Naturopathic Institute Policies

Grading

All test scores are figured using a percentage grading system (the number of correctly answered questions divided by the number of questions on the test). 75% or higher is considered passing.

Practical Testing is graded on a checklist of areas to be done or covered by the student. The student must explain and/or demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the examiner, at least 75% of the items on the checklist. The student can be provided with a copy of the checklist to study for these exams.

Oral exams can consist of any of the areas covered in the programs for which the student is testing. The examiner will ask questions and the student will answer to the best of his/her ability. The student must score at least a 75% in each of these areas in order to pass.

Final transcripts will include the following overall assessment ranking:

5	Professionally Competent, Exceptionally skilled
4	Professionally Competent, Strongly skilled
3	Professionally Competent
2	Needs Improvement
1	Unsatisfactory

Notification of Grades

Students receive evaluation of their status at the end of each class weekend. Final Exam scores will be available at the end of the exam series.

In Cases of Non-Passing Grades

If a student does not pass any test, both class testing and final exams, they can apply for a retest. The fee is $25 and is scheduled at the convenience of the tester. If the non-passing score is for a class that is part of a diploma program, the retest must be completed and passed before the student will be allowed to continue with the next class in the program. If the non-passing score is for a Certificate of Attendance, then the retest must be within 30 days. Only one retest is allowed. If the student does not pass the retest, they must take the class again with a $100 retake fee.

Student Conduct

Students are expected to practice common courtesy and to respect fellow students’ boundaries. Students must practice proper hygiene. No disruption of the class is acceptable. Soliciting of fellow students for products or services is not allowed. All cell phones must be turned off during class time. If the need arises, a student will be notified and given a verbal warning of the offensive behavior. If the situation is not resolved, the student will receive a written warning including the offense, the correction needed, and the results if not corrected. If the situation is not corrected, the student may be withdrawn from the class or program without refund. Students should refrain from drinking alcohol over the weekend of class and/or lab; any student whose clothing or breath has remnants of alcohol or drug usage will be asked to leave. Repeated offenses may be grounds for dismissal.

Re-entrance Policy

Any student dismissed for conduct, attendance, or non-passing grades will have the option of re-entry providing the following requirements are met.

Dress Code

Herbs Etc. is still in business on Saturdays.  Clients are coming and going all day long.  You, as a student represent our school and the store as well. It is your responsibility to act, talk and dress professionally.  Therefore, everyone will be required to wear their program’s dress code:

• i.  Massage Therapists:  Collared shirt (or Institute shirts), pants (khakis, slacks, and no jeans), socks and closed toed shoes (tennis shoes are acceptable).
• ii.  Naturopaths and Doulas:  Can follow the Massage Therapists code and/or business casual professional.

For everyone this means:

• No flip flops, or sandals without toes
• No leggings for pants
• No short skirts/shorts
• No jeans
• No cleavage
• No gluts showing

Consequences for not adhering to the dress code will result in one warning, and the offense will need to be corrected by the next class break that day.  A second warning will result in your dismissal from school for that weekend.

Dress as if you were coming to work here:  Professionally!

Refunds

Diploma Programs

All tuition and fees paid by the applicant shall be refunded if requested within three business days after signing a contract with the school or if the applicant is rejected by the school before enrollment. All refunds shall be returned within 30 days. After the three day period has expired, all tuition fees are non-refundable. Tuition will be held, however, for three years from the date of registration and is subject to tuition increases (once you register for a program, you have up to three years to complete the program before the original tuition payment expires).

If a student cannot attend a scheduled diploma class, a written notice must be given 14 days prior to the class date. At that time, the tuition will be moved forward to the next time the class is offered. If the notice is not received 14 days prior, then an additional $100 retake fee is required to attend the class the next time it is available.

Individual Classes (Non-Diploma Students)

If unable to attend a class already paid for, students may receive no refund. However, with written notice two weeks prior to the class, fees will be moved to the next time that exact class is available. If less than a two-week notice is given, the class fee is forfeited. [In the case of veterans with financial support only, the amount charged will be an approximate pro-rata portion of the total.]

Attendance

Attendance Sheets

Students are responsible for signing in at the beginning of each class, out and in for lunch, and out at the end of the class. If you fail to sign, for any section, you are considered absent and lose the scheduled hours. If you have an emergency, you must call the administration office to notify them. Excused absences will be considered on an individual basis. Students must maintain a 90% attendance record. If they fall below 90%, they must make arrangements for make-up, if the instructor or the Director of Education approves.

Being Late

We start classes on time. Any information covered will not be re-addressed for anyone who is late. If you are 15 minutes late, you lose 1/2 hour of class time. If you are 1/2 hour late, you lose 1 hour of class time. If you are later than 1 hour, you lose 2 hours or the actual time you are late rounded up to the next 1/4 hour, whichever is greater. If you are 15 minutes late coming back from lunch, you lose 1 hour. If you are 1/2 hour late, you lose 2 hours. In other words, DO NOT BE LATE!

Excused Absences or Lateness

Requests must be in writing and sent to the administration office and will be considered on an individual basis. Consideration will be given based on what control the student had over the event.

Leave of Absence

A request for a leave of absence must be in writing. Each circumstance will be considered on an individual basis. We will do our best to accommodate each student with their needs. The first option is to apply their fees to the next time a course is offered. Keep in mind each diploma program is allowed 36 months to complete.

Extra Credit Hours

If a student needs to make up hours, then the instructor or administration can offer extra credit hours. These may include such things as a book report, giving a lecture or extra Directed Studies. These will all have a time limit and must be completed within that time in order for credit to be given.

Retakes

Students are allowed to retake any class they have previously attended if the homework for that class has been completed. The retake fee is only $50. If the homework is not completed, the retake fee is $100.

