Student Academic Policies

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The following academic policies apply to all students who matriculate during the academic year of this catalog publication. These policies will apply throughout the entire time a student is enrolled in the college. In the event that these policies need to be revised as the result of new accreditation requirements, mandates by the United States Department of Education, or other unforeseen circumstances, students will be notified in writing prior to the effective date of the new policy.

Faculty and students should also refer to the University Academic Policy section of this catalog for additional policies that apply to all students at Midwestern University.

Academic Probation

Academic probation represents notice that continued inadequate academic performance will result in a recommendation of dismissal. If a student on academic probation successfully completes a probationary quarter with repeated courses and earns grades of "C" or higher in all courses, the student's academic status reverts to academic warning. To return to good academic standing, a student must complete one full quarter at full academic credit load in the CVM curriculum sequence with no grade lower than a "C". A student cannot return to good academic standing until all course failures are corrected. Academic probation is not noted on the transcript. The student should seek assistance from the Office of Student Services for tutoring. Students on academic probation are ineligible to hold student organization offices or to progress to quarter nine and clinical rotations.

Academic Warning

Academic warning issued by the CVM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs is a formal notification of marginal or substandard academic performance. Student progress is assessed mid-quarter and a student is placed on academic warning status, if indicated by academic performance. Academic warning cautions the student that continued performance at this level may compromise the student's ability to pass one or more courses. Students may be required to seek assistance from course faculty and/or the Office of Student Services. Students with an academic warning are ineligible to hold student organization offices.

Appeal Process

Following notification of a decision by the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee, a student may appeal the decision in writing within three working days to the Dean. The Dean may grant an appeal only if a student can demonstrate one of the following:

Bias of one or more committee members.
Material information not available to the committee at the time of its initial decision.
Procedural error.

During the appeal process, students must continue to attend classes. The decision of the Dean is final.

Clinical Rotation Policies

The clinical phase of the curriculum will consist of five quarters that run continuously beginning with Spring quarter of the third year. During the clinical program students must complete a total of 84 credits of rotations. This will include 57 credits of required on- campus rotations, and 27 credits of elective rotations. In general, blocks are 2 weeks in length. However, during certain times when the clinic hours are limited, 3-week blocks may be used. Students are awarded 3 credits for each block, regardless of length. Students have 2 vacation blocks.

Immunization Policy

Full-time students enrolled in a program with a clinical component are required to follow the immunization policy as outlined in the general policy section of the student handbook. Immunization requirements for CVM students include a rabies vaccination or proof of an adequate antibody titer and are required without exception by all CVM students. Additionally, students may be subject to current applicable Centers for Disease Control and Arizona Department of Health protocols, and/or affiliated practice/institution rotation requirements.

Clinical Rotation Attendance Policy

Students in the clinical rotation segment of the curriculum must attend all clinical rotations to which they are assigned. Attendance and on-call requirements for clinical rotations take precedence over non-rotation events. Students must be sure that the requirements of each clinical rotation are understood and will be met prior to scheduling non-rotation events.

Supervision of Veterinary Students by Off-Campus Veterinarians

While on clinical rotations, veterinary students must have direct, on-premises supervision by a veterinarian (D.V.M. or equivalent) or authorization from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Course Failure Policy

Students who do not demonstrate minimum competencies assume the obligation and responsibility to make up academic failures. First- and second-year students must successfully pass all failed courses before they can be promoted to the second or third years, respectively. Likewise, third-year students must pass all requirements of the preclinical curriculum before advancing to clinical rotations. Students who fail one or more courses may be placed on academic probation, or recommended for dismissal. If not dismissed, students are required to retake the course and must earn a C or better to proceed in the program. If the course is not given until the subsequent year, the student may be placed on academic leave of absence until it is offered again. If an equivalent course is available for substitution to be taken in place of the failed course(s) it must be approved by the course coordinator and the Curriculum Committee in advance. If a student fails a course that is a pre-requisite for additional courses offered during that calendar year, and/or there are no available courses for re-take prior to the start of the subsequent academic year the student may be placed on an academic leave of absence, offered an extended course of study plan, or be dismissed.

