Health and Wellness Student Handbook

Department Office: 366 Riland Building, Long Island
Department Phone: 516.686.3803
Director, Academic Management: Dr. Mindy Haar, mhaar@nyit.edu

Welcome

The BS in Health and Wellness is offered by the Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences and we enthusiastically welcome you to this dynamic major! This program follows all NYIT policies and procedures and reinforces and expands on information found in the NYIT Undergraduate handbook.

Introduction

The Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness offers you an excellent foundation in health sciences as well as liberal arts and basic sciences. It is designed to prepare graduates for entry-level administrative positions in the private and public sectors of healthcare such as the medical centers, clinics, fitness and wellness centers, community health centers, government health departments, the health insurance industry, and pharmaceutical industry. In addition, coursework includes prerequisites to pursue graduate study in fields that include nursing, health administration, public health, and occupational therapy.

Curriculum

The complete list of all courses needed to complete the degree can here found here. Students considering graduate studies in Physician Assistant Studies or Physical Therapy should major in BS Health Sciences as that major includes the more rigorous science courses required for those fields.

Semester Map

The recommended sequence of completing the degree can be found here. You may not follow this precise sequence due to any of the following reasons; not placing into the prescribed math or writing course the first semester at NYIT, transfer in to this major from another NYIT major, transfer from another school, and/or unsuccessful completion of one of the required courses. Advisement with a program advisor can maximize the chance of completing the degree in a timely way.

Advisement

Students who are admitted as freshman are advised initially by the staff of the Advisement and Enrichment Center. After the first semester, you are advised by a program advisor from our faculty. Students admitted as transfer students usually meet with a program advisor shortly after they are admitted.

Students who are admitted as freshman are advised initially by the staff of the Advisement and Enrichment Center. After the first semester, you are then advised by a program advisor from our faculty. Students admitted as transfer students usually meet with a program advisor shortly after they are admitted.

Advisement for the fall semester begins at the end of the previous March and advisement for the spring semester begins the previous November. You will receive an email about exact dates from both the registrarand our department. Appointments for advisement are made by contacting our department office at 516-686-3803 as the administrative assistant manages the schedule for all advisors. You can only registerafter an advisor has "opened" your ability to register and this can only happen after an advisement appointment. Those seeing their advisor during the priority advisement period are able to registeronline during their designated "priority time" which increases your chances of getting into courses with limited enrollment capacity.

You should prepare for your advisement appointment. Before you see your advisor:

  1. Log into your NYIT Connect account. On the left side there is a pull down menu where you can access your Student Advisement Report (STAR) under “Student Requirements”.
  2. Print out the BS Health and Wellness Semester Map and cross off what you’ve already taken.
  3. Fill out an Advisement Preparation Form with options for the upcoming semester.
  4. Please check your course offering times. Please note that all required sciences must be taken with lab.

To register

Log into NYIT and use the Schedule Planner tool to prepare your schedule and send selected courses to your shopping cart.

Starting on your priority registration day, you will be able to submit your shopping cart to complete your course registration. If you are unable to register online, seek help from the Enrollment Services Center.

Registration Blocks

During advisement, your advisor removes the "Advisement Registration Block". There may be financial blocks as well that can only be removed by the bursar. This includes issues regarding financial aid, missing tuition payments, non-payment of parking violations, and non-payment of library fines. The student must contact the bursar to resolve the issue(s) in order to register on time. The program advisor cannot remove bursar blocks.

Financial Aid

All questions about financial aid should be directed to the NYIT Office of Financial Aid.

Overrides

The number of students in a face-to-face course is limited and may be based on several factors; the size of the classroom, the number of stations in a lab, the nature of the course material, etc. For this reason, if you are closed out of a course, your advisor can't simply "write you in". If the course is a health sciences course, if the classroom can accommodate a few extra students and if the instructor approves, the department may consider giving you an override. If this is not a course offered by our department, permission must be obtained from the department offering the course and our program advisors have no authority in granting an override. (If a paper form is used, however, a signature must be obtained from both a Health Sciences advisor and the department offering the course).

Online courses are strictly limited to 20 students. Permission to add another student to an online course must be obtained not only from the instructor and the department head but from the Dean and Provost as well. Permission for an online override is only granted when all three of the following conditions are met; the course is required by the degree map, the student is graduating that semester and there is no alternative open section.

Online Courses

The department strives to give students choice of formats for many of the courses offered. For help navigating through Blackboard, the online learning management system, click here.

