Student Progress
To remain in good programmatic standing in the PA Program, the student must:
1.Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. A cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 will result
in University Academic Probation according to the University’s standards for remaining
in good academic standing.
2.Earn a minimum grade of C in all courses and clinical rotations. Any final course
grade below a C is considered failing and will result in dismissal from the program.
3.Exhibit satisfactory evidence of professional behaviors, technical standards, and
interpersonal skills as outlined in the PA Student Handbook.
4.Have a passing grade on all proficiency exams (OSCEs, check sheets) as determined
by the faculty instructor.
Failure to achieve the above criteria shall be grounds for action by the Student Evaluation and Progression Committee (SEPC). Actions can include probation, tutoring, remediation, or dismissal from the Program.
Cumulative GPA Below 3.0 – University Academic Probation
Any student with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 at the end of a semester will be
placed on University Academic Probation for the following semester. PA students are
required to take more credits per semester than the number of maximum allowed course
credits while on probation. The University’s policy only allows students on probation
to enroll in a maximum of 12 credits per semester while on probation. Students on
probation will need to submit a petition in order to be enrolled in the appropriate
number of credits. The PA Program does not allow for deceleration for academic reasons,
so deviation from the Plan of Study is not allowed.
A student is required to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by the end of the semester
after a student is placed on probation. For example, if a student is placed on probation
for a cumulative GPA of 2.9, the student will need to achieve a high enough GPA in
the semester after being placed on probation in order to earn a cumulative GPA of
at least 3.0. Raising the cumulative GPA to 3.0 will place the student back in good
academic standing, and the student will be removed from University Academic Probation.
Any student on probation must meet with their faculty advisor and may be referred
to the Highlander Success Center.
Performance Improvement
Students who meet the following criteria will be placed on a Performance Improvement
Plan (PIP).
•Semester GPA is less than 3.0, but the cumulative GPA is 3.0 or higher.
•More than 1 C earned per semester while enrolled in didactic courses.
•Semester grade of C in any Clinical Medicine course.
•More than 1 C on an End-of-Rotation exam during the clinical year.
• Requirement for remediation of any or all of the Clinical Medicine Cumulative Examination
A PIP will be individualized to the academic needs of the student. This will allow for the faculty advisor and the student to determine area(s) of academic weakness related to course learning outcomes and/or program competencies and to address these deficiencies on an agreed upon timeline. If a student does not meet the requirements for performance improvement outlined on the PIP, the student will be referred to SEPC. SEPC will review the academic deficiencies of the student, the performance improvement plan, and the student’s progress towards improvement. SEPC may make recommendations that could include, but are not restricted to, extension of the performance improvement plan timeline, placement of the student on programmatic probation with clear guidelines for continued enrollment in the program, or dismissal of the student.
Programmatic Professional Probation
A student will be placed on programmatic professional probation for the following:
•Unsatisfactory evidence of professional behaviors, lack of attention to technical
standards, failure to adhere to the attendance policy, and poor interprofessional
skills as outlined by the PA Student Handbook.
•Professional probation does not expire at the end of a semester. A student placed
on professional probation will remain on probation until graduation, as long as the
student is compliant with his or her probationary contract. Failure to adhere to the
contract/requirements of probation may result in further disciplinary action up to
dismissal from the program.
Failure to Achieve Course Outcomes
Students must achieve all competencies as incorporated in the plan of study. A student
must earn a grade of C or better in each course to achieve the competencies mapped
to the course. If the course instructor identifies that a student cannot pass the
course with a grade of C or better, the student will be assigned an incomplete grade
at the end of the course. The student will be placed on programmatic academic probation
for the remainder of the program and will be required to remediate the course over
a 2 to 3-week period. A student cannot progress to the next semester without proof
of achievement of competencies according to the plan of study. Course remediation
objectives and evaluation will be determined by the PA Program Curriculum Committee.
By the conclusion of the remediation period, the student must demonstrate course competencies
as determined by the Curriculum Committee. Successful remediation of the course requires
at least a score of 70 percent. The official grade assigned to the course upon successful
remediation will be a C. Unsuccessful remediation of the course will result in a course
failure and dismissal from the program. Remediation is only allowed for a single course.
If a student warrants remediation for a second course (in the same semester or subsequent
semester) the student will be dismissed from the program.
Background Check and Self-Reporting
Students are required to complete a background check at the start of the PA program.
Some clinical sites will require an updated background check within a certain timeframe
of the start of the clinical rotation. All background checks will be at the cost of
the student.
Students are required to self-report any legal misconduct, pending charges, or violations of institutional policy at the time they are made aware of such allegations. A failure to self-report actions that occur after the initial background check may be viewed as a violation of the professionalism policy of the program, and the student will be referred to SEPC.
Dismissal
A student will be dismissed from the program for any of the following:
•Failing a course.
•Earning a cumulative GPA below 3.0 as calculated at the conclusion of a semester
while on university or programmatic professional probation.
•Exhibiting unprofessional behavior.
Students who are dismissed from the Program may reapply in the future. Applicants
must follow the University’s application procedures to be considered for readmission.