Academic Standing Policy

ARC-PA 6^th ed Standards A3.14a,f

As members of a graduate medical program, PA students are held to the academic standards required by the Gayle Bolt Price School of Graduate Studies. Satisfactory academic progress must be evident and demonstrated by students to continue in the program. It is the responsibility of students to know their academic status. Students whose cumulative program GPA drops below 3.0 may not hold elected or appointed student leadership positions.

The Academic Progression Committee (APC) will assess all students’ academic performance and make determinations of academic standing at the end of each semester. The APC will evaluate academic standing related to egregious professionalism violations concurrently with notification of each violation (see Part II, section 14).

1. Good Academic Standing
   The status of a student who has satisfactorily met course and clinical requirements and has demonstrated appropriate professional behavior. The student has a minimum semester and cumulative program GPA of ≥3.0.
2. Good Academic Standing with Warning 1
   • Examples include but are not limited to:
     • Failing to complete an assignment
     • Two (2) professionalism violations while enrolled in the program
     • First occurrence of semester GPA <3.0
     • First occurrence of a failure to successfully pass a course-level remediation
   • Students are strongly encouraged to meet with their advisor on a monthly basis to discuss improvement strategies.
3. Good Academic Standing with Warning 2
   • Second occurrence of cumulative program GPA less than 3.0
   • Students are strongly encouraged to continue meeting monthly with their advisor. They must also meet with the course director of each course to create study plans and discuss steps for success within that course. The student will then submit these study plans to their advisor for discussion.
4. Good Academic Standing with Warning 3
   • Third and subsequent occurrences thereafter of cumulative program GPA less than 3.0
   • Student strongly encouraged to continue meeting with their advisor and each course director for added support and implementation of study plans. Tutoring may be offered at this point.
5. Probation
   • Three (3) professionalism violations while enrolled in the program
6. Dismissal
   An action whereby a student is dismissed from the GWU Department of PA Studies -due to failure to adhere to
   program standards, including but not limited to academic, clinical, and/or professional standards. Examples can
   include, but are not limited to, the following:
   • Cheating
   • Plagiarism
   • Conviction of a felony
   • Positive drug & alcohol screen
   • Violation of drug & alcohol screen/background check policy
   • Course failure defined as a final course grade of F
   • A fourth professionalism violation
   • Excessive absences of more than 25% of classes per course, resulting in the student receiving an F
   • Cumulative program GPA less than 3.0 at the end of the clinical year or when mathematically impossible for student to achieve a 3.0 or greater prior to the conclusion of the clinical year.

The Dismissal Appeal Policy can be found in Part II, Section 6.