Editing Herzing Issues: Clinical Placement (section)

=== HU-035: Student (Student BC, Florida) received only 36 of 84 required in-person clinical hours because university failed to arrange placement; university attempted to issue W grade ===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
! style="width:12em" | Severity
| High
! style="width:12em" | Status
| CONFIRMED
|-
! Issue type
| Institutional Placement Failure / Wrongful Withdrawal
! Date added
| 2026-05-04
|-
! Owner
| colspan="3" | Clinical Placement / Program Chair / Academic Affairs
|}
'''Finding.''' A student, identified as Student BC in Florida, received only 36 of 84 required in-person clinical hours because the university failed to arrange placement for the remaining specialties, and the university attempted to issue a W grade rather than an institutional incomplete.

'''Evidence.''' MSN-DE DEC 2026 COHORT GroupMe (April 3 to 4, 2026). Student BC reported being told she would receive a W for Clinical III because the university could not arrange OB and pediatrics placements. A clinical instructor was willing to let her complete all hours in med-surg. The university initially refused an incomplete. Source Group: MSN-DE DEC 2026 COHORT GroupMe (Sept 2025 to May 2026).

'''Reported statement.''' Student BC, a student pseudonym, paraphrased that the university did not even know she was there getting her Clinical III hours, that they were going to withdraw her in a way that would push her back, and that her clinical instructor was willing to let her finish all of the hours in med-surg, but the university would not give her an incomplete.

'''Standards.''' ACEN Standard 5.1 requires clinical learning opportunities be adequate and timely. Handbook page 26 addresses clinical placement policies. A W grade for a clinical course failure caused entirely by the institution's failure to arrange placement constitutes an institutional harm. Two W grades equal one failed attempt under Handbook page 20.

'''Impact.''' Issuance of a W grade for an institutionally caused placement failure pushes the student's graduation date back, triggers additional tuition costs, and creates a permanent academic record entry for a failure that was not the student's fault.

'''Notes.''' Multiple other students also reported placement issues in the same semester. See also {{HU|HU-007}}.

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