Yo San University web site incorporates the Student Handbook and the Academic Catalog, and contains the official policies and regulations that define the details of your academic participation. You must be aware of both. Catalogs, clinic handbooks, and regulation and policy manuals are subject to change throughout your stay at YSU. Changes will be publicized. Students are responsible for abiding by these changes.

Academic Year

Yo San University operates on a 15-week trimester system.
Please refer to the Academic Calendar for application deadlines.

• Fall Trimester – September through mid-December
• Spring Trimester – January through mid-April
• Summer Trimester – May through mid-August

Registration

A student is considered registered for courses only when all registration forms have been completed and tuition has been paid. Credit will not be given for attendance in classes unless the student is properly registered.

Registration of new students is scheduled the week before classes begin and appointments must be made through the administration office. Continuing students may register by mail; packets are placed in student mailboxes. A late registration fee will be charged to continuing students if their enrollment forms are received past the deadline. New students must make an appointment and register in person their first trimester. Late registration will be offered during the first two weeks of classes. All fees must be paid on time. Students may not enroll unless their fees from the previous trimester are paid in full and final grades will not be issued until all fees have been paid.

Student Classifications

• Full-time Student: Enrolled in 12 or more units (including clinic units).
• Half-time Student: Enrolled in 8 to 11 units.
• Part-time Student: Enrolled in less than 8 units.
• Special Student: Enrolled at another school but taking classes at YSU.
• Public Student: Enrolled in introductory TCM courses and/or I-development courses, without credits/grades.

Students must complete the Master of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine program at YSU in a maximum of 8 years. We strongly suggest that students follow the Full-Time Model Sequence to minimize scheduling conflicts. YSU will not be responsible for scheduling classes for students who do not follow the model sequence.

Adding and Dropping Classes

• Notification of a decision to add or drop a class must be made before the add/drop deadline. If you are thinking about adding or dropping a class, please make an appointment with the Assistant Academic Dean. Students must notify the administration office of their decision to add or drop a course by completing the necessary forms. There is a fee for each add and drop transaction occurring beyond the first week of the trimester. If a student drops below half time, tuition refunds will be forwarded to the lender and the enrollment status reported as less than half time. Repayment will begin for a student who remains at less than half time for six months.
  
  Deadlines to add and drop classes are as follows:

• Adding a Class: By the 3rd class of a 15-week class or by the 2nd class of an 8-week class. Check with administration for adding classes scheduled with fewer than 8 weeks. Students who enroll late are still subject to the attendance limit of a maximum of 4 absences, with classes missed prior to scheduling counting towards this maximum.

• Dropping a Class with a “W” (Withdraw): By the 6th class of a 15-week class or by the 3rd class of a 8-week class. Check with the administration about withdrawing from courses scheduled for fewer than 8 weeks.

• Dropping a Class with a “WF” (Withdraw Failing): After the 6th class of a 15-week course or after the 3rd class of a 8-week course. Check with administration about withdrawing from courses scheduled for fewer than 8 weeks.

• Dropping a Class with a “WX” (Withdraw-Cancelled Registration): After the first meeting of the class but before the second meeting of the class in either an 8-week or 15-week course.

Add / Drop application form (download .pdf)

Refund Policy

Refunds are made in compliance with State and Federal requirements and according to the policy of the registration enrollment contract. The full amount of tuition is refunded if enrollment is officially cancelled before the beginning of classes. A Drop Form must be submitted to withdraw from an individual course after classes have begun. After classes have commenced, tuition refunds are made on a pro-rated basis for up to 60% of the course duration. The refund policy also applies to students who are dismissed from the program for any reason. Other refund policies may apply for short courses, seminars, and CEU courses. Policies will be stated in the enrollment contracts.

Refunds are calculated and prepared the week following the last day to drop classes for the trimester. For students who have chosen installment payments, the Drop/Add fees are equally divided and added to the remaining installment date(s). Each transaction of adding/dropping is charged a fee after the first week of the trimester.

Auditing Classes

YSU students and alumni may audit those courses they have taken before and completed with passing grades. The auditing fee is 25% of the tuition rate per unit.

Transfer Credits

The following transfer credit policies apply to all students: All transfer credit requests must be submitted, complete with all official documents, for review during first semester of attendance. The appropriate transfer credit processing fee must accompany all transfer requests. (See current tuition/fee schedule).

Transfer credit may be granted for course-work outside a Traditional Chinese Medicine curriculum from an accredited institution provided it is documented by official transcripts. Transfer courses must be comparable to courses offered at Yo San University; course-work must have received a passing grade of "C" or better in order for it to be considered for transfer credit.

