Catalog 2023-2024

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Advancement Process Policy

Advancement Process Policy

 

The Committees on Advancement and Graduation are comprised of the Preclinical and Clinical Progression Committees. Each respective committee reviews the performance of each student at the end of each semester. On the basis of progress and/or final grades, the committees determine one of the following actions for each student: unconditional advancement; summer remediation; conditional advancement; probationary advancement (repeat of a course, repeat or remediation of the year); or recommend academic dismissal to the Faculty Assembly, which approves all decisions pertaining to academic dismissal or graduation. Remediation or re-examination is not offered until the committees meet after the end of the academic year in May.

  1. Students who do not meet published departmental/course standards for attendance may lose the opportunity for remediation. Students with a pattern of unexcused absences who receive one or more failing or deficient grades may be dismissed. Extenuating circumstances should be identified at the time the absence occurs, following procedures in the attendance policy, in order to be considered as a basis for appeal.
  2. Missed clinical time resulting from late entry into clinic or excused absences must be rescheduled if the student is not progressing satisfactorily in clinic. In the case of an excused absence, the final grade will be determined at the end of the extended time. If an excused absence occurs during year four, the student may be required to register and pay tuition for the summer session with an opportunity for graduation in July or later. All other absences will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
  3. The maximum number of years to complete Year I and Year II courses will be three academic years. A student who does not successfully complete Year I and Year II requirements in three academic years will be dismissed.
  4. The maximum number of years to complete all Year III and Year IV clinical and didactic requirements will be three academic years. A student who does not successfully complete Year III and Year IV clinical and didactic requirements in three academic years will be dismissed.
  5. Following completion of all Year III clinical and didactic requirements, a student will be eligible for the Integrated National Board Dental Examination. Students are encouraged to take the INBDE by January 15th of their graduation year so that they do not compromise future employment or residency opportunities.  Students are required to challenge the INBDE prior to completion of the predoctoral educational program. However, successful completion of the INBDE is not a graduation requirement. (See Policy for National Board Examination and Limiting Enrollment Time)
  6. A student may appeal any action of the progression committees or the Faculty Assembly by submission of a written request to the associate dean.

Unconditional Advancement

Students must achieve a 2.00 grade point average and passing grades in all courses to advance unconditionally to the next year.

 

Summer Remediation

  1. A student may be permitted to resolve deficiencies during the summer session, as recommended by the progression committees. The student may be given one retake of a failed exam before a repeat of the course is required.
  1. Depending on the type of deficiencies involved, students may be required to register and pay a fee for the summer session. The progression committee may also permit students in Years I and II to repeat a failed basic science course at another institution during the summer session. Students who repeat a failed course during the summer are placed on academic probation.

Conditional Advancement

This status is assigned to:

  1. First- and second-year students with minor deficiencies who have not successfully completed remediation of deficient grades during the summer session.
  2. Third-year students with minor clinical deficiencies who have not successfully completed all courses but who, in the judgment of the committee, should be afforded the opportunity to complete requirements from the third year while proceeding with fourth-year courses.

Probationary Advancement

Students with a final grade of F in one or more courses at the end of the academic year may be advanced on probation and must remediate or repeat all courses in which there was a deficiency to a passing grade of C, achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.00, and must pass all courses taken during the probationary academic year. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the dental program subject to discretionary review by the Faculty Assembly. In accordance with the Dental School Policy for Limiting Enrollment Time and National Board Examination Eligibility for Predoctoral Dental Students, the maximum number of years to complete Year I and II courses is three academic years and the maximum number of years to complete Year III and IV courses is three academic years.

  1. Students who fail a year one course may be placed on probation and assigned to a special academic program where they complete first and second year courses in a maximum of three years.
  1. Students who fail one Year III course may be advanced conditionally on probation to Year IV where the schedule and curriculum permit repeat of the failed course while taking Year IV courses. In these circumstances, the following guidelines will be applied: attendance at the repeated course must take precedence where there is a scheduling conflict; coursework that could not be completed due to scheduling conflicts in the fall semester must be completed during the following fall semester; courses not affected by a scheduling conflict must be successfully completed in accordance with the probation policy.
  2. Students with deficiencies too severe to be absolved during the summer session may be afforded the opportunity to repeat or remediate a specific year of the dental program. Repeat of the year entails repeating the year's work in its entirety. Remediation of the year provides students with the opportunity for exemption from courses or portions of courses at the discretion of the department chairs. During the remedial year students repeat failed courses and may also be required to repeat courses previously passed to maintain or enhance skills and/or knowledge. The grade on the repeated course, whether higher or lower than the original grade, replaces the original grade in the grade point average calculation. Students who are repeating or remediating any year of the dental program are placed on probation and are subject to the probationary guidelines noted above.

Academic Dismissal

  1. If it is determined that a student is progressing so poorly that remediation will not bring him/her to a passing level, dismissal will be recommended to the Faculty Assembly.
  2. If a student does not successfully complete Year I and Year II requirements in three academic years, dismissal will be recommended to the Faculty Assembly.
  3. If a student does not successfully complete Year III and Year IV clinical and didactic requirements in three academic years, dismissal will be recommended to the Faculty Assembly.

 

 

Advancement Process August 2009

Reviewed: August 1, 2016

Revised and Approved by Faculty Assembly: October 7, 2019

Revised and Approved by Faculty Assembly: July 18, 2022