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2020-2021 Catalog > Ben and Maytee Fisch College of Pharmacy > Policies for the Fisch College of Pharmacy > Academic Progression Standards for the Fisch College of Pharmacy

Academic Progression Standards for the Fisch College of Pharmacy

Academic Alerts

An academic alert describes a situation wherein a student’s academic performance within a course falls below a certain minimum level. An alert may be issued based on a quantifiable assessment (e.g., exam grade or a cumulative iRAT score) or be based on observation of behavior, such as concerns about a student’s participation in the team environment or absenteeism in excess of the FCOP policy.

The purpose of the academic alert is to serve as an “early warning system” and to support the student’s success. The alert is designed to allow a student to be referred for academic support at any point during the semester. Students on academic alert are notified and must improve their grades or performance during the course. If they do not improve their grades by the end of the semester, they are at risk for being placed on FCOP Academic Probation.

When an academic alert is issued, the following procedure is followed:

• Academic performance is reviewed weekly by the FCOP Office of Academic Affairs.
• Students will be notified of an Academic Alert by the Office of FCOP Academic Affairs when academic performance in a required or elective course falls below 70%.
• An Academic Alert is given in reference to a specific required or elective course.
• The student’s academic advisor shall also receive notice of an Academic Alert.
• If the student receives an Academic Alert more than once in the same semester, the student will meet with his/her faculty advisor and Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs to discuss the reasons for the student’s unsatisfactory academic performance and develop a plan for improvement.
• If the student receives multiple Academic Alerts for two contiguous semesters, the student shall meet with their faculty advisor and Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs who shall counsel the student regarding their academic program of study.

Course Remediation Policy

The FCOP is dedicated to achieving academic excellence. Students who do not pass required courses, may be afforded the opportunity of participating in a remedial process designed to further their academic competency. Consequently, the primary goal of remediation is to assist the student in correcting deficits in knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior beyond the standard course curriculum. Academic remediation should not be viewed as insurance for students who fail a course. Remediation is a privilege and is available for eligible students who have received a D or F grade in up to two required courses in the same academic year and no more than two required courses during the three didactic years, but are otherwise progressing satisfactorily within the program.  This student remediation policy is intended for FCOP didactic courses only.

Exclusions: All experiential courses (IPPE, APPE), elective courses and courses taught outside the FCOP are excluded from this policy.

Process: Students who do not pass (D or F grade) up to two courses in the same academic year or up to two courses during the three didactic academic years may have an opportunity to remediate the course or courses. To qualify for remediation students cannot be on academic probation. Students who remediate must have demonstrated regular attendance and fulfilled the terms of all academic alerts and academic watches. It is the sole responsibility of the student to demonstrate participation in these activities to the FCOP Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to qualify for course remediation.

Remediation will be provided in the form of self-directed, faculty-supervised, independent study followed by a comprehensive reassessment of the course content. The independent study format will be outlined by the student and the course coordinator. The remediation and subsequent reassessment are not mandates placed on the student but may be utilized by students who meet the aforementioned criteria for remediation of a course.

• The Course Coordinator will notify the student and the FCOP Office of Academic Affairs when a student’s final course grade is a D or F. Notification will occur within 24 hours of the grades being posted to the learning management system. Students must request intent to employ the remediation policy within 7 calendar days following grade notification.
• If the final course grade is D or F, a student may remediate the course.
• Students will be required to take the remediation and a cumulative course assessment the summer semester immediately following the course. The remediation should be completed within a 6-week period. A course grade of “I” will be entered on the transcript for courses undergoing remediation. Students who do not complete remediation as planned within the 6-week period will receive the original course grade.
• Students electing to remediate a fall course grade will be allowed to progress to the spring semester. Permission is required from the course coordinator to complete any spring course that has the course to be remediated over the summer as a prerequisite.
• No more than one remediation assessment will be allowed per course during the three didactic years.
• No more than a total of two reassessments will be granted during the three didactic years, with no more than two reassessments granted per semester.
• If the student originally earned a D in the course and passes the reassessment with ≥70%, then a grade of 70% (C) shall replace the summative course grade and will serve as the final grade for the course.
• If the student originally earned an F in the course and passes the reassessment with ≥70%, then a grade of 65% (D) shall replace the summative course grade and will serve as the final grade for the course.
• If the student fails the reassessment with <70%, then the original summative course grade stands and the student will follow the progression policy.

Academic Standing

The policies outlined in this section are administered by the FCOP and apply only to FCOP students.

Good Academic Standing: The student has completed all of the courses in the curriculum up to that point with no more than one letter grade of ‘D’ and a cumulative professional GPA of 2.0 or higher;

Academic Watch: The student has earned one letter grade of ‘D’ but does not have a cumulative professional GPA of 2.0 or higher. A student on Academic Watch may continue taking courses necessary to progress normally through the college’s professional curriculum. A student on Academic Watch cannot begin Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs).

