Student Progress Committee Procedures and Process for Dismissal Policy

Section One: Definitions    
Section Two: Functions of the Student Progress Committee    
Section Three: Membership Guidelines of the Student Progress Committee    
Section Four: Procedures Regarding Student Appearance at Student Progress Committee Meetings    
   A. Meeting Process    
Section Five: Procedures for Reviewing Grade Appeals
Section Six: Student Progress Committee Procedures Regarding Dismissal    
   A. Academic Dismissals    
   B. Conduct Dismissals     
   C. Conduct Dismissal Pre-Hearing Procedures    
   D. Conduct Dismissal Hearing Process    
   E. Deliberations and Decision by Student Progress Committee    
   F. Conduct Dismissal Decision by Vice Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education   
Section Six: Student Promotion to Next Phase of Program  

Section One: Definitions

Under these procedures, the following terms and meanings are set forth below:

1. “Advisor” means a faculty member, staff member, or other individual selected by a student to support the student during a meeting or a hearing conducted by the Student Progress Committee (SPC). Unless the advisor is an attorney, the advisor may not speak for or on behalf of the student unless the SPC chair asks the advisor to address the committee. Attorneys are only permitted to serve as advisors at SPC hearings, not meetings.
2. “Academic Dismissal” means dismissal from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix (COM-P) for failure to progress through the curriculum, failure to meet academic or programmatic requirements, failure to satisfy the professionalism component of a course*, or failure to adhere to the following grading and progression policies: Enrollment, Sequencing and Grading for Pre-clerkships Policy, Grading and Progression for Clerkships and Selectives, and Grading and Progression for Electives.
3. “Attorney” means an individual licensed to practice law in the State of Arizona.
4. “College” or “COM – P” means the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
5. “COM-P program” means the MD, MD/PhD, MD/MPH, MD/MA programs under the auspices of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
6. “Conduct Dismissal” means dismissal from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix for honor code violations, lack of academic integrity, unprofessional behavior in extracurricular activities or interactions, violation of clinical site policies (including HIPAA), or other violations of the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) Student Code of Conduct (ABOR Policy 5-308).
7. “Dismissal” or “Dismiss” means terminating the student’s enrollment at the COM-P. Once dismissed, a student must reapply for admission through the standard admission procedures. Dismissal occurs at the written direction of the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee.
8. “E-Vote” means a vote of the eligible members of the committee conducted via email. The chair may instruct an e-vote on issues that require committee approval but do not warrant discussion. A quorum of responses is required.
9. “Graduation Requirements” means those requirements established by the COM-P Curriculum Committee, as described in the grading and progression policies listed above.
10. “Notice” or “Notify” means a written communication emailed to the recipient using the recipient’s official University email address. Recipients may identify an alternate email address to the SPC chair. All time limits are calculated using business days. A notice is deemed received the day after the email date stamp. All notices will include a link to the SPC procedures on the COM-P website.
11. “Preponderance of the evidence” means the committee members find the position of one party more likely and/or more credible than the position of the other party; it is the standard by which SPC makes decisions following a hearing.
12. “Quorum” means one-half plus one of the eligible voting members of the committee. A voting member is not eligible if the member recused themselves from the vote due to a conflict or leave of absence. To conduct business under these procedures, a quorum must be present at the beginning of a presented issue and must remain present throughout the vote on that issue.

