By Karen Nickel
Dialog Reporter

The Student Association’s (SA) Academic Advocacy Program (AAP) has written a critical report that shows a disproportionate number of intakes are from Practical Nursing (PN) students. Out of 290 intakes the office documented in the 2011-2012 year, the highest number of complaints, 127, were from the PN program. The second highest intakes were about the Business program at 36, putting intakes by PN students over 350 per cent more than any other program.

Academic issues for the most part were a failing final grades, seeing written assignment grades; and accusations of plagiarism. The report states that the “Practical Nursing department was not clear on their definition of it (plagiarism) and gave out conflicting information which led to a lot of confusion for the students and advocates”. Most of these plagiarism accusations occurred in the fall of semester one.

The report states that a majority of the students have English as a second language. What is concerning is that there is an English proficiency requirement to be accepted in the college. Students are passing this requirement, but the report states, “these instances have been shown in the Clinical Performance Evaluation tool used to evaluate students’ performance in clinical placements which includes several ‘communicative skills’ criteria.”

Another difficulty mentioned in the report was in accessing professors for clarification, support and reviewing tests. Students have ten days after receiving it to appeal their grade. Delays in the process can be substantial.

This was the case for PN student Clarissa Lovell, who had to put a semester on hold due to a serious family illness. She failed the pre-grad test and contacted her professor for a review to understand her mistakes. She was never given that opportunity. On her return to complete the fourth semester she had to write the pre-grad test again; she failed. According to emails forwarded to The Dialog from Lovell, she had been trying to get answers to when she can finish her fourth semester and what her status in the program is since March of 2012.

Multiple emails from her to and from the student faculty advisor, Mary Edwards, and the Chair of Practical Nursing, Deanna Lunn, document a student trying to get support and answers while all the while being told she had to wait. Lovell was finally granted a meeting at the end of September; afterwards she was told she would hear back from them around Thanksgiving.

Lovell’s last email forwarded to The Dialog was from October 12, in which she writes to Edwards, “I was told to contact you after Thanksgiving if I did not hear from Deana (Chair). I previously emailed her and she told me she would get back to me by October 1st and I have yet to here from her. I was a good student while I attended GBC. Throughout this situation I have been polite and more than patient. All I am asking for is help and it seems like no one cares.”

After initially being very open to talking to The Dialog, Lovell stopped answering emails and didn’t respond to phone calls.

 

“Climate of Fear”

The AAP’s report documents disturbing behaviour trends in the program. The report mentions a “climate of fear”. That fear was present during a town hall organized by the AAP in January. Students present were reassured that no names or pictures would be taken of those who attended. It was under these conditions that students spoke about their issues.

The report states there were “…alleged incidents of racialized remarks being made by faculty members in classroom and clinical settings, directed at individual students as well as at groups of students of Caribbean, East Asian and South Asian descents amongst others”.

The report documents that after a similar report was submitted to the department in February of 2012, “the climate of fear heightened” as “students were verbally informed not to approach the SA”.

You would expect that issues as serious as these reported by the AAP would be acted on by the department and the college, but here’s a surprise – it’s no surprise to them.

According to Angela Gallant, the SA’s Health Sciences Academic Advocacy coordinator, and Karla Orantes, the senior coordinator of Academic Advocacy, there have been multiple reports made and submitted regarding serious problems in the PN program. The earliest report obtained by The Dialog was from 2001. It reads like the latest report. In it, the students’ comments read like a laundry list of today’s criticism.

“Students have been publicly disciplined, called stupid, and humiliated”.

“Students are fearful and horrified.”

“Students regularly breakdown and cry.”

“Students are fearful of being thrown out of the program for raising concerns or petitioning.”

Also included in this report was, “Students unanimously agreed that they had witnessed or experienced serious abuse, humiliation and racism in the class and the placement”. The report recommended cross-cultural education for faculty members. Keep in mind these are all from the 2001 report, which raises the question of why no one has done anything about these issues.

Orantes, who has been at the SA since 2008, said that in the past when she brought the reports to the department and administration, “they would just listen and say, ‘those are good points’ but nothing would be done about it”.

Speaking about the SA’s structure Orantes said, “board members are responsible for pushing for these changes, but there’s no continuity, there’s no accountability and there’s no interest. It is so frustrating”.

Recently there have been changes in the administration, Gary Kapelus is the new Chair of Academic Excellence and Laura Jo Gunter is now the senior vice president of Academic.

 

What’s Next?

Kapelus has begun a review of the program, stating that he would “…provide an objective review” where “students’ experiences and perspective would be actively asked for” and he “would be making recommendations” regarding the program.

Gunter said “While it is true that there was a recent departure of one of our senior leaders, there is absolutely no connection with issues raised at the town hall. We made a structural decision several weeks ago to eliminate the position of director in the Centre for Health Sciences”.

“We take concerns of our Practical Nursing students very seriously, and we are incorporating all student input as part of the program review we announced at the town hall,” said Gunter.

“Students are encouraged to participate in that process to ensure they are heard during this review. Maintaining academic standards and giving students their greatest opportunity for success are the college’s highest priorities”.

Edwards responded to an email asking for an interview by asking when the article was to be published, but did not give an interview.

Lunn did not respond to inquiries from The Dialog.

Inquiries to the faculty’s union president Tom Tomassi for comment were referred back to Gunter.