Student Performance Review Committee

Authorizing Body:

Responsible Party:

Student Performance Review Committee

The Office of the Dean

Date Issued:

August 1, 2011

Last Update:

August 10, 2022

Rationale:

To ensure that all students are performing at a level that is consistent with the School of Medicine’s mission, vision, and goals.

Scope and Applicability:

All students enrolled in the School of Medicine

Standard Practice Guideline:

The Student Performance Review Committee shall report its recommendations and decisions to the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education or Undergraduate Clinical Education as appropriate, for action. The Committee shall:

a.) Review and make recommendations on policies regarding student progress, dismissal, or graduation

b.) Make specific recommendations concerning the graduation of students

c.) Report dismissals and reinstatements of students to the Dean

d.) Make specific decisions regarding the advancement of students

The Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness and Technology oversees the committee’s administrative processes. The committee consists of a minimum of fourteen (14) faculty members from basic science and clinical departments, appointed by Dean on the Recommendation of the faculty through the Committee on Committees. The Associate Dean for Institutional Effectiveness and Technology serves as a non-voting ex-officio members of the SPRC.

Procedures:

Schedule:

The committee meets on a monthly basis on a predefined schedule and as needed. The schedule may be modified as required to address extraordinary circumstances or due to examination schedules and time-sensitive matters.

Guests:

• The Associate Dean for Student Affairs attends committee meetings as a guest of the committee and acts as the student advisor in all SPRC proceedings.
• The Associate Deans for Preclinical and Undergraduate Clinical Education attend committee meetings as guests of the committee to provide input on student progress and programmatic issues.
• The Faculty Advisor on Professionalism attends committee meetings as a guest of the committee to provide input on professionalism issues.
• The committee chair may invite other guests with information pertinent to committee decisions.
• Students cannot bring guests to committee meetings.

Quorum and Voting:

A quorum is 50% of the voting membership plus one voting member. In most instances, voting members must attend in person. Members or guests may attend remotely, if quorum would not otherwise be obtained or a critical guest is not available to attend in person. In the absence of a meeting, the chair may approve email voting on mundane or time sensitive matters. All SPRC decisions shall require a simple majority.  The chair of the committee only votes to resolve a tied vote. No student actions may be taken in the absence of a quorum.

Conflict of Interest:

A potential conflict-of-interest situation arises, when a member of the SPRC has a personal, health care provider, employment relationship with a medical student, or with a member of the student’s immediate family. In order to manage this conflict-of-interest, it is incumbent upon the committee member to take the following steps:

• Notify the chair of the potential conflict of interest
• Recuse themselves from that part of the meeting. The member will step out of the room until the discussion and decision processes are complete.

Recusal: 

• OUWB follows LCME guidelines. When an SPRC committee member participated in a prior adverse action against a student outside of the SPRC, such as assigning an unfavorable grade or score, or is a student's Embark mentor, or has some other conflict of interest; the SPRC member should recuse themselves when the SPRC is considering adverse actions affecting the student.
• At their discretion, SPRC members may recuse themselves from any discussion or decision.
• SPRC members who recuse themselves must leave the room during the discussion and vote.

Annual Review of Students:

Students are reviewed by the SPRC on an annual basis as part of the promotion and graduation processes. Students may also be reviewed on an ad hoc basis in the event of poor academic performance, lapses in professional behavior, or if a student is unable to meet the technical standards.  

Initial Review Process:

• Students under review will not be invited to participate in the meeting.
• Committee actions are based on the outcome of a vote by the voting members in attendance.

Hearing Process:

• A student who is the recipient of an adverse action has the right to request a formal hearing by the SPRC.  Upon request, the student will be invited to appear at the next SPRC meeting.
• The student must submit a request for reconsideration of an SPRC action no later than 5 business days from the official notification of action. Requests for a hearing of an SPRC action must be submitted in writing to the chair of the SPRC at [email protected]. Requests for reconsideration of academic probation must include a justification for the reconsideration.
• The student will be notified of the time and place of the SPRC meeting. Students will be notified at least five (5) days in advance of the meeting.
• The Associate Dean for Student Affairs attends the committee meetings as a guest of the committee and acts as the student advisor in all SPRC proceedings.
• It is recommended that the student meet with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, or designee prior to the meeting with the SPRC. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs, or designee will review the process with the student and assist the student in preparing for the SPRC meeting.
• Additional parties may not attend an SPRC meeting.
• Under no circumstances should a student who is scheduled to meet with the SPRC contact voting members of the SPRC to discuss the appearance.
• The student must leave the room during SPRC deliberations.
• The student is allowed to inspect all of the material in his or her academic record, and may read that portion of the minutes of the SPRC meeting pertaining to him or her, subject to the restrictions and requirements of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and related regulations as they are amended from time-to-time.

¹ A working group of voting SPRC members will pre-screen requests for reconsideration of academic probation.  The working group will forward requests with adequate justification to the entire committee for a hearing with the student. Student requests without adequate justification will be summarily rejected. In the event the working group summarily rejects the request, the student may request a review by the Dean as described below.

