I. PURPOSE
To establish guidelines for documenting student academic progress and standing in the New York Medical College (“NYMC”) School of Health Sciences and Practice (“SHSP”).
II. POLICY
It is the policy of the SHSP that students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward a degree at all times across four (4) components.
III. SCOPE
This policy applies to all students in SHSP.
VI. PROCEDURES
A. General Satisfactory Academic Progress
1. A Grade Point Average (“GPA”) that meets or exceeds the defined graduation standard of 3.0
2. A Satisfactory Grade Point Average for good academic standing is a “B” average as represented by an overall GPA of 3.0 or above
3. Students pursuing the MPH degree must also achieve a minimum grade of “B” in program core and required courses.
4. Courses in which a grade of “B” is not attained may have to be repeated at the discretion of the department chair/division chief.
5. Satisfactory completion of all clinical education requirements - Satisfactory completion of clinical education requirements require students to achieve a passing grade or a GPA of 3.00 or above, depending on their program, in all clinical education requirements.
B. Adherence to the Student Code of Academic Integrity and Professionalism in all settings (classroom, clinic, practicum sites, office and laboratories.
1. Adherence to professional conduct standards requires students to comply with the Student Code of Academic Integrity and Professionalism and the applicable Professional Code of Ethics and/or Scope of Practice.
C. Timely fulfillment of degree requirements
1. Timely fulfillment of degree requirements requires completion of degree requirements within the stated time limits, maintenance of continuous enrollment and enrollment in the courses needed for graduation. These time limits are:
a. MPH – five (5) years
b. DrPH – eight (8) years beyond the Master’s degree
c. DPT – three (3) years
d. MS, SLP - two (2) years
2. Under extraordinary circumstances, an extension of time limits to fulfill degree requirements may be granted by the Dean upon recommendation of the Vice Dean.
3. A student who meets all components is said to be in Good Academic Standing. Students must be in good academic standing to continue their studies and receive a degree.
D. Public Health/Bioethics
1. Students who do not achieve a minimum grade of B in the program core courses or required courses will be evaluated individually by the department chair for competency in order to determine future progress in the program.
a. A student may be required to re-take any course(s) in which the minimum grade was not achieved.
b. Students are only allowed to re-take a course one (1) time.
c. If a student does not obtain the minimum required grade of a B upon retaking a course, that student will not be eligible to continue in that MPH concentration or DrPH degree.
2. Academic Warning: a student may be placed in warning status for any of the following:
a. The student's GPA falls below 3.00 but remains at 2.8 or above.
b. The student receives a grade of W (Withdrawn) or WF (Withdrawn Failing) in half or more of the credits originally attempted in that semester or in one (1) of the core or required program courses.
c. The student obtains an incomplete grade or withdraws from a course that he or she is repeating in which he or she has previously received a grade of lnc (Incomplete) or W.
d. The student withdraws from or receives an incomplete in a course and subsequently fails the same course.
e. The student maintains a GPA that qualifies for good academic standing but is failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress because of lapses in enrollment or slow progress in fulfilling other program requirements and benchmarks, including those relating to Practicum.
f. A student who has been placed in to warning status will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with the department to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her department chair for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify their academic deficiency.
iii. The student may continue to receive Title IV aid
g. Students who have been in warning status for two (2) active semesters and who have failed to achieve a GPA of 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.
h. A student who maintains a GPA that qualifies for good academic standing, but who is currently in warning status for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress because of lapses in enrollment or slow progress in fulfilling other program requirements and who has not made adequate progress to address these specific issues in one active subsequent semester will also be placed on academic probation.
3. Academic Probation: a student will be placed on academic probation if his/her cumulative GPA falls below 2.8.
a. A student placed on academic probation will be notified by the Vice Dean by email.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with his/her department chair to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her department chair for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify the academic deficiency.
b. Students on academic probation will be allowed two (2) active semesters to demonstrate improvement and restore themselves to either academic warning or good academic standing.
c. If the student has not improved his or her cumulative GPA to at least above the probation threshold by the end of two (2) academic semesters, the student will be dismissed. If the cumulative GPA has been restored to above the probation threshold but is still below 3.00 at the end of two (2) academic semesters, the likelihood that the student will be able to graduate within the required time frame will be re-assessed and a decision to continue the student in warning status or to dismiss the student will be made.
d. A student who maintains a GPA that qualifies for good academic standing, but who is currently on academic probation for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress because of lapses in enrollment or slow progress in fulfilling other program requirements and who has not made adequate progress to address these specific issues within a year will be dismissed.
e. Any student placed on probation may continue to receive Title IV aid for the first such semester or payment period while in this status.
i. Students who remain in probation status for subsequent semesters, however, will not be eligible to receive Title IV aid for those subsequent semesters or payment periods.
ii. Reclassification to warning status during the probation period may be considered as a sign of adequate progress towards restoration of good academic standing, as outlined in the terms of the individual student's probation and will restore the student's eligibility for Title IV aid dependent upon other factors such as financial need and enrollment status.