Certificates of Attendance

Both diploma program students and individual class participants are awarded a Certificate of Attendance for classes that are successfully completed. Note: Therapeutic Bodywork Practitioner students receive certificates once the first six classes are successfully completed.

Directed Study (Homework) Due Date

Each class credited toward a diploma will have a Directed Study assignment. The assignment is due 30 days after the completion of the class in the Massage/Homeopathy programs and 60 days in the Naturopathic programs. Any Directed Study not completed on time will require the student to apply for an extension. Extensions are $50 and are due at the time the Directed Study was due. Each class can have two extensions. After that, the class must be retaken for $100.

Graduation Requirements for Diploma Programs

Graduation requirements for a diploma program include:

Academic Probation, Suspension and Dismissal Policy

Academic/Financial Probation Policy

At the end of each quarter, any student who does not meet the academic requirements of attendance, timely submission of homework, or late tuition payments will be placed on academic or financial probation.

If a student is on academic or financial suspension for three consecutive quarters, the student may be academically suspended by the Institute.

Academic/Financial Suspension Policy

Students are subject to academic or financial suspension if their academic or financial responsibilities fall below the range for academic/financial probation. Suspended students may re-enroll for the next academic session if granted permission by the Director of Education or the Director of Administration. Permission to re-enroll for the next class session needs to be made in writing and is requested through the Academic Adviser’s office or the Director of Administration’s office, respectively. A written appeal and a personal interview are required to be rematriculated.

Academic/Financial Dismissal Policy

A student is subject to academic/financial dismissal if the student has been on academic/financial probation for three consecutive quarters and has not made strong academic or financial gains.

The Institute reserves the right to cancel the matriculation of any student at the end of the year when his or her total record indicates that such action is desirable. Likewise, a student whose total record shows considerable ability and marked improvement may be given special consideration. The Institute will notify the student whose matriculation has been cancelled. No student whose matriculation is cancelled can enroll again unless readmitted. Consideration for re-matriculation will be given to students only after six months or more. Students may apply for re-admittance to the Director of Education. Review the Policy on Re-Entrance in your orientation folder.

Re-matriculation

A student whose eligibility to enroll (matriculation) has been cancelled for academic or financial reasons may apply for re-matriculation to the Director of Education or for financial reasons to the Director of Administration.

Students who have been suspended may apply for immediate re-matriculation.

A student who has been dismissed twice will be re-matriculated only under extraordinary circumstances and then, not until six months after the student’s second dismissal.

Permission to return is not automatic but is based upon the merits of each case. Students will be expected to show solutions to the difficulties that prevented them from achieving academic competence or financial stability.

A written letter and a personal interview are required. Interviews should be completed at least 30 days before the beginning of the next enrollment period or 30 days before resuming remaining classes. Last minute interviews are not acceptable.

Additional Policies:

Accommodation Policy and Procedures

The Naturopathic Institute is happy to provide a bed and breakfast accommodation for its students. The cost to stay at the house is $75 per weekend. We will provide you with use of our full kitchen, as well as, eggs, bread and butter you can prepare for yourself for breakfast. You may also bring other food purchases to prepare your own breakfast, lunch and dinner, as you see fit.

Room reservations can be taken at time of enrollment for the entire year, or you may call in on an as needed basis. While we can only accommodate 16 students here, we have partnered with a local bed and breakfast facility, and hotel to accommodate any overflow.

Due to the tight room schedule, if you have made an arrangement to stay and you need to cancel, you will need to contact us by Tuesday of that week to cancel your room. If you contact us on Wednesday or Thursday, a cancellation fee of $40 will be assessed. If you contact us on Friday, or fail to contact us altogether, then you will be charged the full $75 accommodation fee. Payment for your room can be done by credit card over the phone before arrival, or in person at the administrative office or Herbs Etc. store.

If you have any questions regarding the Accommodation Policy and Procedures, please feel free to contact the Administrator’s office.

Accelerated Class Schedule for Naturopathic Students

At the Naturopathic Institute of Therapies and Education, we are recognized for our high standards of academic achievements. To do so, we are critical of our curriculum and want students to experience the highest academic quality and integrity of our programs. Therefore, students will no longer be able to fast-track the four-year Naturopathic program into anything less than three years.

A student will be carried on no more than two rosters at the same times as either a NHE, NHT, NHP or CN student, and payment (or payment plan) for classes will be required for the years designated at the time of enrollment.

We do appreciate the enthusiasm and skill sets of our students, and if a student would like to take courses out of sequence (from different programs or years), they can do so at a maximum of 3 courses per year. When choosing a course out of class sequence, payment for the course is due at the time of enrollment for the individual course. When it’s time to pay for the year that the additional courses were taken, the tuition will be adjusted to recognize the amount of tuition that was paid earlier.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. It can include:

Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author (person, collective, organization, community or other type of author, including anonymous authors) without due acknowledgment.

Fabrication: The falsification of data, information, or citations in any formal academic exercise.

Deception: Providing false information to an instructor concerning a formal academic exercise—e.g., giving a false excuse for missing a deadline or falsely claiming to have submitted work.

Cheating: Any attempt to give or obtain assistance in a formal academic exercise (like an examination) without due acknowledgment.

Bribery: or paid services. Giving assignment answers or test answers for money.

Sabotage: Acting to prevent others from completing their work. This includes cutting pages out of library books or willfully disrupting the experiments of others.

Professorial misconduct: Professorial acts that are academically fraudulent equate to academic fraud and/or grade fraud.

Impersonation: Assuming a student’s identity with intent to provide an advantage for the student.

All forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be dealt with on an individual basis between the instructor, student(s) and the Director of Education.