Academic Policies
Registration
Registration for courses is coordinated through the Office of the Registrar using online forms and processes. Students will receive registration instructions prior to the beginning of each semester.
Transfer of Credit
Because of the highly specialized nature of the Doctor of Pharmacy program, no credit hours for previously completed courses may be transferred for credit in the program. Each course within the program is essential for completion of the program.
Grading System
The following grading system will be used in all letter-graded courses in the Pharmacy Program. Numerical course grades will be calculated to one decimal place when assigning letter grades.
|
Letter
|
Course grade range (%)
|
Quality Point value
(used in determining GPA)
|
|
A
|
90 and above
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4.0
|
|
B
|
80-89
|
3.0
|
|
C
|
70-79
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2.0
|
|
F
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Less than 70
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0
|
Faculty may also designate a course Pass/Not Pass (P/NP) with approval from the Curriculum Committee. Students may not elect to take a graded course P/NP. These courses are not included in GPA calculations.
Other grades which may be earned include the following:
AU: Course audited. A course in the Pharmacy Program may be audited only upon recommendation of the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment and permission of the course instructor.
I: Incomplete (Temporary grade). The student is unable to complete required coursework by the end of the semester. To earn a grade, all coursework must be completed within six weeks of the end of the semester; otherwise a grade of F (or NP) will be assigned.
NR: Grade not reported (Temporary grade). Course extends beyond end of semester or required course evaluations are not completed. To earn a grade, all coursework must be completed within six weeks of the end of the semester; otherwise a grade of F (or NP) will be assigned.
UW: Unauthorized Withdrawal. The student does not withdraw, but stops attending class. Zero quality points are assigned and the course is included in the GPA calculation.
W: Withdrawn. The student withdraws from a course during the first two-thirds of a course. The course is not included in GPA calculations.
WF: Withdrawn Failing. The student withdraws from a course during the final one-third of the course. Zero quality points are assigned and the course is included in the GPA calculation.
Dean’s List
At the end of each semester, the dean of Pharmacy Programs publishes the Dean’s List. Students who are included in the Dean’s list will:
- Be a student in good standing in the first, second, or third years of the Doctor of Pharmacy program;
- Earn a semester grade point average of 3.5 or higher;
- Have completed at least 12 graded semester hours; and
- Not have any Incomplete (I) or Not Recorded (NR) grades at the end of the semester.
Withdrawal from the Pharmacy Program
Manchester University regards the registration of a student as a contractual agreement. For this reason, special procedures must be followed in the event a student withdraws from a program at Manchester University. Any student considering withdrawal from the Pharmacy Program for any reason after the beginning of classes initiates the process by having an interview with a member of the Pharmacy Program Office of Student Affairs staff. A form obtained from that office must be completed with signatures from the assistant dean for student and alumni experience, student financial services, and registrar’s offices. Before withdrawal is finalized and official the student must meet with the dean of pharmacy programs and return all Manchester property to the Office of Student Affairs; this includes but is not limited to the Manchester-issued computer, photo identification card, and any keys issued to the student.
Refund Policy
Refund Tuition/Fees
In the case of official withdrawal from the University, a refund, less a withdrawal charge, is made according to the following schedules:
Fall and/or spring semester refund schedule
- Withdrawal before the official start of the semester: 100 percent refund
- Withdrawal during the first and second weeks of the semester: 75 percent refund
- Withdrawal during the third and fourth weeks of the semester: 50 percent refund
- Withdrawal during the fifth and sixth weeks of the semester: 25 percent refund
- Withdrawal after the sixth week of the semester: No refund
Progression in the Doctor of Pharmacy Program
- A student must complete all required courses with a grade of C or better (or P) to progress in the program. Students must also complete all designated non-course requirements (e. g. service learning, portfolio activities, etc.) to progress.
- A student must complete all required courses in the first three professional years with a grade of C or better (or P) to progress to Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations.
- A student must complete all required coursework within six years of admission into the program. Remediation, leaves of absence, withdrawals (medical or otherwise), suspensions, and delayed progression shall be included within the six-year period. A student shall be dismissed from the program when it is determined by the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment that the student will not be able to meet the six-year requirement.
- A student who fails to pass the same required course twice will be dismissed from the program.