Committee Options:

The committee has the authority to take an action against a student. The committee’s actions include but are not limited to the following :

No Action: The committee may take no action. This review will not be referenced in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).

Letter of Concern: The committee may issue a letter of concern. A letter of concern is a notice from the committee to a student who has exhibited academic difficulties. It is not permanently noted in the student’s academic record and does not disrupt the student’s progress in the curriculum. The committee will be made aware of the letter if the student experiences further difficulty. This review will not be referenced in the MSPE.

Remanded for Remediation: This action requires the student to participate in a remediation program approved by the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Clinical Education or the Associate Dean for Preclinical Education.  If the Remand for Remediation creates a gap in the student’s academic record it will be referenced in the MSPE. 

Repeat an Educational Experience: This action requires a student to repeat some or all of the components in an academic year. School of Medicine policy limits students to one opportunity to repeat a course or clerkship. The repeat of an educational experience is always noted in the student’s academic record and will be referenced in the MSPE.

Probation: Probation is a formal warning from the committee to the student. It is noted in the student’s academic record and will be referenced by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in the MSPE. The committee secretary will automatically assign a status of “Academic Probation” to students meeting the minimum threshold for probation as established in the Academic Probation Guidelines. The secretary will notify the students and relevant OUWB offices of the status change. The secretary will note these actions as an agenda information item at the next committee meeting.

Letter of Reprimand: In the event that a student has been found to have acted in manner contrary to professional behavior, the committee has the option of placing a letter of reprimand in a student’s academic record. The letter will detail the student’s violation and any action that is placed on the student. A letter of reprimand will be noted in the student’s academic record and referenced in the MSPE.

Suspension: This action places a student on a suspension from the medical education program for a period of time. This action is taken in the event of egregious or chronic misconduct or due to a concern that the student poses a significant safety concern to the student themselves, other students, faculty or staff members, or patients. A student who is the subject of a criminal investigation or a “person of interest” in a criminal investigation may also be placed on suspension until the matter is resolved. This will be noted in the student’s academic record and referenced in the MSPE.

Dismissal: The committee has the option of dismissing students who do not make satisfactory academic progress, have demonstrated egregious conduct, or fail to meet the School of Medicine’s Technical Standards. Dismissals will be noted in the student’s academic record. 

Summary of SPRC Actions

Notification of Committee Decisions:

Students who are recipients of SPRC actions will receive a preliminary notification of the committee’s decision within 5 business days of the meeting, if necessary an official notification will follow within a reasonable period of time. The official notification will be delivered in person or sent via mail. The message will contain the findings of fact and the nature and consequences of the actions.

Good Academic Standing:

SPRC actions may impact a student’s status of Good Academic Standing. Please see the School of Medicine’s Good Academic Standing guidelines for further details.

Request for Review by the Dean:

A student has the right to request a review of the following types of SPRC decisions:

• A decision to dismiss the student from the program.
• A decision that delays the student’s academic progress in the program.
• A decision that is noted in the academic record.

An SPRC decision is only reviewable on the basis that School of Medicine guidelines and procedures, as outlined in the School of Medicine’s Practices and Guidelines, were not followed in the decision process. In order for an SPRC decision to be overturned, evidence that SPRC processes have been violated must be clear and convincing. It must also be clear and convincing that the violation effected the outcome of the decision.

The procedures to request a review of an SPRC decision based on a variance from established guidelines and procedures are as follows:

• The request must be made in writing to the Dean of the School of Medicine within 10 business days of the notification of the SPRC decision. The request for a review of a decision must detail the variation from policy and procedure with an explanation of how this variation affected the decision, and the relief sought.
• If the Dean determines that sufficient information exists to warrant a review they shall refer it to a review committee. The review committee will be comprised of a minimum of three members, at least two of which are members of the School of Medicine faculty. The third may be a senior staff member.
• The review committee will not include any of the SPRC members who participated in the decision under review. The review process will be initiated within a reasonable period of time after the Dean receives the written request for review.
• As part of the review process the review committee may meet with both the student and the Chair of the SPRC before making a final recommendation. Outside parties may not attend.
• The review committee will make a recommendation to the Dean regarding the merit of the student’s request.
• A final decision will be rendered by the Dean and communicated to the student in writing within a reasonable period of time. The Dean will strive to complete this process within 20 business days of the receipt of the request for review.
• In the event of a dismissal or suspension, the student cannot remain in the curriculum during the reconsideration process.
• The Dean is not obligated to meet with the student.
• The decision of the Dean is final.

Leave of Absence:

A student requesting a leave of absence (LOA) from the curriculum for greater than six weeks must petition the SPRC. Please see the School of Medicine’s Leave of Absence Guidelines for complete details.

Definitions:

• Academic difficulties are deficiencies in content knowledge, clinical skills, professional behavior, or failure to meet the School of Medicine Technical Standards.

• Business Days are Oakland University workdays.

• Official Notifications are messages sent by mail, email, or are hand delivered.

• Senior staff member is defined as an individual whose job title includes “Dean”.

Related Policies and Forms: