Policies and Procedures for Evaluation, Advancement, & Graduation
The College of Medicine adopted the following policies and procedures to regularly review and assess the progress and performance of each student in academic work, competence, professional conduct, clinical skills and overall performance.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
DEAN
As Executive Officer of the Medical School and chair of the Medical School Executive Committee, the dean is vested with the ultimate authority on medical school issues. The Dean is responsible for the final disposition of all student issues related to performance and professional conduct.
THE SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS
The Senior Associate Dean is responsible for all educational programs, including medical and graduate student education, physician's assistant education, graduate medical education and continuing medical education. The Senior Associate Dean serves as an ex-officio member of the Academic Status Committee (ASC).
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION
The Associate Dean for Medical Education is responsible for the educational programs for the M.D. degree. The Associate Dean also is responsible for management and maintenance of student programs through the curriculum and related student databases. The Associate Dean provides counseling and approves examination absences and certain leaves of absences. The Associate Dean is an ex-officio member of the ASC.
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT AFFAIRS
The Associate Dean for Student affairs is responsible for administrative actions related to student admission, registration status, and progress through the curriculum. He/she is responsible for providing students with consistent and accurate advice concerning their medical careers and for preparing their medical student performance evaluation (dean’s letter). The Office of Student Affairs maintains the official student academic records and assists in maintenance of the student database. In conjunction with the Associate Dean for Medical Education, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs is responsible for management and maintenance of student data needed for ASC and Executive Committee deliberations and actions. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs serves as the Chair of the ASC. In this role, he/she is responsible for presenting factual information about the student’s academic and clinical performance and insuring that the procedures and policies of the College of Medicine are strictly followed. In the proceedings of the committee, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs is specifically not the student advocate or ombudsman.
ASSISTANT DEAN FOR MINORITY AFFAIRS
The Assistant Deans for Minority Affairs are responsible for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students. The AAMC definition of the term "underrepresented" includes persons from the following groups: African-American, Mainland Puerto Rican, Mexican-American/Chicano, and Native American/American Indian. The Assistant Deans also coordinate the NIH Short-Term Research for Minority Students Program and the Health Care Summer Institute. The Assistant Deans serve as members of the Medical Selection Committee and as ex-officio members of the following committees: ASC, Clerkship, Course Directors, and Curriculum.
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT
The Associate Dean for Program Evaluation and Development promotes curricular assessment and feedback and scholarship in education as a means to further strengthen and enhance the education mission of the College of Medicine. The Associate Dean evaluates the education program and provides appropriate feedback, assists with faculty development, monitors equivalency at geographically separated programs, works with course and clerkship directors, and continuously monitors LCME Standards.
FACULTY
The College of Medicine faculty is responsible for the evaluation of medical students in the courses, clerkships and electives that comprise the competency-based curriculum.
ACADEMIC STATUS COMMITTEE
- The Academic Status Committee (ASC) has the responsibility to review the progress of each student and to determine the status of each student with regard to promotion, remediation, probation or dismissal. The Committee makes recommendations to the Executive Committee and the Dean regarding graduation of students.
- The ASC maintains direct responsibility for appeals and actions, such as leaves of absence that exceed six weeks, dismissals, returns to registration from disciplinary and academic leaves of absence.
- Ten voting members of the committee, including the chairperson are appointed by the Dean and include members of the clinical and basic science faculty, one senior medical student and one resident or fellow, who is an alumnus. Ex-officio members include the Senior Associate Deans for Educational Affairs, Associate Dean for Medical Education, Assistant Dean for Minority Affairs, Chair of the Admissions Committee, and all course and clerkship directors. Other individuals, such as the College of Medicine Counselor and the Director of Admissions, may attend meetings of the committee at the invitation of the chair.
- As a general rule, a psychiatrist will serve as a full voting member of the committee. However, in order to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, this individual must recuse herself/himself and leave the meeting room prior to a vote for academic action or sanction involving any student that she/he has evaluated or treated.
- The College of Medicine counselor will attend meetings at the invitation of the chair to present factual information related to specific students. In order to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, the counselor must recuse herself/himself and leave the room prior to a vote for academic action or sanction involving any student that she/he has evaluated or treated.
- If any other member of the committee is a direct party in a student case, he/she can be present to present relevant information. However, he/she must then recuse himself/herself and leave the room prior to a vote for academic action or sanction.
- Student records must be maintained in strict confidentiality. Only faculty members who have a legitimate need to know may have access to these records.
Location: http://medinfo.ufl.edu/oea/osa/pp_eval_adv_grad.shtml