Grade for Retaken Course

If a student receives a failing grade, that grade is recorded on the transcript as a letter grade of "F". Upon repetition of a failed course, the original grade of "F" remains on the transcript but is not counted towards GPA calculation. The repeated course and new grade are entered on the transcript. If a repeated preclinical course or clinical rotation is failed, a grade of "F" is again recorded on the transcript. Students who fail a course a second time will be recommended for dismissal.

Academic Standing

Good academic standing is achieved by maintaining

>70% cumulative average in all courses at all times. A student on academic warning or academic probation is not considered to be in good academic standing. To return to good academic standing, a student must pass the failed courses and incur no further failures.

Disciplinary Warning/Probation

Disciplinary warning/probation occurs for student acts of professional misconduct as defined in Appendices 2 and 4 of the Student Handbook. Disciplinary probation is not noted on transcript but is kept in the student's file.

Dismissal

Matriculation in veterinary school is a privilege, not a right. Therefore, a student can be dismissed for the following reasons:

Failure to achieve minimum academic standards (as outlined and enforced by the preclinical or clinical promotions committees).
Failure to exhibit the professional and personal attributes required for the practice of veterinary medicine, such as acts of dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating on any assessments (examinations, quizzes, OSCE, online assignments, etc.), falsification of patient records, activity logs, verbal reports, plagiarism or repeated unexcused absences on rotations.
Violation of MWU and/or CVM policies that have been stipulated to be grounds for dismissal.
Falsification of admission records.
Failure to meet and maintain technical standards.
Conviction of a felony or other criminal offense.
Failure to report a criminal arrest.

Readmission after Dismissal for Poor Academic Performance

Students who have been dismissed due to poor academic performance are not eligible for readmission to the CVM.

Extended Study Program (ESP)

Academic Extended Study Program

A student may be placed in the Extended Study Program (ESP) for academic reasons at the recommendation of the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee. A student placed in ESP for academic reasons is automatically placed on academic probation and may not be returned to good academic standing until all failures are retaken and passed. If a student is placed in ESP, such action does not modify or limit the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee’s recommendation for dismissal. Thus, the student may be dismissed for academic reasons while in ESP.

Students will be assessed tuition for any additional years of instruction while enrolled.

Non-Academic Extended Study Program

The purpose of this program is to provide additional time to address significant personal and academic issues by creating a program of study that allows students to complete the first two years of the curriculum in three years. Students must petition the Dean of CVM to become an ESP student no later than the completion of 50% of a quarter. Requests received after that time are reviewed by the Dean and granted only for reasons of substantiated hardship or medical emergencies.

Students will be assessed tuition for any additional years of instruction.

Academic and Non-Academic Extended Study Program

Per Midwestern University policy, the transcript will reflect the student's standing in all courses at the time the student enters ESP.

Grade Point Average

Courses are recorded in terms of quarter hour(s) of credit. The grade point average (GPA) is a weighted average computed using the number of credits assigned to each course and the quality points corresponding to the letter grade earned in each course. The total quality points earned for each course is determined by multiplying the quality points earned per credit (corresponding to the letter grade) by the number of credits assigned to the course. The GPA is calculated by dividing the total quality points earned by the total number of credits carried.

The student's cumulative grade point average is computed and recorded by the Office of the Registrar. It is calculated beginning at the end of the first quarter of enrollment and does not include any grades or credits for courses audited or accepted for transfer, or courses with a grade of withdrawal (W), withdrawal failing (WF), pass (P) or failed (F) that were later repeated.

