Policies

Attendance Policy

The educational programs at UTHSC have been developed by the faculty and staff to provide students with the information and experiences necessary to become practicing professionals. It is expected that students attend the various educational opportunities provided for them as a part of the curriculum of the College. The College of Pharmacy will verify attendance of its student pharmacists in academically- related activities by a formal process in compliance with Federal regulations and UTHSC guidelines. Students will be asked to verify academic attendance for all required and elective classes during the first week of the term. All students will be required to show a photo ID, issued by UTHSC at its Memphis campus in their first professional year, and sign a log of attendance in the presence of an administrative staff member of the College. Attendance will also be verified after the midpoint of the term using attendance at an examination. If a leave of 2 or more school days is needed, the student must directly contact the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs as soon as possible.

Individual faculty may consider attendance mandatory for certain educational experiences. Students will be informed, in writing, where policy requires class or examination attendance and will be given information regarding excused absences, necessary documentation and any penalties that may be associated with failure to take quizzes or examinations on time.

Make-Up Examination

A student who anticipates missing an examination must contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (Dr. Phelps) by e-mail (sphelps@uthsc.edu) or phone (901-448-1929) prior to the examination. If this is not possible due to an unexpected absence, the student must notify Dr. Phelps in writing within 24 hours of the exam time. The Associate Dean of Academic Affairs will review all requests and grants approval. Requests fall into three categories: 1) excused with no penalty; 2) excused with penalty; and 3) not excused. Excused absences not subject to penalty will be given in the case of serious illness that requires hospitalization of the student, or hospitalization/death of an immediate family member (sister, brother, mother, father, child, spouse, grandmother, grandfather). Excused absences subject to penalty are generally given for students with illnesses that do not require hospitalization (documentation required), or for motor vehicle problems immediately prior to the exam.  Unexcused absences occur when a student fails to contact the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs prior to the missed examination or has an absence that does not fall into the above categories. If the absence is unexcused, the student will earn zero (0) points for the examination and will not be given a make up examination. The penalty incurred is based on the total number of examinations missed during a semester (see table below).  A student with an excused absence must take the missed examination as soon as possible after he/she returns, but no later than 2 business days after his/her return to class, unless there are extenuating circumstances that have been approved by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.  Students are not permitted to miss classes in order to take a make-up examination.

Additional information can be obtained from the Office of Academic Affairs or found on the college website (http://www.uthsc.edu/pharmacy/offices/academicaffairs/).

Grading Policy

The College of Pharmacy will use a grading system that permits the faculty to award, in combination with certain letter grades, a “plus” or “minus” to appropriately recognize and reward the academic achievements of students in the College. The course director or faculty member is responsibility for the grading scale to be used in determining a student’s letter grade in their respective course. It is to be emphasized that a course grading scale remains the province of the individual faculty member. Once the letter grade has been assigned, the grading system will use the following quality point scale for purposes of reporting and recording student grades on routine grade reports and transcripts:

The letters “P” or “F” are recorded to indicate pass or failure in specific designated (P/F) courses.

The letters “WP” or “WF” are recorded to indicate pass or failure in those instances in which a student withdraws from a course before completion, and is either passing or failing, respectively. The letter grade of “W” will be recorded when a student withdraws from a course before there has been evaluation of the student to determine whether he/she is passing or failing. If withdrawal occurs before the midpoint of a course, the grade for the dropped course is recorded as a ‘W’ on the official transcript. If withdrawal occurs after the midpoint, but before the course is 70% completed, the grade for the dropped course is recorded as either ‘WP’ (withdrawn passing) or ‘WF’ (withdrawn failing) depending on the student’s grades in the course at the time of withdrawal. Once a course is ≥70% completed, a withdrawal is not permitted except under extenuating circumstances. Any student who fails to complete the course will receive zero(s) for any uncompleted assignments and tests, and the final course grade will incorporate those zero(s) into the grade calculation.

The designation of “I” (Incomplete) will be used when a student is unable to complete the course at the regular time. In such cases, arrangements will be made by the course director for the student to complete the requirements, and the “I” will then be replaced by whatever grade the student earns. It is the responsibility of the student to work with the course director in determining when and under what circumstances the “I” grade can be changed. The student must complete all remaining course requirements by the end of the term following that in which the ‘incomplete’ was received. Otherwise the ‘I’ will be changed to an ‘F’ for the permanent record.

