If an accepted applicant or current student has entered a plea bargain, been arrested, indicted, or convicted for violating any state or federal law, including DUI (excluding minor traffic violations) before enrollment as a student in the Department of PA Studies, that applicant or student must notify the -department director immediately. Due to the impact of such an event on the PA program, efforts to credential students at clinics/hospitals, and the implications for future state medical licensing, this information must be disclosed immediately.
If a student enters a plea bargain, is arrested, indicted, or convicted for violating any state or federal law, including DUI (excluding minor traffic violations) after matriculation as a Gardner-Webb University PA Studies student, immediate disclosure and provision of documentation to the Department of PA Studies – is required. Failure to disclose a plea bargain, arrest, indictment, or conviction of a violation of any state or federal law, including DUI (excluding minor traffic violations) that occurs while an enrolled PA student, may be grounds for dismissal from the Department of PA Studies and will be reviewed by the Academic Progression Committee on a case-by-case basis.
ARC-PA 6th ed Standard A3.16
Before matriculation, students offered a seat in the program must complete a criminal background check and drug screen via the program’s third party vendor. In addition, to fulfill the annual requirements of SCPE sites, students must annually repeat the criminal background check and drug screening designated by the clinical team.
All students are advised that the results of drug/alcohol screening, criminal background checks, and other required background screening will be released to third parties involved in their clinical education, with their consent.
Refer to the Institutional Policies of the University for Alcohol and Drug Policies. Failure to abide by this policy or failure of the drug/alcohol screening may result in the following:
In addition, the department reserves the right to conduct unannounced drug screening at its discretion (see Controlled Substance Examination Regulation Act or CSERA).
Each of the following warrants a recommendation for a professionalism violation (see Part II, section 14) and APC referral for possible dismissal from the program:
Applicants convicted of a felony or misdemeanor may be denied certification or licensure as a health professional. Eligibility information may be obtained from appropriate credentialing boards. Furthermore, supervised clinical practice experience sites will not permit participation in the clinical experience. This should be considered seriously by the candidate before application and enrollment.
Applicants accepted into the GWU Department of PA Studies who answered “no” to questions relating to the criminal background in their CASPA application and are found to have a subsequent positive criminal background check may be dismissed from the program based on misrepresentation.
Any criminal offense incurred after the student matriculates (misdemeanor or felony) must be reported to the program director within five (5) business days and may result in the student’s dismissal from the program; if this occurs, tuition and fees will not be refunded. In the event of a reported incident, a determination about the applicant’s/student’s continued progress in the academic program will be made by Gardner-Webb University, according to the GWU Department of PA Studies policy.
Felony conviction as a student within the Gardner-Webb Department of PA Studies will result in immediate dismissal from the GWU PA Studies program.