Permission to Take Courses Elsewhere

There are several conditions for taking courses elsewhere during the winter or summer session:

  1. NYIT is not offering the course during the summer or winter.
  2. Your program advisor approves. To find out, you can either make an appointment to see your advisor by calling 516-686-3803 or emailing your advisor and asking. You must have available the course description from the other institution and if approved, the program advisor signs the form.
  3. The department who offers the same course at NYIT approves. It is your responsibility to get approval from the department that offers the course at NYIT. If the course is a health course, our department provides this level of approval as well.
  4. The registrar approves. Please note that once you have completed 70 credits at NYIT, you can no longer take courses at a community college.
  5. The bursar approves. Be aware that aside from paying tuition to the other institution you will have to pay NYIT $85/credit to transfer the credits.

Once you've taken the course, you need to request that the institution where you took the course sends an official transcript to NYIT. Make sure the transcript you request is addressed to "NYIT Registrar" and not just "NYIT" since it may then end up in Office of Admissions instead of Office of the Registrar.

Support Through the Semester

Please review the many student resources available. During the semester if you have academic issues you are encouraged to contact the department and/or program advisor who may be able to assist. Please call the department office at 686-3803 to schedule an in person or phone appointment to discuss any issue. In addition, the Advising and Enrichment Center offers many valuable resources to help students in specific course subjects and in developing study and test-taking skills.

Enrollment Services Center and Wellness Center provides ind is also a wonderful resource and can assist with registrar and bursar issues. Our Counseling and Wellness Center provides individual and group services as well.

Communicating with Instructors and Advisors

You are notified about course matters, department events, advisement, registration, graduation and other matters through NYIT email. It is your responsibility to check your email. You are expected to correspond with faculty through NYIT email and these emails should be written in a professional manner. Include the matter you'd like to bring to our attention in your subject line and never leave the subject line blank. Start off with "Dear Prof. __ "or "Hi/Hello Dr. ___ " rather than "Hey" or have no salutation at all. Use proper spelling and grammar and avoid using abbreviations more appropriate for texting. As instructors teach more than one course, mention which course you are enrolled in. Sign your name and include your id # if appropriate, especially if the email is to an advisor and you have a question about your academic record.

Academic Integrity

The department follows all policies on Academic Integrity as outlined in the NYIT Student Code of Conduct.

Attendance

It is your responsibility to be aware of the academic calendar. If you haven't already, please review the NYIT attendance policy. You are expected to begin attending class as soon as the semester starts and to start logging on the first week in online courses. Instructors are asked to submit attendance records to the registrar after the end of the second week of class. If you don't interact online during that time period you are marked "never attended" and your registration is cancelled.

Withdrawal

Please check the NYIT policy on withdrawing from a course or the college.

Grade Appeal

The department follows the NYIT Grade Appeal Policy.

Academic Probation and Dismissal

Our program follows all NYIT undergraduate policies.

Career Guidance

You are introduced to myriad healthcare opportunities in HSCI 195: Professional and Cultural Issues in Healthcare and are encouraged to discuss your goals for employment and/or graduate study in the course of advisement visits each semester. Program advisors can help you realistically match your competencies and interests to rewarding career possibilities. You are also encouraged to take advantage of NYIT's Office of Career Services while at NYIT and upon graduating.

Senior Practicum

During the last year of enrollment in the BS Health and Wellness program you enroll in Senior Practicum I which is run by the department in conjunction with NYIT Career Services. This course involves completing an internship at a site of your choice. You attend a mandatory orientation session the semester before beginning the internship. At this session, the course instructor and Office of Career Services personnel explain what must be done to secure a site where you can work, in a paid or volunteer position, at least 60 hours during the semester (about 4-5 hours/week). In addition, you meet in class for to reflect on your experiences as well as participate in additional integral projects and tasks that promote professional behavior.

Honor Societies

Phi Eta Sigma: Each spring the NYIT Advising and Enrichment Center coordinates the induction of freshman students who were elected for membership into the Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society. To be eligible for membership, you must achieve a 3.5 GPA, or higher, during the fall or spring semester of your first year in college.

Alpha Eta: Each spring the School of Health Professions inducts senior students from all health disciplines into the Alpha Eta Honor Society. To qualify, you must have an overall 3.5 GPA by the last semester of attendance and the recommendation of the department.

Graduate Programs

Program advisors are happy to discuss graduate programs and additional electronic guides have been prepared for this purpose. You are encouraged to check admission requirements for specific programs and schools as standards change from year to year. Aside from prerequisite courses, schools have varying requirements for hours of volunteer and/or paid experience.

