Protection of Privacy of Student Information
All student verification statements are kept electronically or in a locked cabinet indefinitely. Any course materials with student names are shredded, including exams, assignments, resumes, etc.
Refund of Fees
Our DPD follows University polices for refund of fees. Official information may be found in the current Undergraduate Catalog.
Student Support Services (including health services, counseling, testing resources, financial aid)
Our Storrs campus has student health and wellness services (ShaW), which serves as an infirmary to enrolled students. Nutrition counseling services are offered to all students free of charge, and some of our DPD students have interviewed registered dietitians who are employed there. Academic support is available for a variety of classes. The academic achievement center provides holistic support and strategic academic counseling through our 4 signature programs. Assistance includes peer mentors, supplemental instruction, and coaching. In particular, the W Center assists students with writing projects and the Q Center offers quantitative support for students taking Q classes. Both Centers are located in the Homer Babbidge Library. The Institute for Teaching and Learning maintains a list of private tutors for UConn students available at reasonable rates. Financial aid resources are found on the Office of Student Financial Aid Services webpage. For more information about the financial aid process, including important deadlines, visit the Financial Aid site.
Disciplinary/Termination Procedures
The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) requires students maintain a 2.0 GPA. Students whose GPA drops below a 2.0 are subject to probationary status and with continued poor academic performance, dismissal from the university. More information (including exam policies, withdrawal from the university, classroom attendance, grading, disciplinary suspension or expulsion and readmission, can be found in the UConn Undergraduate Catalog.
Students’ responsibilities with respect to academic integrity are described in Responsibilities of Community Life: The Student Code (The Student Code).
Student Grievances
Student complaints are reviewed by the DPD director and undergraduate program coordinator, or the department head. The DPD director discusses complaints with students and appropriate faculty to try and find a resolution. If a student has a complaint about our didactic program, they do have the opportunity to file a complaint with the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). ACEND will review complaints that relate to program compliance with accreditation standards. Grievances regarding grades should first be discussed with the course instructor to try and resolve the issue. Issues regarding the Didactic Program in Dietetics should first be brought to the DPD director, and if necessary, the 2. Nutritional Sciences department head, 3. CAHNR Academic Advisory Center, and if not yet resolved, 4. Office of Academic Affairs.
Retention and Remediation Procedures for Poor Student Performance
Our didactic program requires students maintain a didactic GPA of at least a 3.0 to earn a verification statement and at least a B in NUSC 1165 and NUSC 2200 and a minimum of a C in all other DPD courses. DPD students whose GPA at the time of graduation is between a 2.0 and 2.99 will retain the didactic concentration on their transcript but will not be issued a verification statement until courses are re-taken to achieve at least a 3.0 didactic GPA.
Graduation and/or Program Completion Requirements
Upon recommendation of the faculty the degree of Bachelor of Science is awarded by vote of the Board of Trustees to students who have met the following requirements: (1) earned a total of 120 degree credits; (2) earned at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for the number of calculable credits for which they have been registered; (3) earned at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average for all courses included in the 36 credit numbered 2000 or above requirement for the major; (4) met all the requirements of the University of Connecticut, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, and the Didactic Concentration as listed in the didactic checklist. Upon completion of the didactic checklist with at least a 3.0 Didactic GPA, including at least a B in NUSC 1165 and NUSC 2200, a minimum of a C in all other DPD courses, and completion of a professional meeting, students will be issued a verification statement. Once a student declares the didactic concentration, students are required to finish all requirements within three years, including passing the food safety management exam and attending a professional meeting. The DPD concentration is declared using the online form at the Office of Undergraduate Programs, and officially recognizes the student is in the didactic program in dietetics and will update the advisement report with all the necessary course requirements to graduate from the didactic program. Declaring the concentration is optional and not required for earning the verification statement.
Advising and Assessment of Student Learning
Students must meet with their assigned advisor at least once a semester prior to course registration to ensure proper sequencing of courses. Advisors will review their advisees’ course grades to assess the student’s ability to take subsequent courses and to complete a dietetic internship and graduate program. Advisors will also review the didactic checklist with their advisees and make recommendations as appropriate for obtaining volunteer and work experience in the dietetics field. If students are lacking in dietetic experience, advisors will recommend completion of independent studies or practicums as appropriate. Once a student declares the didactic concentration, they must also meet with the DPD director at least twice prior to graduation to review the didactic checklist, grade requirements and post graduate program applications.
