College of NursingStudent Policies & ProceduresPhD Handbook 2024-2025

PhD Handbook 2024-2025

WELCOME & ABOUT

Welcome to the College of Nursing (CON) at Washington State University (WSU)! We are delighted that you have joined our College as an incoming PhD student. Our goal is to train tomorrow’s nurse scientists to conduct rigorous health sciences research that adds to nursing’s body of evidence and disciplinary knowledge. To achieve this goal, the PhD program is designed to facilitate deep and rigorous thinking and research informing praxis. You will be challenged, but also guided, while developing your research ideas and skills.

The policies and procedures in this handbook are for programs within the Graduate School. They have been officially approved by our faculty and are consistent with WSU Graduate School regulations. This handbook was developed to be used in conjunction with WSU’s Policies and Procedures and WSU’s Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM). The WSU Graduate Catalog and Graduate School Policies and Procedures contain additional general policies on admissions and programs. Failure to follow these policies and observe the degree requirements inevitably results in complications and could delay or jeopardize completion of your degree. The Important Forms link is also commonly used by our graduate students.

Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with and following the guidelines in all sources. The CON will aid students in understanding the rules and regulations in these documents but ultimately, responsibility for compliance rests with each student. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to your staff coordinator or advisor.

Specific forms, websites, and other materials described herein or included are subject to modification. As forms are updated, they will be made available to students. While students should rely on this handbook in planning their program, in the unlikely event that language contained herein conflicts with WSU policies and procedures, the policies outlined in this handbook are subservient to those outlined by Washington State University or updated policies on the CON website.

Lastly, a glossary is available at the end of this document, linked here.

Welcome to WSU!

Chris Sogge
Director, Center for Student Excellence

Table of Contents

Section I: Organization

The College of Nursing PhD program is under the executive authority and oversight of the WSU Graduate School which is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities through Washington State University. Students in these programs must adhere to the rules of both the College of Nursing and the Graduate School.

Students are encouraged to review the College of Nursing Mission, Vision, and Values as well as the College’s information on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

WSU does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, creed, genetic information, marital status, protected veteran/military status, or immigration or citizenship status in any education program or activity that it operates complaint with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations. Inquiries regarding Title IX, ADA, or other civil rights laws, as well as reports of discrimination can be directed to the Compliance and Civil Rights, WSU ADA Coordinator, or WSU Title IX Coordinator. More information on WSU’s policies and procedures to respond to discrimination and harassment are available here: Nondiscrimination statement. 

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Section II: Programs

The College of Nursing programs that relate to this handbook are below. All program outcomes are developed based on national standards for master and doctoral education. Information on program outcomes, requirements, and additional details can be found on each program’s linked website.

PhD

The PhD in Nursing program prepares nursing scientists to conduct research aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of nursing in specific populations and within various healthcare settings. Most coursework is delivered online. Typically, that coursework is 4-6 Zoom courses with asynchronous instruction for the remainder. However, students and course instructor may negotiate for additional Zoom courses as necessary. Coursework focuses on core areas of nursing science, research, education, and methodology. All coursework contributes to the development and completion of dissertation work. Baccalaureate-to-PhD and Masters-to-PhD plans are available in both full-time and part-time options. Students are encourage to choose one that best fits their career plans while considering that the PhD is an intense thinking, self-driven degree. Allowing ‘thinking time’ is recommended.

Students participating in the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) will be required to maintain full-time enrollment (10+ credits/semester) and obtain the Nursing Education Graduate Certificate. If the NFLP recipient has had multiple education courses or a graduate nursing education certificate, this requirement will be waived after review by the NFLP project director, and a suitable experience will be arranged in order to meet HRSA’s requirement.

Graduate Certificates

The CON offers 2 certificates: Nursing Education and Nursing Leadership. Many students opt to add in these certificates to their progression plan. Please talk to your Academic Coordinator if you are interested in adding a certificate.

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Section III: Support and Admission

Admitted PhD students will be supported by an Academic Coordinators. The Center for Student Excellence (CSE) Coordinator helps students by:

  • Referring students to appropriate resources and opportunities
  • Facilitating safe and private spaces for advising/coaching, including spaces where a student otherwise does not know with whom to speak or where to start
  • Collaborating with faculty advisors/dissertation chair members by referring students to them for course concerns.
  • Creating programs of studies and facilitating degree verifications
  • Providing registration guidance each term, including course and section numbers
  • Applying and removing advising holds

Faculty support for graduate students includes:

Nursing Systems and Science Department Chair
This Department Chair oversees the PhD program in their department, abbreviated “SCI.”

Program Director
Program Directors are College of Nursing faculty members overseeing a graduate program.

Faculty Advisor
Each graduate student registered for classes is assigned a temporary chair to serve as their faculty advisor. These assignments are made by the end of the first Fall semester by the Academic Coordinator in conjunction with the Program Director, relevant to each student’s program of study. PhD students are provided a temporary chair that will assist them with their admitted research topic focus area.

Students are urged to maintain contact with their temporary chair and to consult with them regularly concerning matters related to the content of their academic program and professional mentorship. It is required that students meet with their PhD chair/committee each Spring to complete the Annual Review document by the identified due date. Information is sent out to students in advance each Spring semester.

The advisor’s responsibilities in relation to each graduate advisee are to:

  1. Be acquainted with the student’s interests/needs
  2. Sign any change of status forms
  3. Be informed about the student’s progress in the program
  4. Counsel regarding academic questions or problems
  5. Counsel regarding workload and course requirements to achieve a successful academic outcome
  6. Conduct the annual review as required by the Graduate School

Faculty advisors are not to recommend program of study changes or changes related to progression/enrollment. Those changes are overseen by the Academic Coordinator.

PhD students will complete year 1, after which they will pick their own chairs. Should a conflict arise between a student and chair, the student is required to meet with the Program Director and chair, as well as one other CON faculty or leader of their choice (i.e. Department Chair, Center for Student Excellence Director, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, etc.) to attempt a good faith resolution prior to switching chairs. Please note that due to content mastery switching chairs may impact progression and excessive switching of chairs will be reviewed by the Program Director.

For PhD students, once a dissertation chair is chosen, that individual also assumes responsibility for faculty advisorship.

Deferral of Admission

Applicants accepted to the MN or DNP program must matriculate in the semester in which they are accepted; however, rare circumstances may emerge that result in a deferral decision. Details about that process may be found here.  

Provisional Admission

Please note that admission offers to the CON are provisional and dependent upon the applicant completing all requirements by the necessary deadline. For example, even if a student was provided an admission letter, if they did not complete the required compliance items (such as immunization or training modules) by the required deadline their admissions offer may be revoked. They must also complete all prerequisite course requirements with minimum grades by the time they would start the program. View the guiding procedure.

