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Admission
Information
Students applying
to the Coordinated Program must have met all requirements and been
admitted to the University. The web address for Indiana State
University undergraduate admission is http://www.indstate.edu/join_us/admissions.htm.
The web address for graduate admission is http://web.indstate.edu/sogs/newwebsite/new_index.htm.
If you are
interested or need more information about general admission
requirements and financial aid, contact the admissions office at
812-237-2121 for undergraduates and 812-237-3005 for the School of
Graduate Studies.
A separate application to the Coordinated
Program in Dietetics is required. See “Download Application Form”
on Program website sidebar area. Listed below are the minimum
requirements to apply for admission to the program.
Further eligibility
requirements also include a minimum GPA of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale or a
3.0/4.0 on the last 32 hours of work completed.
Completion of 62 credit hours is required for admission. Prior learning experiences cannot provide credit or exemptions from
clinical requirements. Students may test out of required general
education courses as allowed by the University.
Undergraduate
students may apply for admission into the Coordinated Program at the
end of the sophomore year (62 or more credit hours) and upon
completion of the following prerequisites:
Chemistry 103/103L
Chemistry 104/104L
Communications 101
English 105 or 107
FCS 221 with a C+ or
better*
FCS 226 with a C+ or
better
*FCS 201 may be
substituted if the grades in Chem 103,103L, 104 and 104L are B or
better. Students who have also completed Life Sciences 274, 274L,
241, 241L and Chem 330, 330L will be given priority in ranking
applicants.
Students who have
been admitted to the School of Graduate Studies and have met the
above prerequisites are eligible to apply to the program.
Once a student has
been admitted into the program all further major coursework must be
completed with a C+ or better. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 or better average
in all courses taken for graduate credit. The application process
includes a written application, transcript or DARS, a personal
interview, job shadowing, professional recommendations, and written
response to questions that evaluate a candidate’s ability to problem
solve, think critically and make sound decisions. Once accepted
into the program the student must request a national criminal
background check be sent to the Program Director, obtain a physical
examination and immunizations as needed, and provide proof of
insurance. Should the criminal background check reveal any arrests,
the student must provide official legal documentation indicating the
disposition of the arrest. Any conviction information will be
forwarded to the clinical sites for their evaluation. If a criminal
conviction would prevent placement in clinical sites, the student
will be dropped from the program. Results of criminal background
checks will be provided to sites as requested.
All student
information is kept confidential and on file in the Director’s
office.
Transfer Credit: Once admitted to the
university, transfer credit will be officially determined by Indiana
State University. This information can be viewed by the student
using the “My ISU” account. Simultaneously, transfer students
should also send an official transcript to the Coordinated Program
Director to evaluate courses and identify any deficiencies related
to program admission requirements. Prior to graduation, an official
transcript must be provided to the Program Director for any course(s)
that are not taken at ISU which are being transferred into ISU for
credit and/or for a course required by the CP program. Graduate
students must provide official transcripts of all undergraduate and
graduate work not taken at Indiana State University.
As noted earlier, no
prior learning experience is accepted for credit in the Coordinated
Program. If a student possesses extensive knowledge and experience
every effort is made to provide clinical experiences that will
include the required content but also will build on the student’s
current experience level.
No student shall be
denied admission to the program because of race, color, creed,
gender, age or national origin.
Additional
Coordinated Program Policies
Physical
Examination:
Each student is required to pass a physical examination prior
to entering the program. Evidence of a negative tuberculin test and
a Rubella titer will also be required. Tuberculin tests are
required annually. Other health information may also be required by
clinical sites. Health care facilities require student physical
examinations and vaccination records to be on file; therefore by
accepting admission to the CP program the student gives ISU
permission to provide student health paperwork to the clinical
sites.
Attendance:
Students must be present to carry out assigned
responsibilities in clinical facilities. All clinical hours must be
completed. Each student must notify the faculty and preceptors in
advance of any unavoidable absences due to illness or other
emergency. Absences of 10% or more in any course will result in the
re-evaluation of student retention in the program. Students must
attend scheduled conferences as well as clinical and didactic
sessions.
Dress:
Students must meet professional dress standards in order to
participate in clinical experiences. For most clinicals, each
student must purchase his or her own professional apparel and is
responsible for his or her own laundry. Students must be neat and
clean at all times. Name tags will be worn in clinical facilities
at all times.
Jobs and
Scheduling:
Due to the variable nature of the learning experiences in
clinical facilities, times scheduled in the facilities cannot always
be between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., but will sometimes include
breakfast or dinner hour, evenings, and occasionally the week-ends.
This means that large blocks of time must be kept free for the
program. Students considering taking part time jobs must consult
with the CP Coordinator before taking the job, to see whether
conflicts might occur. Extra-curricular activities may need to be
curtailed if they interfere with clinical scheduling. Jobs and
extracurricular activities will not be possible during the spring
semester of the senior year as the student will typically be in
clinical rotations for 40 hours per week at a location that may be
as much as 100 miles away.
