Selected Program Policies

Academic misconduct undermines the purpose of education and violates the trust among Program faculty and students necessary for intellectual growth and development. Examples of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following:
* Abetting: encouraging or assisting another student to do something wrong
* Cheating: acting dishonestly to gain an advantage, such as using unauthorized study materials
* Plagiarism: claiming someone else’s ideas, words, data, etc. as your own
* Fabrication: presenting falsified work as genuine
* Misrepresentation: any act or omission with the intent to deceive

Dishonesty of any kind on examinations, unauthorized possession of examination questions, duplication of examination questions, the use of unauthorized notes during an examination, obtaining information during an examination from another student, assisting others to cheat, altering grade records, or illegally entering an office are instances of cheating and are violations of appropriate academic and professional conduct. 

Students are expected to have achieved the level of maturity and professional conduct of a healthcare professions student prior to matriculation. Throughout the curriculum, program faculty mentor students in the development of professional conduct necessary to achieve Graduate Competencies related to professionalism. Students meet with their assigned Didactic Phase faculty mentor early in the first semester in the Didactic Phase to develop their plan to achieve academic success and professional development in the Program. Students continue to meet with their assigned Didactic Phase faculty mentor at least once every semester to review and revise their plan as necessary. During the Clinical Phase and prior to graduation, students meet with Clinical Phase faculty for mentoring and to determine a plan for ongoing self-assessment, self-directed learning, scholarship, service, and leadership. The program’s Professional Conduct domains are as follows:
Altruism
1. Prioritizing the needs and interests of others before self
Empathy and Compassion
1. Being aware of and acknowledging the suffering of others and a desire to relieve it
Respect for Others
1. Consideration of the autonomy and values of others
2. Being reliable and punctual
3. Facilitating a collegial atmosphere
4. Maintaining confidentiality
Service
1. Sharing knowledge, talent, and resources
Integrity
1. Being honest and straightforward in all activities
2. Accepting personal responsibility for actions
3. Recognizing the limits of current training and seeking help appropriately
4. Accepting personal responsibility for learning
Excellence
1. A commitment to exceeding minimum expectations
2. Regularly seeking feedback for performance improvement
3. Receiving feedback with a positive attitude and making corrections as appropriate
4.  A commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and adhering to ethical principles
5.  Assuming increasing degrees of responsibility under proper supervision
Emotional Resiliency
1. Adapting, being flexible, and tolerating ambiguity
 

Attendance for all learning activities and assessments scheduled by the Program (including classroom and laboratory sessions and SCPEs) is mandatory. Students are responsible for all material presented in missed learning activities, announcements, and assignments.

Students are exposed to private health information during training. A patient’s health information is private and is protected by law. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that sets rules about who can look at and receive patient health information. Students must always follow HIPAA regulations. Students receive HIPAA training during orientation in the first semester and again prior to beginning SCPEs. 

Students must respect the confidentiality of their classmates, patients (standardized patients, patient models, and patients and their families encountered during service activities and SCPEs), Program faculty and staff, Clinical Preceptors, and members of the Program’s Clinical Affiliates. Students are not permitted to discuss or post on social media any protected health information about their classmates, patients (standardized patients, patient models, and patients and their families encountered during service activities and SCPEs), Program faculty and staff, Clinical Preceptors, and members of the Program’s Clinical Affiliates. Students are not permitted to obtain or post any pictures of patients (standardized patients, patient models, and patients and their families encountered during service activities and SCPEs). Students may use a patient’s initials for patient case presentations and other assignments required by the Program. 

Students do not have access to the academic records or other confidential information of other students or Program faculty or staff. Students are only informed of their own performance in the Program. The results of assessments (including minimum, maximum, or mean grades) and SPC decisions are not posted and are only accessible to Program faculty and staff with a legitimate need to know.

