nursing) is a public nursing school established in 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. It is part of Rutgers University, with a history stretching back to the early 1940s. Rutgers Nursing has the distinction of being nationally ranked, with highly rated DNP and MSN programs, and is attended by a high percentage of minority students. If you are a nursing student at Rutgers, you can benefit from its stellar reputation and accelerate your nursing career path. But to stay enrolled and take advantage of all that Rutgers Nursing offers, you must demonstrate academic integrity and professionalism and keep up academically with your peers. If not, you face sanctions like dismissal that negatively impact your future and reputation as a nursing professional.
Being a nursing student is an exciting and fast-paced time where you learn to apply theories to practice and train with your peers. While it comes with perks, new friends, and new horizons, it also comes with multiple challenges. Whether it was intentional or not, making a mistake can lead to issues that have severe consequences. If you receive notice that you may have committed a violation, don't wait until it's too late to make a difference. Send a message to the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team through this message portal or call the team at 888-535-3686 for more information about approaching your case.
Reasons for Dismissal from Nursing School
It's not easy to get into a highly competitive nursing school. The pressure to stay focused and perform well extends beyond the first year and continues to grow as you near graduation. One of the most devastating things that can happen to any nursing student is getting dismissed from nursing school – and there are multiple reasons why it happens. Some of the most common include being unable to keep up with your peers academically, committing professional or academic violations, and unethical behavior. While some mistakes do have solutions that don't involve an adjudication process, others lead to a hearing and sanctions. Regardless of the issue, never take on a panel alone. The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team is by your side during every phase of the process.
Dismissal Policy at Rutgers Nursing School
The Nursing Student Handbook at Rutgers lists multiple reasons why a student may be dismissed from their program. Some of these relate to academics, while others are behavioral. The circumstances include:
- Failing to meet the conditions of the Student Success Plan or the conditions of their probation
- Making two unsuccessful attempts in the same nursing course and then withdrawing from the course after the second attempt
- Earning a C grade or lower in any nursing course, whether they are during the same semester or during different semesters
- Violating the Rutgers University Code of Conduct
- Engaging in unsafe behavior in a clinical setting
- Earning a C or lower in any two nursing courses after being readmitted to the nursing program
- Failing to meet the nursing program's technical standards
- Engaging in behavior that the nursing school deems is a threat to patients and others in the educational or clinical environment
Students who face suspension, expulsion, loss of university housing, or an XF grade are entitled to a hearing.
Conduct Process
Any member of Rutgers University who believes that a student committed a major university policy violation may report the incident to the Office of Student Conduct. A Conduct Officer receives the complaint and starts an investigation that includes meetings with the accused, the accuser, witnesses, or any other individual who may be involved in the case. After the investigation ends, the Conduct Officer may make one of the following determinations:
The information in the report is insufficient to support charges.
- Concluding that based solely on the investigation process, there was no violation of university policy based solely on the
- The investigation requires a more in-depth review by establishing an Administrative Conference
- The Conduct Officer may call for an Administrative Conference and a University Hearing if the matter is serious enough to warrant a dismissal
- Bypassing a formal adjudication process by using the university's Alternative Resolution Practices
University Hearing
If the investigation leads to a university hearing, the student must stand before the hearing panel. The panel considers evidence and testimony regarding the alleged incident and votes to determine if the student committed an egregious violation. If so, they assign the most severe sanctions, which include dismissal.
Appeals
Nursing students may appeal the hearing results by submitting a written statement to the Campus Appeals Committee. However, an appeal is only considered if it is made based on the following criteria:
- Unsupported finding or conclusion
- The discovery of new information that was unavailable to the accused at the time of the original decision
- A procedural error where the investigator or decision-maker in the case did not follow due process
- The sanction assigned is disproportionate to the offense
The appeal will not lead to a new hearing but will be reviewed by the Appeals Committee. The committee makes a final decision after reviewing all case details, including what happened during the hearing process.
Contacting the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team
Being a nursing student at Rutgers is an excellent experience and pathway to success. However, it also comes with a great responsibility to maintain academic progress, ethical behavior, and professionalism. If you were accused of taking part in a violation, don't wait until the issue becomes unmanageable. Contact the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team to stay ahead and decrease the chances of a negative outcome.
The Lento Law Firm Education Law Team understands what you are going through and the challenges you face. With years of experience working with nursing students across the United States, the team is compassionate, passionate about justice, and a shoulder to rely on when all seems hopeless.
It wasn't easy getting into Rutgers – don't let a mistake be the end of your dreams as a nurse. Fight back if you or someone you love face dismissal or other harsh sanctions for alleged policy or academic violations at Rutgers Nursing. Call the Lento Law Firm Education Law Team now for a consultation at 888-535-3686, or send the team an online message for more information.
