Students admitted to the dietetics major can expect four semesters of full time classes and at least one summer class before graduation. To remain in the major, students must meet the following criteria.

1. The student will maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher in the major.
2. The student will earn a grade of C- (1.7) or higher in all remaining major nutrition and health classes. Students who do not earn a grade above “C-” in all major-specific nutrition and health courses will not be verified as eligible for admission to a post-graduate dietetic internship program (the student will not receive a Verification Statement through the Accreditation Council on Education in Nutrition and Dietetics), but will still be permitted to graduate with a B.S. in Dietetics.
3. The student will earn a passing grade in all remaining major science classes.

Students are expected to progress with their cohort and complete major requirements within two years of admittance to the program. They will have a maximum of four years to complete major and graduation requirements once they are admitted. Students who are not making adequate progress in the major will be advised to consult with the program director to develop a plan for completing the dietetics major. If an adequate plan is not developed, the student will be referred to Academic Advising for counseling.

Progression of Courses

Classes in the Dietetics major must be completed in a prescribed order with all prerequisite courses completed as listed in the Undergraduate Catalog and this Dietetics Student Handbook. A student will be permitted to take courses only after all the requirements (all prerequisites with acceptable grades as listed above) have been met. Faculty members in the Dietetics Program will not issue overrides to allow a student to enroll in a course without completing the prerequisites. If a student has not successfully completed the prerequisite courses, he/she will not be permitted to enroll in nutrition classes until those prerequisites are completed, which will result in a delay in graduation beyond the traditional four years.

Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor at least annually to confirm that they are making appropriate progress in the major.

Probationary Status

The following are situations where an admitted Dietetics student would be placed on program probation or removed from Dietetics program.

Major class grades:

1. A student who receives a grade of D+, D, D-, or F in a major professional class (all NUTR and HTH classes) while his/her major GPA remains above 2.8 will be placed on probation in the Dietetics major and will be allowed to continue in the program and repeat the class the next time it is offered. Students will be allowed to repeat the class only once. If the course grade earned in the repeated class is below a C- in NUTR or HTH classes, the student may opt to continue in the major without earning a verification statement.
2. A student who fails a major science class (CHEM 241, CHEM 241L, CHEM 260, CHEM 260L, BIO 245, BIO 245L, BIO 290 or BIO 290L) while his/her major GPA remains above 2.8 will be placed on probation in the Dietetics major and will be allowed to continue in the program and repeat the class the next time it is offered. Students will be allowed to repeat the class only once. If the course grade earned in the repeated class is not passing in major science courses, the student will be dismissed from the Dietetics major and referred to the University Career Center for counseling. Students will be allowed only one repeat of an individual course and no more than two repeated courses in the entire program.
3. If a student decides to repeat a course at another institution for transfer credit, the student must have pre-written permission from the JMU Registrar, the Dietetics Program Director, and the JMU Instructor of Record for the transfer class.Students will be reminded that grades from another institution do not transfer and any JMU course grades will remain on your transcript and be included in your overall and major GPA. After completion of the repeated course, you must send your official transfer transcripts to the JMU Registrar and the Dietetics Program Director. Failure to comply with these stipulations will result in denial of credit for classes completed at other institutions.4. A student who receives an unacceptable, but passing, grade (see numbers 1 and 2 above in this section) during his/her last semester and chooses not to repeat the course at its next offering will be allowed to graduate, but will not be verified as eligible for admission to a post-graduate supervised practice program (the student will not receive a Verification Statement).
4. A student on probation as a result of class grades will be notified in writing by the program director and will be strongly encouraged to meet with the director to determine the feasibility of, and an appropriate plan for, repeating the class. The student must sign the probationary letter and return an original copy to the program director within 14 days of receipt of the letter.

Grade Point Average:

1. A student whose major grade point average falls below 2.8 will be placed on probation in the Dietetics major and allowed up to two semesters to raise the GPA to the requisite 2.8 needed to continue. If this occurs at the end of fall semester, the student will be allowed to enroll for the spring semester; if it occurs at the end of spring semester, the student will be given the summer and/or fall to achieve this.
2. A student who fails to achieve the requisite 2.8 by the end of the probationary term will be dismissed from the major, referred to Career and Academic Planning for assistance in selecting a major other than dietetics, and will be dropped from all dietetics courses for which the student had registered.
3. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.8 during his/her final semester will be allowed to graduate, but will not be verified as eligible for admission to a post-graduate supervised practice program (the student will not receive a Verification Statement).

A student on program probation for a GPA violation will be notified in writing by the Program Director and will be strongly encouraged to meet with the director to determine the feasibility of, and an appropriate plan for, raising his or her major GPA. The student must sign the probationary letter and return an original copy to the program director within 14 days of receipt of the letter.

A student on probation is encouraged to seek assistance with material in courses that are being repeated. Help is available from faculty members during office hours, Peer-Assisted Study Sessions, and the Science and Math Learning Center. Lists of upper-division students who have offered to serve as paid tutors is available in the departmental offices of Chemistry and Biology.

Dismissal from the Dietetics Program

If a student is dismissed form the program for any of the reasons listed above or for violations involving ethical or honesty standards listed below, they will be notified in writing by the program director. A student dismissed from the program is not eligible for readmission.

Ethical and Honesty Standards

Students are expected to abide by all university policies and procedures including the JMU Honor Code. These are outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog and additional information is available in the JMU Student Handbook. Infractions may result in removal of the student from the DPD program or the university. Students are also expected to abide by all policies and procedures outlined in this Didactic Program in Dietetics Student Handbook. Student members of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics are also bound by the Code of Ethics of the Academy.

Appeal Process

Any academic admission or disciplinary decision (i.e., not admitted, placed on probation, dismissal) may be appealed. This appeal will be viewed and voted on by the Dietetics Appeal Committee.

The appeal process for Dietetics is as follows:

• The student must make their appeal in the form of a formal letter to the Dietetics Appeals Committee through the Dietetics program director within two weeks of receipt of a decision letter (i.e. probation, dismissal, or denial). The student must include all materials that may substantiate the appeal.
• Once an appeal is received, a committee will be assembled. The committee will be formed on an as-needed basis and will be comprised of five members. Members will be Dietetics and/or Health Professions faculty.
• The committee will hear the case within two weeks from the date of receiving the appeal and will notify the student of their decision in writing within one week of the meeting date.
• If the student disagrees with the committee’s decision and wishes to take further action, the student must appeal, in writing, to the Academic Unit Head.
• If the student disagrees with the Academic Unit Head’s decision and wishes to take further action, they will then pursue action through the University’s grievance committee. (See the University Catalog for details.)