Grading and Progression Policy (A3.14a, A3.14c)
Ashland University Physician Assistant students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale as documented on the official transcript from the Ashland University Registrar and must achieve a B- (80%) or higher in all courses per the PA program grade rounding policy. At the end of a didactic year semester, if the cumulative or semester GPA falls below 3.00 or a student earns a F (79.9%) or below in a course, the student will be placed on academic probation. Academic probation is recorded as a permanent entry on the student's official record. The student has one semester on academic probation to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 and obtain a semester GPA of 3.00 and achieve a B- (80%) or greater in coursework. If the student is on academic probation at the start of the semester, failure to meet the above criteria may result in academic dismissal based on the review and recommendation of the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Committee.
During the Clinical Year if a student earns a F (79.9%) or below in a course, or the cumulative GPA or semester GPA falls below a 3.00 on a 4.00 scale the student will be immediately placed on academic probation. Academic probation is recorded as a permanent entry on the student's official record. The student has one additional semester on academic probation to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00 as well as obtain a semester GPA of 3.00 or greater and achieve a B- (80%) or greater in all remaining courses for the current semester and subsequent semester If the student is on academic probation at the start of a clinical rotation, failure to meet the above criteria may result in academic dismissal based on the review and recommendation of the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Committee.
For a PA student to progress from the didactic year to the clinical year, the individual must be recommended by the PA Program Academic & Professionalism Progress Committee upon review of their entire didactic year including cumulative GPA in the program, overall performance, professionalism, competencies, individual assessments, and assignments.
Completion Deadlines Requirement (A3.14b)
The individual course director(s) establish the due dates for all assignments in their course. In the case of an established due date change, the course director will communicate the change with students via BlackBoard. For all assignments submitted past the established deadline, a five percent penalty will be deducted from the total each day the assignment is late for up to three days, unless otherwise noted on the course syllabi. On the fourth day, the student will earn a zero on the assignment unless prior arrangements have been made with the course director and agreed upon in written communication. During Clinical Rotations late submissions past the established deadline will follow the penalty as outlined in the course syllabi.
PA students must maintain adherence to the program standards of academic performance. Due to the sequential nature of the curriculum, students must successfully complete all courses for a given semester with a B- or higher before becoming eligible to take courses in the subsequent semester. At the conclusion of each semester, the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee reviews each student’s academic and professional performance. PA students must be recommended for progression by the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee to be eligible to take courses in the subsequent semester and continue their progression through the program. In the event that a student is remediating a course or course component they may progress to the subsequent semester at the discretion of the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee. The maximum time to complete the Ashland University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is 48 months from the date of matriculation.
Graduation Requirements (A3.14b)
In order to graduate from Ashland University Physician Assistant Program and be awarded a Master of Science degree:
- Students must successfully complete all coursework in sequence according to the program’s academic standards
- Achieve a B- or higher in all courses and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Pass all components and items of the Summative Evaluation at the end of the clinical year with a B- or higher
- Complete the AU graduation application and fees
It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that all degree requirements have been met to qualify for graduation. Graduating students must apply for their degree at the start of the Clinical year summer semester through the Registrar’s Office.
Academic Probation (A3.14c, A3.14d, A3.14e, A3.14f)
Ashland University Physician Assistant students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 as well as obtain a semester GPA of 3.00 or greater and achieve a B- or greater in all courses. If a cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 or the semester GPA falls below 3.00, or the student achieves a less than B- or below in any course, the student will immediately be placed on academic probation. Academic probation is recorded as a permanent entry on the student's official record. A didactic year student on academic probation has one semester to raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00, earn a semester GPA of 3.00 or greater, and earn a B- or above in all courses for the duration of that semester and subsequent semester. A clinical year student on academic probation must raise the cumulative GPA to 3.00, earn a semester GPA of 3.00 or greater and earn a B- or above in all remaining courses for the current and subsequent semester. Failure to meet this requirement may result in academic dismissal based on the review and recommendation of the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Committee.
While on Academic Probation, the student will meet with their PA Faculty Academic Advisor monthly, and documentation of these sessions will be shared with the PA Program Academic & Professionalism Progress Committee.
Remediation Policy (A3.14c)
Remediation refers to any additional training, supervision, or educative assistance beyond the required instruction and training provided to the cohort as a whole. The remediation process is designed to improve the individual PA student’s knowledge, skills, and professional attributes needed to successfully meet or exceed the graduation requirements. The goal of remediation is to promptly identify and address areas of academic, clinical, or professional deficiencies and collaborate with students for improved outcomes. Some assignments or formative assessments are for the purpose of student evaluation or for the program to gauge the student’s development and progression and therefore may not have the option for remediation, and will be denoted accordingly within the course syllabi.
The PA Program Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee will review students’ progress on an ongoing basis. The course directors will complete the Academic Progress Mid-Semester Evaluation to document student performance in each course, to identify student deficiencies early and report them to the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Committee. If there are deficiencies in any Mid-Semester Evaluations, supporting remediation documentation will be shared with the PA faculty academic advisor and the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Committee. A plan is created by the course director and is tailored to the individual needs of the student. This plan serves as a guide for improving the remainder of the semester. If a student earns a final course grade of less than 80% (B-) following course remediation, the student will be referred to the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee for determination of required remediation and placed on academic probation.
