College Requirements

Essential Functions by Program

Essential Functions

In compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, Allen College does not discriminate based on disability in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, student aid and other college administered programs nor in the employment of its faculty and staff. The outlined skills are essential requirements for Allen College programs. Current students and graduates will be expected to satisfy these criteria with or without the help of compensatory techniques, assistive devices or other reasonable accommodations. Prospective students are invited to meet with the Dean of Enrollment Management or an Admissions Counselor to discuss any potential issues regarding these requirements.

Essential Functions by Program:

Associate of Science in Radiography (ASR)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-DNP)
Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS)
Doctor of Nursing Practice – Post-Graduate (DNP)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MS in OT)
Medical Imaging (MI)
Medical Laboratory Science (MLS)
Public Health (PH)

 

CastleBranch Health Records

CastleBranch

Allen College uses a third-party company, CastleBranch, to streamline document tracking for required materials, including health records, CPR, criminal background checks, etc. CastleBranch assures confidentiality and continual document access to participants.

Resources have been provided from CastleBranch to guide students through the necessary steps to set up and maintain individual accounts.

Questions regarding the CastleBranch system: CastleBranch.com or (888) 723-4263

Questions concerning requirements: Melissa.McNeal@achador.netor (319) 226-2014

CastleBranch Instructions 

How to Place an Order

Reference Guide

Submitting Documents

Training Station by Cornerstone

UnityPoint Health (UPH) Training Station by Cornerstone

UnityPoint Health (UPH) Training Station by Cornerstone is the learning management system used to deliver internal student training modules at Allen College. UPH Training Station by Cornerstone is not to be confused with Blackboard or ATI Testing. 

Login 

Questions contact: Rhonda.Gilbert@achador.net or (319) 226-2011.

Course Delivery Methods 

Allen College courses are offered in a variety of formats. They may be offered fully online, hybrid or blended, enhanced, or face-to-face. To get in-depth definitions of course delivery methods, please review the course definitions in the Allen College policy library.

 

 

Allen College courses, whether online, hybrid, or face-to-face, require specified technologies to complete outlined requirements. Technologies may include software, such as Adobe Reader, hardware, such as speakers, subscriptions and plug-ins. General information addressing minimum technology requirements is provided above. Individual courses will also outline necessary technologies.

 

Technology Requirements

Program Specific Technology Requirements

Technology Requirements by Program:

School of Nursing

School of Health Sciences

Minimum Technology Requirements

Technology Requirements

Allen College students must meet minimum technology requirements to successfully complete online and hybrid courses. The Allen College Computer Lab is available to students 24/7 and contains 24 computers meeting the minimum technology requirements.

Please contact David Wu at David.Wu@achador.net at (319) 226-2054 if you need help in obtaining, installing or using any of these technologies, or if you have problems using any of these technologies.

Minimum Technolgy Requirements: 

Up-to-date personal computer or laptop

Reliable internet connection

Microsoft Office 365 (Provided by Allen College)

  • As an Allen College student, you have access to Office 365 which can be installed on up to five different machines. To install the products, go to: http://portal.office.com and sign in using your Allen College email credentials. The system may require you to use multi factor authentication to sign in. After signing in, click on the Install Office link located in the upper righthand corner of the screen. This should start the download and installation product for Word, PowerPoint, Excel, as well as other products. If you run into any issues signing in, contact the IT Service Center at 1-(800) 681-2060.
  • This licensing does give you access to One Drive as well as share point, but you will lose access to this Office 365 licensing upon graduation. Because of this, it is recommended to save all files you have created to your local computer, jump drive or other cloud-based service. 
Speaker to hear recorded lectures

Internet browser; Firefox, Chrome, Edge for PC or Safari for Mac

  • If you have browser problems: Please try a different browser. For PCs, Firefox or Google Chrome are recommended for the best performance in Blackboard.

Printer or access to a printer

  • Allen College provides four printers for student use. Two are available 24/7 in the computer lab, one is in the Barrett Forum Library, and the other is in Winter Hall.

Examples of commonly used technologies in Allen College courses include:

  • Panopto
  • YouTube
  • Turnitin
  • ExamSoft
  • Collaborate Ultra
  • Adobe Reader

Please note that other possible technologies, such as Epocrates, subscriptions (such as to free email lists like Tomorrow's Professor, Faculty Focus and the like), plug-ins, etc. may be required in specific courses. Information on obtaining these technologies will be provided in individual courses.

Computer Skills

Minimum Computer Skills Required 

All Allen College courses include a web component. Therefore, minimum computer skills and competencies are requisite to be successful.

Regardless of the program of study or class format, it is recommended that students at Allen College possess the following computer-related skills:

  • Create computer documents using a variety of college and health system-approved software applications.
  • Cut, copy and paste text
  • Save documents on a personal computer or portable storage device (e.g., memory stick; flash-, jump- or thumb drive)
  • Retrieve and open documents from their stored locations
  • Print documents
  • Navigate the Internet using a web browser (e.g., Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari)
  • Use a learning management system (e.g., Blackboard or Evolve)
  • Use the Allen College email system
  • Attach documents to Allen College emails
  • Use the search engines and follow online links (e.g. Google, EBSCOhost , etc.)
  • Follow all cybersecurity guidelines as outlined by Allen College and UnityPoint Health

Students who may be lacking necessary computer related skills may want to consider taking a course at a local community college or university. Students may also contact David Wu, Instructional Technology Specialist (David.Wu@achador.net) for further assistance regarding training resources.