Responsibility Policies

Rationale

All universities are concerned with the cultivation of specialized knowledge and the development of technical skills, and by introducing graduate and post-doctoral students to these disciplinary arts, they preserve, transmit and refine the current body of knowledge and lay claim to their definitions of academic excellence. While research contributing to the advancement of a particular form of intellectual inquiry marks the completion of traditional graduate plans, the end goal of the plan lies in the achievement of certain ways of thinking.

Achievement of graduate educational goals lies in development of analytical independence and conceptual self-consciousness; in the stimulation of creative imagination and critical abilities; in adoption of disciplined thinking and commitment to personal honesty, intellectual integrity, analytical consideration of competing claims, and respect for the contributions of others to a common intellectual enterprise. Creighton University has a reputation for developing people of high professional competence; our best Graduates combine professional excellence with a healthy capacity to see technical problems in their larger contexts, and to combine imagination, intellect and action into forming a thoughtful wisdom that extends beyond mere convention.

Academic Honesty

In keeping, with its mission, the University seeks to prepare its students to be knowledgeable, forthright, and honest. It expects and requires academic honesty from all members of the University community. Academic honesty includes adherence to guide- lines established by the University, its Colleges and Schools and their faculties, its libraries, and the computer center.

"Academic or academic-related misconduct" includes, but is not limited to, unauthorized collaboration or use of external information during examinations; plagiarizing or representing another's ideas as one's own; furnishing false academic information to the university; falsely obtaining, distributing, using or receiving test materials, falsifying academic records, falsifying clinical reports or otherwise endangering the well-being of patients involved in the teaching process-, misusing academic resources; defacing or tampering with library materials; obtaining or gaining unauthorized access to examinations or academic research material, soliciting or offering unauthorized academic information or materials; improperly altering or inducing another to improperly after any academic record, or engaging in any conduct which is intended or reasonably likely to confer upon one's self or another an unfair advantage or unfair benefit respecting an academic matter.

Further information regarding academic or academic-related misconduct, and disciplinary procedures and sanctions regarding such misconduct, may be obtained by consulting the current edition of the Creighton University Handbook for Students. However, students are advised that expulsion from the University is one of the sanctions which may be imposed for academic or academic-related misconduct.

The University reserves the right to modify, deviate from, or make exceptions to the foregoing or to the Handbook for Students at any time, and to apply any such modification or make any such deviation or exception applicable to any student without regard to date of admission application or enrollment.

Program Curriculum Policies

Course Attendance and Absences

Classroom attendance is taken at the start of each class, including Friday night dinners and speaker series. Tardiness to class can result in your being counted absent for that class. Missing more than one class in each course per semester without prior approval, which may be granted only in the case of work conflicts, will likely result in a student's retaking the course, which could involve a year's wait depending on the course and when it is offered next. Any deviation from this policy must be pre-approved by PSM Faculty Program Director, Dr. Trent Wachner. Should a medical emergency arise, please notify Dr. Wachner or Steve Kelly, along with your professors and team members, as soon as possible. You will need to follow up with information from your physician. You should notify your professors, Dr. Trent Wachner, and Steve Kelly, PSM Administrative Program Director, at least one week prior to any absence. For any absence, arrangements must be made with the professor ahead of time to make up the work. If that is not possible, any absence may result in a lower grade in the class.

Course Grades

All grades will be posted on your NEST account roughly one week after the course has been completed. If projects, tests or papers have not been completed, you will temporarily receive an incomplete on your record until the grade has been finalized. The PSM program follows the graduate grading scale and does not have plus on the grades, nor are "D's" posted. A's, B's, C's and failing grades are assigned from each professor and grade disputes can be taken up with the professor and/or Dr. Trent Wachner, PSM Faculty Program Director. Should you receive more than two "C's" or an "F" for PSM courses, you will be removed from the program. To remain off of academic probation with the graduate school, you must maintain a B average in the program. The first "C" earned on your transcript puts your record on probation. The time to worry about grades is during the course. All program faculty will be available and willing to work with you to improve your performance as long as there is still time and work remaining in the course to do so. Faculty rather than program administrators typically are responsible for posting their own course grades. Any questions about grades should first be addressed with the appropriate program faculty. If any issues arise on grades not being available or posted, please contact Steve Kelly, PSM Administrative Program Director at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu.