Section Two: Functions of the Student Progress Committee

1. The SPC reviews and monitors the academic progress of any student presented to the committee by a dean of the COM-P.
2. The SPC may review the performance or professional conduct of any student who is brought to the committee’s attention by any COM-P faculty member or administrator.
3. A student may also request to meet with the SPC to discuss their own academic progress or professional conduct by communicating directly with the chair of the SPC in writing.
4. In response, the SPC may require If a student fails to progress in accordance with the requirements established by the applicable grading and progression policies listed above, the SPC will consider the circumstances and may take any of the following actions (this list is not exhaustive):
   1. Require the student to adhere to a specific academic timeline.
   2. Require the student to satisfy specific benchmarks within a timeframe.
   3. Require the student to submit written reports to or meet with SPC at a future date.
   4. Recommend the student to work with the Office of Student Development, Office of Student Affairs, a specific mentor, or other college resources.
   5. Recommend to the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee that the student be removed from the learning environment or removed from one or more extracurricular activities.
   6. Grant the student an extension of time or other exception where permissible by policy.
   7. Require the student to repeat an academic year or specific course* (s).
   8. Refer the student to the Honor Code Committee (HCC).
   9. Recommend to the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee that the student be dismissed from the college for academic reasons, including failure to comply with SPC directives.
5. The SPC considers requests for non-medical leaves of absence and determines any conditions upon which students will be permitted to take or return from such a leave.
6. The SPC conducts hearings for students recommended for a Conduct Dismissal. 
7. The SPC makes final decisions regarding grade appeals when a student appeals a failing grade.

Section Three: Membership Guidelines of the Student Progress Committee

1. The membership of the SPC is specified in part 3, section B of Bylaws of the Faculty of the COM-P.
2. Typically, each faculty member is elected for a four-year term. If a faculty member is elected to fill a vacancy on the committee, that member shall complete the term of the member whose resignation left the vacancy. Student members are directly elected by their class in their first semester of medical school and serve for four years.
3. It is the responsibility of each member of the SPC to participate in carrying out the mission of the committee. Such participation includes regular attendance at committee meetings, contribution to committee proceedings and thoughtful consideration of matters before the committee.
4. Attendance at meetings is critical to the function of the SPC and members are expected to give notification prior to missing a meeting. Members who miss two meetings within six consecutive months will be asked by the chair to increase their participation, reconsider their membership, and/or resign from the committee. The chair of the committee reserves the right to request a replacement.
5. To avoid conflicts of interest, no member of the SPC may serve simultaneously on the Student Appeals Committee. Due to conflict of interest policies, directors of course* may not serve on this committee.
   • To further mitigate conflicts of interest, SPC members with familial ties, prior significant and consistent mentorship (academic/research mentor), a business relationship, are providing or have provided healthcare in the past or who perceive a conflict of interest to a student under review, must recuse themselves from participating in the committee proceedings and voting on any motion as it pertains to the student with whom there is a conflict of interest. Members must recuse themselves by notifying the SPC Chair.
6. Members may resign from the committee by sending notice in writing (via email) to the committee chair. In the case of a faculty-member vacancy, the vacancy will be filled as specified in the bylaws of the faculty. A student member placed who is not allowed to participate in the academic environment or who is on an approved leave of absence is not permitted to serve on the SPC. In the case of a student vacancy, the SPC Chair will notify the Student Government so that a replacement can be appointed promptly.

Section Four: Procedures Regarding Student Appearance at Student Progress Committee Meetings

1. When the SPC chair is informed of academic, progression, professionalism or other issues regarding a student, the chair will determine if the student is required to appear in person at the next SPC meeting. The chair will provide written notice via email to the student of the time and location of the meeting no less than five (5) business days before the meeting. The notification will describe the concern and any decision before the committee.
2. If a student fails to attend a SPC meeting at which the student was directed to be present, the committee may proceed in the student’s absence, unless the student timely provides the SPC chair good cause for not appearing and the chair grants an exception in advance of the meeting. The committee may consider a student’s failure to attend a meeting for which a good cause exception was not granted when making any decision regarding the student.

