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Policies and Procedures

Didactic Program in Dietetics
West Virginia University

The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) is housed in the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design at West Virginia University and complies with all university and college policies and procedures including student conduct https://studentconduct.wvu.edu/policies-and-procedures and academic policies and procedures.

The policies and procedures described here are those required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) the accrediting body for the DPD.

  1. Insurance requirement, including those for professional liability: Student liability insurance is not required for the DPD program.
  2. Liability for safety in travel to or from assigned areas: West Virginia University is not liable for any injuries sustained in travel to and from assigned areas.
  3. Injury or illness while in a facility for supervised practice/experiential learning: Professional field experiences are not required for the DPD curriculum but may be chosen as an elective course with permission of the faculty advisor. West Virginia University is not liable for any injuries sustained during field experiences. WVU students are required to carry health insurance.
  4. Drug testing and criminal background checks if required by the experiential learning facilities: Drug testing is not routinely required. Students who choose to do a professional field experience that includes contact with minors must be checked against listings on the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
  5. Employee replacement: Students who choose to complete a professional field experience as part of the DPD curriculum must not be used to replace employees.
  6. Compensation: Students are not paid compensation as part of the program curriculum. 
  7. Program complaints: Students with program complaints should first contact the DPD Director to resolve the underlying issue. If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the student, the next point of contact should be the Director of the Division of Animal and Nutritional Sciences. If the student wishes to proceed further with the complaint, he or she may contact the Dean of the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Records of program complaints including resolution of the complaints are maintained in the DPD directors’ office for a period of seven years. Retaliation against students for filing a complaint will not be permitted.
  8. Submission of program complaints to the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics: When other alternatives for resolution of complaints about the DPD have been exhausted, complaints related specifically to program noncompliance with accreditation standards can be filed directly with ACEND in accordance with processes outlined here.

  9. Assessment of prior learning and credit toward program requirements:

    a. Transfer courses: Students may transfer credit for DPD courses from other institutions. Assessing transfer credit begins in the university Registrar’s office which will decide whether a course is transferred as equivalent to a WVU course or not. The Registrar will typically ask the WVU instructor to determine equivalency of a DPD course from another institution. To do so, the WVU instructor will review the syllabus of the transfer course for equivalent KRDNs to determine whether the transfer course will fulfill the WVU DPD requirements.

    b. Work experience: If a DPD student has previous relevant work experience, certain DPD course requirements may be waived after careful review of appropriate documentation by the DPD Director. Documentation to review may include certificates, position descriptions, projects, reports, written rationale, professional resumes, and/or letters of recommendation or explanation from designated person(s). In some cases, a comprehensive exam/project may be taken for certain DPD course credit in addition to appropriate documentation to ensure all KRDN’s are covered. The DPD Director will make all final decisions. Copies of documentation will be retained for DPD Verification Statement eligibility and record keeping upon program completion.

    *Note: Waiving specific course requirements does not override credit hours needed for WVU graduation requirements. To fulfill remaining credit hours required, students will work with the DPD Director to determine requirements or recommendations.

  10. Formal assessment of student learning and regular reports of performance and progress: Student assignments and grading are determined by individual instructors in each course. At a minimum, students will be assigned a grade at completion of each course and grades will be reviewed with the academic advisor each semester during a pre-registration meeting between the student and her/his faculty advisor. Progress through the curriculum is monitored through Degree Works and individual academic advising. The DPD director and college Associate Dean for Academic Affairs are available for additional guidance as needed.

  11. Program retention and remediation procedures: DPD students struggle to maintain at least a B average, which is required for a DPD verification statement have access to tutoring through the Davis-Michaels Scholars Tutoring Program. A student with an overall grade point average below 2.0 will be placed on probation and may be subject to suspension. Every student placed on academic probation must enter into a contract with the college. See Probation and Suspension website for more information. DPD students who face academic probation will be required to meet with their HN&F advisor to develop an individualized plan for success. 
  12. Disciplinary/termination procedures: The DPD follows the WVU policy for student discipline or termination. The Student Conduct Code and more information is available at the Office of Student Conduct website.
  13. Graduation and/or program completion requirements: Students in the DPD must complete all DPD-required courses; earn a minimum grade of C- in all HN&F courses; earn a minimum GPA of 2.75; and earn at least 120 credit hours to be graduated. See the course catalog.
  14. Verification statement requirements and procedures: Students who complete the DPD requirements and earn an overall GPA of 2.75 are eligible for a verification statement. Eligibility for a verification statement is established through a list of students who are cleared for graduation and a review of the academic records in Degree Works. If all DPD requirements are met at graduation, a verification statement will be generated for mailing to an address provided by the student. Additional copies are kept on file in the program director’s office. Student already in possession of a bachelor’s degree or higher and pursuing DPD requirements will receive verification statements when they satisfactorily complete DPD coursework or a combination of DPD coursework plus equivalent courses. The DPD director will review the academic record in Degree Works to see that all requirements have been met prior to issuing a verification statement.
  15. Withdrawal and refund of tuition and fees: See information about withdrawing from classes here. Information about refunds is available here.
  16. Scheduling and program calendar: The Didactic Program in Dietetics follows the WVU Academic Calendar. Instructors comply with the University calendar in scheduling course activities and exams. A copy of the DPD curriculum detailing the recommended program schedule is available in the current Undergraduate Catalog or online here.
  17. Protection of privacy information: See Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act here.
  18. Student access to their own personal files: Students have access to their personal student information, academic records, and advising notes through Degree Works.
  19. Access to student support services, including health services, counseling and testing, and financial aid resources: Information about student services to promote health and wellbeing is here. Information about financial aid resources for WVU is available here and more information about financial aid for the Davis College is available here. Certain students qualify for additional support through Student Support Services. Eligibility requirements and descriptions of services are here.