Years 3 and 4 Course Grading Policy

It is the policy of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix that Scholarly Project, Intersession and Longitudinal Patient Care course syllabi must clearly state how the final course grade will be determined. Additionally, the following criteria must also be met:

• Each course syllabus must clearly state when and how students will be able to review their final course grade.
• Course Directors are expected to identify students throughout the length of the course who are not meeting required elements in a timely manner and provide corrective mentoring, as well as a specific corrective plan (signed by both student and Course Director) outlining deficient requirements and the steps necessary to avoid a course failure.
• In order to receive a Pass grade, students must meet all required elements by the stipulated time points as detailed in the course syllabus.
• Course grading relies on ongoing and timed milestones, benchmarks and assignments; these courses do not have formal examinations and, as such, offer no retake option.

If, by the end of the course, a student fails to meet ALL required elements by the stipulated time points as detailed in the individual course syllabus, a grade of Incomplete or Fail will be posted.

Incomplete: A grade of Incomplete will be posted for students unable to complete course requirements as stipulated in the syllabus if and only if the student has a legitimate (for example medical/personal) reason for not completing requirements. Such a legitimate reason must be corroborated by communication from the Associate Dean, Student Affairs in conjunction with the Associate Dean, Clinical and Competency Based Education and appropriate relevant offices, e.g. Campus Health or the Disability Resource Center. In the event a student receives an Incomplete grade in a course, the Course Director will delineate, in writing, the steps and timeline to successfully complete all required course elements. Successful completion of all required elements by the date stipulated will result in a grade change from Incomplete to Pass. Failure to complete all required elements by the time stipulated will result in a grade change from Incomplete to Fail. For details about an Incomplete for Clerkships, Selectives and Electives, please see the “Grading and Progression for Clerkships/Selectives” and “Grading and Progression for Electives'' policies.

Failure: A grade of Fail will be posted for students not completing course requirements by the stipulated deadline as delineated in the syllabus AND not on record as having a legitimate reason (see above) for not completing said requirements.

Remediation* of a Failed Course: Students eligible for remediation of a failed course must consult the course syllabus for specific remediation processes (e.g., scope of work, dates of remediation, dates of required assessments, etc.).

Students successfully completing all mandated remediation activities within the time specified shall receive a grade of Pass.

Students failing to complete all mandated remediation activities within the time specified shall receive a grade of Fail. This constitutes a second failure of the same course and the student will be dismissed from the College of Medicine – Phoenix (see Dismissal and Removal from Academic Environment Policy).

Repeating** a Failed Course: Students eligible for repeating a failed course shall be enrolled in the course during a subsequent year while adhering to all progression policies and prerequisites for remaining curricular elements.

Students passing the repeated course shall receive a Pass grade.

Students failing the repeated course a second time are not eligible for further remediation, retake*** or repeat of the course. This constitutes a second failure of the same course and the student will be dismissed from the College of Medicine – Phoenix.

Successfully passing a remediation or a course repeat does not change the Fail grade on the transcript for the original course grade. However, the course remediation or repeat will show for a second time on the transcript with a grade of Pass.

*Remediation – A course syllabus-defined set of experiences and assessments designed to be equivalent in scope to the originally failed course. Only students failing a course are eligible for remediation as allowed by the Course Director. Retake is not an option for students engaged in a remediation experience. A failed remediation experience counts as failing a block or course a second time and will result in dismissal.

**Repeat – When an eligible student enrolls in and repeats all aspects of an entire course in a year subsequent to failing the course. Neither retake nor remediation options are allowable for students repeating a course. Failure of a course during a repeat experience constitutes failing that course a second time, resulting in dismissal.

***Retake – A one-time retesting scenario where students are assessed on failed material in a course when a student failed to meet the minimum passing requirements on the original assessment(s).