7. Academic Status of Students
7.1 Student Status Committees. Student Status Committees will review the academic performance of Students in the School of Dentistry. This includes postgraduate and specialty programs whose accreditation requires that Faculty maintain academic standards. The Student Status Committees will follow their prescribed evaluation procedures and keep Students informed of their academic performance.
a. Membership. For every academic term in which grades are recorded, a separate committee will be formed of the course directors for each class of Dental and International Dental Students to review the academic performance of that class. In postgraduate specialty and residency programs, Student status is determined by the Program Director in consultation with the Faculty.
b. Each committee will be composed of course directors for the specific class during that term for the specific year (D1, D2, etc.) and program.
c. The Chairperson of the Faculty Council, with the concurrence of the Faculty Council, will approve the membership of each committee and will designate one member of the Faculty to chair each of the Student Status Committees (the “Chair”). The Chair will begin with the incoming Students, D1 or ID3, and continue to chair the Student Status Committee for that class until the class graduates. Should the Chair of the Committee not be able to serve the multiple-year term due to changes in circumstances (such as leaving the University, or other personal or extenuating circumstances for example), the Chair of the Faculty Council will appoint a new chair to serve out the remainder of that term.
d. In addition to the course directors, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Education, and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will be ex-officio members of the Student Status Committees.
7.1.2 The Chairperson of the Faculty Council may, with concurrence of the Council, appoint other Faculty to specified committees.
7.1.3 Attendance. Course directors are expected to attend all meetings of the Student Status Committee(s) to which they are appointed.
a. Course directors may appoint an alternate to attend a meeting in their place, provided that the alternate has a Faculty appointment at UCSF and is a member of the teaching staff for the course in question.
b. If no qualified alternate is available, and if any deficient or provisional grade was assigned, the course director must submit a written report to the Chairperson in advance of any scheduled meetings.
7.1.4 Meetings. All Student Status Committees will meet at least once at the end of each term after grades are assigned, and are expected to meet no later than the second week of the new academic term except in unavoidable circumstances.
7.1.5 Voting. Voting members of the Student Status Committees will consist of the course directors, or their qualified alternates.
a. Quorum. A quorum will consist of not less than three voting members who are course directors, or their qualified alternates (Faculty teaching in the course that can represent the course director).
7.1.6 Functions. The review of Student academic performance is the responsibility of the Faculty of the School of Dentistry and is administered through the Student Status Committees.
7.2 Performance Review. For each quarter, the Student Status Committees will review the performance of Students whose records indicate any of the following:
a. NP, UP and not reported grades in the most recent term resulting from inadequate mastery of course content, as described by the course (didactic, laboratory, or clinical) requirements or syllabus;
b. NP or UP grades resulting from deficiencies in meeting professionalism outcome measures in one or more specific courses, or receiving two or more Professionalism Evaluation Reports indicating unprofessional conduct, as described in the “Professionalism as a Core Competency in the Academic Program of the UCSF School of Dentistry” document available on the School of Dentistry website and in paper copy through the Student Services Office;
c. NP, UP and not reported grades in prior terms resulting from inadequate mastery of the course content as described by the course requirements or syllabus;
d. Provisional (I,Y) grades;
e. Academic Warning, Academic Probation, or repetition of one or more terms;
f. Initial screening for eligibility for Academic Dismissal.
7.2.1 Student Status Committees will issue the following academic restrictions on Students based upon the outcome of the performance review:
a. Academic Warning.
- 1. A Student who receives 1 to 3 units graded NP or UP based on inadequate mastery of course content or of laboratory or clinical skills, will be placed on Academic Warning. Postgraduate Students who acquire a deficiency of 1 to 6 grade points will be placed on Academic Warning. [Amended 2/98]
2. A Student who receives, a grade of NP or UP in a 1-3 unit course that is based on his/her receiving 2 or more Professionalism Evaluation Reports during the course, thereby demonstrating a pattern of unprofessional behavior.
3. A Student who receives two or more Professionalism Evaluation Reports for any reason, even if the Student passes the academic requirements in all courses.
4. The Student will be required to meet with the Dean and Course Director in order to define the criteria for removing the NP or UP arising from a pattern of unprofessional behavior.
b. Academic Probation.
- 1. A student who receives more than 3 units graded NP or UP or who is on Academic Warning and fails to remove the deficiencies in a timely manner will be placed on Academic Probation. Postgraduate students who acquire a deficiency of 7 or more grade points or a cumulative GPA below 2.0 will be placed on Academic Probation. [Amended 3/09]
2. A student who receives 2 or more Professionalism Evaluation Reports in a single-quarter course with 4 or more units, or in a multi-quarter course.
3. A student who fails to engage in remediation for documented unprofessional behavior, or who receives additional Professionalism Evaluation Reports for any reason, will be placed on Academic Probation.
