Disciplinary Procedures for Violations of PA Program Standards

Students whose performance is unacceptable due to inability to meet the Standards for Academic and Professional Conduct, Technical Standards, or who do not adhere to program policy (referred to hereafter as PA Program Standards) may be subject to probation, suspension, or dismissal. Such matters will be considered by the Academic and Professional Progress Committee (APPC) according to the following process:

1. The APPC receives and considers PA Program Standards concerns about students. Concerns may be forwarded by faculty members, outside clinicians, advisors, administrators, or other Elon employees.
2. A quorum of the APPC is required to act. A quorum shall be a majority of the faculty members on the APPC. The Program Director shall not be counted for purposes of defining a quorum. If it is not possible to convene a quorum of the APPC for any reason, the Dean may appoint one or more faculty members to serve on the APPC on an ad hoc basis.
3. Upon receipt of a concern that the Program Director determines may violates PA Program Standards, the Program Director shall convene the APPC. If the concern is such that it might result in a student’s dismissal from the program, the Program Director shall notify the Dean.
4. In the event the Program Director is unable to fulfill the responsibilities described for the APPC process, the Program Director shall designate another faculty member to fulfill those functions. References in this process to the Program Director shall include any such designee.
5. The Program Director will provide written notice to the student of the concerns. The notice will identify the PA Program Standards in question and briefly summarize the allegations. The written notice will also include the date, time, and location of the APPC meeting to consider the allegations. This written notice shall be provided at least five (5) working days in advance of the meeting.
6. The Program Director will be present during the meeting. The Program Director will provide information relevant to the allegations, advise on program policy and standards, and facilitate the review and decision-making process. The Program Director may ask other individuals with information relevant to the allegations to present that information. If the Program Director or other faculty members have previously made an official determination that the allegations in question constitute a violation, those individuals may participate in the meeting but will not be present for deliberations or vote on the student’s compliance with applicable standards.
7. The student is encouraged to attend the APPC meeting. The student shall have access to the student’s education record to prepare for the meeting. The student will be provided an opportunity to speak and to present relevant information. The student may bring an advisor to this meeting. The advisor must be an individual from the Elon community (currently enrolled student, faculty, or staff member). The advisor may not speak, present information, or disrupt the meeting in any way. The unavailability of an advisor shall not be a basis for postponing the meeting. If a student decides not to participate in the APPC meeting, the APPC may meet and make its decision based on the information that is presented.
8. Members of the APPC, including the Program Director, may ask questions of the student; and the student may ask questions of the APPC members. The tone of the meeting should be respectful, and all information and discussion should be relevant to the PA Program Standards in question.
9. After the student has presented and any exchange of information with the APPC has concluded, the student will depart. The APPC members, including the Program Director, will meet in a private session to determine whether or not the student is out of compliance with any PA Program Standard. The Program Director will not vote on the matter unless the vote of other APPC members results in a tie vote.

If the APPC determines that the student is not in compliance with one or more PA Program Standards, the APPC will determine appropriate outcomes. Outcomes could include one or more of the following:

• If the student has less that a 3.00 grade point average (GPA), the student may return to the curriculum on academic probation and must improve the GPA to 3.00 or higher or be subject to dismissal from the program.
• Require or highly recommend counseling to improve academic performance and/or professional behavior (including ability to meet technical standards).
• Suspension from the PA Program.
• Dismissal from the PA Program.

The APPC will produce a written decision and transmit it to the Program Director. The decision will state the concerns raised (including relevant student history and timeline); identify the PA Program Standard(s) in question; report the decision on whether or not the student is in compliance with the Standards; and state key facts and reasoning to support the decision and outcomes.  The APPC will endeavor to issue its written decision within five (5) business days but may take additional time if necessary due to the complexity of the case or other unusual circumstances.  The Program Director will transmit the APPC’s written decision to the student and provide a copy to the Dean. The transmittal to the student will inform the student of their appeal rights, including permitted bases for appeal, timeline to appeal, and how to submit an appeal.