Program Policies

Any concerns regarding issues in the DTP/classroom should first be addressed with the course instructor. If at that time the student feels that the issue was not resolved satisfactorily an appointment should be made with the program director to discuss concerns. Concerns should be addressed at the time of occurrence, allowing all involved persons to deal with issues in a timely manner. Procedures for Handling Student Complaints can be found in the LaGuardia Community College Student Handbook. Click here for Student Handbook.

Regular attendance is a College and DTP policy. The maximum number of unexcused absences is limited to 15% of the number of class hours per semester. An "Excused" absence requires an unexpected emergency, is limited to one per semester and requires documentation. Students who exceed the attendance limit will not receive a passing grade for the course.

Lateness is considered an unprofessional behavior. You are considered late if you enter the classroom after attendance has been taken and/or class has begun. Two late arrivals to class are considered one absence. Leaving class early without faculty approval is considered lateness. The attendance and lateness policies are applicable to both the classroom and clinical setting.

CSTEP stands for the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program. Funded by the New York State Education Department, CSTEP strives to expose, attract, and assist eligible college students in considering and pursuing careers in science, health careers, and technology. The CSTEP office is here to offer tutoring and advisement. Please apply to the program by filling out an application in Room E342. Ask Mr. Bradley Maurer for details. 718-482-5261 or click here to visit the web site.

All DT students are expected to follow a recommended sequence of clinical courses. Students who are out of curriculum sequence are not guaranteed a seat in a course each semester. DT Students accepted in the clinical phase of the program may wait up to one year for a seat in a core curriculum (SCD) course after meeting pre-requisite and co-requisite courses.

The DTP is dedicated to a student’s completion of a professional ePortfolio. Initial development of the ePortfolio will begin in SCD 107 Careers in Food and Nutrition. Students must save all their written work on a travel drive for easy upload of required assignments. Students will be provided with technical support throughout the curriculum in depositing work to the ePortfolio including the assessment section. In the program’s capstone course, SCD 253 Foodservice Administration, students complete their ePortfolio which allows them to document their educational journey through the College and in the DTP.

The practice of dietetics is governed by ethical principles, which provide a guide to proper conduct for all members of the profession, including students and faculty. You will find a copy of the Commission on Dietetic Registration Code of Ethics for the Profession of Dietetics here and located in the appendix of this Handbook. The College also has a Code of Conduct and other documents that describe the ethical behaviors expected of students and can be found in the LaGCC Student Handbook. These policies are generally discussed during Freshman Seminar. Students are expected to adhere to the ethical principles of the college and the dietetics profession.

Periodic examinations (including tests, quizzes, and laboratory practicals) are used by the course instructors to evaluate students’ mastery of course material. Examinations are given at the times specified in the syllabus of each course. Examinations begin and end promptly; no allowance is made for lateness. The following behaviors are expected of students during examination periods.

• Silence.
• Eyes on your own work only
• Bring to every examination: One pen, two pencils, one small pencil sharpener and one eraser. Pencil cases may not be used.
• See the instructor or examination proctor if you need more paper, an eraser, or anything else.
• No dictionaries, notes, phones or electronic devices are allowed unless requested by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

With regard to assignments, unless the assignment is designed to be done by several individuals working together, students are required to submit their own work. Words or ideas taken from the work of another person must be acknowledged by footnotes and/or quotation marks. Plagiarism, including using the work of another student, is considered cheating. Students found violating any of these rules will receive a grade of 0 (zero) on the examination, assignment or paper. The instructor may assign a grade of F for the entire course for serious violations. The instructor will file an Academic Integrity Complaint and procedure outlined in the Academic Integrity Brochure will be followed. Please Click here to see the information at Click here. Each SCD Course Syllabus clearly identifies grading criteria and outlines exam requirements for both written and practical exams. There are no make-up examinations for academic or clinical practical exams.