4. Dismissal: a student may be dismissed for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress. Dismissal will also result if one (1) or more of the following are met: a student fails a course he or she is repeating after a prior failing grade, a student fails any two (2) courses in the curriculum, or a student fails two (2) consecutive courses.
a. Any student who has been dismissed will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail. The letter will advise the student of the right to appeal and the deadline for submitting a request for an appeal. Dismissal will become effective four weeks from the date of the letter.
b. Any appeal of dismissal should be directed to the Vice Dean and must be post-marked no later than ten (10) business days after the date of the dismissal letter.
i. The appeal must be in writing and must detail the basis for challenging the finding of facts and/or the sanctions imposed.
ii. The Vice Dean will appoint and convene an ad hoc Faculty Committee within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the appeal letter to review all material.
iii. The student shall be notified of the date, time and place of the Committee meeting at which the student shall have the right to appear.
iv. Legal representation is not permitted at this meeting. In the event that the student fails to attend without cause, the Committee shall proceed in his/her absence.
v. The Committee will present its findings and recommendation to the Vice Dean who will notify the student about the outcome of the appeal within ten (10) business days of the meeting, with a copy of the notification letter to the Dean.
vi. The student shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Committee by submitting a letter directly to the Dean within ten (10) business days of receipt of the decision of the Committee.
vii. The Dean shall review all relevant material and issue his decision within ten (10) business days from the date of receipt of the student's letter.
viii. This resolution is final.
c. A student who is dismissed will not be readmitted
5. Frequency of Monitoring: academic progress is reviewed by the department chair and the Vice Dean and is documented and reported to the Dean at a minimum at the end of each semester in which the student is enrolled or upon a student's returning from leave of absence.
E. Speech-Language Pathology
1. Academic Warning: A student will be placed in warning status if the overall GPA falls between 2.70 and 3.0 at the end of the first fall semester.
a. Students on academic warning status will not be allowed to continue in practicum during the warning period.
b. Students who pass a course with a grade of C or C- or who do not demonstrate mastery of course-related knowledge and skills will be required to successfully complete an academic remediation plan.
c. The plan will be developed by the faculty member and student and approved by the department chair/division chief.
d. A student who has been placed into warning status will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail.
e. This letter will instruct the student to consult with the division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
f. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify their academic deficiency.
g. The student may continue to receive Title IV aid.
2. Academic Probation: A student will be placed on academic probation if the overall GPA falls below 2.70 at the end of the first fall semester or if the overall GPA falls below 3.0 at the end of the first spring, first summer, or second fall semesters.
a. Students on academic probation will not be allowed to continue in practicum during the probation period and will be required to successfully complete an academic remediation plan.
b. The plan will be developed by the faculty member(s) and student and approved by the division chief. Students on academic probation at the end of first spring, first summer, or second fall semesters may be dismissed from the program.
c. A student placed on academic probation will be notified by the Vice Dean by email.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with his/her division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify the academic deficiency.
3. Clinical Probation: Students are enrolled in clinical practica each semester and are expected to progress through their clinical work meeting or exceeding minimum performance levels for successive clinical placements.
a. Students who receive a grade of B-in a clinical practicum will be placed on probation and will be required to repeat the practicum.
b. Students on clinical probation will be required to successfully complete a Clinic Remediation Plan.
c. The plan will be written to provide specific goals and objectives for clinical knowledge and skills that must be demonstrated during the remediation semester.
d. The formal plan will be developed with the clinical education director, appropriate clinical educator(s), and the student and approved by the division chief.
e. If, at the end of the repeated practicum, the student receives a B- or below, that student will be dismissed from the program.
f. A student placed on clinical probation will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with his/her division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify the academic deficiency.
g. A student will not be certified for graduation from the program if, in the opinion of the faculty, the student does not demonstrate acceptable clinical skills.
i. The student may be permitted to enroll in one (1) additional clinical practicum in order to demonstrate a level of clinical knowledge and skills acceptable to the faculty.
ii. Failure to demonstrate acceptable clinical knowledge and skills during the additional practicum experience will result in dismissal from the program.