Dropping or Adding a Course

Students are allowed to drop or add courses in rare occasions, most commonly dropping or adding an elective course or clinical rotation. Students wishing to drop or add an elective course or rotation should contact the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs or the Director, Experiential Learning, respectively. If a request to drop or add an elective course or clinical rotation is approved, college officials will submit the necessary forms to the Office of the Registrar. Students should be aware that depending on the timing and nature of the requested change, any resulting change in total enrolled credit hours could affect enrollment status, eligibility for tuition refunds or financial aid, student loan repayments, and subsequent grades appearing on the student’s official transcript.

Auditing a Course

Students are not allowed to audit courses in the College of Pharmacy curriculum.

Leave of Absence/Withdrawal

The College of Pharmacy recognizes that absences may be necessary during a portion of an academic program and strives to accommodate such absences to enable students to continue in, and complete, their academic programs. Students should be aware, however, that it may be difficult to provide suitable options for makeup of missed assignments/activities even with short term absences, given the intensity, complexity and fast pace of the professional degree program.

A short term leave of absence (LOA) (e.g., illness, accidents, bereavement, other personal matters, etc.) would generally involve an absence no longer than a week during an official school term. An extended or long term LOA (college recommended/required, medical, family leave, military leave, etc.) may vary depending on the reason for the leave and would normally be longer than a week and not more than 6 months. Return after an extended leave requires approval of the Dean or designee; and for absences longer than 6 months, the student may be required to reapply for admission. Such admission is not granted automatically and is dependent on the student’s academic and disciplinary records and space availability.

Prolonged absences may result in a requirement to repeat a significant portion of the program and/or to petition for readmission. Prolonged absences also affect eligibility for loan deferment and may require that students who are not in attendance for 30 days be listed as “withdrawn.” If students are unable to complete a term for which aid has been received, he/she may also be required to repay some or all of the aid received for that term. Students are advised to consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding financial obligations related to prolonged absences.

A student requesting an LOA must submit a letter to the Dean of the College with a copy to the Associate Dean, Student Affairs. The letter must include a proposal for LOA approval that includes starting and ending dates of the LOA, the reason for the LOA, any documentation supporting the need for an LOA, a general plan or endpoint for resolution of the emergency or condition, and a plan for completion of coursework upon return from the LOA. The Associate Dean, Student Affairs will convene a committee composed of the  Associate Dean, Knoxville, Associate Dean, Nashville, and the Associate Dean, Academic Affairs who will review the LOA proposal and determine if the proposal meets the conditions to grant an LOA. In the case of a short- term LOA due to an emergency when formal advance notice is not practical, the student, or a responsible party, should contact the Dean’s office by telephone (901-448-6036) and describe the circumstances of the short-term absence. After the acute emergency has improved, the student should follow the directions above for requesting an LOA.

If the LOA is provisionally approved, a subcommittee of the Academic Standing and Promotion Review Committee (ASPR) will review the student’s transcript and plan for completion of coursework following the LOA and will make recommendations for completion of the program to the Dean and the Associate Dean, Student Affairs. A student may be required to re-take some or all of previously completed coursework. The Associate Dean, Student Affairs will notify the student of the College’s decision and conditions associated with reinstatement following the LOA and submit the student status change form to Campus administrative offices. At the end of the LOA period, the student should notify the Dean and Associate Dean, Student Affairs in writing at least 30 calendar days prior to the first day of classes for the term in which the student will reinstate his or her enrollment.

Withdrawal Based on Student-Requested Change in Status

In instances in which he/she needs to withdraw from an academic program for an extended period, the student must provide written notice to the Dean or designee of the college. Either the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs then completes a ‘student status change form’, indicating whether the withdrawing student is leaving in good standing. On receipt of this form, the Bursar’s office determines whether the student is eligible for refund of some or all of their tuition and fees (see Bursar’s web site for refund policy - http://www.uthsc.edu/finance/bursar). Given the tight timelines relating to these refunds, students are advised that withdrawals must be processed in a timely manner. Otherwise, the student will stand accountable for any fees/tuition charged.

