2.1 The CSP serves an advisory role to the Dean regarding student progress. The CSP shall review and evaluate the overall achievement and performance records of students pursuing the D.O. degree for purposes of promotion, graduation, program alteration, remediation, retention, repetition, and dismissal.

• to permit the student to proceed through the curriculum

• to require the student to remediate via exam or course    repetition

• to extend or otherwise alter the student’s course of study

• to dismiss the student.

2.6  The CSP shall formulate and periodically review and revise policies and procedures necessary to carry out its responsibilities. In accomplishing its tasks, the CSP may assume the additional responsibility for review and evaluation of procedures used to determine the achievement and performance of students in the OU-HCOM.

2.7.1 The CSP meeting agendas will be set and schedules prepared by the Chair, or, in the Chair’s absence, by the Vice Chair. Meetings may also be scheduled upon the written request of any three CSP members to the Chair or Vice Chair. Minutes of CSP meetings will be kept by the ADSA and will be presented before each subsequent meeting for review and acceptance. All matters submitted to vote (excepting Section 12 provision) will be decided by a simple majority of those who vote. A quorum shall consist of simple majority of the duly constituted voting membership. An e-mail vote may be substituted for a meeting in situations requiring a timely response. In situations where the timeliness of the CSP’s decision is critical and a quorum does not exist, the recommendations to the Dean will reflect this.

2.7.2 CSP meetings are not open to non-members except by action of the Committee and in accordance with University policy  The CSP Chair may invite to CSP meetings other college faculty or administrative personnel for the purpose of providing additional information helpful to the work of the CSP. Students may request to have present with them one (non-legal) support person. Invited non-members shall be without vote and will be present only during the portion of the meeting requiring their perspective or support.

When a medical student is charged with a violation(s) of the general policies of the Ohio University Student Code of Conduct, the Director of University Judiciaries will notify the Dean of OU-HCOM of the charge and of the disposition of the charge(s) when decided.

In cases where the alleged conduct of a medical student appears to be in violation of both the professional standards of OU-HCOM and the Ohio University Student Code of Conduct, a decision whether to handle the alleged misconduct through the general university judicial system, the College, or both will be reached jointly by the Dean of OU-HCOM and the Director of University Judiciaries.

Written notification will include:

·            A letter from the OU-HCOM Committee on Student

        Progress which includes specific procedures and options 

        open to the accused medical student;

·            A copy of the referral notice which includes facts, circumstances and all documentation pertaining to the alleged violation(s); and

·            A copy of the "Students’ Rights and Options Guide".

3.2.2 Procedural Interview

Concurrent with the written notification of a professional standard

violation, the accused medical student will be required to schedule a

 procedural interview with the ADSA. The purpose of this session is to

 provide the accused medical student with an opportunity to discuss the

 facts and circumstances which led to the referral. The ADSA will clarify

 the rights and options available, as well as describe potential outcomes

 for the violation in question.

3.3 The OU-HCOM Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee and

Procedures

If an accused medical student fails to appear at a scheduled hearing and his/her absence is not excused, the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee may proceed in hearing the case without the student. Hearings may be rescheduled by the Chair of the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee.

The Chair of the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee will assure an orderly hearing process so that fairness and due process are observed. Hearings are closed to the public unless specifically requested to be open by the accused student. However, the Chair reserves the right to exclude persons from the hearing if they are disruptive,  or to postpone the hearing because of disruptive behavior of participants or observers.

1.Sub-Committee Chair will inform the accused medical student of

the professional standard(s) allegedly violated, the policies and

procedures for the hearing, including the right to speak or not to

speak on his/her behalf and to question persons who testify against

him/her. The right to remain silent will not be used against the

accused medical student.

2. The Sub-Committee Chair will ask each member of the

Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee to introduce

him/herself and state his/her College affiliation.

