Lakeview College of Nursing is committed to equal employment, educational opportunities, and full participation for persons with disabilities. Therefore, no qualified individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied benefits of, or otherwise be discriminated against in employment, admission, or any activity, or program on this campus.

Definition

The definition of a "person with a disability" under the ADA guidelines is "An individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable modification to rules, policies or practices meets the essential eligibility requirements for receipt of services or the participation in programs or activities provided by a public entity who:

1. has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of such person's major life activities;
2. has a record of such impairment; or
3. is regarded as having such an impairment.

Once a student is attending college, they are expected to self-advocate; therefore, it is up to the individual to disclose a disability and request academic accommodations.  This process is done on a case to case basis and is collaborative.  A student may start the process by emailing: studentsfirst@lcn.edu

Disability Services Process for New Students

1. Complete an interview to determine if, your medical or psychiatric condition rises to the legal level of disability. You can make an appointment by emailing: studentsfirst@lcn.edu
2. Documentation may be required, following the interview, to determine if a requested accommodation is needed and is reasonable.
3. Notice of approval or denial of academic accommodations will be provided at the interview.
4. Submit a request in writing studentsfirst@lcn.edu for approved academic accommodations. 
5. The request must contain the specific accommodations that are to be received in the specific courses.  Requests may be emailed to studentsfirst@lcn.edu.  
6. It is recommended that students meet with instructors during scheduled office hours or before/after class time; to introduce yourself as a student who will be receiving academic accommodations.
7. Contact studentsfirst@lcn.edu during the first week of class if, for any reason, your academic accommodation has not been implemented.

Short-term/temporary accommodations
There may be the occasion when a student sustains a serious but time-limited injury or illness (e.g., a broken bone, mononucleosis, etc.) that requires the student to miss several days of class, clinical or limits the student’s ability to perform in the clinical area. For the safety of the student, patients, classmates, and staff, the student will engage the office of student disability services to develop a short-term accommodation plan for all educational settings, including the classroom, lab, and clinical environment, where academic performance may be affected. These time-limited accommodations are created through an interactive process that includes the student, office of student disability services, the appropriate faculty and the student’s health care provider in order to facilitate the student meeting course objectives.

Pregnancy Accommodations --The College adheres to all policies related to pregnancy in the Illinois Human Rights Act, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act. (See, Student Pregnancy Policy)

Students seeking short-term/temporary accommodations will:

• Schedule an appointment with studentsfirst@lcn.edu to complete the Request for Accommodation Form
• Provide documentation from their treating clinician stating the diagnosis (please adhere to the information stated above for documentation requirements) to studentsfirst@lcn.edu.
• Specify any restrictions (such as lifting)
• Expected date of when the student would be eligible to return to duty without any restrictions.

Accommodations Process for Continuing Students

Every semester students will need to:

1. Once you receive your semester schedule, please send an email request to studentsfirst@lcn.edu containing the specific academic accommodations and the course or courses that you want them implemented. Include the title, author/editor, and ISBN number for textbook requests in an alternative format.
2. Continue to engage in self-advocacy by meeting with instructors during their scheduled office hours or after class time.
3. Contact studentsfirst@lcn.edu in the first week of class if your academic accommodation has not been implemented for any reason.

In accordance with Public Law 93-380, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, strict confidentiality will be observed regarding student information. The nature of an educational institution requires that records must be kept and may be shared by school administration, faculty and advisors within the College when applicable.

The Act provides that the College may retain the right to release Directory Information which is defined as student’s name, telephone number, all addresses, e-mail addresses, date and place of birth, major, honors, awards, photo, classification, dates of enrollment, enrollment status, degrees conferred, graduation distinctions and the institution attended immediately prior to admission. In the absence of written notice by a student to withhold any or all information included in the definition of “Directory Information”, the College reserves the right to release any of the aforementioned information. Students may refuse to disclose any or all information to anyone except College administration and faculty.  Information such as social security numbers, race and grades will not be released to a third party without the written permission of the student.  Information about students may be given without written consent in an emergency or to protect the health and safety of the student or others.

Specifically, the FERPA Act states the following:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.

Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.

Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):

• School officials with legitimate educational interest;

• Other schools to which a student is transferring;

• Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;

• Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;

• Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;

• Accrediting organizations;

• To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;

• Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and

• State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA.

The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.

For additional information or technical assistance, you may call (202) 260-3887 (voice). Individuals who use TDD may call the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

Or you may contact us at the following address:

Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-4605

Notification of Rights under FERPA for Postsecondary Institutions

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.  These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the College receives a request for access.