Withdrawal due to Non-Attendance

A student who ceases to attend courses without formal approval will be considered to have withdrawn. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will notify the Registrar’s office as soon as such students are identified, and initiate a ‘student status change form’ that triggers notification of all supporting offices. If the student has received Title IV Aid, the Financial Aid Office will perform a Return to Title IV calculation and the Registrar’s Office will report the change of student status to the federal funding agency. The grade point average for the student will be reported as zero during this period of enrollment. The date recorded for the change in status will be used to determine whether the student is eligible for repayment of a portion of their refunds of tuition and fees. It is the responsibility of the student to repay all loans in accordance with his/her loan agreements.

Course-specific Appeal Procedures

Students who wish to appeal a grade in a course should appeal to the course director who is required to respond to the student within 5 working days.  If the course director does not respond in a timely manner, or if the student wishes to appeal further, then a student may appeal to the department chair in which the course resides who will respond within 10 working days.

Student Identification Badges

Students must wear a visible UTHSC Identification badges all times they are on campus.   In addition, students must wear a name badge at all times in the pharmacy practice laboratory and clinical practice sites.

Dress Code

Student Attire in the Classroom

1. Students must wear a visible UTHSC ID.
2. No hats or head covering of any kind, except for religious, cultural, medical or ethnic observations
3. Pants
   1. No excessively tattered or worn pants and no clothing with holes
   2. No Shorts
4. Shirts
   1. No revealing clothing, including low cut blouses or shirts/pants that allow the abdomen to be exposed. Likewise, pants should not be cut too low or worn in a manner that causes the upper portion of the buttock or underwear to be to be exposed.
   2. No strapless shirts, shirts with spaghetti straps, or halter tops
   3. No T-shirts with discriminatory or derogative statements or graphics
   4. T-shirts that are sold by student or pharmacy organizations or UT are allowed. Jeans and scrubs are also allowed.
5. Shoes
   1. No flip-flops
   2. Dress sandals are appropriate for classes

Student Attire in Professional Practice Experiences, Settings & Labs*

Students are expected to dress professionally when engaged in experiential practice activities to project a professional image. The following dress code applies to all students in pharmacy labs and practice experiences:

1. Students must wear a name badge and a clean white waist length coat (or white pharmacy coat) at all times in the pharmacy practice laboratory and practice sites. (Scrubs are acceptable in certain labs IF the instructor has given permission, e.g., Patient Assessment lab)
2. In all patient care settings, male students must wear a dress shirt and tie and females should dress in similar professional/business attire.
3. Students may NOT wear the following in pharmacy laboratories or professional practice settings:
   1. Jeans
   2. Shorts
   3. T-shirts
   4. Dirty or soiled sneakers/tennis shoes
   5. A head covering, head garment, hat, or cap  unless for religious, cultural, medical or ethnic observations
   6. Excess jewelry or accessories that may interfere with safety and the effective performance of the processes and procedures being carried out including piercing of the eyebrow, lip, nose, and tongue
   7. Revealing clothing including low cut blouses or shirts/pants that allow the abdomen to be exposed. Likewise, pants should not be cut too low or worn in a manner that causes the upper portion of the buttock or underwear to be to be exposed
4. Tattoos on the arms, back and abdomen should not be visible to patients

*Individual sites and situations may have their own professional attire policies, which take precedence over the College of Pharmacy policy. The student must adhere to those requirements while in the respective facilities.

Complaints Policy

The College of Pharmacy is committed to a policy of fair treatment of its students in their relationships with the administration, faculty, staff and fellow students. The purpose of this policy is to establish, implement and operate a student complaint procedure. This policy shall be provided annually in writing to the first professional year class during the new student orientation, and to other professional year classes during the first week of classes in the fall term. In addition, the policy shall be continuously accessible by students through the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Webpage under “Current Students” (http://www.uthsc.edu/pharmacy/current_students/complaint_policy.php). Whenever possible, students should seek to resolve directly with the individuals involved those matters that serve as the basis for a student complaint. For those matters that the student is not able to resolve, relief may be sought through the following procedures:

If the subject matter of the complaint to be filed by the student is addressed by existing policy(s) of the University of Tennessee, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and/or the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, the student shall file the complaint with the responsible office, in the form and manner proscribed by that office.

Example One: If the complaint alleges that the student has been discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability or veteran status, the complaint shall be filed with the Director of Equity & Diversity for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

Example Two: If the complaint concerns academic dishonesty by a fellow student, the complaint shall be filed with a member of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy Honor Council, in the form and manner proscribed by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Honor Code.

