Departmental Academic Standards Committee:

 

The Academic Standards Committee (ASC) through the Departmental faculty: 1. sets and maintains Departmental academic standards; 2. monitors your academic standing; 3. determines your Departmental academic probationary status; 4. tracks your grades by semester; and, 5. mediates and renders decisions regarding concerns you may have with the faculty, staff and Department.

 

Academic Standards:

 

The Department has developed a set of competencies which students are expected to achieve in order to advance through the program and graduate. These competencies are measured as a series of academic and practice outcomes assessed through successful completion of academic and clinical courses. Academic courses are generally evaluated using grade assignments. Clinical courses are evaluated according to practice outcomes, which are a combination of academic learning and practical application. A series of assessment instruments developed by the Department keyed to expected competencies are used for evaluation of initial-through-final practicum experiences. Please see Appendix D for copies of student competencies and the practice outcomes assessment series. 

 

Departmental Academic Probation:

 

The ASC reviews all student grades in all Departmental courses at the end of each academic semester. The following may result from this review:

 

1.      Your CMD Departmental courses’ GPA for the current semester and your overall (all semesters you have been matriculated) Departmental and overall non-departmental courses’ GPAs are 3.0 or better. You will not be contacted by the ASC.

 

2.      Your CMD Departmental courses’ GPA for the current semester falls below a 3.0 but your overall Departmental and overall non-departmental courses’ GPAs are 3.0 or better. The ASC will contact you by mail indicating: (1) you are on Departmental probation; (2) what you must do to remove yourself from Departmental probation; and (3) that you will be prohibited from engaging in clinical practicum until probation has been removed. Your status will be forwarded to the School of Graduate Studies. You must achieve a CMD Departmental courses’ GPA of 3.0 or better taking into account  the next regular semester’s credits or, the next nine credits, whichever is greater. If you are unable to do this you will be removed from the program. If you accomplish this, The School of Graduate Studies will be apprised of your status and a letter from the Department indicating removal from probation will be sent to you and placed in your file.

 

3.      Your overall GPA is 3.0 or better but your Departmental courses’ overall GPA falls below 3.0. The ASC will contact you by mail indicating: (1) you are on Departmental probation; (2) what you must do to remove yourself from Departmental probation; and (3) that you will be prohibited from engaging in clinical practicum until probation has been removed. Your status will be forwarded to the School of Graduate Studies. You must raise your Departmental GPA to 3.0 or better within completion of the next nine Departmental credits. If you are unable to do this you will be dismissed from the program. If you elevate your Departmental GPA to 3.0 or better you will be removed from probation. The School of Graduate Studies will be apprised of your status and a letter indicating reinstatement will be sent to you and placed in your file.

 

4.      Your overall GPA falls below 3.0. The ASC will contact you by mail indicating: (1) you are on Departmental probation; (2) what you must do to remove yourself from Departmental probation; and (3) that you will be prohibited from engaging in clinical practicum until probation has been removed. You will also be placed on School of Graduate Studies probation. You will receive a letter from the Graduate School indicating that you are on school probation and informing you regarding what you must do to remove yourself from probation. You must raise your overall GPA to 3.0 or better within completion of the next nine course credits. If you are unable to do this you will be dismissed from the program. If you elevate your GPA to 3.0 or better you will be removed from probation. The School of Graduate Studies and the Department will send you a letter indicating removal from probation and a copy will be placed in your file.

 

Incomplete Grades In Academic Courses:

 

If the ASC ­finds that you have an incomplete grade(s), a letter will be sent to you calling your attention to the grade and indicating the University and Departmental policy for making-up incompletes. A copy of the letter will be placed in your Departmental file.

 

An incomplete grade will be assigned for incomplete work in an academic course, or for clinical work in which clinical hours or clinical activities have not been completed. You may receive an "I" or a "Q" at the discretion of the instructor. An "I" will automatically become an "F" at the end of the first month of a subsequent regular academic semester (summer semesters excepted) if the "I" grade has not been officially changed (An "Incomplete Extension Form" may be completed at the discretion of the instructor). If you receive a "Q", the time for grade change is extended to the end of a subsequent regular academic term. When a "Q" is assigned you must re-register, take, and pay for the course in question during the semester in which the course is offered. The grade which you earn for this second attempt will be recorded as the grade for the course and will be used for GPA computation.

 

If you have received an incomplete grade(s) it is your responsibility to assure that the incomplete grade(s) is officially changed through the use of a University change of grade report form. Although it is the responsibility of the instructor who assigned the incomplete grade to change the grade, fill out and sign the change of grade report, it remains your responsibility to be sure that all of the necessary work and form completions have been accomplished in order to assure that an "F" will not automatically be assigned.

 

Grades In Clinical Practica Courses:

 

Students who receive one clinical practicum grade of “C” or lower during a specific semester must repeat that clinical practicum during the next semester in which the clinical practicum is offered or at a time indicated by the clinical or graduate program director. Students who receive a total of two clinical practica grades of “C” or lower either in the same or in subsequent semesters will be dismissed from the program.

 

Students who receive or are in danger of receiving a grade of “C” or lower in a clinical practicum course will be referred to the Departmental Clinical Support Panel. The Support Panel will provide support for the student in the form of a plan designed to aid the student in successful completion of clinical activities.

 

Clinical Support Panel:

 

An instructor/supervisor may engage the Departmental Clinical Support Panel (CSP) for consultation regarding problematic student clinical performance. The purpose of CSP is to provide support to instructors/supervisors and students in: (1) early identification of failing clinical performance; (2) developing plans for student improvement; and, (3) making recommendations regarding program continuance or termination.

 

Mediation:

 

ASC extends an "open door" policy to you regarding any matter, personal, academic or clinical, which you feel requires mediation. There are, however, some minimal steps which must be followed before an approach to the ASC will be recognized:

 

1.      You must make every effort to resolve concerns with the faculty member /supervisor /student/staff member involved, or with the Departmental chair or program director before approaching the ASC. You will be requested to document these efforts;

 

2.      You must approach the ASC with a written statement of your concern and the steps which have already been taken to resolve the concern. Further, this statement should include a presentation of your thoughts on how the concern might be resolved to your satisfaction;

 

3.      An appeal for a grade change must be made within three weeks after the official assignment of the grade by the instructor. After this submission, the process for grade change outlined in faculty senate resolution 978-10-1 adopted 2/25/98 will be followed. A copy of this resolution may be obtained from the ASC chair. A synopsis of the resolution may be found in the University Student Handbook.