   A student should submit to the registrar  a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect.  The College official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.  If the records are not maintained by the College official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

   A student who wishes to ask the College to amend a record should write the College official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants to be changed and specify why it should be changed.

   The student will be notified in writing if the College decides not to amend the record as requested. The student will be informed of the right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment.  Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student.

3. The right to provide written consent before the College discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

   The College discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests.  A school official is a person employed by the College in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the College has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using College employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of  Directors; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks.

   A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educa­tion record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the College.

4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the College to comply with the requirements of FERPA.  The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

   Family Policy Compliance Office
   Department of Education
   400 Maryland Avenue, SW
   Washington, DC  20202-5901

Access to Academic Records

Students may request access to their academic records by filling out the Student Request to Review/Copy Education Records form from the Registrar's office. Health records can be accessed through CastleBranch. Students may request copies of the academic record contained in the file for a fee.

The following student educational records are kept in the Registrar's Office: application, college transcript(s), admission scores, health records, and Academic Improvement Plans (AIPs).

Lakeview College of Nursing is pleased to offer students and alums the ability to request transcripts electronically. By going to our website (www.lcn.edu), you can access the website. You may request a transcript to be delivered electronically via e-mail (PDF) or to a participating school in the National Student Clearinghouse Electronic Transcript Exchange. You may also request delivery by traditional mail. Processing time for transcript requests can vary based on the delivery methods, the time since you were last enrolled, and the date of your request.

• If you have a hold on your student account, your request will not be processed until the hold has been resolved.
• Processing time will take 3-4 business days to receive the requests. Processing time may be longer during peak periods, including the beginning and end of term, graduation, and holidays.
• Overnight requests must be placed before noon for the next day's services.
• Lakeview will also accept document uploads. You can upload a maximum of 3 documents per order.

Faculty are assigned students for academic advisement. Upon admission to the College, all students receive a program plan identifying courses that must be taken each semester to complete the program. Faculty use the program plan to help them register students during Summer/Fall and Spring registration periods. Faculty also can make changes in the program plan based on the student’s academic success and needs (i.e., meeting the criteria for accelerating the program or when a course needs to be repeated).

Each faculty member post office hours near their door. Students are encouraged to make appointments. Students on both campuses are assigned faculty advisors upon admission to the College. These advisors help mentor and advise the students through their program of studies.

Danville Campus

Go to www.lcn.edu/library

Charleston Campus

LCN students have remote access to LCN’s Danville Campus library.  Additionally, these students have full access to the Booth Library, http://www.library.eiu.edu/welcome.asp, on the campus of Eastern Illinois University.

Students From Either Campus

Students may also use other local libraries, including hospitals or public libraries.

This policy aims to establish the appropriate use of Lakeview College of Nursing's computing networks, computing equipment, and computing resources. Technological resources are owned by the College and are provided primarily to support the academic and administrative functions. Federal and state law and College policies and procedures govern the use of this equipment and technologies. Any adopted policy must comply with applicable federal and state laws and the policies of the College.

Lakeview College of Nursing’s technology policy is located at www.lcn.edu/technology. The entire college community is responsible for being aware of this policy and following it as written.

Every research project involving human subjects requires review by the Human Subjects Committee. This review begins by securing a Research Approval Request Form (available from the Office of the Registrar or the College website). This form is to be submitted to the Human Subjects Committee at least one month prior to the anticipated beginning date of the research. A copy of the signed form will be returned to the researcher following a meeting of the Human Subjects Committee. Sometimes, the researcher may also need other participants' and institutional review boards' approval. No data can be collected until approval is obtained from the Human Subjects Committee. Research studies conducted on the College community are voluntary.

The student shall be responsible for updating their address information through SONIS. In the event of a name change, the student should contact the Director of Enrollment/ Registrar. A name change must be substantiated by two forms of legal documentation: a marriage certificate and a driver's license.

The student whose social security number changed must provide verification (new social security card and photo identification) to the Director of Enrollment/Registrar. 

Name Change - Transgender, gender non-conforming, gender variant, and non-cisgender students who wish to change their birth name and/or legal name to a preferred name must meet with the Director of Enrollment/Registrar to discuss the scope and limitations of the preferred name request:

Limitations - Although the College is committed to supporting students in the transgender community, it is important to understand that designating a preferred name for use at Lakeview College of Nursing does not constitute a legal name change. A student's birth name and/or legal name will continue to be used on certain College documents. Preferred first and/or middle names may be designated. The College cannot designate a preferred surname without documents showing that the surname has been legally changed by a court or government entity. Students interested in changing their name legally can find resources through local government or The Organization Transequality https://transequality.org/documents.