3. At any time before or during the hearing, the accused medical student or the complainant may ask the Sub-Committee Chair to remove any member of the Sub-Committee showing written or verbal evidence of bias on the part of any member. The Sub-Committee Chair will decide whether the charge of bias is valid. If bias is shown, the Sub-Committee Chair will excuse the member. Upon a charge of bias against the Sub-Committee Chair, immediately before or during a hearing, the CSP Chair shall decide whether a charge of bias is valid. If bias is shown, the CSP Chair will excuse the Sub-Committee Chair. The CSP

Chair may replace excused members.

4. The accused medical student shall have the right to be assisted by an advisor of his/her choice, who must be a member of the university community (administrative official, faculty member, or student). The advisor, upon the request of the student, may (a) advise and assist the student in the preparation and presentation of his or her defense; (b) accompany the student to all disciplinary hearings; and (c) advise and assist the student in the preparation and presentation of appeals.

5. Ordinarily, an accused medical student is not permitted to be

accompanied to the hearing by an attorney. IN HEARINGS IN

WHICH THERE ARE CRIMINAL CHARGES PENDING OR THERE

ARE LIKELY TO BE PENDING CRIMINAL CHARGES, specific

guidelines governing the role of attorneys or law-trained advisors

are available from the ADSA. Should an accused medical student

want his/her attorney present in such a hearing, prior arrangements

and agreement with these guidelines must be established with the

ADSA.

6. The accused medical student will be given the opportunity to

admit or deny the charge(s).

7. The Sub-Committee chair will inform the Professional Standards

Hearing Sub-Committee of its obligation to decide whether the

accused medical student’s actions violated the professional

standards of OU-HCOM, and, if so, to recommend the course of

action.

8. The complainant and the accused medical student will present

statements concerning the alleged violation. The accused medical

student, the complainant, and members of the Professional

Standards Hearing Sub-Committee may examine all written

material and question all witnesses.

9. After all statements have been presented, the complainant and

the accused student, in that order, will summarize their positions.

The Professional standards Hearing Sub-Committee will then

proceed to a closed session to deliberate. Considering the weight

and credibility of the statements and evidence presented, the Sub

Committee will determine by majority vote whether or not the

accused medical student has violated the professional standards of

the College. In the case of a tie vote, the CSP Chair will schedule a

new hearing.

10.  The Sub-Committee Chair will inform the accused medical

student in writing of the Sub-Committee’s conclusions.

11.  If the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee finds the

accused medical student has not violated the professional

standards of the College, the Sub-Committee Chair will inform the

Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (SAD AA) of the

determination. The SAD AA is charged to review the record of the

hearing and to accept/reject findings of the Sub-Committee. The

SAD AA will notify all concerned parties, in writing, of his/her

decision.

12. If the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee finds the

accused medical student has violated the professional standards of

the College, the student will be given an opportunity to present

written and/or oral statements by character witnesses. The

complainant may present a written statement about the violation(s)

impact. The Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee will

also consider the following:

a. The statements presented at the hearing;

b. Prior record of the medical student;

c. Case precedent;

d. The guidelines as detailed by the Sub-Committee Chair.

The accused medical student and the complainant have the right to file a written appeal to a College Appeal Committee within three (3) working days of the written notification of a decision. The College Appeal Committee shall be composed of an OU-HCOM student, and two members of the OU-HCOM faculty. The OU-HCOM members shall be appointed by the Chair of the CSP.

Appeals may be filed for the following reasons:

a. Inappropriate sanction

b. Procedural defect in the original hearing

c. Presence of new evidence.

a. In considering a change of disposition by reducing or increasing it, the College Appeal Committee will do so only in the case of clear abuse of discretion by the Professional Standards Hearing Sub-Committee.

b. In considering appeals because of a defect in procedure, if the College Appeal Committee identifies a defect in the original hearing that was sufficiently substantial to change the outcome, a new hearing will be scheduled.

c. In considering the emergence of alleged new evidence, the College Appeal Committee will order a new hearing only if the new evidence could change the outcome of the original hearing.