Team Process

For a number of projects during the PSM program, students will be assigned to teams. Please be responsible to your team members. This responsibility includes exchanging contact information with team members, checking email and voice mail at least daily and responding to those emails right away, showing up for all scheduled team meetings on time and prepared, turning in all team assignments on time and completely done, and maintaining a respectful and professional relationship with all team and class members. Failure to do this is likely to result in a lowering of a student's grade based on faculty and team member feedback. Should the need arise, students may be counseled to leave the program.

Electronic Devices

All students are required to provide their own computers and printers to complete and printout assignments. If you do not have access to one of your own, Creighton's Reinert Library and College of Business both have computer labs available during academic hours, where printing is available for a minimal charge. Cell phones, laptop computers, kindles, PDA's, MP3's and other electronic devices other than a calculator are not allowed in the classroom unless specifically requested by the professor. In general, laptops and cellphones are not to be used in the classroom during teaching hours and must be turned off and stored away. Please make sure to silence your cell phones as it is distracting to the other students learning. If an emergency arises, please leave quietly and take the call outside the classroom. At Friday dinners and speaker series, you should not answer calls or send or receive text messages while the speaker is presenting. Again, should an emergency arise, please leave quietly and make your call outside of the venue.

Friday Dinner Speaker Series

For three weeks in the Fall Term and three weeks in the Spring Term, a dinner and a speaker are set for 6:30 - 8:30. These dinners are a mandatory part of the Professional Science Master's Program and is the third credit toward the two credit Current Issues in the Biosciences course. If you are unable to make a Friday evening dinner, to be excused you must email Steve Kelly, PSM Administrative Program Director, at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu one week prior to missing dinner. Excuses from the dinner speaker series are allowed one per semester and if you are unable to attend and are not excused from dinner one week prior, a $35 dollar charge will be added to your tuition for the payment of the uneaten meal. In addition to the additional plate charge, if you miss more than one Friday dinner you will be lowed one full grade in the Current Issues in the Biosciences course upon the discretion of Dr. Trent Wachner, the Faculty Program Director for the PSM program. If you have special dietary needs, please let us know, we are happy to accommodate dinner arrangements.

Tuition and Financing Information

Cost Per Semester

The business office bills at the beginning of each semester for the number of course hours that you will be taking. After our staff registers you for your PSM classes, you will receive a tuition bill that will be due near the beginning of the semester. Since the program is $40,000 and there are ten, three credit courses, each course will be billed for $4,000 and university fees, technology fees, and parking fees will be removed from your statement. If at anytime you receive a tuition bill for more than the expected number of courses times $4,000 (unless you are in the dual PSM/MBA program), please contact Steve Kelly, the PSM Administrative Program Director at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu as soon as possible.

Financial Aid

The financial aid office on Creighton's campus is available to all students, not just undergraduate students, which is a common misconception. Once your F.A.F.S.A has been completed and turned in, the financial aid office can evaluate your academic plan and create an award package for you, often based on the U.S. Government Stafford Loan program. The financial aid office can be reached at gpfinaid [at] creighton [dot] edu or 402-280-2731.

Scholarships

The PSM does not give direct scholarships to its students, although many of our students have received scholarships. The Graduate School has a limited number available to students enrolled at Creighton. Contact the Graduate School at gradsch [at] creighton [dot] edu or 402-280-2870 if you are interested in applying for a scholarship. For those students enrolling in the dual PSM/MBA program, a partial Graduate Program Assistantship may be available. For more information and an application, please see Gail Hafer, Associate Dean of the MBA program in the Dean's office on the second floor of the College of Business Administration in Eppley Hall. Those applications are due shortly after the first of each spring semester prior to enrolling in the MBA program.

Administrative Information

BlueLine Course Manager

BlueLine is Creighton's course organizer. You may log in to BlueLine from the Creighton website. Go to www.creighton.edu, follow the student link, and on the right of that page there will be a link for BlueLine. When you follow that link, log in using your Creighton ID and password and your course should appear listed on the left side of the page. You can communicate with your class members this way, as well as your professor will be posting classroom materials. Usually professors will update grades on BlueLine, but this is not a requirement. If you need help accessing or using BlueLine, please get in touch with Steven Kelly at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu.