4. The student will be required to meet with the Dean and the Course Director in order to define the criteria for remediating the unprofessional behavior.
c. Requirement to Repeat One or More Terms.
A Student or Resident who (1) has been on Academic Probation for one or more quarters and (2) has not remediated the documented deficiencies may be asked by the Student Status Committee to repeat one or more terms in the academic program.
d. Appeal of the Requirement to Repeat One or More Terms.
- 1. A Student or Resident who is asked to repeat one or more terms may appeal to the Student Status Committee and, upon appeal, will be given an opportunity to present mitigating circumstances and/or documentary evidence of progress supporting continuation in the academic program. The Student or Resident must request an appeal in writing to the Chair of the Student Status Committee within three working days of notice of the requirement to repeat one or more terms. The term “working days” is based on UCSF’s academic and administrative calendar.
2. The request for appeal will be made by the Student or Resident to the Chair of the Student Status Committee and must include the reason for the appeal. The request may be mailed, emailed, or hand delivered to the Chair within the three working days of the notice to repeat one or more terms.
3. The Student or Resident will be invited to attend, in person, a portion of the appeal meeting with the Student Status Committee to present information orally and/or in writing for the Committee to consider, and may be expected to respond to questions. The Student may bring someone to the meeting for support but that person will not be allowed to speak, and that person may not be an attorney engaged to represent the student with the appeal.
4. After the discussion with the Student or Resident and review of written materials, the Student or Resident will be excused from the meeting. The Student Status Committee will continue deliberations and determine if the original decision is to be upheld, or if the Student or Resident will be permitted to continue in the academic program. The decision of the Committee is final and there is no further appeal.
5. The School’s Associate Dean for Education will notify the Student or Resident of the decision in writing by mail or email, or in person. The decision is final and becomes effective as of the date of the notification.
e. Changes of Student Status.
The Student Status Committee shall inform the Faculty Council of changes in the terms of any Student’s Academic Warning, Academic Probation, requirement to repeat a term or terms, or requirement to undergo a review of eligibility for Academic Dismissal.
f. Notification.
The Chairperson of the Student Status Committee or designee will notify any Student(s) who is placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation, who must repeat one or more term(s), or who is identified as eligible for Academic Dismissal from the School of Dentistry, and any consequences of the action, verbally and in writing by mail or email, within three working days of the determination by the Status Committee. This notification shall include information about the review process for any Student determined to be eligible for Academic Dismissal as further described in 7. 2.2.1(a) herein.
7.2.2 Academic Dismissals. With respect to Academic Dismissals, the Student Status Committee performs two functions (Academic Senate Bylaws, Appendix VII, Section 2.0)
a. Step 1. Initial screening for eligibility for Academic Dismissal and eligibility determination, and
b. Step 2. In-depth review of eligibility for Academic Dismissal and determination of Academic Dismissal. (See 7.3In-Depth Review Committee below.) This includes dismissal for academic reasons as described in section 7.2.2.1 and for unprofessional conduct as described in the policy Professionalism as a Core Competency of the Academic Program of the UCSF School of Dentistry (available online and in paper copy through the Office of the Dean of the School of Dentistry.)
7.2.2.1 Determination of Eligibility for Dismissal.
Student Status Committees will determine if a Student who has been on Academic Probation for two or more terms, or who has received 8 or more units graded NP or UP, or a postgraduate Resident who has accumulated a deficiency of 14 or more grade points, or any Student (predoctoral or postgraduate) who is either responsible for an unprofessional action, or who shows a continued pattern of unprofessional behavior, will be [Amended 2/98]:
a. Identified as Eligible for Dismissal from the School of Dentistry.
A Student who has been identified as eligible for Dismissal will receive formal notice as described in this section that his/her performance does not meet School Standards and that decision will therefore be reviewed by the In-Depth Review Committee for an in-depth review of academic performance and consideration of Dismissal.
The Chair of the In-Depth Review Committee or his or her designee, will send the Student notice in writing and conveyed electronically, or in person. The notice will inform the Student of his/her right to submit information for the In-Depth Review Committee’s consideration. The notice will include the specific reasons for the referral for in-depth review, the rules and procedures governing the In-Depth Review Committee’s deliberations, the Student’s right to review and request a copy of his/her educational record, and the written information that will be provided by the School to the In-Depth Review Committee.
7.3 Non Academic Misconduct is separate from unprofessional conduct as proscribed by Section 7.2 and in the “Professionalism is a Core Competency in the Academic Program of the UCSF School of Dentistry” document available on the School of Dentistry website, and in paper copy through the Student Services Office. Other conduct issues are treated separately and covered under the University of California Policies Applying to Campus Activities, Organizations, and Students (PACAOS), available online at the Student Academic Affairs website,
7.4 In-Depth Review Committee. The Associate Dean for Education or Residency Program Director (in the case of post graduate residents) shall appoint an In-Depth Review Committee.
a. Membership. This In-Depth Review Committee shall consist of Faculty members within the School who are knowledgeable about the academic program and Student performance standards. The Student Status Committee members may serve in this role. The In-Depth Review Committee may include one or more Associate Deans as long as they number in minority to the other Committee members present at the review hearing. A quorum of not less than 3 members must be present to conduct the in-depth academic review.
b. Meetings. The In-Depth Review Committee will be appointed and will meet to review the Student’s entire academic record.