A. Meeting Process

1. A student may be assisted at a meeting by one advisor, in accordance with the definitions in Section One. If a student intends to bring an advisor to a meeting, the student will notify the SPC chair of the advisor’s name prior to the meeting. No other individuals will be permitted to accompany the student to a meeting unless requested to attend by the SPC.
2. The committee may receive information from a dean, faculty member, or other administrator about the subject matter of the meeting. The committee will hear directly from the student. The committee may request that further information be submitted to the chair following the meeting. The committee may ask questions of all individuals who appear at a meeting before determining what appropriate action it will take.
3. Following the meeting, the chair of the SPC will prepare a letter regarding the course of action prescribed and will notify the student in writing via email of its decision and recommendations no later than 10 business days following the meeting. The vice dean, undergraduate medical education and dean of student affairs, or respective designees will be copied on all letters. Other college administrators may be copied as indicated by the required or recommended actions.
4. A student is not entitled to appeal a decision of the SPC under this section.

Section Five: Procedures for Reviewing Grade Appeals

If a student believes that they have been awarded a final grade for a course* that does not adequately represent their performance in the course*, the student may appeal the grade under these procedures.

A. Process for appeals of failing grades involving a course* in Years 1 & 2.

1. If a student receives a failing grade in a course* in Years 1 & 2, the student may appeal the grade to the SPC by requesting a meeting with the committee. The student must state the reason for the appeal in writing via email and the appeal must occur within 10 days of receipt of the grade.
2. The SPC will schedule a meeting within 10 working days after receiving the appeal.
3. Prior to the meeting, the SPC will review any prior decisions reached in the matter.
4. At the scheduled meeting, the SPC will first meet separately with the student and the course* director. After meeting separately with the student and the course* director, the SPC may request both the student and the course* director to join the SPC meeting for further discussions in an attempt to settle the dispute.
5. Following the meeting, the SPC will prepare a written decision and will provide copies of the decision to the student; the course* director; the dean, pre-clerkship curriculum; the dean, student affairs; and the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designees within 10 working days of the meeting described above.
6. The SPC's decision will be final and not subject to further appeal by either the student or director.

B. Process for appeals of non-failing grades involving a course* in Years 3 & 4.

1. Within 10 working days of receipt of their grade in a course*, the student may submit a form (linked here) to challenge their grade. For the grade challenge to be considered, the request must specifically describe what is being challenged, including justification with specific examples that describe a student’s consistent pattern of performance thereby detailing the reasons  the student believes they should have been awarded a higher grade. The course* director will review the request and provide a response within 15 working days, addressing the concern in the response or arranging a meeting with the student if further clarification or discussion is needed.  Upon conclusion of this step, the course* director will determine if the grade was appropriate or change the grade and provide justification of this decision to the student.
   • Upon course* completion, the student should have no further communication with the clinical site faculty regarding the assigned grade. Should a student fail to abide by this they may be issued a Level 1 under the domain of Professionalism. 
   • The grade appeal process is an internal educational review.  Students are expected to advocate for themselves within the process and cannot rely on a third-party. Advocacy from external individuals is inappropriate and will be disregarded.  Should a student fail to abide by this they may be issued a Level 1 under the domain of Professionalism. 
   • In the instance of three or more grade appeals by a single student during courses* in Years 3 and 4, a committee will review the student’s request and determine if the justification and examples warrant a formal grade appeal. The committee will be composed of leadership from the Office of Assessment and Evaluation, the Office of Clinical and Competency Based Education, and will include a faculty member outside of the given course*. If the committee deems the appeal appropriate, the course* director will be notified, and the appeal will proceed. 
2. lf the student wishes to appeal the course director’s decision following the initial grade appeal,  the student may appeal the grade a second time by appealing in writing to the dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee, stating the basis for changing the grade. The dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee will meet with the director and the student separately within 10 working days of receipt of the appeal and review any documentation the student or course* director provides. 
3. Within 10 working days after conferring with the director and the student, the dean, clinical curriculum,or respective designee may make a decision or may create an ad hoc committee comprised of at least two other directors or faculty who have not been involved in the student's initial assessment to advise the dean, clinical curriculum,or respective designee in determining whether the student's grade should be changed.
4. After such a meeting, or if no meeting is necessary, the dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee will write a decision advising both the student and the course* director whether the grade should stand or that the grade should be increased. The dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee will also provide a copy of the decision to the dean, student affairs and the vice dean, undergraduate medical education,or respective designees.
5. The decision of the dean, clinical curriculum,or respective designee is final and no further grade appeal is permitted.