Inclement Weather

Since we are in Nebraska, there is the chance for a heat wave that can knock out electricity and/or a snow or ice storm that can bring down roads. In the case that there will be delayed class or a cancellation of class, we will notify you by email as far in advance as possible. Please check your Creighton email if the weather is inclement before leaving to come to class.

Parking

The PSM program pays for your parking passes. If you were a past student and registered for parking each year, this is not necessary anymore. At the beginning of each semester, you will receive a parking pass to hang from the rear-view mirror of your car. If a parking pass charge shows up on your tuition bill, please let Steve Kelly, the PSM Administrative Program Director know so we can have it removed. Current staff at Creighton that have a valid parking pass should not apply for a temporary PSM parking pass, which is valid only on Friday afternoons. With your Creighton student ID, you will be able to parking anywhere in student parking on Creighton's campus.

Saturday Light Breakfast and Afternoon Lunches

Coffee and bagels will be provided on Saturday mornings prior to class, and light lunches will be scheduled on Saturday from 12:30 - 1:00. All students are expected to eat with their classmates and not leave campus, as class begins again immediately after lunch. If you have special dietary needs, please let us know. No alcohol should be consumed during lunch or during any program breaks.

Student ID Cards

Creighton ID cards are your all access pass to Creighton's libraries, fitness centers, classroom buildings, and parking garages. If you have an old Creighton ID, you can have it reactivated at Card Services. If you have never had a Creighton ID or you need a new one, you will need to have your picture taken and an ID card made. Before the beginning of the summer semester, you will need to go to Card Services located on the first floor of the Harper Center. Card Services is open Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and can be contacted at 402-280-4700.

Creighton Email

For those of you who are are new to Creighton, you have been assigned a Creighton email account and ID which you will receive at orientation, if not before. The Creighton mail system will be used regularly for anything PSM or Creighton related. You will be expected to check your email regularly as it will be the only email account that we will send information to after orientation. Please check with Steve Kelly at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu if you have questions setting up or learning to use your Creighton email.

Lunch/Dinner/Speaker Series Notification Policy

Students must notify Steven Kelly at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu at least a week ahead of absences for any reason from Friday night dinners or Saturday lunches. Failure to do so will result in charges to your student account to be charged for unused meals of $35 per dinner and $10 per lunch.

Career Services

Creighton College of Business has a dedicated staff member that runs career services for our college. Jeremy Fischer is the Associate Director for the Business Career Center. He can be contacted at jfischer [at] creighton [dot] edu or 402-280-3819. Also, in addition to Jeremy Fischer, Creighton University has a dedicated Career Center for the University. The career center can be found in Harper Center Suite 2015 and can be reached by phone at 402-280-2722.

International Student Services

The PSM program has a variety of students that apply for the program some including international students. The Office of International Programs is the best resource if you are a international applicant or student. Shama Ali, the Coordinator of International Student and Scholar Services, can be reached by email at sali [at] creighton [dot] edu or by phone at 402-280-2592.

Housing

On campus housing for the summer semester can be found by contacting Residence Life at Creighton. Residence life offers graduate students housing during the summer months, but alternative housing must be found for the fall and spring semester. They can be reached by email at residencelife [at] creighton [dot] edu or by phone at 402-280-3900. There are many locations around Creighton's campus and also off of the Creighton shuttle route. Check with Steve Kelly at stevenmichael18 [at] creighton [dot] edu for more information on off campus housing alternatives.

N.P.S.M.A.

The National Professional Science Master's Association (NPSMA) is a collaborative of Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree program directors, faculty, administrators, alumni, and students that supports PSM degree initiatives. It engages businesses, industries, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and trade associations in the development of PSM degree programs and with internship and job placement for PSM degree students and graduates. The first year you are in Creighton's PSM you will be enrolled to the NPSMA for free, as a part of the larger membership that Creighton holds. After graduation, we strongly suggest you become a yearly member to find valuable information and job opportunities. The yearly membership fee is currently $10 per year and can be found at www.npsma.org.