Recognizing that students may have personal problems such as marital or financial difficulties or role conflicts that may affect their performance in the nursing program, the College offers a referral service for students. Please see your academic advisor or contact studentsfirst@lcn.edu

Students participate in shared governance through the Student Government Association (SGA). SGA officers are elected on both the Danville and Charleston Campuses.  All students are members of the SGA.  SGA provides several College-wide mechanisms for students to give input or to raise issues.  Students review and coordinate student government business, serve as ex-officio members on organizational committees. 

SGA also provides a mechanism for students to raise issues that may need to be aired in the form of the “Open Forum.”  SGA officers facilitate Open Forums to hear the students concerns.  The Director of Assessment attends the forum to gather data for program improvement.  Information from the forum is compiled and communicated to the faculty, staff, and other administrators. Feedback or action is reported to students at SGA meetings.

Students are further involved in improving the program's quality through completion of the course and faculty evaluations, surveys (Noel-Levitz and Skyfactor), and suggestion boxes.  Faculty and administration use student input toward curriculum development, course refinement, and institutional improvement.

All enrolled students are members of the Lakeview College of Nursing SGA and can participate as members or elected officers in the Student Government Association. SGA officers must be full-time students in good standing. Please refer to Student Government By-Laws and the SGA student learning outcomes.

Student Nurses Association of Illinois/National Student Nurses Association

Students are encouraged to participate actively in SNAI/NSNA, nursing student associations on a local, state, and national level. The College supports membership in the National Student Nurse Association, a professional organization for student nurses. LCN will pay the membership fee (one year) for SGA officers.  In addition to meetings and local activities on each campus, students are encouraged to attend the State and National conventions and to serve as officers at all levels.  Please visit www.nsna.org to learn about membership benefits (leadership opportunities, awards and recognition, and scholarships).

Students are encouraged to like/follow Lakeview’s pages and share the links with family and friends interested in Lakeview happenings. Lakeview has a presence on the following social media sites:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WeAreLCN/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/LakeviewNursing
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/lakeviewnursing/
YouTube -- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLRkCM_Hm6ajB__4aziPPQ?view_as=subscriber 

These social media sites provide a platform for sharing information. Students, faculty, staff, and alums are encouraged to use LCN’s Social Media Contribution Form for any events or announcements they would like the College to share.

Lakeview uses Merit to celebrate student accomplishments and turn those achievements into a verified online profile – a Merit page – for all our students. These Merit pages are automatically updated by Lakeview when students make the dean’s list, earn academic awards, and more. Hundreds of colleges in the US use Merit to recognize and promote success via personalized Merit pages for their students.

Updates to Merit pages are also shared with a network of stakeholders that care deeply about each student’s success: their high school, their hometown media outlets, their parents, and friends via social networks. Updating these important audiences with personalized stories of helps Lakeview College of Nursing demonstrate available opportunities.

Why is Merit important for students?

• Merit helps people who make decisions about internships, grad school, and jobs find the “good stuff” about students and recognize their accomplishments with badges that show they are authentic.

• A Merit profile creates a positive online identity for post-graduation success.

What should students know?

Your Merit page is created and updated automatically – you do not have to maintain it; the college does it for you! You can, however, enhance and add to your page if desired. Merit allows students to customize their Merit page URL, add a profile photo, bio, and other activities and work experience. You can even include photos and videos to the activities you add to demonstrate your involvement further.

When you connect your Merit page to your social networks like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, you’ll ensure that your friends and family can also see and learn about the great opportunities you’re taking advantage of and being recognized for at Lakview. It’s an important way for you to be a part of our story and help us tell it.

What types of accomplishments will be included?

• Enrollment
• Graduation
• Dean's List
• Lakeview Scholarships
• Lakeview Honor Society
• Pinnacle Honor Society

Can other types of accomplishments be included?

• Yes!  Please use the Contribution Form, http://lakeviewcol.meritpages.com/contributions/new, to submit your ideas for Merit recognition verified through Lakeview College of Nursing.
• While we can only include certain official accomplishments through this process, students can add other accomplishments to their profile. They will appear in a different profile part, under the heading "Added by student" to differentiate them from the LCN-approved achievements.
• Involvement in on- or off-campus employment, and other achievements can be added by students.

What Else Can I Do With Merit?

In addition to enhancing their Merit pages and connecting them to social networks, students can and should include their Merit page URL on their resumes and share it with potential employers or graduate admissions counselors. Merit is a verified showcase of your accomplishments and a powerful way to show employers the success, skills, and expertise you have gained at Lakeview College of Nursing.