Normally, the decision of the College Appeal Committee is final. However, under extremely unusual circumstances, the accused medical student and/or the complainant may request the Dean to review a decision.

a. Inappropriate sanction

b. Procedural defect in the original hearing

c. Presence of new evidence.

b. In considering appeals because of a defect in disposition, the Dean will be  limited to ordering a new hearing if they identify a defect in the original hearing that was sufficiently substantial to change the outcome.

c. In considering the emergence of alleged new evidence, the Dean will order a new hearing only if the new evidence could change the outcome of the original hearing.

The OU-HCOM is committed to providing to qualified disabled students the full privileges, rights, programs, and activities of the college, and to ensuring that no person who meets academic and technical standards is denied benefits or subjected to discrimination by reason of a disability. In that spirit, and in conjunction with federal laws, the college seeks to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified students with qualified disabilities.

A practicing osteopathic physician requires specialized physical and perceptual levels of function not typical of many professions. These levels of functions are outlined in the Health and Technical Standards for Admission and Graduation document and acknowledged by applicants at the time of admission. For an Osteopathic Physician, the integrity of the neuromuscular system and coordinating systems are necessary for diagnosis and treatment. In recognition of Ohio University’s commitment to Affirmative Action and the rights of disabled persons as osteopathic students, the OU-HCOM has designated the CSP as a responsible body to determine whether or not accommodations can be made to allow for the education of disabled persons. In response to a request for accommodation, the CSP will follow the policy outlined below.

This decision will be made either as part of the admissions process or at any point during enrollment depending upon when the disability is declared/identified.

A person with a disability includes any individual who 1) has a physical or mental impairment which substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, or working; and 2) has documentation of the impairment.

A qualified person with a disability is one who meets academic and technical standards required for admission to and/or participation in OU-HCOM's curriculum.

A reasonable accommodation is one which would allow a student with a disability equal access to all programs and activities without altering the requirements of those programs or activities, posing a threat to personal or public safety, or creating undue financial hardship on the institution.

A student who has or suspects the presence of a disability and who

wants accommodation(s) must:

1) identify the disability and provide documentation to the CSP

within one (1) month after admission for incoming students and

at least a one (1) month before services are needed for enrolled

students;

2) submit to the CSP a written request for specific

accommodations with input from the evaluator at least one (1)

month before services are needed; and

3) utilize accommodations that enable him/her to meet the

requirements of the medical

Documentation must:

1) be provided by an appropriately trained professional;

2) be derived by professionally accepted methods;

3) be current, factual, objective, and medically valid; and

4) establish that the disability substantially limits one or more of

the student's major life activities.

A student who chooses to self-identify and document a disability will provide a written request for specific accommodation(s) to CSP. Students can obtain a Request for Accommodation application form from the ADSA. This form must be completed by the student and the professional providing documentation for consideration by CSP; additional documentation will also be considered. The CSP will then determine whether or not reasonable accommodation(s) exist that would allow a disabled student to meet the college's technical and academic standards without compromising those standards. Because reasonable accommodation(s) change as the demands of the curriculum change and the student’s physical or mental condition changes, the student may need to repeat this process at least one month before the beginning of each term as determined through consultation with the ADSA.

Examples of reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to

providing special seating in lab/lecture

providing readers/note takers

presenting new vocabulary in a handout

announcing reading assignments well in advance

providing books on tape or computer book readers

providing review sessions

providing study questions in the same format as the exam

providing exams in large print

permitting use of computer software programs or other

technological devices

allowing students to take exams in a different format (e.g. oral)

allowing extended time to take exams

increasing the frequency of exams

permitting exams to be individually proctored

assisting in test-taking and study skills

After a student has submitted the completed Request for Accommodation application form, the CSP will review the request and will identify reasonable accommodation(s) based on the requested accommodation(s) and the essential requirements of the curriculum.