Students are expected to exhibit professional and ethical behaviors on campus, during SCPEs, and in any setting where they are representing the Program. This includes the “persona” put forth by students when engaged in social media platforms (e.g., Facebook®, Snapchat®, blogs, etc.) in which they are identified as part of the LMU-Knoxville PA Program in any form. PAs are held to a higher standard of personal and professional conduct than many other professions due to the trust placed in health care professionals by patients. State licensing boards have the authority to discipline licensed PAs or deny state licensure to PAs for social media posts that do not meet the professional standards of the state licensing board. Employers, including hospital credentialing boards, may dismiss an employed PA or decline to hire a PA for social media posts that do not meet the professional standards of the health system/practice.

It is expressly prohibited to make audio or video recordings of any learning or assessment activities without prior written permission from the Program Director. Likewise, it is expressly prohibited to copy and distribute any recorded, electronic, or printed learning and assessment materials without prior written permission from the Program Director.

To maintain an environment conducive to learning in the classroom and laboratories, the Program has established guidelines for appropriate behavior in all locations where learning takes place. Activities that interfere with the presentation of material, facilitation of safe laboratory sessions, and learning opportunities for any student are prohibited.

As part of professional conduct, students must adhere to the program’s dress code policies. Failure to follow the dress code may result in dismissal from the activity, classroom, laboratory setting, or clinical site. Students are required to purchase standardized color/style scrub attire to be used during laboratory activities. Students must change out of scrubs worn during anatomy laboratory sessions prior to attending other learning and assessment activities.

Clothing should allow for adequate movement during patient care (this includes bending/leaning forward, kneeling, and reaching) and must not be tight, short, low cut, or expose the shoulders, anterior chest, back, abdomen, buttocks, or thighs (whether standing, bending/leaning forward, kneeling, or reaching). Athletic shoes may be worn during laboratory sessions. Shoes that expose the toes or heel are not acceptable during laboratory activities and simulated patient encounters (human and manikin). On special occasions students may be allowed to wear jeans and LMU branded hoodies, sweatshirts, and t-shirts. Jeans must not have holes, rips, or tears.

Piercings of body areas other than the ears or nose must be covered. Large grommets or colored plugs are not acceptable. Fingernails must be kept trimmed to finger length. Students must be able to remove jewelry for laboratory sessions and surgical SCPEs. Nail polish must be removed for scrubbing, gowning, and gloving laboratories and surgical SCPEs. Head covers traditionally worn for religious purposes or to honor cultural tradition may be worn. Hair must be clean and arranged so as not to interfere with laboratory activities and patient care.

The SPC is comprised of the Associate Medical Director, who serves as the SPC Chair, and three (3) members of the program Faculty. The SPC convenes at least once each semester to review each student’s academic performance and professional conduct, as reported by program faculty, and make decisions on student progression in the program. The SPC also convenes whenever necessary at the discretion of the SPC Chair.

The SPC Chair informs any student required to meet with the SPC at least three (3) business days prior to the meeting via the student’s LMU-issued student email account and provides the date, time, location, and reason(s) for the meeting. Students required to meet with the SPC must appear in person to answer questions and submit any information felt to be relevant to their case. Students may appear via videoconferencing at the discretion of the SPC Chair. If a student who is required to meet with the SPC fails to appear before the SPC, a decision(s) is made in their absence. 

All SPC meeting proceedings are confidential and closed to anyone not part of the SPC proceedings. Students and SPC members are not allowed to bring personal items to the SPC meeting, including audio/video recording devices, cell phones, and smartwatches. Meeting minutes are recorded by a program staff member and maintained by the SPC Chair. The SPC members review all documents relevant to the student’s meeting. When the student enters the meeting room, the SPC Chair verifies that the student knows all SPC members present and can explain the reason for the SPC meeting. The student is offered an opportunity to provide testimony relevant to the meeting. SPC members may ask the student questions relevant to the meeting. The student is then asked to leave the meeting room while the SPC members discuss progression and disciplinary action options. A decision(s) is submitted to a vote with a simple majority ruling. The SPC Chair is a non-voting member except in the case of a tie vote. Because this is not a criminal court, the level of proof for a decision shall be “more likely than not” and not the strict criminal law standard of “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.” Once the SPC has reached a decision(s), the student is asked to return to the meeting room, and the SPC Chair explains the decision(s) and relevant instructions/expectations to the student. 