Transferring Credits

Students who have graduate course credits from other graduate programs or institutions may request to transfer those credits to the WSU Graduate School. Those credits may be approved to meet the equivalency of required courses in the WSU Graduate nursing programs, though no more than 50% of the program can be transferred. Students from graduate programs that are online-only may have a limited number of credits accepted for transfer.

To be considered, students must have earned a minimum grade of B and the course credit must be equivalent to the WSU course that would be waived or substituted. The Graduate School uses the oldest transfer date as the start date of the student’s timeline, so if transfer credits are used, they must be dated within the appropriate maximum graduation timeline of the date when the student will graduate from WSU.

Students should contact their Academic Coordinator to start the evaluation process. They must prepare a letter of request alongside the course syllabus. From there, the Program Director of the relevant program will evaluate the transfer request. If approved, they will then submit it to the WSU Graduate School for approval of course credit transfers. The Graduate Curriculum Committee may also be involved to provide a secondary letter of support. Ultimately, the WSU Graduate School establishes standards for the total number of credits that can be transferred and makes the final decision on the acceptance of courses.

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Section IV: Progression and Dismissal

Academic Regulation 53 allows programs to “provide students with a specific pathway to the degree that outlines major requirements (for example, grade point average, completion of specific courses) that students must achieve.” Details about student that are as follows:

Good Standing

In addition to WSU definitions (student resolved any acts of academic or behavioral misconduct and complied with all sanctions imposed as a result of the misconduct) and Graduate School definitions (GPA above 3.0 for all coursework on the student’s program of study) of good standing, the CON has additional major requirements:

  • PhD good standing also requires that the student is not currently under academic sanctions or probation, and is not repeating a course or addressing a failed course. The student must also have professional comportment in alignment with the CON’s technical standards. They must also follow ethical research behaviors per the Responsible Conduct of Research training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative.

Grading Policy

The College of Nursing applies a grading scale as outlined by WSU Academic Regulations and WSU Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual (PPM), Ch.6.

Please peruse the above resources for all potential grade options. Note that for incomplete grades, students receiving that grade will receive a copy of the Instructor’s Incomplete Grade Agreement. This document is generated through the College of Nursing by the faculty of record for a course. It will outline the reasons for the Incomplete, the work which must be completed for the student to receive a grade, and the date by which the work must be submitted before the grade defaults to a failing grade.

The Graduate School does not count Satisfactory/Fail (S/F) courses towards requirement total credits, except for NURS 700, 702, or 800. Some 500-level courses may be graded as S/F. These can be listed on a Program of Study, but do not count toward the minimum graded (A-F) credits

Satisfactory Program Progression

Minimum GPA

In order for graduate students to be considered in good academic standing, WSU Graduate School and the College of Nursing require students to maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA for all coursework in their Program of Study.

A graduate student who has completed the first semester of graduate study and earns a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 is eligible for one additional semester of continued enrollment on a probationary status through the Graduate School. Upon completion of the probationary semester, and thereafter until graduation, a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA is required to continue in Graduate School. Probationary status is only available to students immediately following their first semester of graduate study and is not available to students who have been provisionally admitted. Students who are provisionally admitted are informed of that status and are admitted with an exception to minimum requirements or other policies as part of their admission.

For most graduate students, the minimum grade that can be accepted for credit is a C (73%) and any student who obtains less than a C (<73%) in a course must repeat that course.

No graded courses of B- or below may be dropped from a Program of Study for an advanced degree, nor can a course be repeated for a higher grade if the student received a final grade of C or higher. Any course listed on the Program of Study for which a grade of C- or below is earned must be repeated for a letter grade, not on a Pass/Fail basis.

When a course is repeated on the WSU transcript, the repeated course grade will be used. The old coursework will still show on the transcript, but the grade is not calculated in the GPA.

Students are expected to earn an S (Satisfactory) grade for all research credits (700, 702, 800). One U (Unsatisfactory) grade for research credits indicates that the student is not making satisfactory progress. The student will be subject to dismissal from the program if a U grade is earned for research credit for two terms (summer term included). Research credits for which a U has been earned will not count toward degree requirements.

Only graded credits count toward degree requirements. Ungraded credits (i.e., S or U) do not count toward the total 72 credits required for degree completion.

Time Limits & Considerations

The Graduate School has specific time limitations for doctoral students. Overall, PhD students must complete their degree within 10 years:

  • PhD students are required to complete all course work and successfully defend their dissertation proposal (i.e., the preliminary examination) by the end of the 7th year of the program. Additional time may be granted after a request made to, and approval by, the PhD Advisory Committee.
  • Defense of dissertation must be completed within three years of the date of satisfactorily completing the preliminary examination.
  • A doctoral final exam cannot be scheduled in the same semester as the preliminary exam. At least four months must elapse between the successful completion of the preliminary and scheduling of the doctoral final exam.

Program of Study

Each student is provided a program of study prior to beginning their first semester. A student must register according to the required courses in the agreed upon program of study and stay consecutively enrolled in each term (Fall, Spring, Summer), unless on an approved leave of absence with the Graduate School.  

If a student needs to change their plan or wants to explore an alternate plan they must contact their Academic Coordinator and their Committee Chair for pre-approval.

Graduate leave is available to those students who must be away from active enrollment for one or more semesters and have successfully completed at least one semester of study. Please note that some courses may only be offered yearly, which will necessitate leave for a full year. Students who wish to request graduate leave must follow the procedures described in Graduate School PPM, Ch.5. Per WSU policy, official leaves of absence, internship leave status, and absences not approved under this policy are included in the time limits to complete a degree.

Students who have resigned from the Graduate School, who fail to maintain continuous enrollment status, whose official leave of absence status has expired, or whose time limit for completing the degree has expired must reapply for admission to the Graduate School using the online application. Such students must pay the non-refundable application fee. Readmission is not guaranteed

Unsatisfactory Student Performance

Students who are not meeting a course’s expectations are given formal notice through a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) form. On the form, the instructor discusses the issue or concern, identifies the objective(s) the student is not achieving, and develops the recommended actions the student should take to resolve the issue. PIP copies may be made for required documentation within a student file, and both the instructor and the student should keep a copy of the PIP for their own records. Students are required to discuss PIPs during their annual review with their faculty advisor.

Program Progression

Students who do not complete a required nursing course satisfactorily (receive a grade of I, 72% or less, F, or a withdrawal) are not eligible to progress. This necessitates students repeating the course in its entirety, with some potential exceptions for I grades.

Students may need to appeal to the Nursing and Systems Science Admissions, Progression, and Curriculum Committee (SCI-APCC) committee to gain permission to repeat a course that they did not complete satisfactorily. Appeal needs will vary based on the context of the course:

Does not meet with SCI-APCC:

  • A student who takes an incomplete grade. The Program Director will inform SCI-APCC of this grade and SCI-APCC may decide that they do not need to meet with the student.

Meets with SCI-APCC:

  • A student who had any concerns related to academic, clinical, or integrity issues.
  • A student who does not pass a course, even if that is their first failure.
  • A student who withdraws from two or more courses with a “W” grade on their transcript.

To petition to continue, students must adhere to the Graduate Progression Appeal Process section below. The SCI-APCC committee is the governance body that reviews those requests. As a program in the professional College of Nursing, students may not register for subsequent courses under the assumption that their petition, nor any official course grievances, will be upheld. 

Graduate Progression Appeal Process

The SCI-APCC committee at the College of Nursing is tasked with acting on matters related to academic progression, academic problems, and reinstatement of graduate students. The committee reviews each student that appeals through the below process:

  1. The student should connect with their Academic Coordinator to review the appeal process and make an alternate plan of study if necessary. Coordinators are available to review readability of the progression letter.
  2. The student will create a progression letter to the SCI-APCC Committee. That letter should include:
    1. course(s) for which they received an unsatisfactory grade. 
    1. a statement providing a perspective of why they did not receive a passing grade
    1. their plan of action to be successful if recommended to continue.
    1. any other information they would like the UAP committee to know.
  3. This letter should be submitted to their Academic Coordinator by the day prior to the scheduled SCI-APCC meeting.
  4. The SCI-APCC Committee will weigh all input and communicate their decision as a recommendation to the Program Director. The Program Director will send their final decision to the student.

The SCI-APCC committee will use a student’s record, including grades, progression reports, and current University standings (such as academic integrity and code of conduct violations) when reviewing a student’s request for readmission. SCI-APCC will then pass their recommendation regarding readmission to the Program Director. The administrative decision, based on SCI-APCC recommendations and student documentation, will be emailed to the student’s WSU email address within one week of the SCI-APCC committee meeting.

Program Director decisions may include:

  • Allowing the student to progress as usual.
  • Allowing the student to progress while on probation.
    • Per Academic Regulation 53, the student may be allowed conditional continuation to be remediated into meeting minimum departmental requirements. Probation allows the student to continue to progress in the program, but may require appropriate meetings, skill tests, trainings, etc. Conditions of the probation will be delivered to the student in the same email with the decision. Students will be responsible for any costs associated with probationary requirements and will not be considered in good standing while on probation.
  • Allowing the student to repeat the course(s) which they did not complete satisfactorily.
    • Per Academic Regulation 53, the student may be given additional conditional requirements in order to meet minimum department requirements during their repeat of the course(s). If this happens, the student will have to successfully meet requirements of the course(s) and any potential additional conditional requirements in order to progress successfully.
  • Not allowing the student to repeat the course(s) which they did not complete satisfactorily. Since this will mean they cannot progress, this ultimately leads to a dismissal decision from that program.
    • Per Academic Regulation 53, students are eligible to reapply to the program once all departmental requirements and admission requirements are met
  • Dismissal recommendation from WSU itself, such as for a conduct issue.
    • Per Academic Regulation 39, students who are dismissed for conduct issues will go through the WSU university process. Anyone dismissed from the university itself must wait a minimum of two full semesters (fall/spring, spring/fall) to re-enroll for courses offered through any WSU campus. 

Dismissal

The principal conditions for continued registration/enrollment of a student are: the timely and satisfactory completion of the university and degree program requirements; continuing to meet the technical standards of the program; fulfillment of minimum progress requirements; and meeting standards of professional behavior. The guidelines that follow specify procedures for dismissal of students who are not meeting these conditions.

A student will be recommended for dismissal from the programshould they fail to adhere to the regulations and policies set forth in this handbook and WSU regulation. Reasons for dismissal include, but are not limited to, the following conditions for the student:

  • Receives multiple course failures within a semester;
  • Engages in a pattern of professional misconduct or a single serious incident of misconduct;
  • Engages in illegal or unethical conduct as outlined by the university’s Standards of Conduct, the ANA’s Code of Ethics, and all relevant clinical site-specific policies (including HIPAA);
  • Fails to meet the technical standards of the program;
  • Withdraws from or fails to enroll in required coursework without an active approved leave of absence;
  • While on leave does not meet requirements to return, including failing to remain in clinical compliance (MN students only);
  • Meets the unsatisfactory performance criteria from the aforementioned sections in this handbook;
  • Patterns of clinical placement concerns or a single egregious concern (i.e. a background check failure)

The Program Director will meet with the student to review concerns and documentation prior to dismissal.

If dismissal is requested, the Program Director will inform the student with a written email. A copy will be included in the student’s file.

If dismissal is not requested, the Program Director will provide the student with a written warning via email and include a copy in the student’s file. The student may also be required to complete mandatory remediation prior to returning to the classroom or clinical site. The Program Director will work with the Department Chair to discuss the remediation plan, resources requirements, and other parameters. Remediation may include, but is not limited to, additional skills assessment, writing a paper, giving a presentation on an assigned topic, etc.

Repeat Coursework

Students are not allowed to repeat courses in which they received a final grade of C or higher. Students needing to repeat a course with an unsatisfactory grade must follow the SCI-APCC process above.

Students who are allowed to repeat the course(s) in which they failed should work with an Academic Coordinator to identify the appropriate progression plan. They may not be able to enroll immediately the subsequent semester; there must be room to take them in the course. Repeat courses with a clinical component will also need approval from Clinical Affairs.

If a student needs to repeat a course that has a co-requisite, and also needs to repeat that co-requisite (i.e. they withdrew from both courses, or failed both courses), the student must repeat them both at the same time.

If a student needs to repeat a course that has a co-requisite, but they successfully completed the other co-requisite, the student only needs to repeat their failed course. If they would like to still take the co-requisite course, such as for content mastery or financial aid requirements, they may choose to audit it or may choose to fully repeat it.

Per Academic Regulation 34, repeat courses are counted in the GPA and the previous attempt is then excluded from the GPA calculation. Thus, students must inform their academic advisor what they would like to do when they review their progression plan.

Readmission to the College of Nursing Program

All nursing students who have left the program, whether for personal, medical, academic, or non-academic reasons, must follow the process for readmission. Students may not participate in any classroom or clinical learning activities while waiting for readmission or pending a grade appeal for that course.

Readmission to the program will be determined by the availability of seats in that semester. A student will be readmitted when a seat becomes available, with notification going to their WSU email. Priority for seats will be given to students in the following order:

  1. Current students who are progressing in good academic standing.
  2. Students returning from approved medical leave of absence.
    1. Students who seek a medical withdrawal from the university should work with their Academic Coordinator on the process. Please note that under no circumstances should the student submit medical documentation to the college unprompted.
  3. All other students, including those who are returning for readmission or from a non-medical leave of absence.

If there are multiple students with the same priority level for withdrawal, priority will be given to the student who has been absent from the program for the longer period of time.

Additional remediation requirements will be determined by the Program Director, including consideration of the length of absence from the program.

All students who step out of a program with clinical components will be required to re-affirm, prior to re-enrolling, that they meet the college’s Technical Standards.

Graduate School Termination and Reinstatement

Graduate School Termination of Enrollment

The enrollment of a graduate student will be terminated under any one of the following conditions:

  • The student has been provisionally admitted and has a cumulative GPA below 3.0 at the end of the first semester of study.
  • The student fails to establish and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 after more than one semester of study.
  • The student has failed a preliminary or final exam for the second time.
  • The student has failed a preliminary or final exam for the first time with a Graduate School representative present, and a second examination is not recommended by the advisory committee, program chair, or representative; in such cases, the dean of the WSU Graduate School will review the case and make the final determination.
  • The student has earned a U (Unsatisfactory) grade for research credits (700, 702, 800) for two semesters (including Summer terms).
  • Other reasons for termination might include failure to make normal progress toward degree completion (such as failure to complete coursework on time or multiple incompletes), failure to maintain continuous enrollment, failure to assemble and maintain an approved advisory committee, issues related to academic integrity or student conduct, policy violations, etc.

Only the Dean of the WSU Graduate School or the University Conduct Board have authority to terminate a student’s enrollment.

Graduate School Reinstatement

Reinstatement of a provisionally admitted graduate student who falls below a 3.0 GPA following completion of one semester or one summer session, or of a graduate student who falls below 2.75 GPA following completion of one semester or one summer session, will be considered only through a petition from the graduate student to the Program Director. Following a meeting between the graduate student and the Program Director, the Program Director may favorably recommend reinstatement for that student by submitting a memo, via the Graduate Research Management (GRM), to the Dean of the Graduate School, who has final approval.

Reinstatement procedure for a graduate student who has completed two semesters, one semester and one summer session, or two summer sessions and whose GPA is below 3.0 follows the same procedure. The student must meet with the Program Director who, upon favorable recommendation, may petition the Dean of the Graduate School (routed through the GRM) for approval to reinstate the student. If approval to continue is granted, the student will have one semester to increase their cumulative GPA to 3.0. Failure to do so requires termination of enrollment in the program and in the Graduate School.

If the student becomes academically deficient because of two U (Unsatisfactory) grades for research credits, the student must meet with the Program Director, who upon favorable recommendation, may petition the Dean of the Graduate School (routed through the GRM) for approval to reinstate the student. The Program Director must identify the conditions for continuation of study in the petition request. If approval to continue is granted, the student will have one semester to improve research progress.

Further policies regarding general requirements, including incomplete grades, pass/fail, and auditing can be found in WSU Graduate School PPM, Ch. 6.

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Section V: Academic Policies & Procedures

This section describes the policies, procedures, and professional standards governing students’ progress through the graduate nursing curriculum across all College of Nursing campuses at Washington State University. Academic progress policies apply to all campuses, affiliated sites, and curricular activities related to graduate nursing education.

Students are strongly advised to seek guidance from their Academic Coordinator or the Director of the Center for Student Excellence, regarding any circumstances that impact their ability to participate in the nursing curriculum; and to do so before their academic performance is impacted. Each student has the responsibility to know these policies and use them in their decisions.

University Policies

It is important to distinguish University-wide policies and those specific to the CON. Students must abide by all policies in the WSU Student Handbook for Community Standards and the Center for Community Standards website as well as those pertaining to students in the Executive Policy Manual.

Academic & Professional Integrity

All members of the WSU community share responsibility for maintaining and promoting the principles of integrity in all activities, including academic integrity and honest scholarship. WSU’s  Academic Integrity policy will be strongly enforced in all College of Nursing programs. Students need to read and understand all definitions of cheating. If a student has any questions about what is and is not allowed in a course, the student is encouraged to seek clarification from the course faculty.

The Center for Community Standards, in conjunction with the academic department and faculty member(s), oversees the academic integrity process. A violation of academic integrity includes (but is not limited to) cheating, use of unauthorized materials or sources, unauthorized collaboration on projects, plagiarism, and multiple submissions of the same work.

More detailed descriptions of cheating, plagiarism, and fabrication can be found in the following Washington Administrative Codes (WAC): Acts of Dishonesty WAC 504-26-202 and Cheating WAC 504-26-010. Additionally, Violations and Possible Sanctions outlines potential WSU sanctions for Academic Integrity Violations. Students will not have the option to withdraw from the course pending an appeal and may be reported to the Center for Community Standards.

In addition to sanctions that WSU may require of the student, the CON will also provide any of the following sanctions as deemed appropriate by course faculty: re-write the assignment, demonstrate knowledge through a make-up assignment, fail the assignment, be removed from class/clinical setting and/or fail the course. In some cases, the violation may lead to the student’s dismissal from WSU College of Nursing. Students who wish to grieve that they did not commit and academic integrity violation must go through the process with the Center for Community Standards. Students who wish to grieve the decision from the CON, but admit they did commit the academic integrity violation, must go through the grievance policy later in this document. 

College of Nursing Policies

College of Nursing students must also abide by the college-specific policies below:

Waiving / Substituting a Nursing Course

Per Academic Regulation 108, colleges and departments may substitute or waive college-level requirements for individual students. Students may request permission to waive a course if they can document successful completion of a similar course, including providing a course syllabus or course description if syllabus is unavailable. The instructor of the potentially waived course will review the syllabus to be assured student learning outcomes were adequately covered in the completed course. The CSE will also confirm that waiving the course will not affect graduation nor academic requirements. Next, the Program Director may/may not approve the waiver request based on course instructor recommendation.

Programs in the Graduate School require a final step where the College of Nursing approval is sent to the Graduate School for final approval. Waiving a course may still result in an outcome where a course of equal credit is required, to ensure that overall program credit total minimums are met.

Nursing Buildings & Classrooms

Food and non-alcoholic beverages may be brought into classrooms, offices, and lounges if strict controls on cleanliness and sanitation are observed. Food and beverages may NOT be taken into other learning areas of the buildings such as the Computer Laboratory, the Multimedia Laboratory, or any of the Center for Experiential Learning spaces. If a building or room has a non-food/beverage policy that will supersede this policy.

Children are not permitted in the nursing buildings or classrooms. Under WAC 504-36-020, pets are not allowed in university buildings. Refer to the legislation here for exceptions, which includes trained service animals.

Alcohol and Drug Policy

Students are to adhere to the WSU Alcohol and Drug Policy as outlined in the Executive Policy Manual (EP20) as well as any policies related to drug/alcohol screening on the College of Nursing policy page. The College of Nursing will engage in a drug screening process for site requirements or for cause.

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Section VI: Standards of Conduct for Students

Students enrolled in the College of Nursing are subject to standards of performance and ethics of the profession. Violations of conduct include issues related to professionalism, communication, dishonesty about compliance status, anything within The Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements, and/or the standards in this handbook.

Further, as a whole, WSU students must adhere to the general rules and regulations of the Standards of Conduct for Students as set forth in WAC 504-26. Students are responsible for knowing these standards and may be subject to disciplinary action under the procedures outlined in this document and the procedures outlined in the Violations and Possible Sanctions section of WSU’s Student Handbook for Community Standards.

Professionalism

All College of Nursing students must conform to reasonable standards of performance and behavior related to communication, behavior, professional conduct, and technical skills. Students who fail to conform to reasonable standards of performance and behavior in the classroom, online, in clinical agencies, on campus, and within the community may be removed from the program.

Students generally will be provided an opportunity to achieve professional behavior and learn from an error through the process of giving them a PIP, unless one or more of these apply:

  • the behavior continues after previous PIPs or opportunities to achieve professional behavior
  • the behavior presents a threat to the health or safety of self or others
  • the College of Nursing determines that the behavior is sufficiently severe or egregious that the student should not be permitted to continue in the program

Additionally, while in clinical or practice situations, students’ primary responsibility is the care of their patients. Students must recognize that the patient’s welfare has precedence over a student’s personal educational objectives. Students must respect every patient’s privacy and dignity and must maintain confidentiality regarding all patient information. Students must never compromise patient safety, which can occur through impairment, lack of diligence, or by providing care for which they lack skills, knowledge, or by completing activities that are not approved by a preceptor or appropriately supervised.

Students will be held to the same standards of conduct and safety outlined in the Washington State law regarding health professions, as defined in the Uniform Disciplinary Act (RCW 18.130) expected of employees in the patient care areas of health care facilities. PhD students are also held to IRB provisions and requirements related to research participants, research sites, and appropriate behavior.

In addition to RCW 18.130, College of Nursing professionalism expectations prohibit:

  • Failure to cooperate with the Washington Board of Nursing or similar out-of-state regulatory bodies
  • Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, or administration
  • Unprofessional, inappropriate, or threatening behavior or comments made toward faculty, staff, other university employees, organizational mentors, others involved with teaching, or other students
  • Attending class or patient care settings while impaired (e.g., under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or altered mental status)
  • Repeated late arrival or early departures from rotational sites without notifying the organizational mentor
  • (MN students only): Failure to meet professional expectations set forth by the college or a practice site (such as timely completion of co-curricular and Clinical Passport requirements, advising, required on-boarding activities, trainings, arrival and departure time, dress code, or similar requirements)
  • Non-compliance with initial evaluation and/or recommendations of any Washington Recovery Assistance Program
  • Non-compliance with the Procedures for Supporting Students with a Potential Impairment
  • Non-compliance with the Drug Screening Policy
  • Lapse of a student’s Washington State Nursing License or other state License when engaging in the practice of nursing
  • Violation of the Standards of Conduct (WAC 504-26)

Communication

The College of Nursing uses electronic means to disseminate information and communicate. This information may be important and/or time sensitive. Thus, timely review and response to email messages is vital to success for all members of the College of Nursing. Please see student expectations, etiquette, and procedures in the policy here.

Attendance

Attendance is determined by the faculty of the course. Unless otherwise stated by the course faculty in the individual course syllabus, the CON has a mandatory attendance policy regarding all courses and scheduled learning activities.

Students are expected to be prompt and regular in attending all scheduled learning activities. Any unexcused absence may result in a failing grade and/or the student placed on academic or professional probation.

Unless otherwise stated, students are expected to be prompt and regular in attending classes, turning in assignments on time, and in taking exams when scheduled. Instructors may establish additional rules for attendance and make-up exams and must articulate these clearly in writing.

Dress Code

All College of Nursing students are required to adhere to the dress code policy.

Electronic Communication and Social Media

Electronic systems are governed by the Electronic Communication Policy (EP4) in the WSU Executive Policy Manual. All policies indicate that equipment and services will be used only for carrying out university business and may not be used for private use.

As professional nurses with a unique obligation and responsibility, nursing students must be cognizant of the public nature of social media and other electronic communication and the permanent nature of communicating therein. These technologies may give the impression of privacy, but postings and other data should be considered in the public realm and freely visible by many people. State and Federal regulations related to confidentiality along with HIPAA require that no patient information be made available to the public. These regulations apply to comments made on social networking sites, and violators are subject to the same disciplinary action as with other HIPAA violations. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has an instructive guide on social media guidelines that we encourage students to regularly review.

Additional guidelines include information from research involving human subjects, with information here.

All Students are expected to comply with the WSU College of Nursing Social Media Guidelines including:

  • Protect confidential and proprietary information
  • Do not post anything that could reflect poorly on the College
  • Use WSU College of Nursing intellectual properties only with permission from the Marketing Director
  • Disseminating official information

Intellectual Property

Students cannot share Canvas course recordings or record a course in session. This is predicated on intellectual property of faculty members through larger WSU regulations.

Academic Grievance Procedure

Differences of opinion between students and their instructors may arise. Students and their instructors are encouraged to communicate regularly and directly to resolve such differences. An attempt should first be made to resolve the concern by an open discussion between the student and the faculty member(s) involved. If either the faculty or the student would like a third party to attend that open discussion, CSE advisors are available.

If concerns with the instructor are not resolved by that open discussion, the student may initiate a formal grievance in alignment with WSU Academic Regulation 104:

  • For concerns on course policies as outlined in the course syllabus, the concern should be emailed to the instructor within 5 business days after the first day of class instruction
  • For grades on individual assignments, the concern should be emailed to the instructor in a timely way (typically within a week of receiving the grade, or as defined by the instructor) so that the issue may be addressed.
  • For final grades, the concern must be emailed to the instructor within 10 business days of the final grading deadline and posting to the transcript.

At each stage of the grievance process, the individual addressed will be given 10 business days in which to respond to the grievance via official WSU email and come to a resolution. Should the response be unsatisfactory, the student can then take the grievance and response(s) to the next individual on the list.

Students must follow the typical “chain of command” when following the grievance procedure: course faculty, then Level Lead, then Program Director, then Department Chair, then the Dean of the College or designee. If the concern is related to clinical placements, the Level Lead will include the Director of Clinical Affairs in the process.

If a student has questions on who is next in the line of communication or wants a review of readability of their communication, they can connect with the college’s Director of the Center for Student Excellence. While the Director cannot make decisions to resolve the issues, they are available for process explanation and readability review of the concern. Additionally, the University Ombudsman is available at any stage for advice or assistance in resolving academic complaints.

Though chairs and college deans (and program leaders and campus chancellors) may resolve complaints about instruction and grading, they may not change a final grade without the consent of the instructor, except as provided by Rule 105.

Additional Grievance Resources:

  • Students who have exhausted avenues provided by WSU and still have unresolved complaints may contact the  Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) who has authority to investigate student complaints regarding the University not following published policy or state law.

  • WSU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). View the complaint process here.

  • The University Ombudsman is available at any stage for advice or assistance in resolving academic complaints. 

Grievance Process

  1. Step 1
    • Student submits official grievance email to the Course Instructor which details the issue(s) no later than 10 business days following the end of the semester.
    • Student copies Program Director and Director of CSE.
  2. Step 2
    • Course Instructor responds to student with receipt of student grievance submission.
    • Course Instructor renders decision to student within 10 business days.
    • Course Instructor copies Program Director and Director of CSE in decision email.
  3. Step 3
    • If complaint is not resolved with Course Instructor, then the student may escalate to the Program Director. Within 10 business days, student submits grievance and previous communication thread to Program Director and  Director of CSE.
  4. Step 4
    • Program Director responds to student with receipt of student grievance submission.
    • Program Director renders decision to student within 10 business days.
    • Program Director copies Director of CSE in decision email
  5. Step 5
    • If complaint is not resolved with Program Director, then the student may escalate to the Department Chair.Within 10 business days, student submits grievance and previous communication thread to Department Chair and Director of CSE.
  6. Step 6
    • Department Chair responds to student with receipt of student grievance submission.
    • Department Chair renders decision to student within 10 business days.
    • Department Chair copies Director of CSE in decision email
  7. Step 7
    • After the Department Chair decision, the student or the instructor may appeal to the Dean within 10 business days of the chair’s decision. The Dean may designate the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to handle a response.
    • The statement from the student or instructor should include the concern, how it affects the individual or unit, the remedy sought from the Dean, and all prior communication.
    • Dean or designee responds within 10 days, with a cc to the Director of CSE.

If the concern is from a student at a campus other than Spokane, the concern will also be brought to the attention of the Campus Academic Director at the same stages as the Program Director.

The formal Graduate School Grievance procedure is in chapter 12 of the Graduate School handbook, which is to be used following the College of Nursing’s grievance process:

In some instances, such as those related to academic and employment issues (e.g. failed examinations, termination of assistantship, dismissal from program, etc.), the student may wish to appeal a specific decision made by the departmental or program faculty.

  1. The student must make a formal grievance request to the Dean of the Graduate School in writing, with signature (email is not sufficient). The student must submit documentation describing his/her grounds for a formal grievance to the Dean. Formal grievances must be filed within 15 (fifteen) calendar days following a notice of decision. The original decision will be held in abeyance until the university has rendered a final decision.
  1. The Dean will assign these formal grievances to one of the Associate Deans for full consideration and recommendation. If the Associate Dean deems it appropriate, the matter will be referred to an independent Committee on Graduate Student Rights and Responsibilities (CGSRR) for consideration and formulating recommendations of action to the Dean of the Graduate School. The CGSRR will operate with due respect to the rights of graduate students, faculty, and administrators including the conduct of interviews, the right of all parties to review and address allegations, and the right to a fair hearing. The CGSRR will deliberate and render a recommendation to the Dean of the Graduate School or the Dean’s designee within 60 days of being formed.
  1. Recommendations for resolution of formal grievances will be acted upon by the Dean or the Dean’s designee. The Dean of the Graduate School will make a final decision. The decision made by the Dean on academic matters is final.
  1. An Appeal of the decision made by the Dean of the Graduate School can be made to the Provost if the graduate student believes there was a procedural error or failure to follow WSU or Graduate School policy during the complaint or grievance process. The written appeal to the Provost regarding procedural irregularities must be filed within fifteen (15) calendar days following the notice of the decision from the Dean of the Graduate School in response to the formal grievance. The appeal must be copied to the Dean of the Graduate School. If the Dean of the Graduate School does not receive a copy of the appeal within fifteen (15) calendar days, the student’s right to appeal will be waived and the Dean’s decision will be final. The Provost will not reopen cases for the purpose of re-investigating the grievance.

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Section VII: Additional Information

Technical Standards

Nursing students must meet the appropriate Technical Standards for their program independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, to support successful progress through and graduation from their respective curricula. These requirements pertain to all student conduct regardless of setting (e.g., classroom/didactic, office, on-campus simulation, off-campus practicum , email communication, etc.).

Students are encouraged to review these Technical Standards to become familiar with the skills, abilities, and behavioral characteristics required to complete the programs.Students who have questions about these Technical Standards or who may require reasonable accommodation should contact WSU Student Campus Accommodations department at the campus in which they are registered.

General Information

Directory for College of Nursing Faculty and Staff

Contact information for all College of Nursing faculty and staff is located at College of Nursing Faculty & Staff Directory.

Academic Calendar

The Academic Calendar located on the WSU Registrar website provides relevant deadlines for registration, fees, applications, enrollment, exams, holidays, and other important information.

Library Services

WSU Libraries are dedicated to supporting the research needs of students. Refer to the College of Nursing Library Services for campus-specific information.

Online Course Access

Nursing courses use Canvas, an online Learning Management System (LMS), to deliver course content. Students will receive LMS access to courses after they have a WSU Network ID and have registered for courses. Access the site to find course syllabi, communications from faculty, and other important information. WSU has a guide on navigating Canvas as well. 

Other student resources and information can be found on the CON website under Students.

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Section VIII: Appendicies 

Candidacy and Dissertation

The WSU requirements for PhD candidacy, graduation, and all downloadable forms are described in the Graduate School Policies and Procedures Manual. The College of Nursing has established the guidelines described below for progression to candidacy, dissertation completion, and dissertation defense.

There are three major steps undertaken at the conclusion of the PhD student’s required course work. The first is progression to candidacy through successful presentation and defense of the dissertation proposal (preliminary or qualifying examination). The second is completion of the Institutional Review Board documents and carrying out the proposed research. The third step is the writing, presentation, and defense of the completed doctoral dissertation (final examination). Each step is described below in terms of its purpose, elements, format and process, and instructions to students. 

