Failure of a Course: in the event a student receives a failing (F) grade for a course, they will be placed on Academic Probation by the Student Assessment & Promotions Committee (SAPC) until such time as remediation is successfully completed. A failed course can only be remediated one time.
Remediation: To determine remediation status, the SAPC will review the student’s entire academic record, and take one of the following actions:
- Enact Remediation with Progression, or
- Make a recommendation to the Program Director of either Remediation without Progression or Student Dismissal
1. Remediation with Progression: A determination made when, in the opinion of the SAPC, the failure may be rectified through minimal remediation that will support the student’s success in the subsequent semester.
Examples of when the determination of Remediation with Progression may be made include, but are not limited to:
- Not meeting expected level of performance in a single competency (e.g. "taking a history" or "performing a physical exam")
- Receiving a failing grade in a single course due to knowledge gaps (e.g. falling below the passing criteria for the course)
Remediation with Progression will require an individualized remediation plan which may include, but is not limited to:
- Enrollment in an independent study course
- Tuition will be charged for all individual study courses and is the responsibility of the student
- Working with the Student Success Facilitator
- Working one-on-one with a faculty member or Program-approved tutor;
- Additional review of course material;
- Additional practice with multiple choice exams via testing software;
- Re-testing;
- Simulations;
- Case discussions
- Additional weeks of supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs); and/or
- Any combination of the above listed items.
Successful completion of Remediation with Progression is necessary for the student status to return to "good academic standing" and removal from Academic Probation.
A student who is unsuccessful in their remediation and reassessment attempt, will be recommended for dismissal.
A student who receives a failing grade in a separate course or competency while remediating, will be reviewed by the SAPC for review and recommendation of eligibility for continuation of study, progression and promotion, and may include, but is not limited to, remediation with or without progression, or dismissal.
2. Remediation without Progression (deceleration): A recommendation made to the Program Director when, in the opinion of the SAPC, remediation will place a substantial burden on the student if conducted while the student is attempting new coursework. The student will be decelerated, which may include:
a) taking a leave of absence and re-matriculating into the next cohort, or
b) being removed from clinic for a month or more to remediate identified deficits.
The student may or may not be refunded any tuition for the current year, in accordance with university policies. The student will be placed on Academic Probation as part of this decision.
Examples of when the determination of Remediation without Progression may be made include, but are not limited to:
- Not meeting the expected level of performance in more than one competency (e.g., “taking a history”, “performing a physical examination”, “prioritizing a differential diagnosis”, “developing a plan”);
- Receiving a failing grade in more than one course due to knowledge gaps (e.g. falling below the 70% cut off); and/or
- Demonstrating inappropriate professional behavior for which the student has been notified, but has not corrected;
- Failure of an End of Rotation Exam retake and/or failure of a clinical rotation.
If after reviewing the recommendations of the SAPC, the Program Director concurs with the recommendation, the student will be notified and required to meet with the Program Director and the student’s advisor to review the status and recommendations. Following this meeting, the student may need to complete a "Change of Status" form, per university policy.
Deceleration with re-matriculation into the next cohort:
Deceleration with re-matriculation will result in an Official Leave of Absence (LOA) from the Program and institution. In addition, this determination may have a financial impact on the student, therefore, a meeting with the Office of Student Financial Services will be recommended. This determination will result in delayed graduation.
Prior to re-matriculating, the student must notify the Program, in writing, of his/her/their intent to return to the program no later than April 1st. A $500 non-refundable deposit to hold a place in the next cohort must be submitted with this notification. The deposit will be applied towards tuition when the student returns from the LOA.
The student will meet with the Director of Curriculum and/or the Chair of the SAPC to review remediation and re-matriculation requirements prior to, and upon return from the LOA. The student’s status upon re-matriculation will remain “Academic Probation”, until such time as the failed courses are successfully remediated.
Deceleration from clinical progression:
Deceleration from clinical rotations may result in an official LOA if the deceleration extends beyond 30 days. In the event this occurs, consultation with the Office of Student Financial Services will be recommended. This determination may result in delayed graduation and the student’s status will be converted to Academic Probation.
Remediation without Progression (whether didactic or clinical) will require an individualized plan which may include, but is not limited to:
- Enrollment in courses for which the student received a failing grade (F)
- Enrollment in independent study course(s) to cover content areas in which the student demonstrated deficiencies in learning objectives within courses for which the student previously received a passing grade (P)
- Content and assessments associated with these courses will be based on any prior deficits and may include, but is not limited to:
- Attendance in all courses to ensure acquired skills and knowledge is maintained or advanced.
- Assignments or assessments based on prior deficits (e.g. block exam scores with scores in the “at risk” (70-75%) or failed ranges (<70%); assignments with scores below expected levels)
- Completion of all Integrated Assignments to ensure a level of competency is maintained or advanced.
- Content and assessments associated with these courses will be based on any prior deficits and may include, but is not limited to:
- Completion of any new or updated pre-matriculation requirements.
- Cost(s) associated with tuition and pre-matriculation requirements are the responsibility of the student.
- Removal from clinical rotations to focus on the identified deficit (pertains to clinical phase students only).
- Meetings with the Student Success Facilitator
- Meetings with individual Course Directors.
Successful completion of Remediation without Progression is necessary for the student status to return to good academic standing and removal from Academic Probation. Eligibility for continuation in the Program will be determined upon successful completion of remediation in the case of Remediation with or without Progression.
A student who is unsuccessful in their remediation and reassessment attempt, will be recommended for dismissal.
A student who successfully completes Remediation without Progression, and subsequently receives a failing grade in ≥2 courses in any following semester, will be recommended for dismissal.
Regardless of the type of remediation, students in the Physician Assistant Program must meet academic, clinical, and professional milestones in order to progress through the program toward graduation. The normal timeframe for completion of required coursework for the MPAS degree is 27 consecutive months. The student must complete all Program requirements within a maximum of 40.5 months from the time of the original matriculation date or be dismissed from the Program.