Academic Probation
A student may be placed on probation when his/her performance fails to meet the criteria listed below. If performance does not improve, the student may be suspended or dismissed from the Pharmacy Program.
- A student will be placed on academic probation when one or more of the following occurs:
- The student has failed remediation for a course;
- The student has failed a course and is ineligible for remediation;
- The student's cumulative GPA falls below 2.0.
- A student may come off academic probation when:
- The student passes a previously failed course and passes all required courses in the subsequent semester;
- The student's cumulative GPA rises above or equal to 2.0.
- During the time a student is on academic probation:
- The student may not serve as an ambassador for the Pharmacy Program;
- The student may not serve as a representative on any Pharmacy Program or University-wide committees;
- The student may not hold elected office in any student organization, and must relinquish any current elected office position, making all the necessary arrangements for their replacement as soon as academic probation is in effect;
- The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will notify appropriate committee chairs and student organization mentors to ensure the terms of probation are followed.
Remediation
Remediation provides a second opportunity for students to demonstrate mastery of knowledge and outcomes of a course, based on their review of the original course materials. It is intended to keep students on track, where applicable, in the curriculum.
- Remediation Limits: A student may or may not be eligible for a course remediation based on the following criteria:
- A student who earns a percentage grade below 60% within the failed course will not be eligible for remediation. The student will receive an F in the course, and will be assigned an alternate course of study by the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment. The student and the dean of pharmacy programs will sign off on the future course of study;
- A student who fails two required courses in one semester will not be eligible for remediation. The student will receive a grade of F in both courses, and will be assigned an alternate course of study by the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment. The student and the dean of pharmacy programs will sign off on the future course of study;
- A student who fails three or more courses in one semester will be dismissed from the program;
- Remediation is not permitted for the same course twice.
- If a student fails remediation for a required course, and subsequently fails the same course again, that student will be dismissed from the program.
- If a student is ineligible for remediation for a required course and subsequently fails the same course again, the student may enter remediation given that eligibility requirements are met. If the student fails remediation, that student will be dismissed from the program.
- If a student is ineligible for remediation for a required course and subsequently fails the same course without meeting the eligibility requirements for remediation, that student will be dismissed from the program.
- Each student is allowed a maximum of four remediation attempts during the length of the program. A student who exceeds this limit will be dismissed from the program.
- Guidelines for remediation
- The course coordinator, in consultation with the course faculty, will develop a plan of remediation.
- The course policies, learning objectives, content, and types of assessments in remediation should be consistent with those in the original course. The number of assessments used during remediation will be left to the discretion of the course faculty and course coordinators.
- In order to receive accommodations during the remediation period, the student in remediation must request accommodations and provide appropriate documentation to the faculty member or administrator responsible for assessment administration logistics during the remediation period. This request and documentation must be made and provided within two working days of signing the remediation plan. Typically, the course coordinator is responsible for assessment administration logistics during the remediation period. However, due to remediation falling outside of the regularly scheduled semester, assessment administration logistics may fall to someone other than the course coordinator.
- Students may not appeal a course remediation plan.
- Students will be expected to utilize the original course materials and course recordings as resources during the remediation period.
- Remediation must be completed within six weeks of the end of the semester. The end of the semester is defined as the end of the final exam period for that semester.
- Implementation of remediation
- The remediation process will begin at the end of the semester.
- Remediation activities will normally occur during winter break for a fall semester course, or summer break for a spring semester course; however, other timelines may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Within two business days of completion of all course assessments, the course coordinator will provide the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment a list of students whose combined assessment average falls below 70% for the course. This report should include the final percentage grade obtained by each of these students.
- The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will notify students whose combined assessment average is below 70% for the course regarding their eligibility to enter remediation for the course, based on remediation limits ("Remediation" section, point 1).
- If a student eligible for remediation chooses to remediate, the course coordinator will record a grade of NR (not recorded) in the original course with the registrar during remediation. This grade will be replaced with the final course grade at the conclusion of the remediation period. Until a final course grade is assigned, the student is ineligible to appeal said course grade. Therefore, a student who chooses to enter into remediation forgoes his/her right to appeal a final course grade until the conclusion of remediation and the documentation of the final course grade for said course.
- If a student chooses to forgo remediation, the course coordinator will record a grade of F (failing) with the registrar. The student is eligible then to appeal the final course grade at that time.
