ACADEMIC POLICIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY. t-dpt PROGRAM

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1 ACADEMIC POLICIES FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL THERAPY t-dpt PROGRAM Academic Advising: Students are assigned to faculty advisors upon enrollment in the first semester of the program. The faculty advisor serves as a liaison for the student with the program and School, offering suggestions on adjustments to the program, course sequence, counseling on self-directed learning, and knowledge of referral sources. If a student or the faculty advisor feels that the student s needs would be better served by having a different advisor assigned, the student must consult the Chair of the department or program director for reassignment. Participation: Participation in all course activities is expected. Students who are unable to participate in course activities or meet course expectations due to illness, injury, or other emergency situations are expected to notify the faculty member as soon as possible. The course instructor reserves the right to reschedule any course activities or adjust deadlines due to inclement weather or other unplanned events. Excused absences may be granted for religious holy days, illness, natural disasters and weather emergencies that are beyond the student s control. Students who miss an examination or quiz will not be allowed to take a makeup test unless the absence is excused or other arrangements were made and agreed to in writing with the course instructor prior to the exam. In either instance, the student must arrange to take the make-up exam/quiz within one week of the absence whenever possible. However, the instructor has the right to give the student the examination in an alternate format. If a student fails to notify the instructor or staff of his or her absence, it will be considered unexcused, and the student will receive a grade of zero (0) for that exam/quiz with no opportunity for make-up or remediation. Methods of Evaluation: Students academic performance will be evaluated using formats that include, but are not limited to: exams, assignments, individual and/or group projects, and discussion board participation. Each course syllabus has specific policies regarding evaluation methods and procedures; students should consult each course syllabus to familiarize themselves with these policies. Examination Policies: The instructor/exam proctor will announce how much time students have to complete the exam when the exams are available. If a student accesses the exam late, he or she must finish the exam within the designated time frame. Exams for online courses are

2 due by the date and time indicated by the instructor; students must obtain prior instructor approval to submit an examination late. Final Exam Policies: Final examinations may be comprehensive and may test any amount of information presented in the course. Final examinations cannot comprise more than 40% of the final course grade. If a student fails the final examination in a course, he or she may request a re-examination. The student must realize that approval for re-examination is entirely at the discretion of the instructor and all re-examinations are subject to the following provisions: 1. The student must have at least a "C" average on all work in the course other than the final examination. 2. The student's grade on the re- examination will be substituted for the original final examination grade, but will not be higher than 70%. 3. The re-examination must be given at the earliest possible moment, at a time agreed upon by the student and the instructor. In no event will the re-examination be given later than the end of the registration period following the one in which the course was taken. Failure to take a re-examination will result in a grade of "F" for the examination unless the student presents to the department chair a satisfactory excuse for absence within one week after the re-examination date. Grading Scales: All courses will be graded using the SHP graduate scale (refer to General Information Bulletin available on-line at A = B = C = F = 69 and below The following temporary grades convert to F s after the prescribed period: Incomplete I, Not Reported NR, In Progress G, and Retest Permitted R. The effect of the grades of Withdrawn W and Permanent Incomplete INC are described below. Students are expected to complete all course requirements, both graded and ungraded, before a course grade will be issued. Incomplete grades will be awarded only under extenuating

3 circumstances and with approval by the course instructor. Students who do not complete course requirements by the end of the semester and do not request an incomplete will receive a failing grade for that course. (Refer to academic policies in General Information Bulletin available on-line at Posting of Grades: Individual grades may be distributed via (upon request) or via Web CT/Blackboard. Remediation: Students who are making unsatisfactory progress in a course are encouraged to take the following steps: 1. Consult with the course instructor to clarify areas of confusion or enhance their understanding of specific course content. 2. Consult with their academic advisor for additional suggestions regarding their academic preparation, study habits, etc. 3. Seek assistance in the form of peer tutoring, time/stress management, test-taking skills, counseling, etc. from the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. The purpose of remediation is to improve a student s knowledge in one or more areas that are deficient. The opportunity for remediation of unsatisfactory or failing coursework is a privilege that may be extended to the student by the course instructor at his or her discretion. Students may inquire about remedial opportunities if they feel that there are legitimate circumstances that contributed to their unsatisfactory performance; however, faculty are not obligated to honor the student s request. Conditions of the remediation (time frame, type of assignments, etc.) will be determined by the faculty member, not the student. Opportunities for remediation do not necessarily imply that a grade change will occur. When students are given the opportunity to remediate an examination or assignment for a grade change, remediation will not raise the student s grade higher than the minimum passing level (70%) for that specific test or assignment. In most instances, students will not be offered more than one opportunity for remediation per exam or course. Special Accommodations: By the end of the 2 nd week of the semester a student should indicate if s/he requires special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (Public Law ). If the need for ADA accommodations should arise during the semester,

4 the student will need to make the request within one week of resuming coursework. The student may contact the course instructor or the Office of Academic and Student Affairs. Academic Appeal/Grievance Process: Refer to the General Information Bulletin available online at Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: 1. Cheating - copying; seeking aid; unauthorized communication; taking or attempting to take an exam for another student; using, obtaining, or attempting to obtain by any means, the whole or part of, an unadministered exam or work assignment. 2. Plagiarism - unacknowledged incorporation of the work of another person that a student offers for credit as his or her own work. 3. Collusion - unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing work that a student offers for credit as his or her own work. 4. Falsification of research data, scientific misconduct, inadequate protection of human subjects and loss of research subject confidentiality. Both students and faculty are responsible for maintaining academic integrity. Procedures to be followed in the event of alleged academic dishonesty are described in the General Information Bulletin (available on-line at Academic Standards for DPT Program: The following standards apply to all students matriculating in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) or t-dpt degree programs. Students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 during each semester/term to qualify for the DPT degree. Students who earn a GPA below 3.0 will be placed on scholastic probation during the subsequent enrollment period and will be required to earn a GPA of 3.0 or better during that probationary period. Students who fail to achieve a GPA of 3.0 during the probationary period will be subject to dismissal from the program. Students must receive a grade of "C" or better in all required didactic courses. Students who earn a grade

5 below "C" cannot proceed to the next enrollment period or graduate regardless of their overall GPA. Re-enrollment in the course in which the below "C" grade was earned must be approved by the departmental faculty and the SHP Gradings and Promotion Committee. Students who are allowed to re-enroll are on academic probation. Students on probation who receive a second unsatisfactory grade are dismissed from the program. Any student who receives 2 or more course grades of C will be reviewed by the faculty and will be subject to dismissal from the program. In summary, students are subject to dismissal if they: 1) make an F in a course; 2) earn a C in two courses; 3) fail to achieve a 3.0 GPA or higher for the term they are on academic probation; 4) receive a second grade of W or INC in the same course, or more than two W s or INC s overall; or 5) fail to meet any of the conditions under which they were admitted to the program. Refer to the General Information Bulletin (available on-line at or the SHP New Student Welcome Guide (available on-line at 20Guide.pdf for additional information regarding scholastic probation and dismissal policies. Leave of Absence: Once admitted to the program of study, each student is required to follow an approved degree plan. Courses in this online program are often only offered once each year, so students should plan their course sequence wisely. It is expected that when enrolled, students will progress continuously through a program of study to completion of the degree. Occasionally, academic or personal situations make it necessary for students, in concert with program faculty and appropriate administrators, to interrupt their enrollment. In these cases, a student must request a leave of absence to preserve matriculation status. A request for a leave of absence must be made in writing to the Chair of the department and approved by the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs. The request must indicate dates for the leave and plans for returning. In order to re-enroll following a leave of absence, the student must submit required paperwork to the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and signed by the department Chair. Students that formally request a leave of absence will not need to re-submit proof of background check upon re-enrollment. March 2012

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