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Student Promotion 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 SPC is responsible for reviewing and determining the academic standing of all enrolled BSOM MD program students, including promotion and graduation. The SPC will also address reported deficits in academic performance and allegations of student breaches in professional behavior in accordance with the Student Honor Code and BSOM and University Policies and procedures. The SPC will review all matters related to or involving academic difficulty or allegations of misconduct and will ensure the due process rights of all individuals in question. The SPC will make recommendations to the appropriate leadership for action and improvement.

The SPC refers students to either the Associate Dean for Medical Education for academic difficulty or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions for professionalism or behavioral concerns, who in turn shall recommend to the SPC a course of action for students who do not meet expectations in any aspect of the curriculum, including allegations of student breaches in professional behavior. The SPC shall vote to adopt, modify, or otherwise implement any such recommended actions. Students have an opportunity to appeal decisions of the SPC, in accordance with applicable policies.

The SPC shall conduct all deliberations in accordance with BSOM and University policies and procedures regarding academic promotion, advancement, and graduation, and, as applicable, codes of conduct governing student performance, professionalism, and behavior.

The SPC shall be composed of twelve (12 members), the majority of which shall be members of the Faculty of Medicine. Current membership and organization can be found on the Student Promotion Committee webpage.

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 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 vote.
  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 Decision

The appeals process is outlined in the BSOM Appeals Policy.

Last edited on 11/19/21.