- To officially enter into remediation the student must sign the course remediation plan. The course coordinator and the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will also sign this plan.
- The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will notify the necessary Program and University officials and faculty mentors that a student is in remediation.
- Conclusion of remediation
- Within two business days of completion of all remediation assessments, the course coordinator will provide the assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment results for all students participating in remediation. This report should include the final percentage grade obtained by each student in remediation.
- For students passing remediation, the course coordinator should submit a grade of C (or P) in the course to the registrar, and notify the student accordingly.
- For students failing remediation, the course coordinator should submit a grade of F in the original course to the registrar, and notify the student accordingly. The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will recommend an alternate course of study. The student and dean will sign off on the future course of study. The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will communicate the alternate course of study with the student's faculty mentor.
- The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will notify necessary Program and University officials of the outcomes of each student's remediation.
- Experiential Education
- For remediation and progression policies related to the fourth professional year (APPEs), please refer to the Experiential Education Manual.
- Remediation will not be offered for elective courses.
Suspension and Dismissal
Suspension: A suspended student is removed from the Pharmacy Program for a length of time. During this time, he/she cannot graduate or progress toward the earning of a degree at the Program. Suspended students are not automatically readmitted to the Pharmacy Program. They may apply for readmission to the Program based on the criteria delineated in their suspension. If readmitted, the student’s prior course credits count towards progression in the program.
Dismissal: A dismissed student is removed from the Pharmacy Program. The student may reapply for admission as any other eligible student and may or may not be readmitted to the Pharmacy Program. If readmitted, the student’s prior course credits do not count towards progression in the program.
These actions will be communicated to students at the end of each semester. The assistant/associate dean for academic affairs & assessment will also present a semester-end report to the faculty showing the number of students in each category at the end of each semester.
Academic Appeal Process
Pharmacy Program Honor Code
Students are expected to abide by the general principles of academic integrity and a defined code of conduct representing the Pharmacy Program. The Honor Code provides the framework to communicate the integrity and professionalism of all members of the Pharmacy Program (students, faculty, staff, and administration) community pertaining to academic training, as well as behaviors inside or outside of the classroom, that are deemed essential characteristics of a professional. The Honor Code will consist of two primary articles: academic integrity and unprofessional behavior.
Academic integrity will feature six violation categories: cheating, plagiarism, facilitating academic dishonesty, abuse of academic materials, stealing, and lying. Unprofessional behavior will feature three categories of conduct: within the College, in experiential rotation settings, and within the Profession.
Students will affirm the Honor Code during new student (P1) orientation and the White Coat Ceremony. Students will attest to this affirmation by signing the Honor Code. Students will reaffirm the Honor Code throughout their academic program, specifically prior to each course examination. The Honor Council will address violations of the Honor Code and other complaints against Doctor of Pharmacy students.
The entire Honor Code process may be found in the Pharmacy Program Student Handbook.
Graduation and Commencement
A student will graduate from the Doctor of Pharmacy program when he or she has been judged by the faculty to have met all academic and professional requirements of the program, and has also:
- Completed all required courses, and the required amount of elective courses, in the curriculum with a grade of C or better (or P);
- Completed all non-course requirements;
- Passed all required competency assessments.
National and State Licensure Exams
Upon graduation students will be required to take the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) passing both exams to obtain licensure.
- The NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy. It is just one component of the licensure process and is used by the boards of pharmacy as part of their assessment of a candidate’s competence to practice as a pharmacist. For more information on the NAPLEX exam, visit http://www.nabp.net/programs/examination/naplex/.
- The MPJE, or Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, combines federal- and state-specific questions to test the pharmacy jurisprudence knowledge of prospective pharmacists. It serves as the pharmacy law examination in participating jurisdictions. Among other things, the MPJE tests candidates on (visit http://www.nabp.net/programs/examination/mpje/)
- Legal aspects of pharmacy practice, including responsibilities with regard to the distribution and dispensing of pharmaceuticals and care of patients
- Licensure, registration, certification, and operational requirements
- Regulatory structure and terms of the laws and rules that regulate or affect pharmacists, pharmacies, manufacturers, and distributors
Advising, Mentoring and Student Success
Pharmacy S.M.A.R.T. Program
This program is a multi-faceted approach to supporting the success of all pharmacy students. A variety of services and programs have been implemented to support the mission and goals of Manchester University Pharmacy Program:
- S - StudentWorks – scheduled professional development focusing on issues such as time management, study techniques, etc.
