Student Appeal Procedure
Any student dismissed from the PA Program may appeal the action to the PA Academic Appeals Committee. Written notice of intent to appeal must be received by the Registrar or his designee within three (3) working days of receipt of notification of dismissal. All requests for appeals will be processed by the Registrar (or designee) within 3 working days. The Registrar will notify the Chair of the PA Academic Appeals Committee, the Department Chair, the Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and the course directors. The PA Academic Appeals Committee will meet within ten (10) working days after receipt of the notice of appeal.
A. PA Academic Appeals Committee Description
The PA Academic Appeals Committee is appointed by the PA Program Medical Director or his designee and the Department Chair. This committee will serve a term of one year (June 1st through May 31st) or until the completion of an ongoing appeal. . This committee will have 5 members, at least three of whom will be physician assistants from the medical center or professional community. Three members will constitute a quorum and a majority will rule. The Chairman of this committee is selected by majority vote of the appointed committee members.
B. Review of Student Appeal
1. If the PA Academic Appeals Committee determines that the appeal lacks sufficient merit to be heard, the appeal will be denied and the decision of the Chair of the Department of PA Studies or his designee will be supported. The recommendation of the PA Academic Appeals Committee will be forwarded within three (3) working days by PA Program Academic Appeals Committee Chairman to the student, the Chair of the Department of PA Studies or his designee, the Chair of the PA Academic Affairs Committee and the Associate Dean for Education.
2. If the PA Academic Appeals Committee decides to hear the appeal, the Chair of the Academic Appeals Committee will ask the Chair of the PA Academic Affairs Committee to explain the rationale for its recommendation. The Chairman of the PA Academic Appeals Committee will notify the student in writing of the decision of the Committee to hear the appeal, the nature of the deficiencies, the time and place of the meeting, and that the meeting will not be open to the public. This written notice will be delivered in no less than three (3) working days before the appeal is to be heard. With permission of the Chair of the PA Academic Appeals Committee, the student may present letters of support and address the Committee. The recommendation of the PA Academic Appeals Committee will be forwarded within three (3) working days by the Chair of the PA Program Academic Appeals Committee to the student, the Chair of the Department of PA Studies or his designee and the Associate Dean for Education.
C. Associate Dean for Education
Decisions of the PA Academic Appeals Committee may be appealed to the Associate Dean for Education. The appeal must be in writing and must be received within ten (10) days after the decision of the PA Academic Appeals Committee is received. The Associate Dean for Education, or his designee, will judge the appeal and notify the student of the decision in writing. The Chair of the Department of PA Studies, the PA Academic Affairs Committee Chair and the PA Registrar will also be informed of the decision.
D. Office of the Dean
With respect only to appeals heard by the PA Academic Appeals Committee and a subsequent decision of the Associate Dean for Education to dismiss the student from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Department of Physician Assistant Studies, the student will have ten (10) working days from the delivery of the written decision to file a written appeal with the Office of the Dean. The Dean, or his designee, will judge the appeal and notify the student of the decision in writing. The Chair of the Department of PA Studies, the PA Academic Affairs Committee Chair and the PA Registrar will also be informed of the decision. The decision of the Dean, or his designee, will be final and binding upon the student.
At each appropriate level of appeal, as defined above, the previous decision may be upheld, rejected or modified with remediation or special requirements prescribed. The Chair of the Department of PA Studies or his designee and the Chair of the PA Academic Affairs Committee will be apprised of the final decision in each case.
Courts in the United States have a strong tradition of according substantial deference to an institution's professional academic judgment in the area of assessing academic performance. Consequently, legal counsel will not be present at any of the above committee meetings.
All written communication and notification of students will be delivered to the student's Medical Center mailbox.
The final step in this process is for the student to follow the Exit Interview Procedure.
Updated 5/08*