Students who successfully complete SCD 100, SCD 107 and SCD 251, are eligible for their first scheduled fieldwork placement SCD260. Students enrolled in the fieldwork courses must attend a weekly seminar class. In addition students are required to purchase liability insurance and have completed a physical exam. Upon successful completion of SCD 260 and SCD 201, students will be enrolled in SCD 221 Fieldwork II. Successful completion of SCD 221 and SCD 202 allows students to enroll in SCD 222. All fieldwork placements are determined by the Clinical Coordinator for the DT Program. New York State Department of Health and CUNY require a student to have a complete physical exam before the start of the fieldwork assignments. The examination must be current within one year of each of the student’s fieldwork assignments. The Program will provide the necessary forms and information. All fieldwork is unpaid; however some facilities offer complementary lunch to the student. Attendance, promptness and professionalism are essential for all three fieldwork experiences. Failure to comply with these policies may result in the lowering of your grade at the discretion of the program director and /or program faculty. The Clinical Coordinator must be notified of all absences by telephone before the start of the day on which the student is absent.

Deadline dates for fieldwork placement materials and purchase of liability insurance are discussed in SCD 107 and should be reviewed and discussed with the fieldwork coordinator. Students who fail to comply with this requirement should not expect to be placed. Prior to fieldwork placement, students must have a physical examination at their own expense. The student may be required to submit proof of special vaccinations and immunizations for certain fieldwork sites. Testing for drug and alcohol abuse and background checks may be required for some placements. Some placements require that the student receive a medical physical examination by their own staff. Forms for the physical are available from the fieldwork coordinator. A letter of medical clearance may be required. Please contact the Clinical Coordinator for further clarification. Students must complete all prerequisites before beginning fieldwork.

Assignments to the fieldwork sites are made by the fieldwork coordinator. Consideration is given to the student’s abilities, and needs, as well as the availability of centers, which can provide learning experiences appropriate for the individual student. It is important that the student be prepared to travel some distance to the fieldwork site, as it is frequently not possible to place students in centers close to their homes. Also, some of the most clinical and technologically advanced centers may be inconveniently located, yet offer outstanding learning opportunities.

Although the program attempts to provide fieldwork assignment for students as soon as they have completed the prerequisite course, this may not always be possible. With managed care and an increasing number of dietetic programs competing for fieldwork sites the program may occasionally have to hold over some placements for an additional semester. The program cannot guarantee an immediate placement upon completion of all coursework.

During field experience courses the DT student is entrusted with information of an intimate nature. It should be understood that the confidentiality of information from medical records, employee records, and financial records must be maintained. Confidentiality in discussion in classrooms or at clinical sites is also essential. As part of SCD 107 all students are required to complete the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 training and retain their certificate of training for their records.

Dietetic Technician students will not routinely replace regular employees at facilities except for in the case of specific professional staff experience that is necessary to complete assigned learning activities.

Students reporting to field experience sites in improper attire will be dismissed to change into proper attire. Time lost for this reason is considered absence time. Make-up time is not available. The following attire is required at all field experience sites:

1. White, button, full-length lab coat. The lab coat must be clean, wrinkle-free, and in good condition. The lab coat must not be adorned with extra buttons on the sleeves, or cuffs.
2. Name tag. All students must wear a LaGCC photo ID tag. The name tag must be worn on or above the top left pocket and must be in view at all times.
3. Hair restraints must be worn in food preparation areas.
4. Professional attire. For all students this means:
   • Closed toe and heel dress or casual shoes with low to moderate heels. Clogs are not permitted.
   • Duty shoes and sneakers are not permitted except when assigned to food service areas. If worn in these areas, they must be clean, low, in good condition, and made of leather.
   • Jeans, jean skirts, jean-style pants, and shorts are not permitted.
   • Tattoos must be covered at all times
   • Visible body piercings (e.g. tongue, eyebrow, nose, etc.) are not allowed. Pierced ears are permitted with post type earrings only.
   • Colognes and perfumes are not allowed.
    

Personal appearance

For males:

• T-shirts are not permitted.
• Wedding bands are the only jewelry permitted.
• If hair is longer than shoulder length, it must be confined to prevent contamination and promote safety.
• Fingernails must be trimmed to a moderate length. Nail polish is not permitted.
• Socks must be worn.
• Facial hair must be cleanly shaven. Beards and mustaches must be neatly trimmed.

For females:

• Socks or hosiery must be worn.
• Exposed midriffs, low cut tops, shorts, miniskirts, Capri pants, cropped pants, and clam diggers are not permitted.
• Wedding bands and engagement rings are the only rings permitted.
• Earrings must be modest in size, post style only, and limited to one pair.
• If hair is longer than shoulder length, it must be confined to prevent contamination and promote safety.
• Fingernails must be trimmed to a moderate length. Nail polish is not permitted in food service areas. Artificial nails are not permitted.