- M - Faculty Mentoring Program – each student will have a faculty mentor throughout their time in the program, serving as a valuable information and communication resource.
- A - Academic Support – includes programs, resources, and structures that promote all members of the community to learn efficiently and effectively, develop effective study strategies, and develop the critical thinking skills necessary to succeed academically.
- R - Referral System – an online system that provides an opportunity for concerned members of the Pharmacy Program community to reach out and offer help and assistance to students in the program.
- T - TeamWorks – Students will become more aware of the importance of teamwork through the annual creation of working teams within each class. These teams will be used throughout the academic year in most courses.
Academic Check
The purpose of Academic Check is to identify students in academic difficulty early in the semester, address any academic issues, and provide counseling and resources to help students succeed in the program.
- Process: First-year students
- The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) will identify all students under Academic Check whose course average to date is below 70%.
- Academic Check will take place for each course on a date to be arranged between the course coordinator and the OAA. This date should be no later than the point in the course at which 33% of the total course points have been earned.
- The OAA will maintain a schedule of academic check dates for each course in a semester.
- At the pre-determined time, the OAA will email course coordinators and appropriate faculty mentors regarding the identification of specific students under the Academic Check process.
- At this time, the OAA will also email all identified students, directing them to set up joint or individual meetings with the course coordinator and their faculty mentor within the next two weeks. These meetings will be required meetings. The course coordinator may appoint a different course faculty member to have these meetings on their behalf. If the student's faculty mentor is the course coordinator, then one meeting will fulfill both requirements.
- At the end of the two week period, course coordinators and faculty mentors will email the OAA with the names of students who did not comply with these instructions. At this time, the OAA will email these students again reminding them to comply with the process. Course coordinators and faculty mentors will be copied on this email.
- Process: Second and Third-year students
- The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) will identify all students under Academic Check whose course average to date is below 70%
- Timing
- For each required full-semester course in the 2nd and 3rd years, Academic Check will occur at the point in the course at which 33% of the total course points have been earned.
- For courses in the Integrated Pharmacotherapy sequence, Academic Check will occur immediately after the first exam scores have been finalized.
- At the pre-determined time, the OAA will email course coordinators and appropriate faculty mentors regarding the identification of specific students under the Academic Check process.
- At this time, OAA will also email the identified students, encouraging them to set up meetings with the course coordinator/course faculty and their faculty mentor. These meetings will not be required meetings.
- Meeting
- During the meetings for Academic Check, course coordinators/course faculty/faculty members should discuss the student's academic performance, possible reasons for the same, a potential action plan consisting of behaviors the student could adopt and schedule any follow up if necessary.
- Oversight
- The OAA will have oversight of the Academic Check process.
- The OAA will review data generated by Academic Check, and the effectiveness of the Academic Check process, each semester.
- The OAA will develop necessary email templates and faculty development programs needed for successful implementation of the Academic Check process.
Privacy and Student Records
Manchester University Pharmacy Program fully complies with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended (FERPA), which establishes that a post-secondary student has the right to inspect and review his or her academic records, and prohibits outside parties from obtaining the information contained in these records without the student’s written consent. However, a student may waive the right to review certain confidential information contained in his or her file.
The University collects, records and uses information about students to carry out its educational mission. The University recognizes its responsibility for protecting the privacy rights of students regarding their academic and personal records. Students are provided access to information contained in their own official education records, a procedure for correction or deletion of inaccuracies found in their records, and a degree of control over the release of information from their records.
Records of students and graduates are maintained in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. The Registrar is responsible for maintaining and updating student files, which include application materials, transcripts from previously attended institutions, grades, and information related to academic and clinical performance in all phases of coursework. Faculty and administration have access to student files for legitimate educational purposes only.
Certain items of personal information are considered directory information and may be published without students’ permission. Directory Information items include name, dates of attendance, degrees earned, local and home address, email address, phone number, major, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, height and weight and honors received.
A student has the right to request in writing, prior to the first day of classes of any semester, that any item listed as directory information not be released without his/her consent.
Procedures for student access to records may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar.