Grading & Evaluation of Performance

In each course in the curriculum, the student’s performance is evaluated by examination and or other means and a grade is submitted by way of a grade report to the Office of Student Affairs and Records and to the Office of the Registrar within a two-week period after completion of the course. The single final grade to be assigned to a student on completion of the course work should be determined by considering all important attributes of that student’s performance in the course. A descriptive comment concerning student performance in the areas of knowledge, work ethic, teamwork, deportment, interpersonal relationships, attitude toward course work, and other factors which, in the opinion of the course faculty, are important to the student’s future role as a physician, is encouraged for all courses. Such descriptive comments become a part of the student’s permanent record.

Official permanent final grades to be recorded for each student upon completion of a course are Honors, High Pass, Pass, Fail, and Withdrew.

H (Honors) is given to all students whose quality of performance is considered to be excellent and who have demonstrated a degree of understanding and ability which is considerably above the level of adequacy required for passing status.

HP (High Pass) signifies that all work in a given course has been completed at a level well above the average but below that of honors.

P (Pass) is indicative that all requirements of a course have been completed satisfactorily and that the minimum requirements for promotion have been met.

F (Fail) is the grade assigned to students who are considered to be inadequate in meeting the minimum course requirements and have demonstrated a degree of deficiency which makes them ineligible to be promoted, or in some instances, to continue in school without appropriate remedial action.

The grade of W will be issued to all students who enroll in a course and who attend up to eighty percent of actual class time.

The grade of F will be issued to all students who attend eighty percent or more of actual class time and withdraw before the completion of the course.

Each department is required to submit to the Office of Student Affairs and Records a brief statement describing the basis for each grade of Honors or Fail issued.

A grade of temporary significance which may be issued by a department but which is not recorded on the student’s permanent record is Incomplete.

A grade of I (Incomplete) is assigned when, for reasons beyond the student’s control or because of some acceptable circumstance, the student has been unable to complete the course requirements in the usual time or manner. This grade does not imply a deficiency on the part of the student. On completion of the required course work, the grade of I will be changed to an appropriate grade as described above.

Students with Incomplete status in a course must finish all required work in a manner specified by the department involved. In general, this should be done in a reasonably short period of time after the regular termination date of the course. The department may allow a longer period of time for reasons which are considered appropriate. A student cannot be promoted until all incomplete grades have been removed. Unless there is an acceptable reason for further delay, an Incomplete grade, which is not removed by the date for registration for the next school year will be recorded on the record as F.

Examinations

The department or teaching unit determines the type and form of examinations to be used. They may be computerized, written, oral, practical, or a combination of these forms. A department head or course director has the option of re-examining a student at any time to obtain a more accurate evaluation of the student’s knowledge of a course. Examinations, in addition to those regularly scheduled in a course, may be used for this purpose.

Appeal of Final Grades

A student who is of the opinion that his or her final course grade or evaluation is unjust or inaccurate may appeal that decision to the course director informally by meeting with the course director and discussing the basis of the appeal. If the student is dissatisfied with the outcome of this informal appeal, he or she may appeal the final grade or evaluation formally in writing within ten working days of receiving the grade or evaluation. There are two levels of appeal, one to the course director and teaching unit head and the second to the school’s administration. Failure of the student to appeal within the ten working days indicates acceptance of the grade or evaluation.

At the first level, after receiving a written appeal stating the basis for the dissatisfaction, the course director, in consultation with the department head or administrative head of the teaching unit, shall, within a period of five working days, review the appeal, meet with the student and formulate a written response, which shall be given to the student.

If the student remains dissatisfied with the grade or evaluation after the appeal is completed by the course director, a final appeal may be made, in writing, to the Dean, within five working days of the department’s or teaching unit’s decision. The written appeal must include the basis for the dissatisfaction. The Dean may establish an ad hoc committee of five, including three faculty and two students; none of the committee members will be from the department against which the complaint has been registered. The task of the committee will be to advise the Dean about (1) whether the evaluation or grading procedure used in that case was essentially the same as used for other students in that course and (2) whether evidence of an unjust or erroneous evaluation is sufficient to warrant referral of the case back to the department for reassessing the student’s competence. The committee must make a recommendation within five working days of the appeal. Acting on the committee’s advice or independently, the Dean will either accept the original grade or evaluation as valid or refer the case back to the department or teaching unit for reevaluation and/or grading of the student. If the decision reached requires changes in an official university record, the faculty of the department or teaching unit must comply with all university regulations and procedures necessary to accomplish the change. The decision of the appeal reached by the Dean represents the final level of due process in the School of Medicine.