C. Process for appeals of failing grades involving a course* in Years 3 & 4.

1. Review by the SPC.
   • If a student receives a failing grade in a course*, the student first must proceed as set forth in section B, above, to resolve the issue.
2. If the student is unsuccessful in resolving the issue, then the student may appeal the grade to the SPC by requesting a meeting with the committee. The student's appeal must occur within 10 days of notification of the decision of the dean, pre-clerkship curriculum (for Years 1 and 2) or the dean, clinical curriculum (for Years 3 and 4), or respective designees and must be in writing and state the basis upon which they believe the previous decisions were erroneous.
3. The SPC will schedule a meeting within 10 working days after receiving the appeal.
4. Prior to the meeting, the SPC will review any prior decisions reached in the matter.
5. At the scheduled meeting, the SPC will first meet separately with the student and the course* director. After meeting separately with the student and the course* director, the SPC may request both the student and the course* director to join the SPC meeting for further discussions in an attempt to settle the dispute.
6. Following that meeting, the SPC will prepare a written decision and will provide copies of the decision to the student; the course* director; the dean, clinical curriculum; the dean, student affairs; and the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designees within 10 working days of the hearing described above.
7. The SPC's decision will be final and not subject to further appeal by either the student or the course* director.

D. Process for appeals of MSPE/dean's letter comments involving a course* in Years 3 & 4.

1. Within 10 working days of receipt of final grade form, the student may submit a request (linked here) to confer with the course* director to discuss dean’s letter comments, stating the basis upon which the student believes the comments are not aligned with performance or are not placed in appropriate final grade area, i.e.: formative vs. summative/MSPE comments. Upon conclusion of this request, the course* director will determine if a modification in MSPE comments is warranted.   
2. lf the student and director are unable to agree during this meeting that the comments should be changed, the student may appeal the request in writing to the dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee, stating the basis for changing the comment. The dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee will meet with the director and the student separately within 10 working days of receipt of the request and review any documentation the student or course* director provides. 
3. Within 10 working days after conferring with the director and the student, the dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designee will determine whether the student's final grade form comments should be adjusted. 
4. During MSPE review before Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS), student may discover an error or a comment that warrants revision (incorrect pronoun, grammatical error that changes interpretation, etc.) and this will be determined by the dean, student affairs, in collaboration with dean, clinical curriculum, or respective designees. Content of the MSPE narratives cannot be changed during the MSPE review period.

Section Six: Procedures Regarding Dismissal

The vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee may dismiss a student on the recommendation of the SPC.

A. Academic Dismissals

1. The SPC may recommend that the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee dismiss a student for failure to progress satisfactorily through the curriculum, failure to meet academic or programmatic requirements, failure to satisfy the professionalism requirements of the program, or failure to adhere to the applicable grading and progression policies.  
2. If the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee agrees with the recommendation, the vice dean will issue a Notice via email informing the student of the Academic Dismissal. The Notice will include the reasons for the Academic Dismissal, the date by which the student may appeal to the Student Appeals Committee (SAC), and the date by which the dismissal will be effective if the student does not timely appeal.
3. If the student chooses to appeal the dismissal, the appeal must be submitted within five business days of the Notice of Dismissal from the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee. Appeals must follow the parameters outlined in the Student Appeals Committee Procedures and Policy.
4. Students recommended for Academic Dismissal may not continue to participate in the curriculum unless approved to do so by the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee pending the final decision of the SAC.

