Student Promotions Committee

Approved by the Executive Committee on March 08, 2022 and ratified at Faculty meeting on May 19, 2022. Updated by Faculty of Medicine on 11/19/2021.

In accordance with LCME element 10.3 listed below:

"The faculty of a medical school establish criteria for student selection and develop and implement effective policies and procedures regarding, and make decisions about, medical student application, selection, admission, assessment, promotion, graduation, and any disciplinary action. The medical school makes available to all interested parties its criteria, standards, policies, and procedures regarding these matters."

The Student Promotion Committee shall (1) evaluate medical student performance and (2) nominate medical students for certification of graduation.

  1. Evaluate the overall performance of each medical student at the termination of each academic year and recommend to the associate dean for student affairs, the promotion, or other appropriate action, of the student. a. During the course of an academic year, the associate dean and the committee chair shall have major responsibility for keeping the Student Promotion Committee informed as to the performance of each class, paying particular attention to those students experiencing academic difficulty. b. When appropriate, the committee chair may call the committee into session for formal review and/or action related to a student's academic performance.
  2. Nominate medical students for certification of graduation in the instance of the final grading sequence. The nominations must be ratified by the Faculty of Medicine before presentation to the president for final action by the Board of Trustees.

The Student Promotion Committee shall be composed of six elected faculty members and three faculty members appointed by the Dean to represent a balance of both basic sciences and clinical departments. In addition, the Committee shall include the following non-voting members: the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Associate Dean for Medical Education, and two medical students.

Recognizing that the School of Medicine desires a diverse student body and serves a total community, the committee should, ideally, include representation from this broad constituency. A majority of eligible voting members assigned to a committee is called a "quorum."

All members of these committees who have the privilege of reviewing confidential student files are required to participate in FERPA training during their committee orientation.

The committee shall meet at least six times a year, including at least once at the termination of each academic year. It can be called for specific business during the academic year by the dean, its chair, or by written petition to its chair by any two members of the committee.

The SPC determines if each student has progressed satisfactorily in all academic and clinical work, and if a student may be granted a limited waiver to deviate from a published curriculum policy or procedure. The SPC is granted access to academic files kept in the Office of Student Affairs and may ask for information from course directors, the Associate Deans, or the individual student in order to arrive at an informed decision. The SPC may decide to recommend one or more of the following options:

  • Participating in some form of academic/rehabilitative assistance
  • Granting or denying a curriculum policy or procedural waiver request
  • Remediating or repeating of a course/clerkship
  • Repeating of a curricular year
  • Taking a leave of absence with conditions
  • Suspension pending a clinical assessment

Should the student fail to meet the requirements within the period designated by the SPC, the committee may recommend dismissal to the Dean of Medicine.

Administrative Responsibilities

Requests for Waivers/Alterations in Curricular Policy

Medical student requests for limited waivers or alterations in published curricular policy (see Academics: Biennium II) must be submitted in writing to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. These requests will be referred to the SPC for consideration at the next scheduled meeting of the SPC, or via a secure method of deliberation mutually agreed upon by the members of the SPC if expedited decision is necessary.

Academic or Professional Reviews

A student will be notified in advance if the SPC is reviewing an academic or professional deficiency and considering action.

The student has the right to:

  • Submit a written statement to the committee through the Associate Dean for Student Affairs (hereinafter referred to as the Associate Dean), and request to appear before the committee if there is potential for a recommendation of dismissal from the School.

Student Promotions Committee Procedures

When the Student Promotions Committee (SPC) is directed by the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to deliberate matters of an academic or professional deficiency, the following administrative procedures should be adhered to as closely as possible to ensure that the student is granted due process:

  1. At least seven days in advance of the SPC meeting the student charged with an academic or professional deficiency will be given written notification in person, via electronic mail (request delivery and read receipts), and/or by certified mail of the date, time, and location of the hearing. This written notification will include a description of the alleged deficiency, a copy of the Medical Student Professional Honor Code, a list of the SPC members, and the names of any witnesses who will give testimony at the hearing. If the student chooses not to appear before the SPC as notified, the hearing will be conducted in the student's absence.
  2. Prior to the hearing, the student has the right to challenge the objectivity of a member by communicating to the SPC chair or the Associate Dean in writing. The chair may consult with the Associate Dean and the SPC member in question to determine if the SPC member should be disqualified. Members of the SPC who believe they have a conflict of interest may disqualify themselves.
  3. The student may select a faculty or administrative advisor to assist prior to and during the hearing.
  4. The student's appearance before the SPC is a confidential academic hearing and not a legal proceeding. Therefore, an attorney may not accompany the student.
  5. Simple minutes, noting the matter being deliberated, those present and the outcome of the vote will be taken. No recording of the proceedings will be conducted or permitted.
  6. The student is encouraged to present a written and/or verbal statement. Written materials such as letters of support from up to three individuals will be accepted.
  7. At the conclusion, SPC members will deliberate in private and make a recommendation by majority vote. The chair will not vote except in the event of a tie. A majority of eligible voting members assigned to a committee is called a "quorum."
  8. The SPC may consider previous infractions of the Honor Code, including infractions determined by the Medical Student Honors Council or other relevant academic committees, in arriving at a recommendation.
  9. The SPC may take one of the following actions:
  • No corrective action when there is insufficient evidence to support the allegation of an honor code violation. A sealed written reprimand to be placed in the student's academic file that chronicles the violation. The reprimand will remain sealed and be destroyed after the student's graduation if there are no further honor code violations.
  • A written reprimand to be placed in the student's academic file that chronicles the violation. This information can be included in the student's Medical Student Performance Evaluation (Dean's letter) and remain a permanent component of the student's file.
  • Recommend that the student seek professional assistance at the student’s expense.
  • Require specific conditions that must be fulfilled to continue as a student.
  • Require that the student's examination/report/product or experience be discarded, that an incomplete be assigned to the academic record, and that the student be required to satisfactorily complete compensatory work or be re- evaluated on relevant facts to demonstrate a mastery of the material.
  • Require that a course/clerkship grade of F or "No Pass" be assigned. The student's remedy for the failing grade will be to repeat the entire course with a notation of "Failed Course Due to Academic Dishonesty" appearing on the transcript. The SPC has the option of expunging this notation from the student's transcript at a later date or upon graduation.
  • Require a temporary suspension with the notation of "Suspended for Violation of Honor Code" permanently placed on the transcript, when applicable.
  • Recommend to the Dean of Medicine permanent dismissal with the notation of "Dismissed for Violation of Honor Code" placed on the transcript, when applicable.

Appeal of a Student Promotions Committee Non-Dismissal Decision

In the event of sanctions short of dismissal, including repeating course work, re- examination and/or academic probation, the student may appeal to the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs as follows:

  1. A member of the Office of the Dean for Student Affairs is available to assist the student in preparing for this hearing and to answer any questions the student may have on the process.
  2. The student will meet in person with the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs within seven (7) working days of his/her request for appeal to present the appeal.
  3. The student may not be accompanied by anyone to this meeting.
  4. The student will be notified of the decision of the Vice Dean for Education in writing within seven (7) working days of the meeting.
  5. The decision of the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs is final.

The written request should describe the specific reasons for the appeal, including any special or mitigating circumstances, and additional relevant information that was not available for consideration at the initial hearing. An alleged error in judgment by the student is not an appropriate basis for requesting an appeal.

Requests for an appeal will be considered for the following reasons:

  • Procedural error during the investigation and/or the hearing
  • Clear evidence of a committee member's bias against the student due to discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, physical handicap, age, sexual orientation, or political affiliation or belief
  • Previously unreported mitigating circumstances or evidence that is newly discovered

Appeal of a Recommendation for Dismissal (Student Appeals Committee)

The Student Appeals Committee will consider student appeals of dismissal recommendations made by the Student Promotions Committee, the Honor Council, the School’s Deans’ Council, or other relevant committees empowered to make such recommendations.

The Student Appeals Committee consists of five faculty appointed for a four-year term. The members cannot simultaneously serve on the Student Promotion Committee, or Deans’ Council. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions or designee is a non-voting ex-officio member of the committee. The Vice Dean for Educational Affairs serves as Chair, and serves as a second non-voting ex-officio member. A majority of eligible voting members assigned to a committee is called a "quorum."

  1. The Office of Student Affairs and Admissions will notify the student in writing of a recommendation for dismissal. The notification will indicate the reasons for the recommendation and provide the student with an opportunity to request an appeal in writing within seven working days of receipt of the notice. Failure to request an appeal within the allotted time renders the recommendation final.
  2. The Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions will convene the Students Appeals Committee within 20 working days of receiving the request for an appeal. After reviewing all relevant evidence, the Student Appeals Committee will give the student an opportunity to present information warranting reconsideration of the recommendation. The student may be accompanied and assisted by a member of the university faculty or administration at the appeal. The student's appearance before the Student Appeals Committee is a confidential academic hearing and not a legal proceeding; therefore, an attorney may not accompany the student.
  3. The Student Appeals Committee will deliberate and by majority vote confirm or reject the recommendation for dismissal. The committee’s decision will be forwarded to the student by email and certified letter by the Vice Dean for Educational Affairs.
  4. The Dean of Medicine will review the evidence and notify the student of the Dean’s decision by certified letter.
  5. A student may appeal the Appeal committee’s decision to the Dean of BSOM. The student’s written appeal must be submitted to the Dean within seven working days of receiving the written decision of the Student Appeal committee. The Dean of Medicine’s decision is final. Failure to appeal within the allotted time renders the Student Appeals Committee’s decision final.

Last edited on 11/19/21.