Grading System

Students receive letter grades corresponding to the level of achievement, based on the results of examinations, required course work and as applicable, other established criteria. Recognizing that testing of students may be done by various methods and measurement of achievement may be carried out with various endpoints, the general guidelines for letter grades in lecture courses and the quality points per credit are as follows:

Grade	Percent (%)	Quality Points (per credit)	Courses with Pass/Fail Grading	Comments
A	93- 100	4.00	Pass	--
A-	90-92	3.67	Pass	--
B+	87-89	3.33	Pass	--
B	83-86	3.00	Pass	--
B-	80-82	2.67	Pass	--
C+	77-79	2.33	Pass	--
C	70-76	2.00	Pass	--
F	<70	0.00	Fail	--
I	--	0.00		An Incomplete (I) grade may be assigned by a course director when a student's work is of passing quality but incomplete, or if a student qualifies for re-examination. It is the responsibility of the student to request an extension from the course instructor. By assigning an "I" grade, it is implied that an instructor agrees that the student has a valid reason and should be given additional time to complete required coursework. All incomplete grades must be resolved within 10 working days starting from the first Monday following the end of the quarter unless there is written authorization by the Dean to extend the deadline. If an incomplete grade remains beyond 10 days, it may be converted to a grade of "F", which signifies failure of the course.
IP				An In Progress (IP) grade may be assigned by a course director under certain circumstances (illness, family death, etc.) when incomplete work cannot be resolved within a 10-day period. Outstanding grades may extend for more than one quarter only when the scheduling of the student, the availability of the course director, or the scheduling of coursework makes completion impossible in the quarter following the assignment of an "IP" grade. The "IP" grade must be resolved within an academic year.
P	--	0.00		A Pass (P) designation indicates that the student has made satisfactory progress or completed required coursework satisfactorily. A grade of "P" is counted toward credit hour accruals for graduation but is not counted in any GPA calculations.
W	--	0.00		Withdrawal/Passing (W) is given for single quarter courses if the grade achieved up to the time of the withdrawal is > 70% or >C. Withdrawal/Passing is not counted in the GPA calculation and is not counted in credit hour accrual for graduation.
W/F	--	0.00		A Withdrawal/Failing (W/F) is given after 50% of a course duration is completed or up to and including the last day of instruction and the grade achieved up to the time of withdrawal is <70% or <C. Withdrawal/Failing is not counted in the GPA calculation and is not counted in the credit hour accrual for graduation.
AU	--	0.00		This designation indicates an audited course, that is a student registered for a course with the understanding that neither academic credit nor a grade is earned. The possibility does not exist to change the course status from audit to full credit after the start of the quarter. The designation "AU" is not counted in the GPA calculation.
AP				This designation indicates the decision of a college to award academic credit that may allow a student to substitute previous course work or experience for required course work. The designation of Advanced Placement (AP) is applied toward credit hour accruals but is not counted in the GPA calculation.

Leave of Absence

The Leave of Absence (LOA) policy is present in the courses Academic Policy section at the beginnin gof the listing University catalog. Any student returning from an Academic Leave of Absence will be placed on Academic Probation.

Minimum Academic Requirements

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher to proceed to the clinical component of the program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

As required by federal law, reasonable standards of satisfactory academic progress have been established by Midwestern University CVM for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. These standards apply to all students applying for, or currently receiving, financial assistance. The policy and procedure for assessing financial aid status is noted in the Student Financial Services section of the Midwestern University catalog.

Student Promotion and Graduation Committee The Student Promotion and Graduation Committee (SPGC) of CVM will review the academic performance of students. This committee monitors the academic progress of all students enrolled in the College against the published academic standards of the College. At a minimum, the committee meets at the end of each academic quarter to assess the status of students with an academic failure, an incomplete, or an in-progress grade. The committee may communicate complaints pertaining to lapses in professional behavior to the Dean of Students, who is responsible for investigating allegations of professional and academic misconduct. Students with one or more failures must meet with the SPGC. Students who attain satisfactory academic and professional progress are promoted to the next academic year, provided all tuition and fees are paid. Students with any failing grades or incomplete courses will receive a letter from the CVM administration listing the requirements they must fulfill for continuation in the CVM program. Students are potentially subject to immediate dismissal from the CVM program if they:

accumulate 4 or more failures within the 4- year curriculum
accumulate 3 or more failures in a single academic year
accumulate 2 or more failures in a single academic quarter
fail the repeat of a course previously failed
any failures must be repeated within a year, unless an extension is approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Dean

The SPGC also recommends to the Faculty Senate for graduation those students who have successfully completed all curriculum requirements, and who have paid all tuition and fees. In February each year, the Committee will prepare a list of candidates for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, and review and approve all graduation requests that are consistent with the University policy.

SPGC Guidelines for Preclinical Courses

Students are required to meet with the SPGC if their academic status is subject to change. Students are notified of the date, time, and place of the committee meeting by email to their official Midwestern University email account, or by telephone, at least 48 hours in advance. Decisions of the committee are emailed to the student's official Midwestern University email account.

The committee shall recommend to the Dean an appropriate course of action after reviewing each case presented at the meeting. Among the options available to the committee in regarding unsatisfactory student performance, the committee may recommend that the student:

be placed on probation with a written caution provided to the student
be required to take an alternative equivalent course offered at Midwestern University or another university (if available and approved)
be placed on an extended course of study plan, with the approval by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
be placed on an academic leave of absence in order to repeat the course(s) in which there was a failure when the course(s) is/are offered again
be dismissed from the CVM.

The right to appeal a decision for dismissal or academic leave of absence exists and is described elsewhere in this catalog. Appeals must be filed in writing with the CVM Dean within three business days following official notification of the committee decision.

Student Promotion and Graduation Committee Pre-Clinical Guidelines

Didactic Course	Usual Action	Academic Status	Action Following Repeat or Re-take
All Passed	Promote or Graduate
1 course failure	Repeat or take equivalent course	Academic Warning*, or Probation	Fail - Dismiss; Pass - Promote
2 course failures in a single academic quarter	Repeat or take equivalent course or dismiss	Academic Probation, or Dismissal	Fail -Either or both Dismiss; Pass-Promote
3 course failures in a single academic year	Dismiss	Dismissal
4 or more failures within the 3- year curriculum	Dismiss	Dismissal

These guidelines may be modified by the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee for reasons of additional consideration.

* Letters of academic warning will indicate that, if another failure occurs, the student will be placed on academic probation or be dismissed.

SPGC Guidelines for Clinical Courses

The SPGC meets as needed to review academic and professional progress of students throughout the clinical rotation portion of the curriculum. Students with any failing grades or incomplete courses will receive a letter from the CVM administration listing the requirements they must fulfill for continuation in the CVM program.

These students are required to meet with the committee if their academic status is subject to change. Students are notified of the date, time, and place of the committee meeting by email to their official Midwestern University email account, or by telephone, at least 48 hours in advance. Decisions of the committee are emailed to the student's official Midwestern University email account.

The committee shall recommend to the Dean an appropriate course of action after reviewing each case presented at the meeting. In instances involving more than one failure to maintain satisfactory academic/professional progress, the committee may recommend dismissal. Guidelines for advancement through the clinical curriculum are described in the table below.

The right to appeal a decision of the committee exists and is described elsewhere in this catalog. Appeals must be filed in writing with the Dean of CVM within three business days following official notification of the committee decision.

Student Promotion and Graduation Committee Clinical Rotation Guidelines

Clinical Rotation	Usual Action	Academic Status	Action Following Repeat or Re- take
All Passed	Promote or Graduate
1 rotation failure	Repeat or take equivalent rotation	Academic Warning *, or Probation	Fail Either or both- Dismiss; Pass - Promote
2 rotation failures	Repeat or take equivalent rotation; or Dismissal	Academic Probation or Dismissal	Fail - Dismiss; Pass - Promote
3 or more rotation failures	Dismiss	Dismissal	-

These guidelines may be modified by the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee for reasons of additional consideration.

* Letters of academic warning will indicate that, if another failure occurs, the student will be placed on academic probation or be dismissed.