Can I opt-out of Merit?

Yes, you may opt-out one of two ways:

1. Click the link at the bottom of the email notification you will receive once an achievement is granted.
2. E-mail the Coordinator of Recruitment/Marketing, amcfadden@lakeviewcol.edu, with your request. 

Go to www.lcn.edu/books-and-supplies.

Students are assigned mailboxes, and it is the student's responsibility to check them for individual information and notices. The mailboxes are located in the student lounge.

The College assumes no responsibility for the personal property of students. Students may contact the Receptionist on the Danville Campus and/or Charleston Campus for information concerning the misplaced property.

Smoking and tobacco are prohibited in Lakeview College of Nursing buildings or on-premises.

Students have access to free parking within the designated student parking lots.

The College's goal is to offer students the opportunity to work in various hospitals, clinics, health care agencies, and communities as a part of their educational process. Some clinical placements may be arranged outside of the student's local community (within a 70-mile one-way radius of the College). Adequate coverage for car accident insurance must be maintained, and it is the student's responsibility. Students are not permitted to transport patients, as faculty/staff are not permitted to transport students unless all passengers sign a waiver of College liability.

Opportunities are available for students to attend activities related to the performing and fine arts in the surrounding areas. Students are encouraged to participate in recreational activities of their choosing. Nearby community colleges and universities also offer various cultural and recreational activities. Student discounts may be available at various area facilities.

Students have access to several food vendors in the area. Students also have access to hospital cafeterias during clinicals.

College policy prohibits the acceptance of gifts by faculty members and employees from enrolled students. The college administration, faculty, and staff appreciate students' thoughtfulness and gratitude, which inspire the desire to give gifts to College personnel. Students' verbal or written expression of gratitude is appropriate instead of giving gifts. Additionally, acceptance of gifts by students from patients and/or their families is prohibited.

For a reference of off-campus housing options available to Lakeview College of Nursing students, please visit http://www.lcn.edu/housing.

All students admitted to Lakeview College of Nursing will be issued, at no charge, a photo identification badge. This identification badge must be worn at all times (class and clinical/lab). Students are required to protect their ID badges from any unauthorized use. Students must notify the Administrative Assistant to the Registrar immediately if their ID Badge is lost or stolen. Students will be charged for a replacement. For further identification in clinical sites, students must also sign SN-LCN after their name on the patient's charts.

Students may seek off-campus employment opportunities. Many hospitals in the East Central Illinois Region employ Lakeview College of Nursing students in a variety of positions such as student interns, CNAs, or nurse techs. The hiring agency's responsibility is to provide a written job description and training for the position for which they have been hired. Students employed in an agency are responsible for only those activities that fall within their job descriptions as nonprofessional workers (e.g., interns, aides, or techs). They are responsible for refusing to participate in activities they have not been legally licensed to perform (e.g., giving medications, assuming total responsibility for a group of patients).

Employed students should be aware that:

1. the College of Nursing assumes no responsibility for their activities as employees of an agency;
2. they are personally responsible and liable for any activity they participate in while employed;
3. professional liability insurance purchased will be valid only in their student role, not in their employment role;
4. individuals not licensed in Illinois to practice professional nursing who engage in such practices are doing so illegally and may be prosecuted accordingly. Supervision by a licensed professional nurse does not provide protection or make such actions legal;
5. individuals who practice illegally may jeopardize their future careers since persons convicted of violations of the Nurse Practice Act may not be eligible to write State Board examinations and subsequently receive licensure.

Students may need to limit employment hours depending upon course load and level of achievement of educational objectives.

Students have multiple resources for career planning. Career information is incorporated into the curriculum, and students have a variety of clinical experiences. A career fair is scheduled twice a year with a research day. Additionally, students may search for open positions through our website at https://www.lcn.edu/jobs.

If student plans to get licensed in a state other than Illinois, please visit https://www.ncsbn.org/nursing-regulation/education/board-of-nursing-licensure-requirements.page and https://www.lcn.edu/sites/default/files/Professional_Licensure_Disclosures_by_State.pdf to find whether our nursing program will fulfill educational requirements for nursing professional licensure for each state.

Commencement ceremonies for both locations are held bi-annually at the end of the spring and fall semesters in Danville, Illinois. A student registered to complete graduation requirements in the summer may participate in the commencement ceremony. 

Please visit the commencement web page for more details.

The Alumni Association offers membership to all graduates of Lakeview College of Nursing. The Association aims to foster unity and fellowship among students and graduates of the College and to facilitate its development. Members of the Association also assist with various College activities. All students are encouraged to become active members of the Alumni Association upon graduating.