Post-Graduation Student Surveys
All DPD students will be emailed electronic surveys in May (after graduation) and one survey a year post graduation and five years after graduation. These surveys are issued to assess how well our didactic curriculum has prepared students for supervised practice, job placement or graduate school. The survey asks students to assess the strengths and weaknesses of our program, including advising. We also ask students about their current and future plans, and for information about their internship director so we can provide them with a survey of how well they feel UConn prepared students for jobs and/or internships. Students’ names are never disclosed when reporting survey results.
Student Health Insurance and Financial Aid
Health Insurance
All full time students are required by the University to maintain health insurance coverage.
Students may choose to be covered through:
- A personal insurance policy,
- A plan carried by their parents, or
- The group policy sponsored by the University, which is sold and administered through Consolidated Heal+th Plan/Cigna.
Enrollment in the University-sponsored Insurance Plan
Full- time students will be automatically enrolled and billed for the University- sponsored insurance plan. The charges will be added to the student’s fee bill. If a part-time student would like to enroll in the student health plan should contact 860-486-4535. * A full-time student is defined as an undergraduate enrolled for 12 or more credits or a graduate student enrolled for 9 or more credits.
If you wish to decline the University- sponsored insurance plan, you must waive it via the Health Insurance Waiver in the PeopleSoft Financial system. A waiver must be completed at the start of each school year, even if already completed the previous year. Failure to complete the waiver will result in automatic enrollment and responsibility for the premium.
Steps to waive the insurance plan
- Students- Log in to Student Administration System
- Click “Bursar Services”
- Click “Waivers/ Health Insurance”
- The University of Connecticut Student Insurance Waiver page will appear. Review the introduction.
- Select the name of your Insurance Company from the drop-down menu.
- Enter the Name of the Insurance Company, the Member ID, and Group Number (if your plan has one).
- Please review and acknowledge the below statements by clicking the Yes/No toggle button
- Read and acknowledge the statements shown. Use your NetID for the electronic signature, and click Submit Waiver Request.
*Please be aware the on-line waiver is only available from June 1 until September 15 for the fall semester. Students for whom Spring will be their first semester at UConn must waive by February 5.*
If you fail to complete the waiver in PeopleSoft, it will be assumed that you accept coverage offered under the University sponsored health insurance plan, and the charge for that coverage will remain on your fee bill.
For more information visit the Student Heath and Wellness site.
Applying for Financial Aid
Begin the process each year by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1, making sure to include UConn’s federal school code 001417. Be sure to submit the FAFSA application before the application deadline.
Please note that financial aid, including grants and federal loans, is available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
Once you have been accepted to UConn and the Office of Student Financial Aid Services (OSFAS) has received your FAFSA data from the federal Central Processing System (CPS), you will receive an email communication.
This communication will direct you to access the Student Administration System either to identify what additional information is required to continue the processing of your financial aid application, or to take action on your financial aid award package. You are responsible for checking your email account frequently for information about your financial aid package.
Financial Aid Award Packages
The Office of Student Financial Aid Services will begin to issue financial aid award packages for the upcoming year electronically to incoming undergraduate students after mid-March. Students must log into the Student Administration System to accept or decline awards. A notification will be emailed to the student’s personal email address.
Accessing the Student Administration System
- Log into the Student Administration System. The SA System landing page displays.
- On the left side, click the Students, Instructors, Advisors login button. The NetID Single Sign-On page displays.
- Enter your NetID and NetID password.
Note: The NetID is provided by University Information Technology Services (UITS). If you do not know your NetID or password, click the Don’t know your NetID? or Lost your Password? links or contact the Help Center number listed below.
- Click the Login button.
View your Financial Aid Status and Requests for Additional Information
The Student Administration System is used by the Office of Student Financial Aid Services to display your financial aid status, request additional information from you, and post your financial aid awards. You may accept, decline, and reduce awards online.
- Navigate to the View Financial Aid link by clicking Self Service > Student Center.
- In the Financial Aid section, click the View Financial Aid link then choose the year to access the Online Financial Aid Center and obtain information regarding your application status and awards.
Please be aware Financial Aid packages must be accepted, reduced, or declined.
For more information visit the Financial Aid Checklist.
Vacation, Holidays and Absences
The DPD follows the University Calendar for vacations and holidays, which is listed below. Students who are absent from courses due to illnesses are responsible for all missed class work. Course instructors may require proof of absence from a health care provider.
For the current academic calendar go to the UConn Academic Catalog.
Faculty are urged to try not to schedule exams on dates of religious observation, visit the Division of Academic Affairs’ Religious Observances page