Academic Probation: The student has multiple grades of less than ‘C’ which indicates a lack of understanding of fundamental concepts and indicates inadequate academic progression. Students who have earned (a) two ‘D’ grades; (b) one ‘F’ grade; or (c) one ‘D’ plus one ‘F’ grade will be placed on Academic Probation.

Dismissed or Dismissal: A student has not met the College’s progression or professional behavior standards and is no longer matriculated. Students who have accumulation of three ‘D’ grades or lower; or two ‘F’ grades are subject to Academic Dismissal.

Effect of Repeated Course Grades on Academic Standing: All 'D' or 'F' course grades, regardless of whether those courses have been repeated, will be used when determining if the student meets the criteria for Academic Probation or Academic Dismissal.

Unsatisfactory Academic Standing

Unsatisfactory Academic Standing includes, but is not limited to:

• Academic Watch;
• Academic Probation; and 
• Academic Dismissal.

A student who is placed on either Academic Watch or Academic Probation is not permitted to withdraw or drop pharmacy classes unless approved to do so by the Professional and Academic Standards Committee (PASC) in conjunction with the Office of Academic Affairs and the student’s academic advisor.

Implications of Unsatisfactory Academic Standing: Students with unsatisfactory academic standing will have specific course and graduation restrictions. Students must be in good academic standing before beginning Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). A student who has completed the professional curriculum, but who does not attain a minimum 2.00 cumulative professional GPA in required and selective pharmacy courses while enrolled in the FCOP, shall not be considered for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

A student who is placed on either Academic Watch or Academic Probation is not permitted to withdraw or drop pharmacy classes unless approved to do so by the Professional and Academic Standards Committee (PASC) in conjunction with the FCOP Office of Academic Affairs and the student’s academic advisor.

Returning to Good Academic Standing: A student who is on Academic Watch or Academic Probation returns to Good Academic Standing when:

• Cumulative GPA returns to 2.0 or higher (Academic Watch); or
• Previous D and F coursework is successfully repeated at a grade of “C” or higher (Academic Probation).

Students receiving additional ‘D’ of ‘F’ grades after returning to Good Academic Standing, may be placed back on Academic Probation or subject to Academic Dismissal based upon the total number and type of D/F grades.

Academic Probation

Academic Probation from the FCOP places the student on a five-year schedule to complete the program. The program must be completed within five consecutive years of the date of the first day the student begins the program, excluding approved leaves of absence. Students unable to complete the program in five years or less because of inadequate academic progression or any other reason shall be dismissed.

A student on Academic Probation will:

• be limited only to the necessary minimum number of course hours required for that session;
• not be permitted to seek or hold office(s) in any student organization;
• be subject to policies, procedures, and regulations of the University and FCOP Student Handbooks in place at the time of the reinstatement;
• repeat all of the courses where a letter grade of ‘D’ or less was earned, including the first occurrence. 

Students may repeat a course only one time. Students placed on Academic Probation must earn a letter grade of ‘C’ or higher the next time a course is offered to be eligible for reinstatement to Good Academic Standing status. Failure to earn a letter grade of ‘C’ or higher on a repeated course shall result in Dismissal from the program.

Academic Dismissal

A student will be dismissed from the FCOP if any of the following conditions exist and the PASC determines that dismissal is warranted:

• Failure to meet the terms of Academic Probation;
• Conduct subject to dismissal as described in the University and/or College Academic Honesty/Honor Code section(s) of the Student Handbook; and/or
• Failure to complete the degree requirements in five (5) consecutive academic years from the date of the first day the student begins the program, excluding approved leaves of absence.

Students dismissed from the FCOP will have their intern/intern trainee license withdrawn from the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.

Progression Policy Appeal Process

All petitions and appeals to the FCOP's progression policies must be submitted in writing to the Professional and Academic Standards Committee (PASC). Each student is responsible for submitting his/her own petition. In many instances, the petition must be accompanied by written documentation (e.g., a letter from a physician documenting chronic illness, copy of a court order, etc.). Failure to provide such documentation may constitute grounds for denial of a petition. Students must consult with their faculty advisors regarding the proper procedure before submitting the initial appeal. Failure to consult the faculty advisor may be sufficient reason to deny convening the committee to hear the appeal.

Any subsequent appeal of a PASC decision shall be treated as a new petition. In the subsequent appeal, the student must submit further evidence of increased hardship or changed conditions for it to be considered.

Appeal of Academic Probation: There is no appeal process for to be removed from Academic Probation. The student may appeal to the PASC regarding the terms of the Academic Probation. All PASC appeals must be submitted within 14 calendar days of notification of academic status.  The PASC will render a decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the appeal.

Appeal of Dismissal: Students dismissed from the Pharm.D. program may appeal the decision to dismiss to the PASC.  Appeals must be submitted within 14 calendar days of dismissal. The PASC will render a decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the appeal.

Following a PASC decision, the student can appeal that decision to the FCOP Dean. The appeal must be in writing and submitted within 14 calendar days. The Dean will render a decision in writing within 30 calendar days of receipt of the formal written appeal. The Dean’s decision is final.