Progression to Candidacy 

NURS 800 Credits

Graduate School requires all students to take a minimum of 2 credits of NURS 800 every fall and spring semester. Credits are optional during summer session. During Year 1, students enroll in 1 credit of NURS 800 each semester. NURS 800 credits in subsequent semesters are determined by your advising committee. NURS 800 credits during the summer semester is at the discretion of your advising committee with approval from the PhD program director. NURS 800 is graded as S or U. Any student who receives two “U” grades in NURS 800 is automatically dismissed from the university by the Graduate School. 

Four Year Policy for Taking Preliminary Exam

PhD students have a maximum of 7 years after program start date (and accounting for dates of transferred credit) to successfully pass their preliminary exams. If a student has not passed their preliminary exams after 7 years, the student may be asked to do a combination of any of the following: retake coursework; meet every semester with dissertation committee; and/or sign a warning of unsatisfactory progression every semester after the 4 years. The student may also be asked to withdraw from the PhD program. Consequences of not completing the preliminary exam within the timeframe will be at the discretion of the advising committee, PhD Program Director, and SCI-APCC Committee. 

Each student works with a dissertation committee while completing coursework. Students are assigned a primary chair upon admission who will initially work with the student to identify first year courses and additional advising committee members. The dissertation committee should be fully constituted by Year 2 of the PhD program.

Progression to PhD candidacy.

Progression to PhD candidacy is a process, the purpose of which is to demonstrate readiness to complete dissertation requirements for the PhD in nursing. This process is intended to foster and evaluate student abilities related to knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of content within the context of the nursing discipline. 

Steps in the process include:

  1. Satisfactory completion of coursework as recommended by advising committee;
    • Progression to candidacy includes several steps and occurs after satisfactory completion of identified coursework, with the exception of any remaining nursing education courses required for fulfillment of either NFLP or Education certificate requirements. “Completion” of courses means that courses are successfully completed, and grades are posted. This ensures that critical study in areas such as scientific inquiry, research methods, concept analysis, and chosen electives is applied in the dissertation proposal.
  2. Appointment/approval of the dissertation committee members;
    • Once the student conceptualizes the dissertation proposal, the dissertation committee is formed. One or more members of the dissertation committee may be changed, based on the dissertation topic and advising expertise needed.
  3. Outline of comprehensive dissertation proposal approved by the dissertation committee;
    • Upon completion of coursework, the student is eligible to present an outline of the dissertation proposal, to be approved by all dissertation committee members. The outline is to be a detailed description of the proposal content, including
      • Chapter 1: Statement of the Problem, Population of Interest, Study Aims, Significance
      • Chapter 2: Literature Search Tactics, Theoretical Framework, and Literature Review
      • Chapter 3: Design and Methodology
    • Together with the dissertation committee, specific headings and expected content within these chapters will be discussed and outlined. It is at this stage that students position their specific areas of interest, with respect to content and methodology, within the larger body of disciplinary knowledge. Committee members will be looking for a demonstration of comprehensiveness and will offer guidance as to the expectations for the written work.
  4. Written dissertation proposal approved by the dissertation committee; and
    • Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are written and approved prior to the preliminary examination. The proposal is both an academic milestone, and an important pedagogical tool. Students and faculty members should view the proposal as a contract which articulates the boundaries and goals of the student’s first large‐scale research project that is completed in collaboration with the dissertation committee members. Following approval, major changes must be approved by the entire dissertation committee.
    • It should be noted that this proposal includes comprehensive information that demonstrates a synthesis and application of disciplinary knowledge. It will become a substantial portion of the dissertation. However, editing is expected as the dissertation progresses, new relevant literature becomes available, and information included in the comprehensive proposal is honed. Students may submit sections or drafts to particular members of their committee for critique as the proposal develops. Work with the dissertation chair to determine the procedure for working with the committee to review chapters. The length of this process and of the proposal will vary depending upon the particular needs of the student and the requirements of the respective committee members. All committee members must approve the completed written proposal. 
  5. Oral presentation of proposal to dissertation committee and all interested graduate faculty
    • An oral presentation and defense of the research proposal follows approval of the written work. This constitutes the preliminary doctoral examination. The student will schedule the presentation, ensuring that all committee members will be present. Committee members’ signatures and graduate school approval must be sought no later than 15 working days prior to the date of presentation. Work with the PhD Staff Advisor to obtain signatures and to complete the defense scheduling form. Dates for the preliminary and final defenses are established by the PhD Program Coordinator each semester.
    • The presentation is open to the College of Nursing faculty, WSU faculty, and graduate students. Following a 30-minute presentation, the general audience may engage in questions or comments for 20 minutes, after which they will leave, and the committee will conduct an oral examination. The oral examination consists of questions elicited from all committee members by the committee chair. Each member will ask one to three comprehensive questions for which the student has had an opportunity to prepare. They may provide written comments to the committee chair following the examination and prior to committee deliberation if they wish.

The oral exam proceeds as follows: 

  1. Committee chair introduces doctoral student, describes process, and outlines events               
  2. Student gives proposal presentation                                                                                                                            
  3. Audience may ask questions and/or offer comments                                                                                         
  4. Break and the general audience departs 
  5. Committee convenes to engage student in substantive discussion regarding prepared questions 
  6. Questioning process between committee and student proceeds                                             
  7. Committee deliberates, determines feedback and future guidance for student, and votes (10 minutes) 
  8. Chair invites student back into room and committee relays decision 
  9. Chair establishes appointment to meet with student and provide direction and feedback for dissertation pursuits, as appropriate 

Student Guidelines:

  1. Typically, committees prefer the student submit one chapter at a time for committee review although process should be discussed in the initial meeting with the entire dissertation committee.  
  2. Committee members have 20 working days to review your proposal chapters and revisions. Plan ahead.
  3. Schedule your exam once the committee has determined that you are prepared. 
  4. The preliminary examination should be completed within four years from the start of the program. 
  5. Once candidacy is awarded, the Graduate School requires the completion of the dissertation study within three years. 

Candidacy

After successful completion of the progression to candidacy process, the student becomes a Ph.D. candidate, an acknowledgement that the student is actively engaged in research. The student may refer to themself as a PhD Candidate in all written materials although current disciplinary convention does not suggest that this is a best practice. WSU does not recognize the Ph(c) designation. 

Dissertation Completion 

Throughout the period of candidacy, the student continues to work collaboratively with the dissertation committee chair and committee members. The project will be completed as proposed with guidance of the dissertation committee. 