While it is the responsibility of the student to reveal and document a disability, the CSP can initiate discussion about a suspected disability if there is evidence of academic performance problems.

The college assumes no responsibility to provide accommodation if doing so would alter an essential requirement of the academic program (see Southeastern Community College v. Davis and Doherty v. Southern College of Optometry).

The college will make a good faith effort to provide a reasonable accommodation to a student with a disability. However, a student can be dismissed under the following conditions:

1) if she/he cannot meet the essential academic/technical

requirements of the program with or without the

accommodation(s);

2) if she/he can meet the requirements, but doing so would

create a significant harm to others;

3) if no reasonable accommodation can be made after a good

faith effort or the student cannot comply with the reasonable

accommodation.

For all courses, the OU-HCOM will employ the following grading scale:

(Credit) will be awarded to students who have successfully met all specified academic requirements for an OU-HCOM course.

5.1 Progress (PR) grade – The PR grade may be used to defer the assignment of a permanent grade pending completion of coursework, or may be used until remediation of selected areas of unsatisfactory or marginal performance. Change of a PR (due to a deficient grade) to a CR requires reexamination and/or completion of work. Failure to remediate a PR will result in an F for the course.

5.1.3 Failure (F) grade – An F grade indicates an overall failure to demonstrate achievement of the specified level of competence determined by the instructor of record for a particular course as outlined in the syllabus. This grade is assigned to a student who, after completing all required work and undergoing evaluation as described in the course guidelines, has not performed up to standards defined as minimal by the Instructor of Record. After receiving an F grade, in order to continue in the curriculum, the student must either retake the course or repeat the entire year as recommended by the CSP and approved by the Dean. The original F grade will not be removed from the transcript.

5.2.1 Placement on Probation

The accumulation of two or more Failing course grades in an academic year, will result in probationary status, or possibly dismissal. Receipt of additional Fail grades while on probation or failure to convert such grades to Pass in accordance with the Committee's specified timetable may result in dismissal.

The student will be notified in writing of the probationary status both when it starts and when it ends.

5.2.2 Status while on Probation

Probationary status is noted on the college’s internal files but is not recorded on the official University transcript. Probation is essentially a warning that the student must show improvement to remain enrolled. The student is expected to maintain an unqualified passing in subsequent coursework for retention in the College and will be advised of any other performance criteria or personal and professional behavior. This means that marginal performance is unacceptable.

A student on probation must receive permission from the Committee to take electives and should not plan to participate in major medical school or outside activities or work. The student will not be approved for applications for associateships, international travel, fellowships, or dual degrees while on probation.

5.2.3 Removal from Probation

A student is eligible for consideration for removal from probation when the following conditions related to being placed on probation have been met:

(1) satisfactory remediation of all failed coursework,
(2) satisfactory completion of two terms of full-time coursework, and
(3) absence of any other issues of concern, such as professional behavior, being considered by the Student Progress Committee.

Depending on the student’s academic record, a student may be retained on probation until successful completion of the NBOME examination that is related to the area of the curriculum in which the student has had difficulty. Students are removed from probation once they have met the criteria specified.

5.3 Suspension

Suspension is the loss of privileges of enrollment at OU-HCOM for a designated period of time and prohibits a student from being present without permission on the property of any campus of OU-HCOM. A student's suspension shall not exceed one calendar year following the effective date of the sanction. If the terms set out under the suspension are not fulfilled, the student may be dismissed.

6.0 Competency Levels

It is the responsibility of OU-HCOM  to assure the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio Board of Regents that Ohio University graduates are competent Osteopathic Physicians. The faculty, staff, and administration are committed to providing the academic support necessary to help students successfully meet the institution's academic standards and to insure the citizens of the state of Ohio of the quality of graduating physicians.