Note: Additional dress regulations imposed by a field experience facility supersedes those of the Dietetic Technician Program.

Filming and taping classes is at the discretion of the course instructor and must be discussed with each faculty member at the beginning of class. Videos taken as part of a course are for LaGuardia educational purposes only and should not be posted on public sites.

Grading standards and policies for each course are included in the syllabus for that course. The minimum passing grade for all Dietetic Technician courses is “C”.

All exams must be taken at the time scheduled. There will be no make-up exams.

All students are expected to exhibit professional behavior in attendance, punctuality, cooperation, relationships with peers, and conduct in the classroom, laboratory activity and facilities. If a student fails to live up to these standards, the student’s grade for the course may be reduced up to a full grade at the discretion of the course instructor, clinical coordinator, or program director.

Any student observed to be talking, glancing at another student’s paper, passing notes to another student, or using written aids (“cheat sheets”) during an exam will be subject to the penalties described in the LaGuardia Policy on Academic Integrity.

Any student who commits plagiarism or any other violation of academic integrity will be subject to the process described in the college’s brochure on Academic Integrity.

If a student does not complete a DTP course with a grade of A, B, or C, the student will not be allowed to progress to the next DT course for which that course is a pre-requisite.

A grade lower than a “C” in a DTP course will be entered as an “F” in the course. If a grade of “F” is received in any course within the clinical phase of the program, the same course must be successfully completed before progressing through the program.

If a student has previously received a grade of “F”, “W”, or “WU” for any dietetic technician (SCD) course, failure to complete that DTP course with a grade of A, B, or C, within one repeated attempt will result in dismissal from the DTP. If a student receives a grade of “F”, “W”, or “WU” for more than one dietetic technician (SCD) course, the student will be dismissed from the Dietetic Technician Program.

Students are provided with feedback and grades from all exams completed in the DTP. Faculty members conduct individual conferences with all students after the first exam in each course and as needed throughout the semester. Midterm notification is provided to those students scoring less than 70% at midterm on the oral and/or written component of the course.

The Health Services Center located in MB 40 offers immunizations, flu vaccines, confidential testing for sexually transmitted diseases, health counseling, and Hepatitis B vaccines. Emergency Medical Technicians and nurses are available to respond to on-campus emergencies. Please call public safety in case of an emergency at x5555 or non emergency at x5588.

Students are expected to participate as subjects and simulated patients during laboratories and classroom demonstrations. Students may be asked to be photographed, audio taped or videotaped for instructional purposes. Pictures may be displayed on the DTP website or the DTP bulletin board. A signed consent form will be kept in the departmental student record.

The college offers job placement information. There is a bulletin board in the Food & Nutrition section of the Health Science Office (E-300) devoted specifically to current job notices. Many students are recruited by their fieldwork placement for subsequent jobs. The Employment Services Center offers resume and interviewing skills assistance. Interviewing skills workshops are also given periodically by student services counselors; check with the Information Desk in the main building for details. This area is also discussed during the seminar class. Please visit the website at http://www.laguardia.edu/carrerinfo. In addition to job listings posted on the Food & Nutrition bulletin boards, the Program Director and Faculty are also available to refer students, to write letters of recommendation and to provide background information on the various facilities offering positions.

Under Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, LaGCC has an implicit responsibility to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to its programs and services, and that the rights of students with disabilities are not denied. The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides advocacy to ensure access to all college programs and facilitates the transition to college life for students with disabilities. All students are required to register with supporting documentation. Appropriate accommodations and services are determined and include:

• academic, career and personal counseling
• priority registration
• academic advisement
• support services such as readers, note takers, and tutors; proctoring exams for students, and the use of the assistive technology lab

The Office for Disabled Students is in M102. Contact: 718-482-5279.

