Student Fitness and Performance Appraisal

Program Standards

Students enrolled in all academic programs in The Graduate College must maintain high scholastic standards and develop a mastery of the knowledge and methods of their respective discipline. Students are expected to demonstrate emotional and mental fitness in their interactions with others, use skills and methods that are generally accepted by others in the profession, and conform to the code of ethics of their respective discipline, and the university’s honor code. A student’s acceptance in any program does not guarantee the student’s fitness to remain in that program. The faculty is responsible for verifying that only those students who continue to meet program standards are allowed to continue in any program.

Evaluation of Student Fitness and Performance

Members of the faculty, using their professional judgments, evaluate student fitness and performance continuously. The criteria used by the faculty to make such judgments include instructors’ observations of student performance in class or in activities related to courses; evaluations of student performance on theses, dissertations, and practica; site supervisors’ evaluations of student performance in practica and internships, and the codes of ethics for the student's field of study. Students who are not making satisfactory progress or who are not meeting program standards will need to participate in a student review process described below.

Student Review Process

If a faculty member believes that a student is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards, the faculty member should discuss the situation with the student. If the faculty member believes that the student’s performance is not on track to improve to acceptable standards, the faculty member should refer the student to the Program Standards Committee (PSC) of the appropriate academic program. The PSC consists of three faculty members appointed by the department chair in consultation with the department’s senior faculty.

The PSC will notify the student of the reasons that they are not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards and will give the student an opportunity to meet with the PSC to respond and present information. The PSC will also meet with the faculty member who referred the student and review any pertinent student records or evaluations. After considering the matter, and within ten working days of meeting with the student, the PSC will report its decision to the student and the department chair. The decision may include a statement of whether the student should either remain in or leave the program. The PSC may make other decisions, such as placing restrictions or conditions on the student’s continuing in the program, and/or specific recommendations for improvement in meeting program standards. Within ten working days of receiving the PSC’s decision, the student will notify the PSC of their acceptance or rejection of the PSC’s decision. If the student rejects the PSC’s decision, they may appeal to the department chair.

Appeal Process

Within ten working days of receiving the student’s appeal, the chair will review the student’s appeal and all documentation provided by the PSC. The chair will make a decision as to the student’s continued enrollment in the program. The chair may or may not choose to meet with the student, based on the documentation provided by both the student and the PSC. The chair will notify the student of the decision.

If the student is dissatisfied with the chair’s decision, they may appeal to the dean of the college. However, in order for the dean to consider an appeal, the student must submit a written notice of appeal to the chair and the dean within ten working days of receiving the chair’s decision. The dean will consider the matter based on information and documentation compiled by the chair and notify the student of the decision within ten working days of the dean’s receipt of the appeal from the chair. The dean may meet with the student and give the student an opportunity to address the issues. The dean’s decision is final.