Example Three: If the complaint concerns grades or academic progression  (formal appeal) the complaint shall be filed with the College of Pharmacy Academic Standing and Promotion Review Committee. The Committee will investigate the complaint and make a recommendation for action to the Dean.

Information concerning filing of complaints, such as the three examples provided immediately above, is provided in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Student Handbook (CenterScope; http://catalog.uthsc.edu/index.php?catoid=8) and on the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy websites.

If the subject matter of the complaint to be filed by the student is not addressed by existing policy(s) of the University of Tennessee, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and/or the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, the student shall file a written complaint with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. The complaint must be in writing, signed and dated by the student filing the complaint and submitted using the “Complaint Form” available on the College website (http://www.uthsc.edu/pharmacy/current_students/complaint_policy.php).

Upon receipt, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall review the complaint to verify that it meets the requirements for student complaints, as set forth in paragraph 2 immediately above. If the complaint does not meet the applicable requirements, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall request the student to prepare and submit the complaint in the form and manner proscribed. Upon receiving a complaint in the proscribed form and manner, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall, at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, take one of the following two actions:

1. Refer the complaint to an administrator, department chair or faculty member in a position of being able to respond to the complaint. The person to whom the complaint is referred shall investigate the complaint and shall submit to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs a written response to the complaint, and if appropriate, include a plan of corrective action. The written response shall be submitted within five(5) business days (excluding holidays) of receipt of the complaint from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall, within five (5) business days (excluding holidays) after receiving the written response, meet with the student to deliver and discuss the written response.

2. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall investigate the complaint and prepare a written response to the complaint, and if appropriate, include a plan of corrective action. The written response shall be prepared within five (5) business days of receipt of the written complaint from the student. Within five(5) business days of completing the written response, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs shall meet with the student to deliver and discuss the written response.

If the student is not satisfied with the written response pursuant to paragraph 3 immediately above, the student may file an appeal with the Dean of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. The appeal shall be in writing in the form of a letter addressed to the Dean, and shall be signed and dated by the student submitting the letter of appeal. The letter of appeal shall specifically state the reason(s) why the student is not satisfied with the written response and the relief sought by the student. Simultaneous with delivery of the letter of appeal to the Dean, a photocopy of the letter of appeal shall be delivered to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, who shall within five (5) business days (excluding holidays) of receipt of the letter of appeal deliver to the Dean the original written complaint filed by the student and the written response.

Upon receipt of the letter of appeal, the original complaint and the written response, the Dean shall review the compliant and within five (5) business days (excluding holidays) shall prepare a written decision on the letter of appeal. Within five (5) business days (excluding holidays) of completing the written decision, the Dean shall meet with the student to deliver and discuss the written decision. The Dean’s decision is final. However, if a student complaint related to the ACPE standards for accreditation is unresolved, they may file a formal complaint to the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education via email: csinfo@acpe-accredit.org as described in their policies on their website: https://www.acpe-accredit.org/complaints/.

The original written complaint and written response to the complaint, and if applicable, the letter of appeal and the written decision of the Dean shall be placed in a file on student complaints to be maintained by the Office of the Dean of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy. A photocopy of all documents placed in the file on student complaints shall also be placed in the file on the student who submitted the original written complaint.

All aspects  of student complaints shall be treated as  confidential in accordance with University of Tennessee policies on confidentiality of student records. Notwithstanding this confidentiality requirement, the file on student complaints maintained in the Office of the Dean shall be made available to representatives of the accrediting agencies.

Grievance Procedure for the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards

Any student may bring a grievance or complaint related to the accreditation standards or the policies and procedures of the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Any student complaint lodged against the College of Pharmacy, or the pharmacy program, alleging a violation of the ACPE accreditation standards should be submitted in writing to the College’s Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The accreditation standards (“Accreditation Standards and Guidelines for the Professional Program in Pharmacy Leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy Degree,” Guidelines Version 2.0, Adopted: January 23, 2011, Effective: February 14, 2011) can be found in the ACPE accreditation website at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. Complaints from other institutions, students, faculty, or the public against a college or school of pharmacy, including tuition and fee policies, and as related to ACPE standards, policies or procedures, shall be placed in writing in detail by the complainant and submitted to the ACPE office as described at the ACPE website at: https://www.acpe-accredit.org/complaints/.