Steps to completion of the dissertation include

  1. All coursework must be completed.
  2. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is needed from WSU and any other necessary organizations. The student writes the IRB, working closely with the committee chair. The WSU IRB is submitted with the committee chair as the Principal Investigator (PI) and the student as co-PI. Other organizations that need to approve the study should be consulted for their requirements. 
  3. The student may need to obtain funding for the proposed research. The committee and other resources can be consulted for opportunities to submit funding requests. Upon IRB approval and securing funding, if necessary, the student carries out the proposed research. Regular meetings with the chair and committee members will ensure that adequate guidance is received. All IRB requirements such as reporting of adverse events and safeguarding participant privacy should be stringently met. Under no circumstances may the student change the procedures for the implementation of the study without obtaining approval of the committee chair and WSU IRB via the submission of an Addendum Request to IRB. 
  4. Additional consultation is sought as needed. A regular series of meetings to agree upon a timeline and report progression of the research should be established with the committee chair. Arrangements should be made for the chair to visit and view data collection, intervention, data entry, analysis, or other parts of the research process as desired by the chair. 
  5. An essential part of the research process is maintenance of the research methods and results. The student is expected to work with the chair and the Office of Research to plan for safe collection, transfer, and storage of research data. All Research office recommendations and requirements should be followed. 
  6. The student completes the research, a process that may involve adapting recruitment, reporting to agency personnel, completing interim reports to funding agencies, arranging for use of equipment, or production of surveys and other research equipment. Ongoing meetings to report progress and challenges to the chair are expected. Critical problem solving should be evident during this process. 
  7. During or following data collection and analysis, students should engage with the committee to determine the format for the final written dissertation. The College of Nursing offers two options.

Traditional Dissertation Format

This format follows the standard/traditional 5 chapter format, including

  • Chapter 1: Background and problem statement, significance of the problem, philosophical/theoretical/conceptual background of the problem, and research aims/questions/hypotheses
  • Chapter 2: Literature review. Optional: Theoretical/philosophical background and conceptualization of the problem (rather than Chapter 1).  
  • Chapter 3: Design and Methods
    • Chapters 1-3 should be revised from the proposal and stated in past tense.
  • Chapter 4: Results 
  • Chapter 5: Discussion 

Manuscript Dissertation Format:

This format includes 3 manuscripts that will be or have been submitted to refereed journals, including:

  • Chapter 1: Overview of background and problem statement, significance of the problem, review of literature including philosophical/theoretical/conceptual background of the problem, research aims/questions, design and methods,
  • Chapters 2-4 Manuscripts approved by the committee
  • Chapter 5: Discussion that synthesizes results, findings, and implications of the entire study.

Editing is an expected part of both formats this process and the time to complete dissertation chapters will vary depending upon the particular needs of the student and the requirements of the respective committee members. Formatting instructions are provided by the Graduate School with additional details available from the PhD program administrative assistant staff and director. All committee members must approve the final written dissertation. 

The dissertation is submitted to the committee prior to scheduling the final defense. If the manuscript format is selected, the student is first author of the articles and may request co-authorship from the dissertation committee who have been involved in its formation. 

Upon approval of the committee, the student schedules the final presentation of the doctoral dissertation. The committee and Graduate Advisor should be consulted prior to scheduling the defense to facilitate timing. Certain days are set aside at the beginning of each semester for preliminary and final examinations. 

Dissertation Defense 

The dissertation defense provides the committee, peers, and graduate faculty with the opportunity to learn from, dialogue with, and critique the original research of the candidate. It is the culminating event that follows completion of all course work, completion of research, and the doctoral dissertation. Upon successful completion of the dissertation defense, the student is welcomed as a nurse scientist to the field of nursing and is eligible for the PhD in Nursing degree. 

The dissertation presentation is open to the College of Nursing faculty and doctoral students. Students may invite family members, friends, and colleagues if they choose. Following a 30-minute presentation, the general audience may engage in questions or comments for 15 minutes, after which they will leave and the committee will conduct an oral examination. The oral examination consists of questions elicited from all committee members by the committee chair. Each member will ask 1 to 3 comprehensive questions for which the student has had an opportunity to prepare.

  • Committee chair introduces doctoral candidate, describes process and outlines events 
  • Candidate gives dissertation presentation
  • Audience may ask questions and/or offer comments
  • Break and the general audience departs 
  • Committee convenes to engage candidate in substantive discussion regarding prepared questions 
  • Questioning process between committee and candidate proceeds
  • Committee deliberates, determines feedback for candidate, and votes 
  • Chair invites candidate back into room and committee relays decision. Chair establishes appointment to meet with candidate and provide direction and feedback for final submission of materials to Graduate School 
  • Candidate completes program evaluation 

Candidate guidelines:

  • Revise proposal chapters 1-3, changing all future tense to past tense and revising the methods to reflect the actual approaches used during the research. Submit entire dissertation when candidate and committee agree that it is ready. 
  • Committee members have 20 working days to review the documents. Revisions also require 20 day review periods or as determined by your full committee.
  • Schedule the final defense once the committee has approved your final submission.  
  • You have 5 working days to make any final edits to the dissertation and to ensure the digital copy that is uploaded meets all formatting requirements of ProQuest/UMI once the defense is completed. You are strongly encouraged to have the WSU Graduate School review the formatting of your documents the week before the final dissertation defense. The chapters turned in to the committee must be in the final ProQuest format. 

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Glossary

  • Center for Student Excellence (CSE) – This College of Nursing department supports students throughout their time in the program. Academic Coordinators and Success Coaches are in this department and the CSE is focused on providing support with class registration, academic success, resource referral, and policy interpretation.
  • Clinical Affairs (CA) – This College of Nursing department supports students with immunization questions, CastleBranch and Clinical Passport questions, the medical exemption process, the onboarding processes, and clinical training agreements with partner agreements.
  • Nursing and Systems Science Admissions, Progression, and Curriculum Committee (SCI-APCC) – This College of Nursing committee is comprised of faculty and student representatives that review items related to PhD student admission and time in the program. That includes cohort selection for incoming students, as well as reviewing appeals from students who do not progress in a timely manner and wish to retake courses. They also review curricular changes and decisions related to courses in the department.
  • Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) – This form is something that College of Nursing members fill that goes to a student to provide timely feedback and notification of concerns. Concerns can be related to academic courses, clinical experiences, or professionalism. Knowing what concerns are early on allows students to course-correct and ultimately be successful in their program. In some cases, PIPs may be generated due to policy or timeline breaches, but the majority of PIPs are designed to be non-punitive and serve as an early communication tool.
  • Revised Code of Washington (RCW) – These are the compilation of all laws and regulations in Washington that are now in force. Institutional Review Board (IRB) – This board assists student researchers and investigators in conducting ethical research that complies with the DHHS, FDA, Washington State regulations and University policies in a way that permits accomplishment of the research activity.
  • Washington Administrative Code (WAC) – These administrative codes are regulations of the Washington executive branch and are a source of primary law in the state. They guide many of the policies and procedures that the College of Nursing and WSU itself follow.

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