 

The DTP laboratory is designed for the instruction and practice of skills. Eating, drinking, and smoking are prohibited during laboratory sessions. No food is to be brought into the laboratory. Access to the DTP laboratory outside of class time is at the discretion of the Program Director. The technician may schedule certain hours each term in which the labs will be open for students to complete work or to practice skills. Access outside these scheduled times is not possible. The laboratory may be used for:

• Practice and completion of projects by students during free time
• Independent projects that may be assigned by a DT Faculty Member
• Scheduled re-demonstrations by the college laboratory technician
• Study and practice in preparation for practical laboratory examination, under supervision of college laboratory technician

All students must be supervised by the DT lab tech when using equipment. Access must be arranged through the DTP College Lab Technician (CLT). The CLT may be available to answer questions or help students review skills. It may not always be possible to do this on a one-on-one basis, and it is recommended to arrange small groups to work with the CLT. In order for students to receive the most benefit from the laboratory, students must learn where all the lab equipment and supplies are located / stored. Students are expected to take only the quantity of supplies needed for required projects. When students finish with the equipment, they are expected to restore it to its original condition, return it to its proper place, and clean up the area used. Since most lab equipment and supplies are very expensive, students must exercise extreme caution when using any laboratory items. Students may be held liable for damage due to misuse or neglect. The laboratory is to be used only by DTP students. Friends, children, etc. will be asked to leave. Laboratory Safety is to be maintained at all times. Please refer to laboratory safety guidelines, provided by the DTP’s CLT.

We are a diverse community at LaGuardia Community College. We strive to become a pluralistic community. We respect diversity as reflected in such areas as race, culture, ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, disability and social class. As a pluralistic community we will:

• Celebrate: individual and group diversity.
• Honor: the rights of people to speak and be heard on behalf of pluralism.
• Promote: intergroup cooperation, understanding and communication.
• Acknowledge: each others’ contributions to the community.
• Share: beliefs, customs and experiences which enlighten us about members of our community.
• Affirm: each others’ dignity.
• Seek: further ways to learn about and appreciate one another.
• Confront: the expression of de-humanizing stereotypes, incidents where individuals or groups are excluded because of difference, the intolerance of diversity and the forces of racism, sexism, heterosexism, homophobia, disability, discrimination, ageism, classism and ethnocentric that fragment the community into antagonistic individuals and groups.

On Campus: All DTP students must follow the guidelines for laboratory safety, fire safety and medical emergency. All students and faculty must register for the CUNY Alert system. LaGuardia Community College has implemented an Emergency Notification System called CUNY Alert. The Emergency Notification system works in conjunction with the college’s Emergency Procedures. The CUNY Alert System will be used to notify faculty, staff, and students via SMS/e‐mail/phone in the event of an incident. The CUNY Alert System is composed of several methods to notify and inform the campus community in the event of emergencies. The appropriate modes of notification of distribution will be determined by the incident and population affected. These include, but are not limited to, cell phone, text‐messaging, email and land-line telephone. It is the policy of the City University of New York and LaGuardia Community College that: Students and employees are encouraged to promptly report all safety hazards, illegal and or suspicious activities, loss of property, illness or injury to the Public Safety Department (Room E‐100) or to any officer by calling 5555 for emergencies and 5558 for non emergencies. Off Campus: During late evening hours Public Safety, upon request, is available to assist students, faculty and staff walking to the #7 train or to the college parking lots by forming groups that can walk together. Students are encouraged to travel in groups and to be aware of their surroundings. Students must report all incidents in their facility to their supervisor. Each fieldwork coordinator has the phone number of the DTP’s Clinical Coordinator.

HIPAA regulations forbid discussions or the placement of pictures of clinical sites, clinical instructors and patients on public sites such as Facebook, Linked in, etc. This policy will be strictly enforced by the DTP. Violation of HIPAA policies may result in dismissal from the program.

All DTP students on fieldwork are required to carry liability insurance. See the fieldwork coordinator for an application and information regarding fees. A valid policy is essential prior to the first clinical day, and the student is advised that it takes approximately two weeks for the insurance provider to process an application. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the students being denied access to fieldwork, and may necessitate waiting an additional term (or longer) to begin fieldwork.

A statement of Nondiscrimination, a declaration of Pluralism, a policy against Sexual Harassment and Policies and Procedures Concerning Sexual Assault are published in the LaGuardia Student Handbook 2009/2010 which can be found on the college website and distributed by the Office of Student Life, Division of EM&SD, Room M-115. In addition, policies on academic integrity, student rights and responsibilities, affirmative action, student complaints and medical withdrawal can be found in the SOURCE which is published by LaGuardia Community College and distributed by the Office of Student Life. The Academic Appeals process of the college is described on page 180 of the 2011/2012 college catalog.