B. Conduct Dismissals

1. Students may be recommended for a Conduct Dismissal by the SPC or the HCC. The vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee will issue the final decision regarding the recommended Conduct Dismissal.
2. Incidents concerning academic integrity, cheating, or violations of the honor code will be referred to and addressed by to the HCC for a Conduct Dismissal hearing and recommendation under the Honor Code Policy and Committee Procedures and Process for Dismissal.
3. Incidents concerning unprofessional behavior in extracurricular activities or interactions, violation of clinical site policies (including HIPAA), or other violations of the Student Code of Conduct (ABOR Policy 5-308) that are not otherwise addressed by the University of Arizona Dean of Students Office will be referred to the SPC for a hearing and recommendation.
4. If a student is suspended or expelled from the University of Arizona under the procedures of the main campus Dean of Students Office, the student will receive Notice from the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee confirming dismissal from the COM-P. The student is not entitled to a hearing or appeal within the college.
5. Students recommended for Conduct Dismissal may not continue to participate in the curriculum or extracurricular activities unless approved to do so by the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee or pending the final decision of the SAC.

C. Conduct Dismissal Pre-Hearing Procedures

1. If the SPC is considering a student for a Conduct Dismissal, the student will receive a Notice that includes: (1) the date, place, and time of the hearing; (2) a statement of the issue before the committee; (3) the student’s right to have an advisor present; (4) the names of the members of the SPC who will be hearing the matter; (5) the name of the administrator who will present on behalf of the COM-P; (6) the date on which documents must be provided to the committee for review; and (7) a link to these procedures on the COM-P website.
2. A student is entitled to no less than 10 business days’ notice of the hearing date. The notice period may be shortened at the student’s request.
3. A student may challenge the participation of any member of the SPC on the grounds of personal bias or conflict by submitting a written statement to the chair no less than five business days before the hearing. The SPC chair will make a determination regarding that member’s participation. The decision is final.
4. By the date identified in the hearing Notice letter, the student and the COM-P must provide the SPC chair with any documents or other materials to be considered by the committee during the hearing process. These materials may include a written statement from the student, letters of support, or other relevant documents. The SPC chair may exclude any document the chair determines is irrelevant or repetitious.
5. By the date identified in the hearing Notice letter, the student and the COM-P must provide the SPC chair with the name(s) of any person who will appear as a witness at a hearing and a short description of the information the witness will provide to the committee. The student and the COM-P are each limited to three total witnesses. The SPC chair may exclude irrelevant or repetitive witnesses or request that witnesses who will provide only general character statements about the student provide a written statement in lieu of appearing.
6. At least one day prior to the hearing, the SPC chair will provide the student and the administrator representing the COM-P with all documents the committee will consider in making its determination. These may include the documents submitted by the student or the COM-P, the student’s entire academic record as provided by the Registrar, and written statements from unavailable or character witnesses.
7. If the student intends to have an advisor present, the student must inform the SPC chair of the name of the advisor no less than five business days before the hearing. If the advisor is an attorney, the administrator representing the college may also be represented by an attorney selected by the University’s Office of the General Counsel.
8. A representative of the University’s Office of the General Counsel may attend the hearing and advise the SPC on procedural matters.
9. If the student does not appear for the hearing, the SPC will make a recommendation to the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee based on the available information.
10. Any matter referred for a hearing may be resolved by agreement with the student who is the subject of the complaint, including a voluntary withdrawal from the COM-P.
11. If the student voluntarily withdraws from the COM-P by giving written notice to the vice dean, undergraduate medical education or the dean, student affairs, or respective designees, the student will be withdrawn from the COM-P and all rights under these procedures will terminate immediately.

