A3.14 The program publishes, consistently applies, and makes readily available to enrolled and prospective students:
a) any required academic standards to maintain enrollment and progress in the curriculum
Academic Performance Standards
Standards of acceptable performance (cognitive and psychomotor) for courses are communicated to students in writing via the syllabus and orally reviewed at the introduction of each course.
A student must
achieve and maintain the required 3.00 semester grade-point average (GPA) to remain in good academic standing and graduate from the PA program. The policy of 3.00 or better in a graduate professional program has been adopted to better ensure a student’s
preparation for future sequential coursework.
Students will be given feedback at the completion of each exam. Performance in Didactic Phase courses is commonly assessed by written exams, oral presentations and/or research papers, as well as
final written (cognitive) exams. In designated courses, psychomotor performance may be assessed by target skill competency exams and small-group exercises.
During the Didactic Phase of the program, grades for cognitive performances will be
recorded as a raw score and a percentage. At the end of each course the percentage scores will be converted to a grade, A through F, for each of the core PA courses.
Performance in the Clinical Phase of the program is assessed using a combination
of targeted behavioral, psychomotor and clinical competencies relative to the supervised practice objectives and opportunities and, when indicated, by the syllabus for the SCPE, grand rounds presentations, and written cognitive exams.
To remain
in good academic standing, all PA students must maintain a minimum semester GPA of 3.00 and receive a grade of C or better in all courses (grades of D or F in any course may result in academic dismissal from the program).
Additionally, a student
may not progress to the clinical year of the program with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 at the end of the third semester of the program.
Faculty will meet formally at the end of each semester to discuss students’ academic progress.
Students will be notified of their individual progress in writing. Each bi-weekly faculty meeting will include an agenda item on student progress. Additionally, the department will notify the university's Academic Review Committee in compliance with university
policy on satisfactory academic progress.
b) requirements and deadlines for completion of the program
Graduation Requirements
To graduate from the PA Program, and earn the Master
of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree (MSPAS) candidates must:
- Achieve a grade of C or better for all courses in the program
- Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.00 or better at program completion|
- Successful completion of a multi-station OSCE/history and physical skills assessment by score or remediation
- Successful completion of the comprehensive written final exam by score or remediation
- Be recommended for graduation by the Program Chair and St. Bonaventure University Faculty. This includes an evaluation of student professionalism.
- Submit IRB completion forms successfully
Student must file the appropriate graduation application - Student must have paid all debts to the school and be in good standing
c) policies and procedures for remediation
Failed Exams and Assignments/Remediation
Faculty acting as course directors will oversee remediation of students with test grades less than 75%. Course instructors will be available to facilitate remediation when needed. If the subject area in question involves an adjunct lecturer,
they will be included in the remediation plan in a timely fashion. In the event that initial remediation is unsuccessful, the course director and didactic director will develop a plan for further remediation.
The goal will be to improve learning
and understanding of the material by discovering where the problem(s) is/are as well as meeting the objectives.
Remediation with grade improvement will be available for one test/evaluation per course series (i.e. Clin Med I, II, or
III) in the didactic (first) year. Grade improvement will apply to the first incident of a grade <75 and may not be “saved” for a later date.
Test grades that require remediation may be improved by a maximum of 15 points to a maximum grade of 75%. For example, a test grade of 62% may only improve to a grade of 75% after satisfactory remediation. Test grades less than 60% can only
be improved by a maximum of 15 points. The course director and relevant course instructor(s) will judge whether the remediation is sufficient to warrant the improved grade and may require additional remediation to ensure mastery of the material. If the
course director feels that remediation has been attempted but not fully accomplished, less than the maximum 15 points may be granted. Because a grade less than 75% is a failing grade, remediation is mandatory.
Remediation without grade improvement will still be required for any grade below 75% if the remediation limit has been exceeded. Failure to successfully remediate will result in a deduction in the professionalism component of the
grading rubric for the applicable course.