4. Any student placed on academic or clinical probation may continue to receive Title IV aid for the first such semester or payment period while in this status.
a. Students who remain in probation status for subsequent semesters, however, will not be eligible to receive Title IV aid for those subsequent semesters or payment periods.
b. Reclassification to warning status during the probation period may be considered as a sign of adequate progress towards restoration of good academic standing, as outlined in the terms of the individual student's probation, and will restore the
student's eligibility for Title IV aid dependent upon other factors such as financial need and enrollment status.
5. Dismissal: If a student fails a required course in the speech-language pathology curriculum, he or she will be dismissed from the program unless able to demonstrate that the failure was not part of a pattern of poor academic performance in academic courses.
a. If allowed to continue (by approval of the faculty of the Department of Speech-Language Pathology), the student may be granted a one-year leave of absence, subject to approval by the division chief and the Dean and resume the program the next time the failed course is offered.
b. If the leave of absence is approved, the student will, upon returning, enroll in only the previously failed course and will be considered to be in academic probation status (see above).
c. The student will not participate in clinical activities while remediating the failed course. The student will not be eligible to graduate until the clinical experience deficit is made-up.
d. If a student fails a second, different course after successfully completing a course remediation, that student will be dismissed from the program.
e. If a student fails two (2) or more courses in a semester, that student will be dismissed from the program.
f. Students who fail a clinical practicum (grade of "C" or lower) may be dismissed from the program depending upon the consideration of the division chief.
g. A student may be dismissed for failing to maintain satisfactory academic/clinical progress.
h. Any student who has been dismissed will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail. The letter will advise the student of the right to appeal and the deadline for submitting a request for an appeal. Dismissal will become effective four (4) weeks from the date of the letter.
i. A student who is dismissed will not be readmitted
6. Frequency of Monitoring: Academic and clinical progress is reviewed by the division chief and the Vice Dean, documented and reported to the Dean at a minimum at the end of each semester in which the student is enrolled, or upon a student's returning from leave of absence.
7. Appeal: Any appeal of dismissal should be directed to the Vice Dean and must be post-marked no later than ten (10) business days after the date of the dismissal letter.
a. The appeal must be in writing and must detail the basis for challenging the finding of facts and/or the sanctions imposed.
b. The Vice Dean will appoint and convene an ad hoc Faculty Committee within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the appeal letter to review all material.
c. The student shall be notified of the date, time and place of the Committee meeting at which the student shall have the right to appear.
d. Legal representation is not permitted at this meeting. In the event that the student fails to attend without cause, the Committee shall proceed in his/her absence.
e. The Committee will present its findings and recommendation to the Vice Dean who will notify the student about the outcome of the appeal within ten (10) business days of the meeting, with a copy of the notification letter to the Dean.
f. The student shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Committee by submitting a letter directly to the Dean within ten (10) business days of receipt of the decision of the Committee.
i. The Dean shall review all of the relevant material and issue his decision within ten (10) business days from the date of receipt of the student's letter.
ii. This resolution is final.
F. Physical Therapy
1. Academic Warning: A student will be placed in warning status if one or more of the following are met:
a. The overall GPA falls between 2.67 and 3.0 from the fall semester of year 1 through the end of year 2.
b. The student does not attain the expected level of accomplishment in professional development behaviors by the expected timeframe, as defined in the Professional Behaviors for the 21st Century section of the Physical Therapy Student Handbook.
c. A student who has been placed into warning status will be notified by the Vice Dean by email.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with the division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify their academic deficiency.
iii. The student may continue to receive Title IV aid.
d. Students who have been in warning status for two active consecutive semesters and who have failed to make adequate progress towards rectifying their academic deficiencies will be placed on academic probation. Adequate progress will be determined in relation to the timelines criteria specified in the student letter.
e. A student who maintains a GPA that qualifies for good academic standing, but who is currently in warning status for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress because of lapses in enrollment or slow progress in fulfilling other program requirements and who has not made adequate progress to address these specific issues in two active subsequent semesters will also be placed on academic probation.
