Policy 1.4: Course Notification & Development Plan

I. Policy Statement

The School of Nursing (SoN) uses Course Notifications and Development Plans as its formal course-level early-alert mechanism. Faculty complete a Course Notification at any point in the quarter when a student is not meeting course objectives or is at risk of course failure. Following the Notification, the OSAA Program Adviser and student co-create a Development Plan to identify strategies and supports for success.

Course Notifications and Development Plans serve two purposes:

• To provide students with timely, transparent feedback and expectations.
• To activate advising and support resources so the student can develop strategies for success.

These tools are supportive and developmental, not punitive. They are temporary records, maintained in the advising file until graduation, at which point they are removed. Information for students about Course Notifications, including what happens after one is issued, is available at Course Notification/Early Alert.

II. Applicability

• Undergraduate students (A/BSN): A Course Notification may be issued at any point in the quarter when a student is not meeting course objectives or when course performance (e.g., exam scores, assignments, or clinical evaluations) indicates risk of earning below the undergraduate passing threshold of 2.0 in the course.
• Graduate students (DNP, PhD, CIPCT): A Course Notification may be issued at any point in the quarter when a student is not meeting course objectives or when course performance indicates risk of earning below the graduate passing threshold of 2.7 in the course.
• A Course Notification is an early alert that connects a student with support. It is not an academic status under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.1: Academic Performance and Progress and does not require a course repeat under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.6: Course Repeat Policy. Either may follow later, based on the final course grade.

III. Definitions

• Course Notification: The document completed by faculty that identifies unmet course expectations and outlines initial expectations and action steps.
• Development Plan: The document co-created by the OSAA Program Adviser and the student that records strategies, resources, and follow-up to support course success.

IV. Process

A. Submitting a Course Notification

• Faculty identify unmet objectives or performance concerns, with specific examples.
• Faculty complete the School of Nursing Course Notification form, which captures the observations, the course expectations needing attention, and what the student is being asked to do.
• Submitting the form generates a draft Course Notification letter, which is emailed to the faculty member for review, with a copy to the Vice Chair for Education for the faculty member’s department and the student’s OSAA Program Adviser. The letter has not been issued at this point.

B. Consultation Before Issuance

• Before issuing the Course Notification, faculty review the draft, consult as appropriate with the Course Coordinator, co-instructors, the Specialty Director, or the Vice Chair for Education, and finalize the letter.

C. Issuing the Course Notification

• Faculty email the Course Notification to the student’s UW email address, copying the OSAA Program Adviser. This email is the record of delivery (signatures are not required).
  • The Notification states a reply date and asks the student to meet, in person or via Zoom, offering times within 2–3 business days.
  • If the concern is time sensitive, for example one that impacts the student’s continued participation in a clinical course, the faculty member may set a one-business-day reply date, stating the reason for the shorter timeline.
• In sensitive cases, the faculty member may request the meeting first and present the Notification at it.
• The OSAA Program Adviser records the Course Notification as issued, and the Program Director for the student’s program is then notified.

D. Faculty–Student Meeting

• The student may bring a support person, consistent with University practice. The support person may provide assistance but does not participate in the substantive discussion.
• At the meeting, the faculty member:
  • reviews the observations in the Notification and the course expectations needing attention;
  • answers the student’s questions; and
  • confirms what the student is being asked to do and by when.
• Questions about barriers or support needs go to the OSAA Program Adviser, who meets with the student separately.
• If the student disagrees with the Notification:
  • The student may submit a written response, which the OSAA Program Adviser files with the Notification.
  • A concern about instruction may be raised under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.1: Communicating Concerns About Instruction.
  • A Notification is not itself an academic status and is not separately appealable. A student who later receives a status based in part on the concerns documented here may grieve that decision under UW School of Nursing Policy 5.2: Student Grievance & Appeals Process.
  • A final course grade is reviewed under UW School of Nursing Policy 1.3: Grading & Incompletes.
• If the student does not reply by the reply date:
  • The faculty member notifies the Vice Chair for Education for their department, copying the OSAA Program Adviser.
  • The OSAA Program Adviser records the Notification as No Response.
  • The Vice Chair for Education then determines what follows, as set out in Section IV.E.

E. Adviser Follow-Up and Success Meeting

• The faculty and OSAA Program Adviser play complementary roles. Faculty set academic expectations and review performance. The OSAA Program Adviser helps the student identify and use the supports needed to meet those expectations.
• Within two business days of the Notification being issued, the OSAA Program Adviser contacts the student to schedule a success meeting. This meeting occurs separately from the faculty meeting to allow candid discussion of barriers and support needs.
• At the success meeting, the OSAA Program Adviser:
  • conducts a needs assessment;
  • provides resource referrals (for example, tutoring, simulation or practice, study skills, DRS accommodations, counseling, financial or housing support, and wellness); and
  • co-creates the Development Plan with the student.
• The Development Plan:
  • summarizes the issues identified in the Notification;
  • identifies barriers to success (academic, personal, financial, wellness, or other);
  • specifies strategies and resources to address identified barriers; and
  • includes measurable goals, timelines, and check-in expectations.
• After the meeting, the OSAA Program Adviser documents the plan, routes it to the student, and coordinates as needed with the student’s Faculty Adviser, Committee Chair, Specialty Director, or Program Director.
• If the student does not respond to the OSAA Program Adviser within two business days of the Adviser’s outreach:
  • The OSAA Program Adviser records the Notification as No Response and notifies the Vice Chair for Education for the course faculty member’s department, copying the course faculty member.
  • A No Response record is not a penalty. The student may still meet with the faculty member and the OSAA Program Adviser, and the expectations in the Course Notification still apply.
• When a Notification is recorded as No Response, after either faculty or Adviser outreach, the Vice Chair for Education determines what follows. This may include:
  • contacting the student;
  • consulting the course faculty member about options while time remains; or
  • referring the matter under UW School of Nursing Policy 4.1: Essential Qualifications & Behaviors if a pattern of non-response is evident.

F. Monitoring and Close-Out

• The faculty member and student check in regularly during the quarter. A check-in does not need to be a meeting.
• The OSAA Program Adviser tracks the student’s use of resources and provides ongoing support.
• At the end of the quarter, the OSAA Program Adviser checks the final course grade, records the outcome (for example, passed or did not pass), and resolves the record in the student’s advising file.

V. Documentation and Recordkeeping

• Course Notifications and Development Plans are education records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and are handled in accordance with FERPA (34 CFR Part 99) and Chapter 478-140 WAC. Access is limited to those with a legitimate educational interest.
• The School of Nursing maintains each Course Notification and a record of its status. Development Plans are maintained by the OSAA Program Adviser.
• A Development Plan is not automatically shared with the course faculty.
• Records are retained and destroyed in accordance with the UW Records Retention Schedule.
• A student may request to review their Course Notification and Development Plan at any time while the record is open.

VI. Student Support

Students are encouraged to use available supports, including:

• Program and Faculty Advising
• Disability Resources for Students (DRS)
• Counseling and wellness services
• Financial aid and basic needs resources

VII. Process Flowchart

VIII. Roles and Responsibilities Summary

Last updated: September 2026