DNAP Student Performance Committee

3.00 cumulative GPA, fail a course, or demonstrate other academic or non-academic unsatisfactory performance as defined and determined by the DNAP program administration may be required to meet with the DNAP Student Performance Committee (DNAP-SPC) to discuss options. In consultation with the Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, students may also be referred to the DNAP-SPC for violations of the RVU Code of Conduct.

DNAP Student Performance Committee (DNAP-SPC):  Review of Professionalism, Behavioral Issues & Violations- Disciplinary Review by SPC 

Any member of the University community may notify the Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs (or designee) of an incident and/or allegation of student violation of the RVU Code of Conduct, University policy, protocol, Student Manual, regulation, program or course requirement or professionalism by submitting a written statement or lodging an Ethics Point concern describing the alleged infraction to the Office of Student Affairs 

Where appropriate, the Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and/or their designee, will review, and investigate the allegations/incident and may collaborate with other Departments as appropriate when doing so. The Associate/Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and/or their designee may, in their discretion, meet with the student informally to discuss the incident, relevant University rules or standards and possible courses of action.  If it is determined that a violation may have occurred, at the discretion of the Associate/Assistant Dean of Students Affairs, and/or their designee, the matter may be handled informally or may involve more formal disciplinary measures.  Lower level formal measures may be adjudicated within the office of Student Affairs at the discretion of the Associate/ Assistant Dean of Student Affairs. In the event it is determined that formal higher-level disciplinary measures will be taken, the accused student will be notified in writing of the allegations against them and will be provided with an opportunity to be heard at a disciplinary meeting before the DNAP-SPC.  

The DNAP-SPC has the authority preside over meetings involving any disciplinary matter involving student discipline, including but not limited to: 

  •  Matters involving alleged violations of University Policy; 
  • Protocol;  
  • Regulation; 
  • DNAP Student Handbook; 
  • Honor Code; 
  • Code of Conduct; 
  • Professionalism; 
  • Clinical Education Training Manual. 

The DNAP-SPC presiding over disciplinary matters may consist of no less than three (3) and up to eight (8) individuals, who will act as fact finders.  The Chair presides over the meeting and is charged with conducting the meeting in an orderly fashion.  The Chair has the authority to rule on questions of admissibility, adjournments, requests for breaks, relevance, and scope appropriateness of questions and evidence.  Prior to the commencement the meeting, the student will be given an opportunity to challenge the participation of any DNAP-SPC member participating in the meeting on the grounds of conflict of interest.  Any such challenge will be deliberated upon by the DNAP-SPC and a determination will be made as to whether that member should be excluded and/or replaced. 

Disciplinary Meetings   

A disciplinary meeting with the DNAP-SPC is not intended to be criminal in nature and the proceeding and procedures are not intended to be that of a criminal court.  The student does not have a right to be accompanied at the meetings leading up to or the meeting before the DNAP-SPC by an attorney.  

The student will be provided with the opportunity to have a preliminary meeting to review the conduct and evidence and to submit additional evidence with 48 hours of the disciplinary meeting along with a written statement. On the day of the meeting, the student will be provided an opportunity to make any relevant statements they wish to make regarding the allegations/incident(s) and provide their side of the story; the DNAP-SPC will have the opportunity to ask questions of the student and any individuals appearing before the DNAP-SPC to provide testimony. The student will be allowed to be present when others give “testimony” and the student will be allowed to present questions to the DNAP-SPC, which can be asked of the witnesses.  

The Associate/ Assistant Dean of Student Affairs will act as investigator and fact finder and will provide evidence to the DNAP-SPC will consider all of the information before it, along with the student’s anecdotal file and history and the student’s file, and provide its findings and recommendation to the Dean or Program Director. The DNAP Program Director may, but is not required to, follow the findings and recommendations of the DNAP-SPC and may accept, reject, or modify the recommendations and sanction(s). The Program Director shall inform the student of the decision in writing.  This decision and all official disciplinary correspondence shall become part of the student’s official record and could be noted in the student’s Clinical Evaluations and/or as an addendum to the Clinical Evaluations as appropriate and could be reportable to licensing authorities to the extent questions regarding same are raised.  

The standard to be employed for all disciplinary cases is a preponderance of the evidence standard (more likely than not, greater than 50%).  Clear and convincing evidence is not required. In arriving at any decision, attention is paid to the history of the student, their growth as members of an academic community and graduates and professionals within their chosen profession and the expectations and responsibilities that accompany the privilege of becoming a practicing health care provider.  Consideration will be given to the educational record, current status, student record, and any prior disciplinary history and/or prior formal or informal warnings, counseling, incidents, and professionalism concerns raised, which may be factored into the recommendation and decision. 