Clinical Year:
REMEDIATION END OF ROTATION EXAMINATION
Any End of Rotation exam that results in a grade < 75% will require remediation. Students are required to meet with the clinical team on Call Back Day prior to leaving campus to discuss a remediation plan. Students must take their remediation
exam within 2 weeks of Call Back Day unless approved by the DCE. Students must submit a handwritten keyword feedback and a typed Word document (NOT a PDF) including the task areas with the citations which must be from either Access Medicine or UptoDate.
Students who fail to use appropriate resources as listed above will need to redo their keyword feedback. The keyword feedback must be submitted at least 2 business days prior to the scheduled remediation exam. Remediation with grade improvement will be
available to the student for three SCPE exams during the clinical phase of the program. Grade improvement will be adjusted to 75% or 15 points whichever is less. The grade for this section of the SCPE will not be higher than 75%.
Students
must score at least 70% on their remediation exam in order to pass the SCPE. If a student scores <70%, the SCPE rotation must be repeated. Students who are not successful will go on academic probation. The student MUST pass all components of the repeated
SCPE.
Failure of a 2nd SCPE will result in dismissal from the program.
e) policies and procedures for withdrawal
Institutional Student Withdrawal Policy
Any
student who withdraws from the University must give formal notice to the University Registrar. The policy below will be used for all withdrawals from the University with the exception of medical and military service leaves. The official withdrawal date
is the date that the student begins the school's withdrawal process at the Registrar's Office, or the date that the student otherwise provided official notification.
Please refer to the Academic Policy section of the University catalog
for policies and procedures to formally withdraw from the University. Federal financial aid will be calculated on an earned per diem basis for the academic calendar up to the 60 percent point in the semester. Please refer to the Financial Aid section
of the University's catalog for details. Students may request a review of their withdraw type, date of withdraw, or calculation within 30 calendar days of issuance of the final billing from the University. Requests made after 30 days will not be reviewed.
f) policies and procedures for dismissal
Academic Probation/Academic Dismissal (Didactic)
Any student who fails to achieve the required 3.00 semester GPA will be reviewed by the Student Progression Committee and placed on academic probation.
- Once a student is placed on academic probation, they must achieve a 3.00 or better GPA in all of the following semesters (including the clinical phase) or risk academic dismissal from the program.
- 2 semesters with a semester GPA of less than 3.00 may result in academic dismissal from the program as determined by the Student Progression Committee.
- Any failing course grade (F) will result in academic dismissal from the program.
- Students on probation or at risk for probation must meet frequently with their academic advisor to discuss academic progress, study habits, and test-taking skills.
- Students must earn a minimum 3.00 GPA at the conclusion of the didactic phase to advance to the second year and clinical phase.
Each semester the students’ progress will be reviewed by the Student Progression Committee (SPC) and will be informed in writing by the Program Director the results of the SPC meeting.
g) policies and procedures for student grievances
h) policies and procedures for student appeals
Read the university grievance policy and procedure.
For harassment or code of conduct violations see this page.
If there are questions regarding how to proceed for any of these types of concerns contact the Program Director, Dean of Health Professions or Dean of Students.
i) policy for student employment while enrolled in the program
Student Work/Employment Policy Due to the academic and clinical demands of the PA curriculum, the PA Program recommends that students are not employed during their time in the PA Program.
The following guidelines are meant to help the student in making decisions about work during attending the PA Program.
Students should keep in mind that while they may be able to work during the didactic curriculum, changing schedules and other factors of their clinical placements during the clinical curriculum may make this difficult. Students who work are encouraged to make this known to their academic advisor.
Students who are working and find themselves in academic difficulty may be advised to consider terminating their job or adjusting their schedule at work in a manner that is more conducive to studying.
Students, along with their academic advisor, need to monitor their progress closely so that should an academic decline be perceived, the advisor and the student can work to remedy the situation before the student finds themselves on academic probation.
Clinical rotation hours or schedules will not be altered to conform to your job schedule or requirements. Your clinical education must remain your primary responsibility when balancing work and school.
j) policy for student travel to required rotation sites The student is responsible for travel arrangements and costs to clinical sites. This may include finding temporary housing outside of where the student may have preferred housing.