Dismissal

A student will be subject to dismissal from the program for substandard academic, professional, or social conduct performance, including any of the following reasons:

•  Violation of the Elon Academic or Social Honor Code,
• Failure to earn a grade of “C” or higher in a repeated course of study,
• A second grade of Unsatisfactory (“U”) in the program,
• Any event that could result in either academic or professional warning or probation for a student currently or previously on academic or professional probation, 
• Lack of professional attributes considered appropriate for continuance in the program and profession,
• Failure to satisfy the DPTE Technical Standards,
• Violation of the terms of probation as stated in the probationary letter,
• Being convicted of or having a subsequent conviction of a crime that will preclude the individual from taking the physical therapy licensing examination or participating in clinical practicums. A record of conviction of, or entered plea of guilty, or nolo contendere with respect to any felony, or any crime against a dependent population, specifically including but not limited to, elder abuse, child abuse, or child molestation, may prevent a physical therapy student from participating in clinical practica.

Dismissal Procedure - The following process applies when a student is subject to dismissal for unsatisfactory academic or professional performance:

• The facts and reasons in support of the recommendation for dismissal are presented by the DPTSREC to the DPTE Chair/Associate Chair.
• The student and their DPTE faculty advisor are notified that the student is being considered for academic or professional dismissal.  The student is advised to obtain guidance from their DPTE faculty advisor in order to clearly understand the subsequent steps.
• The core DPTE faculty will review and consider all relevant information from the professor(s) to make a preliminary determination regarding student dismissal or continuation in the program.
• The student will be advised of the faculty’s preliminary determination by the DPTE Chair. Potential outcomes may include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Move to dismissal from the DPT program, subject to full review (see above);
  • Require specific steps to remediate and/or resolve issues related to the unsatisfactory academic or professional performance
  • A student with a repeated module grade-point average (GPA) less than a 3.0 may return to the curriculum on academic probation and must improve the GPA to 3.0 or higher or be subject to dismissal from the program.

If the preliminary determination is to move to dismissal, the student may present their case to the DPTE Chair and DPTE faculty.  The student may choose to have one support person present during the presentation and must notify the DPTE Chair of the designated support person at least 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. The support person must meet all the following criteria:

• Must be a current member of the Elon University faculty or staff but may not come from the DPTE or the office of the Dean, Provost, or President,
• May not actively participate in or make any statement during the meeting, and
• Must understand and abide by the expectation that all information shared in the meeting is confidential.

The DPTE faculty will review and consider all relevant information from the professor(s) and the student to make a final decision regarding student dismissal or continuation in the program.

The student will then be given a written notification of the final decision by the DPTE Chair.

PROCESS FOR APPEALING DISMISSAL DECISIONS

If the student is not in agreement with a probation or dismissal decision and wishes to pursue an appeal, the student must submit a letter of appeal and any supporting documentation to the School of Health Sciences Dean’s Office within ten (10) business days of receiving written notification. If the student does not submit an appeal letter by the deadline, it is assumed that the student concurs with the decision. 

The School of Health Sciences Appeals Board has the authority to:

• Uphold the original decision;
• Uphold the original decision but amend the outcomes (more or less severe);
• Change the not/responsible finding; or
• Remand the case to the original hearing officer or hearing board.

The decision of the School of Health Sciences Appeals Board is final.