Some disciplines solely use a centralized application; some have individual applications. Applications should be made as soon as programs begin accepting them and you should not wait until shortly before the deadline. Many programs start interviewing candidates as soon asapplications start coming in and may fill a class before the deadline is reached. (For example if you are applying for a graduate program that starts September 2018, you should prepare applications summer 2017 and submit by September 2017 even if the due date is Nov 30 or Dec. 31).

The BS in Health and Wellness includes most prerequisites for professional programs in nursing, public health and health administration. Students should check program websites for the most up to date admission requirements and application procedures. Students interested in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Physician Assistant Studies should major in BS in Health Sciences which includes almost all prerequisites for those disciplines.

While enrolled in the BS Health and Wellness, qualified students may apply to transfer majors to NYIT BS Nursing. The deadline for doing so is October 1 of each year for consideration for starting the professional phase the following spring. To apply for a transfer, please be aware of the following

NYIT BS Nursing Eligibility Requirements: All requirements are strictly enforced.

  • a minimum college GPA of 2.75 (this includes course taken at NYIT and elsewhere)
  • minimum grades of C+ or better in all required prerequisite coursework: Here is the nursing curriculum map: Courses in gray area of the map must be completed or in the process of being completed for you to be considered for the transfer.
  • adherence to Repeat Course Policy:
    • Students may repeat a maximum of two (2) separate nursing required pre-requisite courses in which they have earned a grade of "C" or below.
    • Each course may be repeated only once. This requirement includes courses taken at other colleges.

Required documents to be submitted:

  • Personal Essay: In 300-350 words, tell us your reasons for choosing nursing as a career.
  • Two letters of reference: References can be from an employer, professor or someone who knows of your character or work ethic. All references must be addressed to the Department of Nursing Academic Review Committee.
  • Transcripts: Official transcripts from all colleges you have attended. If you have fewer than 24 credits of previous college work completed (including NYIT or other college credits) will need to submit an official high school transcript along with SAT 1 or ACT scores.

How to apply if you meet the established eligibility requirements:

  • Send a note of intent indicating your desire to be evaluated for the Spring 2018 Nursing Review via email to nursing@nyit.edu by October 1, 2017
  • Use only your NYIT email address to send this request
  • Subject line of email must read: INTENT NURSING
  • Body of email must include: student ID number and full name in correspondence
  • Complete an NYIT Paper Application that you can access from the nursing department DO NOT reapply online or submit your application to the admissions department. Completed applications must be mailed to NYIT Nursing/500 Building/Room 506, Old Westbury, NY 11568
  • Attach, if possible, required documents above or deliver or arrange for delivery of other requested documents by October 1, 2017.

Notification of acceptance

  • Students are notified in December if they are accepted. Acceptance is competitive and based on space and resources and thus meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee a place in the program. You should still meet with a Health Sciences/Health and Wellness advisor in November to discuss spring registration since we will assure you are enrolled in the right courses whether or not you are accepted to the nursing program. If you are accepted to BS Nursing, you'll need to then meet with a nursing department advisor.

Recommendation Letters

If you are requesting a recommendation letter for graduate school or employment from one of our faculty members, please give at least two weeks' notice. The recommendation request should include;

  • Inquiry as to ability of the faculty member to provide a recommendation letter.
  • Information about the program of interest, to whom the letter should be sent and how it should be sent (email, separate letter, upload to centralized application system)
  • Recommendation deadline
  • Your resume to assist the faculty member in being more familiar with your experiences.
  • Acknowledgement in advance of the extra time the faculty member will take to provide the recommendation

Faculty members are happy to help you and support your success in the process. However, unfortunately when requests are made at the last minute with inadequate information, requests cannot always be accommodated.

Clubs and Student Activities

Participation in clubs and student activities are great ways to develop leadership capabilities, do volunteer work, broaden horizons and make friends.

The NYIT Student Government Association (SGA) advocates on behalf of student interests and includes senators from each NYIT division. Our department encourages you to become active and represent the School of Health Professions. Please contact the SGA president to find out how to facilitate election to the student senate and visit the website about events and clubs.

Health Professions Club is a new club that started spring 2015. Here is a message from the club officers: The club offers volunteer opportunities and information involving the healthcare field. Our goal for the Health Professions Club is to help our members explore the healthcare field and build their confidence working in it. The club provides volunteer work that we hope our members will enjoy and learn all that the healthcare field has to offer. We also hope to become a larger club and have the Health Professions Club be a part of NYIT for years to come.

To join the club or find out more information please contact any of the following people:

Alexandra Hermanowski - President
ahermano@nyit.edu

Michelle Ramsaroop - Vice President
mramsaro@nyit.edu

Jamie Palumbo - Treasurer
jpalum01@nyit.edu

Alyssa Narine - Secretary
anarin01@nyit.edu