Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

The NSNA Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities was initially adopted in 1975. The document was updated by the NSNA House of Delegates (1991), and item #4 was revised by the NSNA House of Delegates (2006). The House of Delegates adopted further amendments on April 7, 2017.

The Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities shall be recognized by the administration, faculty, and students, and any violations may be reported according to the Grievance or Complaint Policy.

1. Under no circumstances should a student be barred from admission to a particular institution based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, citizenship, religion, national origin, disability, illness, legal status, personal attributes, or economic status.
2. The freedom to teach and learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom and quality education; students should responsibly exercise their freedom.
3. Each institution has a duty to develop policies and procedures which provide and safeguard the students’ freedom to learn.
4. Students should be encouraged to develop the capacity for critical judgment and engage in an autonomous, sustained, and independent search for truth.
5. Students should be free to take reasoned exception in an informed, professional manner to the data or views offered in any course of study. However, students are accountable for learning the content of any course of study they are enrolled.
6. Students should have protection against prejudiced or capricious academic evaluation through orderly, approved standard procedures. However, students are responsible for maintaining standards of academic performance established for each course in which they are enrolled.
7. Information about student views, beliefs, political ideation, legal status, United States citizenship status, sexual orientation, or other personal information which instructors acquire in the course of their work or otherwise should be considered confidential and not released without the knowledge or consent of the student, and should not be used as an element of evaluation.
8. Students should have the right to advocate for themselves and others in the curriculum's construction, delivery, and evaluation.
9. Institutions should have a carefully considered policy on the disclosure of private and confidential information, which should be part of a student's permanent academic record in compliance with state and federal laws.
10. Students and student organizations should be free to examine and discuss all questions of interest to them, and to express opinions in an informed, professional manner, publicly and privately.
11. Students should be allowed to invite and hear any person of their choosing within the institution's acceptable guidelines, thereby advocating for and encouraging the advancement of their education.
12. The student body should have clearly defined means to participate in formulating and applying institutional policy affecting academic and student affairs, thereby encouraging leadership through a faculty-student council, student membership, or representation on relevant faculty committees.
13. The institution must clarify those standards of conduct that it considers essential to its educational mission, community life, objectives and philosophy. These may include but are not limited to academic dishonesty, plagiarism, punctuality, attendance, and absenteeism policies.
14. Disciplinary proceedings should be instituted only for violations of standards of conduct. Standard of conduct should be formulated with student participation, clearly written and published in advance through an available set of institutional regulations. It is the responsibility of the student to know these regulations.
15. The nursing program should readily have a set of clear, defined grievance procedures.
16. As citizens and members of an academic community, students are exposed to many opportunities, and should be mindful of their corresponding obligations.
17. Students have the right to belong or refuse to belong to any organization.
18. Students have the right to personal privacy in their individual/personal space to the extent that their wellbeing and property are respected.
19. Nursing programs should provide adequate safety precautions, such as street and building lighting, locks, patrols, emergency notifications, and other necessary safety measures to ensure a safe and protected environment.
20. If present in the school, the dress code should be established with student input in conjunction with the school administration and faculty. This policy ensures that the highest professional standards are maintained while also considering points of comfort and practicality for the student.
21. Grading systems should be reviewed initially and periodically with students and faculty for clarification and better student-faculty understanding.
22. Students should have a precise mechanism for input into evaluating their nursing education and nursing faculty.
23. The nursing program should track its graduates' success in finding entry-level employment as registered nurses and make this information available to all who apply and enroll.
24. The nursing program should provide comprehensive, clear, and concise information on student loans, scholarships, and other students' financial aid.