School of Medicine

Office of Student Affairs

Regulations

 

Student Responsibilities and Rights

Student responsibilities and rights are outlined in Chancellor's Memorandum 56.

 

Guidelines for the Evaluation and Promotion of the Medical Students at the LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans

See full document here

 

Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student allowed continued enrollment in the School of Medicine is considered making satisfactory academic progress. Student promotions committees meet at least at the end of each academic year and review the qualitative and quantitative academic progress of each student. A student not satisfactorily completing all course requirements may be permitted to remediate and may be required to repeat an entire academic year of study. Each student must complete the four year curriculum in no more than six years after initial enrollment. The time granted a student for a leave of absence will not be included in the maximum time period for completion of the program.


Promotions Committees

Revised: 10/04/2016 CJL

There is a Preclinical Sciences Promotions Committee which considers academic problems of students enrolled in years one and two of the curriculum. The Clinical  Promotions Committee considers academic problems of students enrolled in years three and four. Each committee consists of course directors and representative faculty. The Preclinical Sciences Promotions Committee and the Clinical Sciences Promotions Committee will be chaired by a respective committee member for a one-year term on a rotating basis. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Records will provide logistical support, the list of students under consideration, and the records of each student to be discussed for all promotions committee meetings.

Promotions committees have the responsibility to make recommendations to the Dean  for final action relating to student promotions. They also have an obligation to conduct a comprehensive review of the records of students who have acquired deficiencies, using all pertinent data available from any appropriate source, such as student files, and associated information from the Office of Student Affairs and Records.

In reaching a decision on action to be taken in connection with a student who has incurred deficiencies, the committee shall give due consideration to the nature, extent, and significance of the deficiencies manifested. It shall take into account the relationship of the activity and time required for completion of the measures for removal of deficiency specified by the departments involved. It shall also evaluate the influence of other factors which relate to the best interest of the student and the School.

The committee may designate an appropriate course of action as described below:

  1. Promotion after removal of all deficiencies as specified
  2. Permission to repeat the year taking only those courses in which deficiency occurred
  3. Permission to repeat the year taking the entire course work of that year
  4. Dismissal for failure to meet the requirements in a satisfactory manner
  5. Special procedure which may be indicated in exceptional cases.

In the event that a student fails to remove a deficiency, the committee shall decide which of the remaining alternatives stated above is to be followed. When a student is given permission to repeat a year, grades are recorded but no hours are earned and no credit is given for honors hours for the failing year. Full credit is given when repeating and honors hours may be earned.


Academic Dismissal

If the promotions committee concludes that a student be dismissed because the student has failed to meet academic requirements satisfactorily, a recommendation for dismissal will be sent to the Dean of the School of Medicine. After review, the Dean must choose either (1) to uphold the dismissal as recommended, or (2), if extenuating circumstances warrant, to reconvene the committee and investigate the student's record further.

A student dismissed from the rolls of the School of Medicine has the right to appeal the decision of the Dean, providing such appeals occur within 15 calendar days of notification of dismissal. The student may appeal the decision for dismissal directly to the Dean. The Dean may reconvene the appropriate promotions committee if new information, not previously considered by the committee which has bearing on the case, is revealed. At that meeting the student may call upon a faculty advocate to support his or her case. At the conclusion of that meeting the appropriate promotions committee refers its recommendation to the Dean for final decision. In other cases the Dean may seek counsel from a faculty committee. The student is given the opportunity to appear before a committee of three faculty members, one chosen by the Dean, one chosen by the student, and a third chosen by the first two. This committee gathers and evaluates the facts of the case, which are the substance of the appeal, and recommends an action to the Dean, whose decision is then final. The decision of appeal reached by the Dean represents the highest level of due process available in the School of Medicine.


Disciplinary Action

For a student who has engaged in cheating, unprofessional conduct, or other improper behavior, occurring within or outside the confines of the teaching programs, dismissal or other specified disciplinary action may be recommended after a review by the appropriate committee and school official.

Accusations against students are to be submitted in writing to any member of the Council on Student Professional Conduct, consisting of eight active representatives: one student from each of the four classes, two faculty from the Basic Sciences and two faculty from the Clinical Sciences. An equivalent group of four students and four faculty will serve as alternates. Chairmanship of the Council is shared by one student and one faculty representative. The faculty Co-Chair will inform the student of the written allegation of unprofessional conduct. The Co-Chairs will arrange for a confidential fact finding investigation by a Faculty and a Student Fact Finder, chosen from amongst the committee members. The purpose of the investigation is to determine all possible evidence, both tangible and testimonial, that bears on the allegation of unprofessional conduct. Following the Fact Finding Investigation, a formal hearing of the Council on Student Professional Conduct will be convened. If the Council finds the accused guilty, the Dean, on review of the case, specifies the action to be taken.

The student has the right to appeal a decision of the Dean, providing that the appeal occurs within five days of receiving notification of the disciplinary action. In cases of appeal, the student is given the opportunity to appear before a Student Faculty Appeals Committee of six, including: the class presidents of the Freshman, Sophomore, Juniors, and Senior year (the Class President of the accused student's class is recused), a faculty member chosen by the student initiating the appeal, a faculty member chosen by the Dean, and a faculty member chosen by the five other members of the committee who serves as Chairman. The Appeals Committee reviews the transcripts of the Council on Student Professional Conduct and may hear further arguments by the parties involved. Recommendation of the action of the committee is submitted to the Dean. The decision of the appeal reached by the Dean represents the highest level of due process available in the School of Medicine.


Leave of Absence

A leave of absence for a short period of several weeks up to one year may be granted to a student in good standing, subject to the discretion of the Dean, because of illness or other appropriate reasons. Students taking short-term leaves of absence of less than one week must make acceptable arrangements with the faculty involved for completion of course work and other assignments which will be missed. Leave of absence of a longer duration may be granted students in good standing for reasons of a personal nature or to participate in a special program of research or other activity designed to augment the student's academic training. Specific arrangements must be made on an individual basis with the Dean before beginning a leave of absence.


Withdrawal

Students are permitted to withdraw from the School of Medicine at any time. If they wish to be considered for readmission, they must file an application for readmission with the Office of Student Affairs and Records and be evaluated by the promotions committee of the year in the curriculum from which the student withdrew.


Re-admission Process

Students who have voluntarily withdrawn from the School of Medicine or who have been dismissed may elect to apply for re-admission. The promotions committee of the year within the curriculum in which the student either withdrew from, or was dismissed, will review the application and recommend to the Dean the appropriate action to be taken. To enable the promotions committee to accurately appraise the applicant for re-admission the applicant is requested to:

  1. Write a letter to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Records summarizing reasons for withdrawal or dismissal from the School of Medicine and the steps undertaken to resolve these reasons.
  2. Provide evidence supporting the summary statement above, including transcripts of all academic programs, letters of recommendation from faculty or other individuals whom the applicant has attended classes under, or has worked with, and documentation of any other specific experiences which are relevant to the situation. This supporting evidence should be sent directly to the Office of Student Affairs and Records under separate cover by the responsible individual.
  3. Review the basis for readmission with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Records at a time two to four weeks preceding the meeting of the promotions committee.
  4. Arrange to make a personal appearance before the promotions committee to answer any additional questions which may be considered.

Application for re-admission should occur no later than March 1 of the year during which re-admission is requested. Because of the large number of well qualified applicants for admission to medical school, and the few vacancies in other years of the curriculum, the re-admissions route is limited.

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