Skip to main content
Faculty and Staff

Pharm.D. Program

Appeals Process

The College has a requirement that all students must maintain a 2.00 GPA  in all professional coursework in order to remain in the program.  Also, is a requirement that students must have a 2.2 GPA to graduate.  In addition, no student is allowed to earn a grade of less than C- on clinical rotations.  Students failing to meet these  requirements are subject to review by the Scholastic Standing Committee of the College. 

Following is a description of the process which will be used for students in academic difficulty.  Please note, the College will follow the general guidelines outlined in the University Manual in these matters (8.23.10 – 8.26.11). 

  1. Notification of students – the Office of Student Affairs will review student records each semester to monitor conformity to College retention requirements.  Students who earn a GPA less than 2.00 in required coursework, or who fail to achieve the minimum grade in clinical rotations will receive a letter from the Associate Dean notifying them of their deficiency and their right to appeal their potential dismissal.

  2. Letter of appeal – students who wish to appeal their dismissal from the College have five days from receipt of their notification to request a waiver, giving reasons for their request.  This letter is sent to the Office of the Associate Dean and will be shared with the Scholastic Standing Committee of the College.

  3. Scholastic Standing Meeting – students who wish may attend the Scholastic Standing Committee meeting which will consider their request.  While attendance is not required, it is an opportunity for students to provide additional perspective with committee members regarding their situation. 

  4. Decision – the decision of the Scholastic Standing Committee will be final and may consist of one of the following:

    • The dismissal will be waived and the student will be placed on probation for one semester and will be required to bring the professional GPA to 2.00.

    • The dismissal will be waived and the student will be given a contract in which they will achieve particular letter grades in a limited number of professional courses (e.g: no less than 2 B’s and 1 C).

    • The dismissal will be confirmed and the student will be dismissed from the pharmacy program.  The student may still have a sufficient cumulative GPA to remain at the University, in which case he/she will choose a new major.  If their cumulative GPA is such that they are below the University minimum, they will be dismissed from the University. 

Grade Resolution

If a student disagrees with a grade given for a course, he/she  may appeal using the procedure described below:

  1. Review of Syllabus – A professor is required to provide each student a written grading policy in the syllabus, which must be distributed within the first week of class (8.5.2.10).  When the grading policy is changed during the semester, students must be informed in writing of these changes as soon as possible.  If a professor fails to provide the syllabus as described above, the student should notify the department chair.

  2. Meet with Professor – The student should make an appointment with the instructor and provide evidence to support the appeal of the grade.  This meeting should occur no later than two weeks from the start of the next semester. 

  3. Meet with Department Chair - The student may appeal the decision of the instructor by meeting with the department chair to provide his/her argument for a change of grade. It is expected that the chair will also consult with the instructor to evaluate the grading decision.

  4. Meet with the Associate Dean – If the grade is still unresolved, the student and the instructor may meet with the Associate Dean to assist with the resolution of the problem. The Associate Dean will refer any unresolved grade issue to the Scholastic Standing committee. The decision of the Scholastic Standing Committee will be final.

  5. Ombud – Students wishing to appeal this decision should meet with the University Ombud.

student interviews