Transcripts from foreign countries must be translated into English and evaluated by a recognized credentials evaluation service. For a list of companies that provide this service, please contact the Academic Dean at Yo San University.

Transferable courses must have the same content and credit equivalent as Yo San University courses for which transfer credit is being applied. The Academic Dean will determine if this is the case.

Up to 100% transfer credit may be granted for Yo San University courses in basic sciences and Western clinical sciences from a school accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) or a regionally accredited college.

Up to 100% transfer credit may be granted for Yo San University courses in Acupuncture, Herbology, and Oriental medicine for course work taken at an acupuncture school approved by the California Acupuncture Board and accredited by ACAOM.

Up to 100% transfer credit may be granted toward Yo San University clinical training requirements from California Acupuncture Board approved and ACCOM accredited
institutions.

Credit may be transferred for up to 50% of Yo San University’s requirements in Acupuncture, Herbology, Oriental medicine and clinic training from an ACAOM accredited school that is not approved by the California Acupuncture Board.

Coursework taken at another institution after admission to Yo San University is not transferable unless approved in advance and in writing by the Academic Dean.

Students who have completed coursework at a non-accredited institution may request to take a Challenge Examination for the equivalent course at Yo San University for which transfer credit is being sought. There is a fee charged for each Challenge Examination and a passing score of 70% is required for credit.

Courses completed more than 10 years before the date of admission cannot be transferred unless the student shows proof that he/she currently works in a field relevant to the courses.

Regardless of the conditions cited above, transfer students are required to complete one year of the program or 45 units in residence to graduate from Yo San University.

Grading

Grades are assigned by the faculty to report the quality of students' work. Grading standards are:

A grade of "F" (Failure) must be remedied by repeating the course. A student may, upon the recommendation of the Academic Dean, repeat any course. All grades are final, with the exception of errors in the calculation of grades by instructors or administration, and will remain as reported on a student's transcript.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

A student's grade point average is determined by dividing the number of quality points earned by the number of units of enrollment (Pass/Fail courses with Pass grades are not included in the calculation). For example, if a student enrolled in four, four-unit courses received grades of A-, B-, C+, and P, the GPA would be calculated as follows:
Grade Points x Units = Quality Points

A- = 3.7 x 4 = 14.8
B- = 2.7 x 4 = 10.8
C+ = 2.3 x 4 = 9.2
P = —— x 4 = ——-

16 34.8
34.8 / 12 = 2.9 (B-)

This students' transcript shows 16 units attempted with a GPA of 2.9.

Grades are recorded in official student transcripts and sent by mail to the student approximately two weeks after the final examination each trimester.

Incomplete Grades and Make-up Exams

An "Incomplete" grade for a course may be requested, in writing (using the approved Request for Incomplete/Make up exam form, obtained at the front office), by a student who, for severe and unforeseen reasons (such as severe illness, or a birth or a death in the immediate family) cannot attend the final exam or cannot complete the final requirement for a course. The faculty member alone is responsible for evaluating the circumstances and agreeing to the "Incomplete." If permission is granted, the faculty member must state in writing on the form the specific requirements and deadline for completing the course. If the requirements are not met by the deadline, the course grade will automatically revert to a "fail." Normally, the deadline will be the end of the first week of the following term; however, the faculty member has the right to set any deadline he or she deems appropriate according to the circumstances. The faculty member must write a new exam, and has the right to change the format or type of exam, and the student must pay in advance to the front office, a make up exam fee before the exam can be administered. The student must schedule the exam with the Dean of Student Affairs / Registrar, not directly with the faculty member. The student must also pay a proctoring fee upon completion of the exam. Make up exams at times other than finals will be subject to the same rules as above, as applicable.

Academic Probation

A student will be placed on academic probation if his/her cumulative grade-point average falls below 2.5, or if the GPA earned in a trimester is below 2.5, or if the student does not successfully complete at least a minimum of 8 units per trimester.

While on probation, a student may not enroll in more than 12 units. Probation terminates at the end of the trimester when both trimester and cumulative GPA rise to 2.5 and a minimum of 8 units have been successfully completed. A student who does not clear probation within one trimester will be disqualified from financial aid.

Academic Dismissal

Students are subject to dismissal from the University under any of the following conditions:

• Failure to earn a grade-point average of at least 2.0 in any given trimester.


• Failure to earn at least a C Grade in all courses in any trimester while on probation.


• Failure to clear probation within two consecutive trimesters.


• Failing the Pre-Clinical Examination four times.


• Failing the Graduation Examination four times.

To avoid automatic dismissal, a student is advised to meet with the Academic Dean to discuss his/her academic status, after which a decision will be made for continued probation or for dismissal.

Subsequent to Academic Dismissal, Student transcripts carry the notation "Academic Dismissal."

Re-Admission After Academic Dismissal

A student who has been academically dismissed and wants to be considered for re-admission must complete all of the following steps:

• Show that all remedial procedures given at the mandatory counseling session have been completed.


• Explain in writing the steps that have been taken to resolve any other circumstances which contributed to the students’ dismissal.


• Provide transcripts of any coursework taken elsewhere to improve standing.


• Pay the appropriate application fee and the Initial Registration fee for the first trimester of re-enrollment.

Once the above steps have been accomplished, a committee consisting of the Academic Dean, Director of Admissions, one other administration member, and one faculty member will consider the request and notify the student in writing of the committee's decision.

Confidentiality of Records

Student and patient records are protected by law. Information contained in a student or patient file may not be released to a third party without written permission of the student or patient. This written permission must be a part of the file concerned. Each student is responsible for safeguarding confidential information obtained in connection with his or her assigned studies.

In the course of your work, you may have access to confidential information regarding the University, its patients, its suppliers, and fellow students. It is your responsibility to not reveal or divulge any such information unless it is necessary for you to do so in the performance of your duties. Access to confidential information should be on a “need-to-know” basis and must be authorized by a supervisor. Any breach of this policy will not be tolerated. A student may be expelled for a breach of confidentiality and legal action may be taken by the University.

Student Records

Student records are confidential. Forms are available for students to request copies of their transcripts (for themselves or to be sent to licensing agencies, etc.) for a small processing fee. YSU will not release a student’s academic record without that student’s signed permission, except to University personnel, to officials of other institutions in which the student seeks to enroll, to persons or organizations providing student financial aid, to accrediting agencies (in compliance with a judicial order), and in an emergency in order to protect the health or safety of a student or other persons.

Material presented for incorporation into the student file is the sole property of Yo San University and may not be returned. The University will not release or provide students with copies of documents of course work done at other institutions they have attended.

Students who believe that their education records contain information that is inaccurate or misleading may discuss their problems informally with the Administration. If the Administration agrees with the students’ request, the records will be amended.

The University allows students to review their academic record after contacting the Academic Dean.

Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

The College complies with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (Buckley Amendment). This Act provides certain rights regarding educational records:

• Students have the right to inspect and review their educational records.


• The Act outlines the procedure for correcting inaccurate information found within the student’s records.


• The Act protects the privacy of the student’s records, in that a student’s records will not be released to a third party without the prior written consent of the student.


• Certain types of records are excluded by law from inspection, such as a parent’s financial information, or a student’s psychiatrists’ or physicians’ records. However, the Buckley Amendment permits the College to release directory information on a student unless a student requests in writing that directory information be withheld. The following is considered to be directory information: students’ name, address, telephone number, sex, date and place of birth, major field of study, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, most recent educational institutions attended, past and present university activities, and sports and academic status.

Disability and Health

Any student unable to normally attend or participate in any class, clinic, education or examination activity shall promptly notify the faculty member in charge of said activity. The faculty member shall make such accommodation as he or she deems fair and appropriate in the circumstances. The faculty member may require the student to produce a medical doctor’s report or opinion as a pre-condition for said accommodation. If the student is dissatisfied with the faculty member's decision, he or she must promptly seek review pursuant to the Grievance Procedures.

Harassment Prevention Policy

The University is committed to providing a learning environment free of any form of harassment. Our policy prohibits sexual harassment and harassment because of pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, age, gender or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. All such harassment is unlawful. Our harassment prevention policy applies to all persons involved in our operations and prohibits unlawful harassment by any member of the University community, as well as by or of any person doing business with or for the University, including subcontractors, suppliers, patients, and volunteers.

Prohibited unlawful harassment because of sex, race, ancestry, physical handicap, mental condition, marital status, age, religion, or any other protected basis includes, but is not limited to, the following behavior:

• Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments;


• Visual conduct such as derogatory and/or sexually oriented posters, photography, cartoons, drawings, e-mail and faxes or gestures;


• Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interfering with work because of sex, race or any other protected basis;


• Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests as a condition of continued enrollment, or to avoid some other loss, and offers of any benefits in return for sexual favors;


• Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report harassment.