02.02.01-Evaluation of Student Fitness and Performance Standards

  01.      POLICY STATEMENT

SOHA is committed to developing future healthcare leaders of high moral character with a strong foundation of health administration skills.

02.     SOHA PROCEDURES

The Texas State School of Health Administration mission is “To prepare health leaders to serve in a variety of diverse healthcare environments and add to the body of knowledge in our fields.” Students must meet academic and professional development standards to successfully advance through all the Health Administration Degree and Certificate programs. Academic standards include not only academic performance, but professional development as well, which is demonstrated through professional and ethical behavior.

02.01      Each student signs a contract before program admission 1) agreeing to adhere to the ACHE Code of Ethics and applicable state laws; and 2) acknowledging his/her understanding that a student can be terminated from the program based on failing to satisfactorily achieve academic and professional standards. Faculty evaluate students’ academic achievement and professional development based on Council of Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) Accreditation Standards, the University Honor Code, and the Texas State and School of Health Administration Student Handbooks in order to identify actions that the School can take to facilitate students’ successful advancement, or to terminate students’ enrollment in the program if remediation is not possible.

02.02      The Program Standards Committee will be a standing committee comprised of three faculty members. The committee members will be appointed by the Director and will serve for the academic year assigned. The committee members will rotate off of the committee on a staggered basis to ensure consistency and continuity of policies and procedures.

03.        EVALUATION OF STUDENT FITNESS & PERFORMANCE

03.01   Texas State School of Health Administration will comply with University program standards and policies related to student fitness and performance. If there are changes in the student’s academic standing:

a.    The University Registrar, Graduate College, and/or Academic Advisor will inform each student and the BHA, MHA, BSHS, or LTCA Program Directors in writing of any changes in the student’s academic standing.

b.    Each student is responsible for contacting the Program Director and submitting a corrective action plan indicating how the student will resolve the academic standing issue by the end of the semester in which the problem is identified.

c.    Students that fail to comply with this process may not be allowed to continue in the program.

03.02    If a faculty member has a serious concern about a SOHA student’s professional behavior and/or development, the faculty member will:

a.    Document the concern on the Student Concern form within the semester in which the concerns are identified.

b.    The faculty member will submit the Student Concern form electronically to the student’s appropriate Program Director.

c.    The faculty member and Program Director will discuss the concern and determine if a corrective action plan is needed and consult the Dean of Students on the plan.

d.    If it is determined that a corrective action plan is needed, the faculty member will meet with the student to discuss the concern and they will develop the corrective action plan together.

e.    If the student is unable or unwilling to participate in the development of the corrective action plan, the faculty member will develop the plan independently and indicate the student’s lack of involvement on the plan.

f.     A copy of the corrective action plan will be sent to the student and the appropriate Program Director electronically.

g.    In the event that the faculty member and the Program Director are the same person, the Director or a member of the Program Standards Committee will assist in the process.

h.    If the student’s aberrant behavior ceases or the concern is resolved, the faculty member will document this change in behavior, inform the student and appropriate Program Director, and no further action will be pursued on the matter.

04.        THE STUDENT REVIEW PROCESS

04.01   If the documented unprofessional behavior or developmental concern persists, the faculty member will initiate remediation based on the following:

a.    The faculty member who had the initial concern will then refer the continued concern to the Program Standards Committee for action and/or recommendations.

b.    The Program Director will submit the Student Concern Form, corrective action plan and any other supporting documentation to the Director of the Program Standards Committee.

c.    A copy of all documentation will also be provided to the student.

d.    The Program Standards Committee will convene a hearing within ten (10) working days to make recommendations.

1.    Attending this meeting will be: the faculty member who voiced the concern, the student, and the student’s advocate if desired. The Committee may also invite other individuals who are deemed relevant to the process.

2.    The Committee members will hear the faculty member’s concern as well as the student’s response, and any attempts to resolve the concern.

3.    At the conclusion of the hearing, all participants will be excused from the room. Committee members will remain in order to deliberate.

e.    The Committee will report their decision(s) in writing within ten (10) working days to the student, the appropriate Program Director and the School Director.

f.     The student has ten (10) working days to accept/reject the Committee’s recommendation(s) in writing. If a student fails to respond within ten (10) working days in writing, this will be an indication of acceptance of the decision.

g.    The student may appeal the Committee’s decision in writing to the School Director within ten

h.    (10) working days of the notification of the Committee’s decision.

i.      The student may appeal the School Director’s decision in writing to the College Dean within ten (10) working days of the notification of the School Director’s decision.

j.      The College Dean’s decision is final.

04.02   If a faculty member is concerned that a student’s professional development and/or behavior is so serious that it requires a prompt or immediate resolution and no corrective action plan is feasible, the faculty member will follow these procedures:

a.    The faculty member will notify the Program Director about the concern and the need for prompt resolution, and immediate referral to the University Behavioral Assessment Team (BAT) is required.

b.    The Program Standards Committee will be notified and will convene within two (2) working days. All procedures outlined above will be followed within an expedited timeframe of two (2) working days instead of ten (10).

04.03   Documentation & Record-Keeping

a.   The Program Standards Committee report will remain in the School Director’s office. Notification that the report is being held by the Director will be placed in the student’s file. The appropriate University officials will be notified of the Program Standard Committee’s decision if needed.

b.   The School must complete all Student Fitness and Performance Evaluation procedures by the last day of the semester (including exam week) unless the faculty member delivers his/her concern to the appropriate Program Director within one week of the end of the semester. Should this occur, the Program Standards Committee must complete its deliberations within one week of the new semester’s first class day.

c.   The appropriate Program Director will advise students who have one or more unresolved student concerns on file at the end of a semester that they are advanced to the next semester only on a probationary basis. Students will not graduate if they have an unresolved student concern on file.