7.5 In-Depth Review And Dismissal Decision. (Academic Senate Bylaws, Appendix VII, 3.0 and 4.0)
7.5.1 Associate Dean for Education, or Residency Program Director, as applicable, will communicate to the Student or Resident the meeting date for the in-depth review, to occur no later than 15 working days after the Student is notified of the action.
7.5.2 The Student or Resident will receive a copy of his/her record of academic performance within 5 working days following notification of eligibility for Dismissal or mandated leave of absence.
7.5.3 The In-Depth Review Committee shall undertake a comprehensive review of the entire academic performance of the Student or Resident.
7.5.4 The Student or Resident may submit additional written information, including information from other individuals, and may address any aspect of his or her academic performance in writing to the Committee. The Student or Resident will submit any such additional information at least 5 working days before the Committee meeting.
7.5.5 The School or Graduate Program will provide the Student or Resident and the In-Depth Review Committee with any additional information provided by the Student or Resident and the School or Graduate Program no later than 5 working days before the Committee meeting.
7.5.6 If further relevant material, such as course or clinical evaluations, becomes available within 5 working days of the meeting, it shall be provided by the School to both the In-Depth Review Committee and the Student or Resident.
7.5.7 The Student or Resident will be invited to attend a portion of the In-Depth Review Committee meeting in order to make a statement and answer questions from the committee members. The Student or Resident may bring another person to the meeting for personal support, but this person and may not speak unless requested to do so by the members of the In-Depth Review Committee and may not be an attorney representing the Student or Resident.
7.5.8 The In-Depth Review Committee will carefully deliberate and review the Student’s or Resident’s entire academic record and/or professional performance. Based on their review, the Review Committee shall make one of the following determinations:
a. Allow the Student or Resident to continue in the program with specific conditions and a timeline for remediation, and establish dates for review of compliance with those conditions and timeline.
b. Offer or mandate a leave of absence with specific conditions and timeline for return, and establish dates to review compliance with the conditions and timeline.
c. Confirm Dismissal.
7.5.9 All decisions require a majority vote of the members present.
7.5.10 The In-Depth Review Committee will prepare a letter that includes an explanation of its finding and decision to the Associate Dean for Education and the Chair of the Student Status Committee, or Graduate Program Director in the case of post graduate Residents.
7.5.11 The Associate Dean for Education will notify the Student or Resident of the decision and its basis in writing and electronically, or in person. A Dismissal becomes effective as of the date of the written notification from the Associate Dean for Education and a dismissed Student or Resident is immediately unenrolled, even if pursuing an Appeal.
7.6 Appeals. (Academic Senate Bylaws, Appendix VII, section 5.0)
7.6.1 There is no appeal of the In-Depth Review Committee decision to continue a Student or Resident. in the program, or mandate a leave of absence, or any conditions or timelines associated with those decisions.
7.6.2 There are two grounds for a Student or Resident to appeal a Dismissal decision to the Dean:
a. Factual errors in the records that were not identified at the In-Depth Review Committee meeting, if such failure would have changed the In-Depth Review Committee’s decision.
b. Failure of the In-Depth Review Committee to follow the procedure set forth in this section, if such failure would have changed the In-Depth Review Committee’s decision.
7.6.3 Request for Appeal. A request for appeal must be made in writing to the Dean with 10 working days of the Student being notified of Dismissal. The appeal must specify which of the above two grounds for appeal applies and must set forth specific facts to explain why, with any supporting materials.
7.6.4 The Dean will determine if there are grounds to reconsider the In-Depth Review Committee Dismissal decision within five working days. If there are grounds for reconsideration, the Dean may modify the In-Depth Review Committee’s decision; and will provide the In-Depth Review Committee members with a report of his/her actions and indicate why those actions were taken.
7.6.5 The Dean will notify the Student in writing of his/her decision. The Dean’s decision will be final and will conclude the Grievance and Appeal procedure.
7.7 Withdrawal and Readmission.
7.7.1 Under the provisions of SR 912, a registered Student who Withdraws from the University before the end of the term without authorization certified by the Registrar will receive a grade of NP (or F in the case of each elective course or postgraduate course), in each course in which the Student is enrolled.
7.7.2 A former Student who was on Academic Warning or Academic Probation at the time of Withdrawal may petition the Admissions Committee for Readmission.
7.7.3 Any Student seeking Readmission may be required by the Faculty to repeat part or all of the curriculum, or may be required to go through the admissions process.