In the event of failure to meet the published standards of a course, a CPC student who has been assigned a grade of PR (due to a deficient grade) may be given an additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the objectives by the Instructor of Record via a second assessment. This is limited by 6.4.1.and 6.4.2 below. The CSP, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, sets specific reassessment dates for each course. The dates are published in the course syllabus at the beginning of the academic year for each course.

All changes to these published dates must be approved by the CSP.

A. If the student meets the criteria for passing established by the course coordinator on the second assessment, s/he is awarded a grade of "CR" for the course.

B. Failure in this second assessment of the course material represents an academic deficit. Any student who fails this second assessment will meet with CSP, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, for consideration of the appropriate intervention including, but not limited to, one of the following:

• Dismissal

• Repeating all or part of the academic year

Under very extenuating circumstances the Instructor of Record, in consultation with the CSP, may consider the option of further assessment following some remedial academic activity designed to eliminate the student’s knowledge or skill deficiency. If allowed, the form of the remedial activity and subsequent assessment would be determined by the Instructor of Record and the CSP. Remediation for more than one course is not deemed a viable option. It represents too large an academic deficit.

If the student meets the criteria for passing established by the Instructor of Record on the second reassessment, s/he is awarded a grade of "CR" for the course. Given failure in the third assessment, the CSP will evaluate appropriate intervention including, but not limited to, one of the following:

• Dismissal

• Repeating all or part of the academic year

• Proceeding through the remainder of the year with an opportunity for reassessment with input from the Instructor(s) of Record of the courses in which the multiple “PR” grades occurred.

• Repeating all or part of the academic year

• Dismissal

At the end of Fall and Winter terms, all students will be assigned an official grade of PR (Progress) and each student will be informed of his/her content exam and term score. Students scoring < 65% on a content exam and/or < 70% score in the Biomedical Sciences course during the Fall or Winter will be referred to the CSP. The student, in consultation with the Instructor of Record, will present a plan designed to identify and resolve any deficiencies and will be allowed to continue with the class.

6.5.2 Students who fail to meet the requirements for passing the year will be permitted to remediate the course by comprehensive reexamination with the approval of the CSP and the Dean. The exam may include both written and oral components. Students who successfully complete the remediation examination will receive a CR for the three terms.

6.5.3 Failure of the comprehensive remediation exam will be considered by the CSP for a recommendation on whether the student should repeat all or part of the year or face dismissal.

6.5.4 Students whose failure of the year (i.e. overall yearly average <70%) can be attributed to low facilitator assessment scores present a special concern. In such cases, the student has been considered by his/her facilitators to be deficient in the skills necessary to effectively interact with patients and colleagues. This deficiency may not be resolvable by examination. Such failures will be evaluated by the CSP to determine possible remediation programs or to consider other options including dismissal.

Students performing clinical rotations, whether assigned or elective, receive performance evaluations of Honors, Passing, Marginal or Failing. These evaluations are used to assign a final grade for the course.

6.6.1 Any year 3-4 student who receives a notation of “deficiency” on the Evaluation of Student Clinical Performance form in the areas of Interpersonal and Communication Skills or Professionalism will be required to meet with the ADCE, the CORE Assistant Dean and/or the CSP (either in person or via videoconference), regardless of the scores in the other categories OR the overall rotation grade.

6.6.2 Any student who receives an overall grade of Marginal or Failure on any clinical rotation will be required to meet with the CSP to discuss the deficiency and possible remediation activity.

6.6.3 Students on clinical rotations may be required to meet with the CSP when referred by a CORE Assistant Dean, or other appropriate person. In this case, documentation of less than satisfactory performance, even if not reflected by marginal or failing evaluations, will be reviewed and recommendations will be made to the Dean toward resolution of the problem.

The student will be notified in writing of the recommendation. In the case of curricular alteration, the letter will specifically address the CSP’s concern about the student’s academic performance and suggest means by which the student may obtain any necessary help in meeting the curricular goals.

After receipt of the written statement, the student shall have a maximum of ten (10) working days to appeal to the Dean of the OU-HCOM, as prescribed in Section 11: Appeals Procedure.

The student is encouraged to describe the background of the situation to the ADSA in writing, prior to the meeting. If addressing academic or professional deficiencies, the letter should address, but not be limited to, the following questions:

• When did the situation(s) begin?

• Is it the first time for the situation(s)?

• Did the student seek help? If so, from whom? 

• What could have been done to prevent the situation(s)? 

• What solutions does the student propose to address the situation(s)?

7.3 At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chair will advise the student that the CSP’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Dean and the Dean’s decision will be made available to the student.

7.4 The CSP may request a meeting with the student, and a student may request a meeting with the CSP for other reasons not mentioned above. The ADSA will be responsible for notifying the student the reasons for, date of, and time of the meeting. In the case of a student-generated request to meet with the CSP, the student should make the request at least 10 days before the next scheduled meeting. The CSP Chair will decide when the CSP can meet with the student based on the current meeting schedule and the CSP’s tasks.

8.1.2 All outstanding deficient grades in Year 2 must be remediated before completion of Year 3 Summer courses in order to receive credit for Year 3 Summer. If a student does not successfully complete Year 2 remediations during the summer, the student is at risk of dismissal. This is limited by Sections 8.3 and 6.4.1.

8.1.3 No student shall progress to Family Medicine Clerkship without successful completion of Summer Year 3.

8.1.4 No student with an unremediated F, I, PR grade, marginal or failing evaluation on clinical evaluations can be recommended for the D.O. degree.

8.2 COMLEX Requirements for all OU-HCOM Students.  Students are required to pass COMLEX Level 1 CE, COMLEX Level 2 CE and COMLEX Level 2 PE of the National Board of Osteopathic Examiners (NBOME) in order to graduate from OU-HCOM.

All eligible students will be required to take COMLEX Level 1 CE by the beginning of the first (summer) term of their third year. If a student is unable to take the exam prior to the beginning of that term, he/she must write a letter to the Assistant Dean of Clinical Education to request approval for the delay. If a student fails COMLEX Level I CE on his/her initial attempt, he/she may continue with classes, but is required to meet with the Committee on Student Progress to set up a board preparation program. The student cannot register for another exam until the board preparation program is approved. The student is required to retake the exam by the end of October of his/her third year. He/she will be allowed to participate in clinical rotations while preparing for retaking the boards.

If the student fails the exam for the second time, he/she is required to meet with the CORE Assistant Dean, CORE Administrator and the CSP to set up a new remediation/board preparation proposal. A student could be required to cease rotations in order to study. Failure of COMLEX Level 1 CE for the fourth time is grounds for dismissal from the College and ultimately problems with licensure in the state of Ohio.

COMLEX LEVEL 2 CE

All Year 4 students are encouraged to take COMLEX Level 2 CE no later than January of Year 4. If a student fails the initial COMLEX Level 2 CE, he/she is required to meet with the CSP, CORE Assistant Dean and CORE Administrator to set up a remediation/board preparation program. The student is not permitted to register for the retake until the board preparation program is approved by the Dean.

If the student fails the exam again, he/she is required to meet with the CORE Assistant Dean and CORE Administrator and the CSP to set up a new remediation/board preparation proposal, which may include repeating selected core rotations or ceasing rotations in order to study. Failure of COMLEX Level 2 CE for the fourth time is grounds for dismissal from the College and ultimately problems with licensure in the state of Ohio.

COMLEX LEVEL 2 PE

All Year 4 students are encouraged to take the COMLEX Level 2 PE no later than the end of December after successfully completing the Year 3 OSCE. If a student fails the initial COMLEX Level 2 PE, he/she is required to meet with the CSP, CORE Assistant Dean and CORE Administrator to set up a remediation/board preparation program. The student is not permitted to register for the retake until the board preparation program is approved by the Dean.

If the student fails the exam again, he/she may not continue with clinical rotations as planned. The student is required to meet with the CSP, the CORE Assistant Dean and Administrator to set up a new remediation/board preparation proposal that will be approved by the Dean. Failure of COMLEX Level 2 PE for the fourth time is grounds for dismissal from the College.

If the Office of Student Affairs has not received notification that a student has passed. COMLEX Level 2 CE and COMLEX Level 2 PE in time to clear that student for graduation (usually one week prior to graduation) that student may be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies but will not receive a diploma until all graduation requirements are complete.

8.3.1 No student shall take longer than three years to complete the first two years excluding time for illness, leaves of absence and fellowship/dual degree activities.

8.3.2 No student shall take longer than three years to complete the final two years of the medical curriculum excluding times for illness, leaves of absence, and fellowship/dual degree activities.

9. Withdrawal/Leaves of Absence

Withdrawal from Course(s). Students wishing to withdraw from a course

will be required to either take a leave of absence or withdraw from the

College.

9.1 Leave of Absence

9.1.2 Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be granted a leave

of absence from the College, with the opportunity to return at a specified

date. Written requests for leaves of absence are to be submitted to the

CSP through the ADSA. Following appropriate consultation with

instructors and/or college administrative personnel, as well as

consideration of any documentation, the CSP will decide whether to

recommend to the Dean the leave.

9.1.3  Under exceptional circumstances, the CSP may recommend to the

Dean that a student take a leave of absence from the College, with the

opportunity to return at a specified date.

9.2 Withdrawal from the College. Students wishing to withdraw from the

College must submit their intention and date of withdrawal in writing to the

ADSA, who will then notify the Dean. The ADSA will acknowledge the

withdrawal in writing to the student and follow-up with any remaining

procedural issues.

OU-HCOM policy requires applicants for admission who have been enrolled in other osteopathic medical schools (LCME and LCGME students are not eligible for transfer credit) to be in good standing (as documented by the prior school) and considered for admission by the Student Selection Advisory Committee. If found to be eligible for admission by the Committee and approved by the Dean of the College, the applicant will be referred to the SAD AA for determination of what, if any, advanced standing should be granted.

10.1 Osteopathic transfer students can only be considered after the second year of medical school due to the integrated nature of the OU-HCOM curricula. If accepted, and after assessment by the SAD AA, the transfer would begin in June as a third year student at OU-HCOM. Passage of COMLEX 1 CE is not required as part of the transfer process. The transfer student is assigned a CORE site at that point based on what is available. They can express a preference but will be placed based on the availability of space and CORE hospital needs.

10.2 Transfer students requesting to transfer prior to the third year, or those who are from a LCME program, apply through AACOMAS as a first year student.

10.3 Course(s) accepted for transfer to the official transcript will be recorded as grades of T.

10.4 The transfer credit to be granted and the make-up requirements will be stipulated to the applicant in writing prior to matriculation as a condition of admission.

10.5 The applicant must submit, in writing, his/her acceptance of admission and all conditions stipulated by the college, together with appropriate fees and/or advance deposits, before the admission can be considered final.

11.1.1 A decision made by the Dean based on a recommendation from

the CSP may be appealed. The written appeal must be submitted directly

to the Dean within ten working (10 ) days of the letter’s date describing

the decision and must document:

·         what is being appealed 

·         a rationale to support a change in or withdrawal of the decision 

·         suggested alternative options

11.1.3 If the Dean requests the CSP to reconsider its decision, he/she will provide CSP with specific reasons for this request. Within ten (10) working days of receiving the request, the Committee will respond to the Dean with either a confirmation of its original decision or a new recommendation.

11.1.4 Within a reasonable period of time, the Dean may accept the recommendation of the CSP or offer an alternative determination which will be the final decision for the appeal.

11.2 Course Grade Appeals Procedures

11.2.1 To appeal an assigned course grade a student must initiate the following procedure (within 5 working days after the beginning of the term following the one in which the grade was assigned). This applies whether or not the student is enrolled in that term.

11.2.2 The student must make a concerted effort to resolve any disagreements by completing both of the following:

                        a) detailing concerns in writing to the instructor of record,

b) and discussing the issue with the instructor of record.

11.2.4 If this process fails to provide a satisfactory resolution, the student must, within five (5) working days of receiving the written response from the Instructor of Record, appeal in writing to the SAD-AA, or the ADPE in cases in which the SAD-AA is the Instructor of Record. The appeal must be accompanied by copies of the correspondence between the student and the instructor of record. The SAD-AA will attempt a resolution acceptable to both the student and instructor of record but does not have the authority to change the grade.  If a resolution is unsuccessful and the student wishes to appeal, the SAD-AA shall forward the appeal to the dean.

11.2.5 If the Dean finds there is insufficient grounds for an appeal, the appeal process is completed. If the Dean finds sufficient evidence for an appeal, he/she shall appoint a five-member committee consisting of representation from the basic science faculty and the clinical faculty, to consider the case. The Dean will designate a faculty Chair for the committee. Normally it will take 30 days for the committee to convene and decide. If the committee decides that the grade should be changed and the instructor of record does not accept the recommendation, the committee can authorize the Registrar to change the grade.  The decision of the committee is not subject to further appeal.

The CSP Guidelines must be responsive to the growth and change of the college and its instructional programs. At the same time, the CSP must maintain stable structure and organizational clarity. To that end, revisions will occur as follows:

12.1 All revisions must be approved by majority vote of all CSP members and submitted to the Dean for approval. Such changes are effective immediately on approval by the Dean.

12.1.2 Any CSP member or a non-Committee member (faculty, administration) may propose revisions by submitting them in writing to the CSP Chair.

12.1.3 All proposed changes will be reviewed by the CSP in quorum in a first-reading format, with voting to occur at the next meeting of the Committee. Changes become effective upon final approval by the Dean.

12.1.4 In the event that a quorum is not present, an approved change will be labeled as "tentative" and must be reaffirmed by the whole Committee in order to have permanent status.

12.2 The ADSA will notify all faculty, staff and students of the COM and appropriate university offices of approved changes.

12.3 The ADSA is empowered to include any mandated changes resulting from College policies, university actions, or statutory requirements.

APPENDIX 1

ACCESS TO STUDENT RECORDS

The OU-HCOM adheres to university policy concerning the collection, maintenance, review and release of student records (See Ohio University Procedure No. 12.020 Student Records: Collection, Maintenance, Review and Release and the Ohio University Office of the Registrar Student Records Release Guide). The Procedure No. 12.020 states in Section 3 Release of Student Records, that ". . . except with the prior written consent of the student, or as otherwise stated below, no information in any student education record file may be released to any individual or organization." One of the exceptions, outlined in the same Procedure Section 3 includes, “University officials demonstrating a legitimate educational interest may have access to student education records protected by FERPA. A university official is a person employed by the university in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the university has contracted to perform a service on behalf of the university; a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another university official in performing his or her tasks. A university official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an educational record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility.”

In the case of OU-HCOM, requests for access to student files for routine review (such as letters of recommendation for scholarship, post-graduate training, or membership) will be accommodated through a process in Student Affairs which requires the student to complete a form giving permission to the faculty/staff person to review the file. The file cannot be removed from the Student Affairs Office. In other cases in which a faculty/staff member is requesting access to student files, the written request will be made to the CSP. Most situations in which a faculty/staff member might seek access to a student’s academic records, other than letters of recommendation, are probably pertinent to CSP business and should be supported on a "need to know" educational basis. The CSP will review the request and make recommendations to the Dean concerning permission for access for specific information in the student’s file which will be handled in accordance with Ohio University policies.