Sanctions  

After a meeting, if the DNAP-SPC determines a violation has occurred, it may recommend a range of penalties, including but not limited to, one or a combination of the following:  

a. Disciplinary Warning – A written reprimand putting the student on notice that they have violated the RVU Code of Conduct, Academic Integrity, and/or professionalism expectations, and indicating that further misconduct may result in a more severe disciplinary action. A copy of this warning will be placed in the student's file.  The warning can be maintained in the student’s file for a period of time and then expunged or permanently, with or without conditions attached. 

b. Disciplinary Probation with or without conditions-A student may be placed on disciplinary probation for a definite period of time. While on probation, students may not hold office in Student Government Associations, Clubs or Organizations or represent the college in any capacity or serve in leadership positions on campus.  Additional conditions may be attached, including but not limited to, prohibition against participation in co-curricular activities without permission, limitations on access to campus-related facilities/functions that are not necessary to attend class, mandated counseling, status updates and meetings and any other conditions found to be appropriate. Further violations while on probationary status will result in suspension or dismissal from the DNAP program. A copy of the probation notice becomes a part of the student’s file unless expunged. 

c. Suspension – A student may be suspended and may be barred from attending classes or participating in clinical activities at clinical sites for a definite period. A suspension will remain in the student’s permanent file. A student will not be automatically re-enrolled at the end of their suspension, and they must apply to the Program Director for reenrollment. Conditions may be included in resumption of education such as any further incidents will result in dismissal.  

d. Disciplinary Dismissal – This is termination of the student’s enrolled status. A student who has been dismissed from the DNAP program is not permitted to complete their courses and may not re-register for a future semester. Notification of the dismissal will appear on the student’s academic transcript and students will not be allowed to enroll in other RVU programs. 

e. Other Sanctions – The DNAP-SPC may recommend other sanctions that it deems appropriate and fair. 

 

Appeals of Disciplinary Sanctions Imposed for Code of Conduct Violations  

A student who disagrees with the decision of the Program Director may appeal the decision within five (5) business days of the date the decision is sent.  Any such appeal must be made to the Provost.  The Provost or their designee shall consider an appeal that is timely and properly filed and render a final determination.  For an appeal to be properly filed, it must be sent to the Provost, with a copy to the Associate/Associate Dean of Student Affairs, and must be received within five (5) business days of the date the notice of the decision. An appeal may only be taken if based on one or more of the following grounds, which must be identified in the appeal submission: 

  1. Due process errors involving the student’s rights that materially affected the outcome of the meeting and/or decision; 
  1. Demonstrated prejudice or bias against the student by any person presiding over the meeting or rendering the decision; 
  1. A sanction that is extraordinarily disproportionate to the offence committed under the totality of the circumstances;  
  1. New information material information that was not available at the time of the original meeting, which, if available, would have had a material impact on the findings and/or decision; and/or 
  1. The preponderance of the evidence presented does not support the findings and recommendation. 

The Provost shall review the submission. If it does not meet one of the five criteria above, it will not be reviewed. If it does meet the criteria, the appeal will be reviewed, along with the underlying record, the student’s educational record, information on the student’s current status, and any other relevant information and documentation.  A determination will be made after consideration of the issues raised.  A written decision on the appeal will be rendered and shared with the student. The decision of the Provost is final and binding and not subject to further appeal. 

Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted to otherwise prohibit the Provost or their designee  from immediately suspending a student for an egregious violation of the honor code, code of conduct, professionalism, allegations involving serious criminal behavior, or when the continued presence of the student raises serious concerns for the health, safety, and wellbeing for that student and/or others or where there is reason to believe that the continued presence or participation of the student will be disruptive to the educational process and/or the orderly administration of the University or University activities.  In such case, the student will be provided with written notice of the suspension and after review, appropriate action will be taken pursuant to policy. 

Protocols for Disciplinary Meetings  

Meetings conducted by the DNAP-SPC will be governed by the following protocols:  

a. All meetings are closed to the public.  
      a. Students are prohibited from having family members, a colleague, or attorneys or counsel, or personal physician or health care provider, be present representing them at any meetings.  
b. A quorum of the DNAP-SPC, defined as 51% of the total membership, must be present, via video conference call.  
c. Students have the right to bring witnesses on their behalf, to present any evidence they deem relevant, to make opening and closing statements and to ask questions during the proceedings.  
d. The preponderance of evidence rule will govern the decision-making process.  
e. Decisions will be made by the majority of participating members.  
f. The committee deliberations will be private.  

 

 DNAP-SPC Procedure

If requested to appear before the DNAP-SPC, students must appear at the appointed time and place.

  • The student shall receive notice of the time, place, and subject of the meeting and must confirm receipt of the notice. Such written notice may be in the form of an official University email, U.S. mail, or a hand-delivered written message.
  • Appearance before the DNAP-SPC is mandatory. Lack of attendance at a required SPC meeting forfeits the student's opportunity to discuss circumstances with the Committee and may lead to dismissal from the program.
  • Legal representation and/or other supporting persons is prohibited.
  • The student will be given the opportunity to present a statement to the SPC in written and oral form and will answer questions posed by the DNAP-SPC.

Proceedings of the SPC are closed and confidential. Members of the SPC are not permitted to discuss issues brought before the SPC outside of a formal SPC meeting. SPC meeting minutes, recordings, and notes are not formally part of the student academic record and are, therefore, not accessible to students. The Program Director's decision is accessible to the student.

Where deemed appropriate, the DNAP-SPC may recommend any one of the following options:

  • Non-academic probation;
  • Academic probation
  • Dismissal from the program or University; or,
  • Other appropriate course of action.

The final decision will be made by the DNAP Program Director and may or may not align with the recommendation of the DNAP SPC. A student may appeal a Program Director’s decision for dismissal as per the section ‘Student Education Records; Dismissal Policy and Right to Appeal” in the

RVU Student Handbook and Catalog. Specific requirements regarding course(s) of action will be made on an individual basis after considering pertinent circumstances, which may include, but are not limited to, the student’s academic record, consultation with the course director, and consultation with the student involved.

Lack of attendance at a required SPC meeting forfeits the student's opportunity to discuss circumstances with the Committee and may lead to dismissal from the program.