2. Academic Probation: A student will be placed on academic probation if one or more of the following are met:
a. The GPA falls below 2.67 from the fall semester of year 1 through the end of year 2; or if the GPA falls below 3.0 during year 3.
b. A student fails a single didactic or clinical education course. Permission to repeat a course will be contingent upon approval of the faculty, who will thoroughly review the student's academic performance.
c. The student does not attain the expected level of accomplishment in professional development behavior by the required timeframe, as defined in the Professional Behaviors for the 21st Century section of the Physical Therapy Student Handbook.
d. A student placed on academic probation will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with his/her division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify the academic deficiency.
e. Students on academic probation will be allowed one academic year to rectify the academic deficiencies in their record and restore themselves to good academic standing.
f. If the student has not improved his or her cumulative GPA to at least above the probation threshold by the end of one academic year, the student will be dismissed. If the cumulative GPA has been restored to above the probation threshold but is still below 3.00 at the end of one academic year, the likelihood that the student will be able to graduate within the required time frame will be re-assessed and a decision to continue the student in warning status or to dismiss the student will be made.
g. A student who maintains a GPA that qualifies for good academic standing, but who is currently on academic probation for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress because of lapses in enrollment or slow progress in fulfilling other program requirements and who has not made adequate progress to address these specific issues within a year will be dismissed.
h. Any student placed on probation may continue to receive Title IV aid for the first such semester or payment period while in this status. Students who remain in probation status for subsequent semesters, however, will not be eligible to receive Title IV aid for those subsequent semesters or payment periods.
i. Reclassification to warning status during the probation period may be considered as a sign of adequate progress towards restoration of good academic standing, as outlined in the terms of the individual student's probation, and will restore the student's eligibility for Title IV aid dependent upon other factors such as financial need and enrollment status.
j. Physical therapy students who are on academic probation will not be allowed to progress onto the Clinical Education components of the program. However, if the failure of a clinical education course was the reason for being placed on academic probation, the student may be allowed to repeat the course, contingent upon the approval of the faculty.
3. Clinical Probation: In addition to achieving acceptable levels of academic performance, a student must attain acceptable clinical skills. Students are enrolled in clinical education courses in the second and third years of the program. To pass each clinical education course students are required to meet or exceed specific levels of clinical performance. Minimum passing levels are determined by the program faculty.
a. Students who do not meet minimum levels of clinical and professional performance in a clinical education course will receive a grade of "Fail". Such students may be allowed to repeat the course, contingent upon approval of the faculty, who will thoroughly review the academic and clinical performance of students.
b. Students who are re-taking a clinical education course will be placed on probation until the course is passed.
c. Students who fail the same clinical education course twice, or who fail any two clinical education courses, will be dismissed from the program.
d. A student placed on clinical probation will be notified by the Vice Dean by email.
i. This letter will instruct the student to consult with his/her division chief to determine what steps must be taken to regain good academic standing.
ii. The student will be required to consult with his/her division chief for appropriate course selections and other strategies to rectify the academic deficiency.
4. Dismissal: A student may be dismissed for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
a. Dismissal may result if one or more of the following are met:
i. A student fails a single course and does not receive faculty approval to repeat the course.
ii. A student fails a course he or she is repeating.
iii. A student fails any two courses in the curriculum.
iv. A student fails to attain the required level of accomplishment in professional development behavior for two active consecutive semesters.
b. Any student who has been dismissed will be notified by the Vice Dean by mail.
i. The letter will advise the student of the right to appeal and the deadline for submitting a request for an appeal.
ii. Dismissal will become effective four weeks from the date of the letter.
5. Frequency of Monitoring: Academic progress is reviewed by the division chief and the Vice Dean, documented and reported to the Dean at a minimum at the end of each semester in which the student is enrolled, or upon a student's returning from leave of absence.
6. Appeal: Any appeal of dismissal should be directed to the Vice Dean and must be post-marked no later than ten (10) business days after the date of the dismissal letter.
a. The appeal must be in writing and must detail the basis for challenging the finding of facts and/or the sanctions imposed.
b. The Vice Dean will appoint and convene an ad hoc Faculty Committee within ten (10) business days of the receipt of the appeal letter to review all material.
c. The student shall be notified of the date, time and place of the Committee meeting at which the student shall have the right to appear.
d. Legal representation is not permitted at this meeting.
e. If the student fails to attend without cause, the Committee shall proceed in his/her absence.
f. The Committee will present its findings and recommendation to the Vice Dean who will notify the student about the outcome of the appeal within ten (10) business days of the meeting, with a copy of the notification letter to the Dean.
g. The student shall have the right to appeal the decision of the Committee by submitting a letter directly to the Dean within ten (10) business days of receipt of the decision of the Committee.
h. The Dean shall review all of the relevant material and issue his decision within ten (10) business days from the date of receipt of the student's letter. This resolution is final.
V. EFFECTIVE DATE
This policy shall be effective immediately.
VI. POLICY MANAGEMENT
Executive Stakeholder: Dean, School of Health Sciences and Practice
Oversight Office: Dean’s Office, School of Health Sciences and Practice