Honor Council

Academic dishonesty at any point during the curriculum may result in a course letter grade of “F” and/or disciplinary actions as determined by the Dean of the college upon recommendation from its Honor Council. Please refer to the Honor Code of the Student Judicial System section of the official student handbook, CenterScope, at http://catalog.uthsc.edu/index.php?catoid=8 for the special provisions of the UTHSC Honor Code that pertain to the College of Pharmacy.

Criminal Background Checks for Matriculating Students

In order to assure that admitted students can successfully pursue careers as pharmacists and to conform to new requirements at clinical training sites, the College must assure that all entering students undergo a criminal background check (CBC) prior to matriculation. All newly accepted students must have an approved Criminal Background Check prior to matriculation at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Once accepted, applicants will receive information as to how to apply for the criminal background check. Adverse findings on a criminal background check may lead to a withdrawal of the offer of admission or denial of access to a clinical training site. The UTHSC Policy on Criminal Background Checks for Matriculating Students may be found in the student handbook (CenterScope), or at https://academic.uthsc.edu/policy_docs/criminal_background_checks.php.

A private company approved/licensed to perform CBCs will conduct these background checks.  Students will be referred to websitehttp://scholar.verifiedcredentials.com/uthsc and enter code VWWXF-88939 to initiate the Student Background Check.. A summary report will be sent to the College. If any discrepancies are noted the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will notify the student by telephone and in writing that the student must schedule an appointment to review the results of his/her background check. It will be necessary for the student to bring the complete, detailed copy of the report and all correspondence from the private company that conducted the CBC to the appointment. The student and the Academic and/or Student Affairs Dean will meet to solicit additional information or appropriate explanation of the code. Students who question the accuracy of the report should immediately send a brief written statement as to the area they believe to be incorrect to the private company that performed the CBC. If the student does not challenge the discrepancies results in the report or if the findings are such that the student does not meet the healthcare site’s CBC requirement, UTHSC enrollment and or participation in all clinical rotations may be denied. If a prospective student is denied admission to a program or if a current student is denied participation in clinical rotations due to CBC findings, the student will be notified by certified letter from the appropriate Dean of Student Affairs explaining why the student cannot matriculate or continue in the program. Additional background checks may be required by clinical affiliates prior to student entry into their sites. Students may bear the cost of these background checks.

Student Drug and Alcohol Policy

It is the policy of the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy to maintain a safe and healthy environment for its students and employees. Therefore the College prohibits being under the influence of, or the unlawful use, manufacture, possession, distribution or dispensing of drugs (“controlled substances” as defined in the Controlled Substances Act, 21, U.S.C. 812) and alcohol on university property or during university activities.

Violation of this policy is grounds for disciplinary action - up to and including permanent dismissal [1] of a student. Federal and state laws provide additional penalties including fines and imprisonment (21 U.S.C. 841, et seq., T.C.S. 39-6-401 et seq.). Local ordinances and UTHSC policies (see CenterScope section on Maintenance of Professional and Ethical Standards at http://catalog.uthsc.edu/index.php?catoid=8) also provide penalties for drug- and alcohol- violators, which may include referral for local prosecution or requiring the individuals to participate satisfactorily in an approved drug or alcohol abuse assistance or rehabilitation program. To maintain a safe and drug-free environment, the College has procedures for performing screenings for controlled substances and alcohol within areas or positions that affect safety or where such screenings are required by federal regulations. In addition, screenings are permissible where there is reasonable suspicion of drug or alcohol use. The College is responsible for assuring that students entering clinical settings are ‘fit for duty’ and must pay particular attention to issues that could affect patient safety or student success. To this end, the College has established a number of guidelines and procedures relating to drug and alcohol monitoring.

Accommodations for Religious Beliefs, Practices, and Observances

The University of Tennessee Health Science Center acknowledges the diversity of its students and respects the rights of students to observe their religious beliefs and practices. UTHSC will endeavor to provide reasonable accommodations relating to religious beliefs and practices in response to a formal written student request. However, accommodations cannot be guaranteed in instances where such would create an undue burden on faculty, a disproportionate negative effect on other students who are participating in the scheduled educational activity, or jeopardize patient care.