D. Conduct Dismissal Hearing Process

1. These proceedings are confidential. Hearings before the SPC are closed to everyone except the student, the college representative, the SPC voting members, the SPC support staff, the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, dean, student affairs, or respective designees, the student’s approved advisors, and counsel to the committee. All other SPC resource members or non-voting SPC members will not attend hearings. Witnesses will wait outside and be present only for their statement to the committee.
2. The rules of court, administrative law procedures, and open meeting laws do not apply to SPC hearings. Immaterial deviations from these procedures will not render a decision moot.
3. All students and hearing participants will be reminded that it is a violation of Student Code of Conduct (ABOR Policy 5-308) to provide false information to the University, including the SPC.
4. The chair will set reasonable and equal time limits on the student and the administrator presenting on behalf of the college. At any time the chair may restrict the presentation of information that is irrelevant or overly repetitious.
5. The audio of the hearing will be recorded but transcribed only upon request.
6. The college has the burden of establishing that dismissal is appropriate under the circumstances.
7. The chair will ask the administrator representing the college to present the basis for the Conduct Dismissal. At this time the administrator may make a statement, reference documents, or call witnesses. At the end of any witness statement, the student may ask questions of that witness. At the end of the administrator’s presentation, the student may ask questions of the administrator.
8. The chair will then ask the student to present the basis for allowing the student to remain enrolled at the COM-P. At this time, the student may make a statement, reference documents, or call witnesses. At the end of any witness statement, the administrator may ask questions of that witness. At the end of the student’s presentation, the administrator may ask questions of the student.
9. At any time, SPC members may ask questions of the student, the administrator presenting for the COM-P, the dean, student affairs/or designee, or any witnesses.
10. At the conclusion, the SPC chair will ask the student and the college administrator for any summary remarks.

E. Deliberations and Decision by Student Progress Committee

1. The student, the administrator representing the COM-P, and any advisors (with the exception of legal counsel for the committee and support staff) will be excused from the hearing and the audio recording will stop. The SPC will then discuss the information provided and presented and decide whether to recommend that the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee dismiss the student or whether other action is more appropriate.
2. Any decision under this section requires that a quorum of the SPC voting-members be present. Decisions require a majority of that quorum.
3. The SPC will issue a written decision within one week of the date of the hearing. The decision will be based only on information presented at the hearing and must include a summary of the information the decision is based on, the conclusions of the committee, and a statement that the decision is supported by a preponderance of the evidence.
4. The SPC chair will sign the decision on behalf of the SPC and will provide a copy of the decision to the student via email, the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, the dean, student affairs, or respective designees, and the attorneys representing the parties (if any).

F. Conduct Dismissal Decision by Vice Dean, Undergraduate Medical Education

1. After receiving the recommendation of the SPC, the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee will decide whether to accept or modify the recommendation of the SPC.

2. The vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee will give the student Notice of the decision within one week of receiving the recommendation of the SPC.

3. If the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee decides to accept the recommendation of the SPC, a Notice will be sent to the student via email. The Notice to the student will include the basis for the dismissal, the date by which the student may appeal to the Student Appeals Committee, and the date by which the dismissal will be effective if the student does not timely appeal.

4. If the student chooses to appeal the dismissal, the appeal must be submitted within five business days of the Notice of Dismissal from the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee. Appeals must follow the parameters outlined in the Student Appeals Committee Procedures and Policy. 

Section Seven: Student Promotion to the Next Phase of the Program

1. The SPC will review the academic performance of medical students at a minimum annually in March (Year 2 to 3; Year 3 to 4 transitions), July (Year 1 to 2 transition), early April (graduation list), and more frequently as needed for adjusted class lists. 
2. The Office of Student Affairs will provide a class list to the SPC for review. The class list will clearly note all students who have made satisfactory academic progress to promote to the next phase of the program. Satisfactory academic progress for students in the COM-P is defined as the successful completion of all requirements necessary for the advancement from one phase to the next. These requirements are outlined in the grading and progression policies listed above.
3. Upon approval of the class list provided in Section 6.2, the SPC advises the vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee to promote students who have made satisfactory academic progress. The vice dean, undergraduate medical education, or respective designee sends the approved class list to the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of the Registrar.
4. Recommendation for graduation: The Office of Student Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of the Registrar, provides a class list to SPC of all students who have satisfied all the graduation requirements of the COM-P and met standards of professional behavior as outlined in the Curriculum and Enrollment Policies. 

Course* = Any component of the curriculum where a grade is earned.