Clinical hours are
to be spent in learning experiences and do not constitute employment
by the facility. There will be no reimbursement to students for
time spent in clinical facilities.
Transportation:
All students will be responsible for their own transportation
to and from clinical facilities.
Room and Board:
All students will be responsible for their own room and
board, including time while they are on site during FCS 424 and FCS
431. This will also include any living expenses required during the
last week of the final semester when all students must return to
campus.
Attendance and
Professional Meetings:
Part of the
development of professionalism and the broadening of knowledge
involves the participation in professional meetings such as those of
the West Central Indiana District Dietetic Association or the
Indiana Dietetic Association. When attendance at a professional
meeting is included as part of the requirements of a course, ample
advance notice will be given to students. Students are responsible
for all related expenses including registration fees and
transportation. If unavoidable conflicts exist and students are
unable to participate in the meetings, alternate experiences will be
assigned.
Retention:
A grade of at least a C+ in each
professional course must be earned. Professional courses are only
offered once each year. Therefore, students failing to successfully
complete a course will be required to wait at least a whole calendar
year before repeating the course and continuing the sequence. No
more than two professional courses may be repeated. Furthermore,
these courses may be repeated only once. Readmission to the program
requires reapplication and is not guaranteed.
Comprehensive
Tests:
All students successfully completing the program will be
eligible to receive a Verification Statement and take the Dietetics
Registration Examination. A series of comprehensive examinations
covering the subject areas included in the Registration Examination
will be required in the student’s last semester. A passing score of
85% or better on one practice R.D. exam is required for successful
completion of FCS 424, a requirement of the program.
Privacy:
Student files are securely maintained in the Program
Director’s office and students may view their records with the
Director at a time that is convenient for both parties.
Any information
obtained by the student about a patient, client or facility will be
handled in a confidential manner. Discussion of this information is
limited to staff meetings and clinical conferences. Care will be
taken to protect the identity of the client/patient in such
conferences. Breeches of confidentiality are serious matters having
legal as well as program consequences. Therefore, students may be
required at specific clinical sites to sign a statement verifying
that they have been informed of patients’ rights and
confidentiality.
Evaluation:
Evaluation, an integral part of the program, is an ongoing
process in all phases of the program for the purpose of meeting the
needs of the students in accordance with the guidelines set down by
the American Dietetic Association.
1.
Student Evaluations:
Students will be evaluated by means of grades on tests and
projects. They will also be graded in the clinical areas by means
of a series of clinical evaluation forms which will be shared with
the students in order to help improve performance. These may be
completed by instructors and/or supervisors in the clinical sites.
During FCS 424 all students will participate in an intensive review
of subject matter that could appear on the Registration Examination
for Dietitians. This is a culminating experience for the program
and all students must pass one of three tests with 85% or better to
graduate from the program.
2.
Course Evaluations:
Courses, both clinical and didactic, are evaluated by the
students. Clinical personnel also evaluate the experience after all
the students have finished their assignments.
3.
Instructor Evaluations:
Instructors are evaluated by the students. The Student
Instructional Reports (SIRs) are filled out anonymously and are used
in the evaluation of the instructor’s performance by various
committees on campus.
4.
Program Evaluation:
The Coordinated Program is evaluated at the end of the junior
year by the junior students, at the end of the senior year by the
senior students, by the graduates after they have been away from the
program, by the employers of the graduates, and by the faculty and
other internal and external program constituencies on an ongoing and
systematic manner. Strengths and weaknesses are identified from the
assessment feedback; short and long term plans are developed to
address areas identified, and a schedule is developed to measure the
effectiveness of the plan.
5. Clinical Site Evaluation: Clinical sites are
evaluated by the students. Strengths and weaknesses are identified
from the feedback. The evaluations are discussed with the clinical
preceptor at the end of the semester. Students are given the
opportunity to informally evaluate clinical sites with their
instructor. Any problems are identified and discussed with the
preceptor at that time.
Discipline:
Situations may arise that are in violation of the program policies
or the clinical agreements. Minor violations will be handled first
with a warning and then, if the actions persist, may affect the
student’s retention in the program. If a student is asked to leave
the clinical facility for a violation of the agreement or the
facility’s code of conduct, the violation will be reviewed by the
Program faculty. The Program is under no obligation to provide
alternative placement for the offending student. Serious breaches
of professional ethics such as cheating, plagiarism, violation of
confidentiality, or flagrant violation of facility rules will result
in expulsion from the Program. The student has the
right to defend his/her actions according to the rules and
regulations set up by Indiana State University.
I WANT TO APPLY AND
BEGIN MY JOURNEY WITH ISU TO BECOME A REGISTERED DIETITIAN!
OK!! To make your
formal application to the program, just click the “Download
Application Form” listed on the side bar. Download the form and
begin the process!
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