UNC School of Medicine
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Dismissal Policies
Disciplinary Dismissals
Disciplinary Dismissals are based on violations of the Code of Student Conduct:
- Honor Code: It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and to support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University, student or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.
- Campus Code: It shall be the further responsibility of every student to abide by the Campus Code; namely, to conduct oneself so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the University community.
Violations of either the Honor Code or the Campus Code will be reported to the Student Attorney General. If a student is found guilty of a violation of the Honor Code or Campus Code within the Student Judicial System, the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science faculty will meet to consider the student's standing in the program. In some cases, the violation may necessitate dismissal from the CLS or MMDS program in addition to the sanctions imposed by the Student Judicial System. The student will be informed of the date of the CLS faculty meeting and may appear before the CLS faculty. After the student has presented his or her case to the CLS faculty, the faculty will meet in a closed session to decide whether or not the violation warrants dismissal from the CLS or MMDS program. Minutes of the hearing with the student, but not of the faculty's deliberations, will be kept. The student will be informed of the CLS faculty members' decision in writing. If the student wishes to appeal a dismissal decision, he or she must initiate the appeal process within 10 days of the date of the receipt of the dismissal letter.
Academic Dismissals
CLS Students: In order to continue in the program a student must earn a C- (70%) or better in all courses. A student who has earned one grade of F, or more than one grade of D or D+, in CLS courses will be dismissed from the program.
MMDS Students: In order to continue in the program a student must pass all lecture and laboratory courses. A student who has earned one grade of F, or more than one grade of L, in MDS courses will be dismissed from the program.
The CLS faculty will review the academic record of all students at the end of each semester. Any student who has not met the academic requirements will be informed of the faculty’s dismissal decision in writing. If a student wishes to appeal a dismissal decision, he or she must initiate the appeal process within 10 days of the date of the receipt of the dismissal letter.
Professional Behavior Dismissals
Professional behavior, as described in the professional objectives, is extremely important for students preparing to enter a health care profession. CLS faculty members will document professional behavior problems on a Professional Performance Report form. Examples of problems that may be documented include: repeated absences, failure to prepare for laboratory courses or rotations, breach of patient confidentiality, failure to conform to the dress code, failure to follow safety regulations, failure to cooperate with clinical instructors, etc. Students will be notified that a Professional Performance Report form has been placed in their file and they will have the opportunity to write comments on the form.
A student who, in the opinion of the CLS faculty, demonstrates serious professional behavior problems will be notified by the Director of the Division of Clinical Laboratory Science and will be placed on probation. The student will be given a professional improvement plan and will be re-evaluated. If the student still does not meet the expectations for professional behavior, the CLS faculty will meet to consider dismissing the student from the program. The student may request a meeting with the faculty to present pertinent information.
If the CLS faculty decides that a student should be dismissed from the program based on deficiencies in professional behavior, the student will be notified in writing. If the student wishes to appeal the decision, he or she must initiate the appeal process within 10 days of receipt of the dismissal letter.
Remediation
CLS Students: If a student earns one grade of D or D+ and has satisfactory grades of C- or better in all other CLS courses, the faculty will consider the option of remedial work for that student. The opportunity to undertake remedial work is a privilege and is not automatically granted. The following factors will be considered in determining whether or not a remedial option is possible: 1. The availability of the appropriate CLS faculty member to supervise and conduct the remedial work. 2. The availability of resources for laboratory courses. 3. The amount of time needed for the student to achieve competence. 4. The course sequence. For example, it may not be possible to correct a deficiency in a pre-requisite course before the next course in the sequence.
After considering these factors and the student's overall record, the faculty will decide whether a student who has earned one grade of D or D+ will be offered remediation or will be dismissed from the program. Students will be informed of the faculty's decision in writing. If the student chooses to undertake remedial work, he or she must notify the CLS Division Director within 10 days of the receipt of the letter describing the remediation. The original course grade will not change as a result of this remedial work.
If the request for remediation is not granted, or if the student chooses not to undertake remedial work, or if the remediation is not successfully completed within the specified period of time, the student will be dismissed from the CLS program. If a student wishes to appeal a dismissal decision, he or she must initiate the appeal process within 10 days of the date of the receipt of the dismissal letter.
Appeal of a decision to dismiss a student
Appeals must follow the policy and procedure of the Department of Allied Health Sciences, located at http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/student-services/policies.