Didactic Courses:
During the Didactic courses of the program, if a student earns a grade between 70-75% on an individual assessment (exam or practical) they are considered at academic risk and at risk for PANCE exam failure. The Course Director will initiate communication with the individual student. The student is not placed on Academic Probation, no assessment of at-risk support is required, and no grade adjustment is awarded. During the Didactic courses of the program, if a student earns less than 70% on an individual assessment (exam or practical), the student is required to participate in knowledge remediation plus reassessment. A student who earns a zero on any assessment due to an unexcused absence will be required to take the assessment at a later date following the absence policy in order to show knowledge attainment but will not be eligible for a grade adjustment on the missed assessment. If the student earns less than 70% on the assessment they will be required to participate in knowledge remediation and reassessment, to demonstrate mastery of content and will be awarded the original grade of “0”. During the duration of each semester, a student will be awarded one grade adjustment per course for the reassessment (exam or practical) for which they earned the largest overall assessment grade improvement. During knowledge remediation, a student must meet with the Course Director and may be required to meet with the Student Success Coordinator at the discretion of the Course Director, to identify the student’s individual needs and areas of deficiency. The mode and format of the reassessment will be determined by the Course Director and communicated directly to the student. The timing of the reassessment must take place within 10 business days from the date of the originally scheduled assessment. During reassessment, if a student fails to improve their grade a minimum of 70%, the student’s performance will be reviewed by the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee for determination of the next steps regarding progression in the course, PA Program, or recommendation for Academic Probation or dismissal from the Ashland University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program. During the duration of the semester if a student’s Didactic Course grade is less than 80% the student must meet with the Course Director and PA Program Student Success Coordinator to identify the student’s individual needs and areas of deficiency. An individualized performance plan will be implemented by the Course Director in an effort for the student to improve their performance in the course. The mode, format, and timing of remediation will be determined by the Course Director and communicated directly to the student on the individualized performance plan. At the end of the semester if a final course grade is below an 80% the student will receive an incomplete for the course and the student must meet with the Course Director to implement an individualized performance plan for course grade improvement in which they will have six weeks to complete the plan and demonstrate improvement in deficits identified. The maximum course grade achievable during a course remediation is 80% (B-). At the conclusion of the five weeks, if the student’s individualized performance plan has not been successfully completed, the student’s will receive an F, and the student must repeat the course at the next course offering. The student will not be permitted to progress in the program and will follow the Ashland University PA Program Deceleration Policy.
Clinical Courses:
Clinical Rotation (SCPE):
At the end of a Discipline Specific Clinical Rotation (SCPE) if a final course grade is below an 80% (B-), the student will be required to repeat the course at a time determined by the program which may delay graduation, and/or add additional costs to the stated program tuition and expenses.
End of Rotation Exams: If a student earns less than 80% on the exam, knowledge remediation and reassessment as designed by the Course Director is required. The knowledge remediation and reassessment must be completed within 10 business days from the date of the originally scheduled exam. The maximum score possible on the reassessment is 80%. Failure to earn an 80% on the reassessment attempt will result in failure for the clinical rotation course. If a student receives a failing grade for a clinical rotation course, the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee will review and recommend progression plans for the student related to this and other remaining clinical rotation courses.
A student may remediate a total of two End of Rotation exams but may only remediate a discipline specific End of Rotation Exam once. If a student fails a third End of Rotation Exam, the student will be reviewed by the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee for determination of the next steps regarding progression in the course, PA Program, or recommendation for Academic Probation or dismissal from the Ashland University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program.
Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS): This component cannot be remediated for a grade adjustment. If procedural skills are below the level of competency per the evaluation of the Preceptor or were not assessed during the clinical rotation the student must be reassessed. Reassessments will take place during the callback week following Rotation IV and rotation IX. Reassessments specific to Direct Observation of Procedural Skills in the Surgical Rotation will take place the subsequent callback week following their Surgical Rotation. During the assessment of the specific procedure, the student must demonstrate competency as determined by the Director of Clinical Education /Course Director. Failure to demonstrate competency in the skill will lead to remediation of knowledge and reassessment. If a student fails to improve the student’s performance will be reviewed by the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee.
Preceptor Evaluation: This component cannot be remediated for a grade adjustment. A minimum average is required to pass. A score less than 3.00 on any single mark at the level of a “1” or “2” by the preceptor or a “no score” will be reviewed by the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director and may result in formal counseling or a personal improvement plan.
Patient Note Submissions: This component cannot be remediated for a grade adjustment. These submissions are for student self-assessment and for the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director to gauge student attainment of learning outcomes and program competencies. The student will receive individualized feedback and counseling if deficiencies are identified by the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director.
Patient Encounter Logs: This component cannot be remediated for a grade adjustment. These submissions are for student self-assessment and for the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director to gauge student attainment of learning outcomes and program competencies. The student will receive individualized feedback and counseling if deficiencies are identified by the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director.
Pharmacologic Application Assignments: This component cannot be remediated for a grade adjustment. These submissions are for student self-assessment and for the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director to gauge student attainment and application of learning outcomes and program competencies. The student will receive individualized feedback and counseling if deficiencies are identified by the Director of Clinical Education/Course Director.
Clinical Rotation Course remediation(s) may impact progress and the assignment of subsequent clinical rotations and may delay graduation, and/or add additional costs to the stated program tuition and expenses.
Summative Assessments:
During PAS 585 – PA Practice and Professionalism VI course, students will complete Summative OSCE, Final Clinical Skills Examinations, and Comprehensive Written Examinations. Students must pass each component of the summative assessments with a grade of 80% (B-) or greater. Students who earn a grade of less than 80% (B-) on the comprehensive written examination, Summative OSCE components or Final Clinical Skills components will be required to undergo an individualized improvement plan, designed by the Course Director. The student will be granted a maximum of two remediation attempts for each component of the summative assessments that they scored less than an 80% (B-). The maximum grade achievable during a remediation is 80% (B-). It is important to note that the timing of remediation for this process may delay graduation and may incur additional program costs (per Summative Evaluation Policy). Failure to demonstrate mastery of each component of the summative assessments with a grade of 80% or greater will lead to review by the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee for determination of next steps regarding eligibility for graduation from the Ashland University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program.
Students may not appeal the decision by the Course Director for the student to complete remediation activities. Students who do not successfully complete remediation assessments and students with continued academic, clinical, or professional deficits who have exceeded the total number of remediation assessments allowed by the program are referred to the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee for recommendations on progression which may include dismissal from the program, or may delay graduation, or add additional cost to stated program tuition and expenses, and/or repeat course work and/or clinical rotations.
Deceleration Policy (A3.14d)
The Ashland University Physician Assistant program is designed to be delivered in a lock step fashion over a continuous 24-month period. Physician Assistant Students may not elect to enter into a decelerated plan of study and are to complete the program with their entering cohort.
Under extenuating circumstances, deceleration may occur as a result of delayed academic or professionalism progression, following a voluntary leave of absence or readmittance after medical withdrawal (see each policy for details). Deceleration is a mechanism for allowing students in the Physician Assistant program an opportunity to complete the 24-month curriculum through required repetition of a portion of the curriculum as a result of failure to meet the program’s standards for progression. A student who is decelerated will be required to repeat all or part of the didactic and/or clinical portion of the curriculum and as a result may incur additional costs to the stated program tuition and expenses. The individualized student plan will be determined by the PA Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee and the recommendation will be communicated to the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences for a final decision.
Program Dismissal (A3.14f)
Grounds for dismissal from the Ashland University PA program include but are not limited to:
- Failure to achieve and maintain academic progression
- Violation of program policies (e.g. Attendance Policy)
- Lapses in Professionalism
- Academic Misconduct
A student who fails to meet the requirements of the program will be reviewed by the PA Program Academic and Professionalism Progress Committee. Based upon the review, if a student is deemed noncompliant, a recommendation will be shared with the Chair of
the Department of Medical Science/ Program Director for dismissal from the PA program. The Chair of the Department of Medical Science/ Program Director will review and make a recommendation to the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Science, who will notify the student of dismissal from the Ashland University PA program.
Academic Grievances (A3.14g, A3.14h)
In cases where a student believes his or her academic rights (non-grade appeal) have been infringed, the student should, if possible, discuss the matter with the course director involved. If the student wishes to appeal the case, the student must appeal in writing to the Department Chairperson and then to the Dean and the Provost, who may confer with the Student Senate President and the chairperson of the Judicial Board in order to assure that the problem is settled satisfactorily. The PA program follows the university’s policy found in the Ashland University Academic catalog.
Ashland University Academic Grievances Policy
Student Grade Appeal:
Ashland University seeks in the student grade appeal process to foster amicable and equitable resolution of disputes after a fair and impartial exploration of the facts. The purpose of the student grade appeal process is to provide the framework and method to resolve student complaints concerning a final course grade. The PA program will follow Ashland University Grade Appeal policy and process in which the first level of appeal is reviewed by the Department Chair/Program Director, second level the Dean of CONHS and third level the Provost.
Ashland University Grade Appeal Form
Student Complaints:
The Ashland University Student Complaint Policy is available to students who wish to have a concern resolved regarding a process or person of the university community not covered by existing policies (i.e., grade appeals and academic grievance procedure). The objective of the Ashland University Student Complaint Policy is to resolve concerns as quickly and efficiently as possible at the level closest to the student. This policy provides two avenues for pursuing a complaint: An Informal Resolution Procedure and a Formal Resolution Procedure. Students may utilize either or both procedures.
The Ashland University PA program follows the institutional academic student complaint policy that is posted on the student affairs site: Ashland University Student Complaint Policy.
