Rights, Responsibilities & Appeals

Student reading the policies and procedures document.

In general, procedures regarding appeals are implemented with every effort made to ensure fairness, objectivity and thoroughness. The confidentiality of these procedures are maintained to every extent possible and consistent with other obligations of the faculty.

These are academic, not legal, procedural matters. Any evidence that a review committee deems relevant and trustworthy may be considered. In any matter under appeal, the review committee has access to and may consider a students academic and disciplinary record as a whole. Although a student may seek legal advice with respect to these procedures, a student may not be represented by an attorney before a reviewing body and attorneys do not attend interviews of a student or other witnesses. A senior associate dean in Student Affairs may attend interviews or meetings of the reviewing body. Information obtained in confidence by a student counseling service or other health care providers, whether medical or psychiatric, will not be sought or disclosed to a person or committee without the student's consent. The absence of such information may, however, preclude the person or committee from considering a medical excuse. A reviewing body in connection with its deliberations or as part of a remedial or corrective action may require a student to obtain medical or psychiatric assistance and may require a student to consent to disclosure of relevant information from that health care provider in order for the committee to make its final recommendation.

Procedures outlined below may be somewhat modified by prior notice to the student when necessary to achieve a full and fair resolution of the matter. Remedial and corrective actions and sanctions that may be imposed under the appeals procedure include but are not limited to academic remediation, personal counseling, community service, reprimand, warning, probation, withdrawal and dismissal. The Promotions Committee is responsible for assessing the satisfactory completion of the conditions of any probation and its termination.

Actions, Sanctions, and Appeals Regarding Academic and Non-academic Performance

Grades are rendered by departmental course coordinators for clinical courses/clerkships and the Undergraduate Medical Education Office for preclinical courses (Blocks 1-8) as well as courses such as CABS, LACE, and Apex and are approved by the course directors. Grades reflect student performance and become official when approved by the Committee on Student Promotions and Academic Achievement.
Student concerns about grades or evaluations of academic or clinical performance within clinical courses, electives, and selectives should be directed to the course coordinator who has ultimate authority over such grades and evaluations in a particular course. For preclinical courses and courses such as CABS, LACE, and Apex, students must complete and submit a Numeric Score Review Request Form to the UME Office within two weeks (10 working days) from the date that numeric scores are released from the UME Office. Once submitted, a dean must approve the request and any actions that ensue following an investigation. If a grade change is warranted and the Committee on Student Promotions and Academic Achievement has already approved grades, official documentation will need to be presented to the CSPAA. All requests will be filed in the students’ permanent record. For clinical coursework, a senior associate dean in Student Affairs in no way has any authority to change or modify a clinical grade or evaluation rendered by the departmental chair, course director, or their designee.
The student Promotions Committee will take formal action on any student who demonstrates a deficiency of academic or clinical performance or where concerns arise about inappropriate or irresponsible conduct. The student will be notified in writing of the decision and action regarding recommendations or sanctions approved by the Promotions Committee.
Counseling and assistance is available to students whose academic work has been unsatisfactory. The student shall be promptly notified in writing of the action of the Promotions Committee including all requirements set forth by the committee. A senior associate dean in Student Affairs shall be available to interpret the actions of the committee to the student, to inform students of written narrative comments written by the faculty concerning unsatisfactory academic work, to review with a student the steps in the appeal process and to counsel students. The chair of the Committee on Student Promotions and Academic Achievement Committee or his designee shall be available to discuss with students specific actions taken by the committee because of unsatisfactory work if the student so desires. In addition, departmental faculty members are available to counsel students experiencing academic difficulty.
Appeal's procedures of actions of the Committee on Student Promotion and Academic Achievement available to students who have been notified of formal action by the committee and have been asked to repeat courses, alter course loads, re-take examinations, given a reprimand, placed on warning or probation, been suspended or dismissed, etc.
1. A student may accept the formal action of the committee and comply with it's stipulations or:
2. A student may appeal formal actions of the CSPAA Committee in the form of a letter directed to the Chairman of the CSPAA Committee within one week of the receipt of the letter notifying the student of the previous action of the CSPAA Committee. A copy of the letter must be filed with a senior associate dean in Student Affairs. The appeal must be in writing and must contain a full statement of reasons upon which re-consideration is requested. The appeal may include supporting documentation or written statements from faculty members or advisors in support of the appeal.
3. Chair of the CSPAA Committee or their designee will consider the appeal within one week of receipt of the appeal. The Chair will appoint a subcommittee consisting of three members of the CSPAA Committee. This subcommittee will review the previous action of the CSPAA Committee, will review all relevant material including but not limited to the reasons for the actions of the CSPAA Committee, review materials presented by the student and interview the student. The sub-committee will report to the CSPAA Committee as a whole and the CSPAA Committee will render a decision to affirm, revise or revoke the previous sanction. If the student requests, the student may bring an advocate who may be a fellow student, faculty member or administrative official of the College in to support his or her case before the sub-committee.
4. The student shall be notified promptly in writing of the final action of the CSPAA Committee concerning the appeal.
5. The senior associate dean of Student Affairs and, if requested, the chair of the CSPAA Committee or his designee will be available to review with the student actions of the CSPAA Committee concerning the appeal.
6. Appeal of Final Actions of the Committee on Student Promotions and Academic Achievement:
  1. Any student who wishes to contest a final action of the Committee has the right to appeal that decision.
  2. Students may appeal the action of the CSPAA Committee in the form of a letter directed to the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education of the College. The letter of appeal must be received by the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education within one week after the student has been notified of the final action of the CSPAA Committee. A copy of the students appeal letter must be filed with the senior associate dean of Student Affairs.
  3. The senior vice president and dean of Medical Education will appoint an ad hoc Appeals Committee composed of five faculty members who are not members of the CSPAA Committee. The ad hoc Appeals Committee shall commence to consider the appeal within one week of completion of its formation and receipt of its charge from the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education. In the absence of the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education the president and chief executive officer will assume these responsibilities.
  4. The student may elect to forward to the chair of the ad hoc Appeals Committee written statements in support of the Appeal. The student shall be given the opportunity to appear in person before members of the ad hoc Appeals Committee.
  5. The student may request an advocate who may be a student, faculty member, or administrative official of the College to appear on his/her behalf.
  6. The ad hoc Appeals Committee will render a recommendation to the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education for final action. The student shall be notified promptly in writing of the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education's decision. The decision of the senior vice president and dean of Medical Education is final.
  7. A senior associate dean in Student Affairs shall be available to review with the student the action of the committee concerning the appeal.
  8. The student shall be accorded full student rights and privileges within the parameters appropriate to the circumstances of the suspension or dismissal until all appeals have been exhausted. Students who have been suspended or dismissed, however, may be restricted from certain areas of the College of Medicine, classrooms, or prevented from participating in clinical activities during the appeals process.

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