The SPC Chair notifies the Program Director of all SPC decisions. Campus Security, the Registrar, the Executive Director of Student Financial Services, and the program’s Admissions and Community Relations Coordinator are notified if a decision(s) results in student dismissal or a delay in graduation. Within three (3) business days following the meeting, the student receives notification of the SPC’s decision(s) and relevant instructions/expectations via the student’s LMU-issued student email account. When the SPC decides to delay progression in the program, including a delay in beginning SCPEs or a delay in graduation, or dismiss a student from the program in the absence of the student, the student is informed of the SPC’s decision in person or via telephone communication by the SPC Chair in addition to receiving email notification as stated above.

The SPC has the authority to make decisions regarding student progression in the Program and disciplinary action(s) based on each student’s academic performance, professional conduct development, and adherence to the Student Code of Conduct policies. 

For Professional Conduct Deficits

Any student who is suspected of violating the Student Code of Conduct may be referred to the SPC for a decision(s) on disciplinary action and progression, including dismissal from the Program.

In cases where the SPC does not dismiss the student, the student is placed on Professional Probation and is required to successfully complete remediation of the professional conduct deficit(s) in the following time frame:

Didactic Phase

Prior to beginning the Clinical Phase (this may result in a delay in beginning SCPEs, a delay in graduation, and failure to complete the Program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation).

Clinical Phase

Prior to beginning the next scheduled SCPE or beginning the Summative Evaluation (this may result in a delay in graduation and failure to complete the Program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation)

In addition, the SPC may require any of the following for professional conduct deficits:
* Mentoring by faculty
* Use of other Program/LMU resources
* Other (e.g., use of resources external to LMU)

Violations of the Arrest/Criminal Background Check and Drug/Alcohol Screening

If the student does not successfully complete remediation of professional conduct deficit(s), the student will be dismissed from the program. In addition, students referred to the SPC more than once for professional conduct deficits may be dismissed from the program. 

Students arrested for alcohol, illicit drug(s), or illegally obtained prescription drug(s) charges are referred to the SPC for immediate This may result in the student being removed from the current SCPE. The SPC may make the decisions listed in the “For Professional Conduct Deficits” section above. This may result in a delay in beginning SCPEs, a delay in graduation, failure to complete the Program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation, or dismissal from the Program.

Clinical Affiliates reserve the right to refuse and remove any student arrested for an alcohol, illicit drug(s), or illegally obtained prescription drug(s) charge from their Clinical Site(s). This may result in a delay in beginning SCPEs, a delay in graduation, failure to complete the Program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation, or dismissal from the Program.

Students found guilty of an alcohol, illicit drug(s), or illegally obtained prescription drug(s) charge are immediately dismissed from the Program.

In addition, students arrested for an alcohol, illicit drug(s), or illegally obtained prescription drug(s) charge are expected to seek appropriate medical/behavioral treatment/counseling to determine if future patient safety may be compromised by the student’s actions. The Program may require the student to obtain medical/behavioral treatment/counseling to ensure the Program and the public that patient safety will not be compromised by the student’s actions.

Academic and professional standing within the Program for students arrested for other charges is at the discretion of the Program Director and/or the Administration of the School of Medical Sciences (SMS) and LMU and is based on current policies or precedence. Students found to falsify information about past or current criminal history will be dismissed from the Program.

For Academic Deficits

Didactic Phase – Academic Probation

Any student required to complete remediation is automatically placed on Academic Probation at the time of identification and documentation of the academic deficit. The course grade for the related course may be initially recorded as “IP” (in-progress) until the remediation assessment(s) is completed. The SPC reviews documentation for every student required to complete remediation at the end of each semester. At that time the SPC may recommend any of the following actions/requirements for students who have successfully completed remediation:

* Removal from Academic Probation
* Mentoring by Program faculty
* Use of other Program/LMU resources
* Other (e.g., use of resources external to LMU)
* Progression in the Program

Students who do not successfully complete remediation assessment(s) will be dismissed from the Program.

Didactic Phase – Course Failure

Course grades are calculated after remediation assessments are completed. Failure of any remediation assessment for a course results in failure of that course regardless of the final calculated course score. Any student who fails a Didactic Phase course will be dismissed from the Program.

Clinical Phase – Academic Probation

Any student required to complete remediation is automatically placed on Academic Probation at the time of identification and documentation of the academic deficit. The course grade for the related course may be initially recorded as “IP” (in-progress) until the remediation assessment(s) is completed. The SPC reviews documentation for every student required to complete remediation at the end of each semester. At that time the SPC may recommend any of the following actions/requirements for students who have successfully completed remediation:

* Removal from Academic Probation
* Mentoring by Program faculty
* Use of other Program/LMU resources
* Other (e.g., use of resources external to LMU)
* Progression in the Program

Students who do not successfully complete remediation assessment(s) will be dismissed from the Program. 

Clinical Phase – Course Failure

Course grades are calculated after remediation assessments are completed. Failure of any remediation assessment for a course results in failure of that course regardless of the final calculated course score. Any student who fails a Clinical Phase course will be dismissed from the Program.

Didactic Phase Cumulative Examination, Clinical Phase Cumulative Examination, and Summative Evaluation – Remediation

The SPC reviews documentation for every student required to complete a remediation assessment(s) for any component of the Didactic Phase Cumulative Examination, Clinical Phase Cumulative Examination, and Summative Evaluation following completion. At that time, the SPC may recommend any of the following actions/requirements for students who have successfully completed the remediation assessment(s):·        

* Removal from Academic Probation
* Mentoring by Program faculty
* Use of other Program/LMU resources
* Other (e.g., use of resources external to LMU)
* Progression in the Program
* Completion of a PANCE review course prior to taking the PANCE
* Independent review of specific content on the PANCE Content Blueprint prior to taking the PANCE
* Progression to Graduation

Students who do not successfully complete Cumulative or Summative Evaluation remediation assessment(s) may be dismissed from the program.

The SPC monitors student progress and compliance with all SPC decisions and may meet with students to determine if the student has met all the SPC requirements for removal from academic/professional probation and progression in the Program. The SPC can remove the student from academic/professional probation and allow the student to progress in the Program. Failure to meet SPC requirement(s), in whole or in part, may result in the following:     
* Continued Academic/Professional Probation
* Continued mentoring by Program faculty
* Use of other Program/LMU resources
* Other (e.g., use of resources external to LMU)
* Dismissal from the Program

Definitions of SPC Decisions/Recommendations:
Academic/Professional Probation is defined as demonstration of academic/professional deficits of such a magnitude as to warrant more frequent monitoring by the SPC and/or disciplinary action(s). Academic/Professional Probation may result in a delay in graduation and failure to complete the Program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation. State licensing and hospital credentialing boards may decline to grant licensure and credentialing to graduates with a history of academic/professional probation while enrolled in a professional training program.

Remediation is defined as the program’s applied process for addressing deficits in a student’s knowledge, skills, and professional conduct such that the correction of deficits is measurable and can be documented. Remediation may result in a delay in beginning SCPEs, a delay in graduation, and failure to complete the program curriculum within 54 months of initial matriculation. Failure to successfully complete any remediation assessment will result in dismissal from the program.

Dismissal is defined as an SPC-initiated immediate discontinuation of the student’s enrollment in the Program where the student is not eligible to re-enroll without re-application to the Program. Students dismissed for professional deficits are not eligible to reapply to the Program.

Deceleration is defined as the loss of a student from the entering cohort who remains matriculated in the Program. Deceleration is not offered to students dismissed from the Program by the SPC for academic and/or professional deficits. If a student appeals the SPC’s decision for dismissal and the Appeals Committee determines the SPC should make an alternate recommendation, deceleration may be offered to the student at that time. Deceleration may be offered to students who take a leave of absence (Leave of Absence [LOA]/Withdrawal Policy).

Graduation from the Program does not guarantee successful state licensure or hospital credentialing. State licensing and hospital credentialing boards may require documentation to support the applicant’s written explanation for a delay in graduation and may decline to grant licensure/credentialing to graduates with a history of disciplinary action, including academic/professional probation, while enrolled in a professional training program.