PURPOSE

This policy details the promotion and graduation eligibility requirements for the Creighton University School of Dentistry DDS program.

POLICY

Grades and GPA

All students will be reviewed individually by the Student Performance Committee each quarter.  Possible outcomes of this review may include, but not be limited to: (1) promotion, (2) continuation of current status, (3) probation, (4) repetition of an academic year, (5) dismissal, or (6) any other recommendation deemed appropriate according to the guidelines set out below:

1. Semester:  a student is expected to earn a 2.00 G.P.A. in didactic and a 2.00 G.P.A. in technique courses for each semester.
2. Year:  a student is expected to earn a 2.00 G.P.A. in didactic and a 2.00 G.P.A. in technique courses for the academic year.
3. Failure of one or more didactic or technique courses may result in recommendation(s) for, but not be limited to: (1) dismissal from School, (2) repeating the failed course(s), (3) repeating the entire curriculum for the year in question, or (4) placement on probation.
4. Failure of one or more clinical courses may result in recommendation(s) for, but not be limited to: (1) dismissal from School, (2) repeating the entire curriculum for the year in question, (3) placement on probation (4) or, continuation in the curriculum on a limited basis or as a “special student” (D4). Continued participation in clinical activity prior to the removal of the didactic incomplete(s) will be subject to the recommendation of the Student Performance Committee.
5. A student who has failed one or more courses and who is allowed to continue must convert those grades to passing grades prior to registration for the Fall Semester of the next academic year.
6. Incompletes:  didactic and technique incomplete grades occurring during a semester must be converted to passing grades within thirty calendar days after the completion of the semester.  Failure to remove an incomplete grade within the specified period of time will result in the assignment of a grade of “F.”
7. All competency examinations must be successfully completed prior to being allowed to register for the Fall Semester of the next academic year regardless of the outcomes of courses taken and G.P.A.’s attained.
8. All non-academic obligations (i.e. surveys, etc.) must be completed prior to being allowed to register for the next academic semester regardless of the outcomes of courses taken and G.P.A.'s attained.

Integrated National Board Dental Examination (INBDE)

1. To be eligible to take the INBDE, the student must have:  successfully completed all first, second, third year and D4 summer curriculum requirements (courses) whose subject matters are tested on the Board Examination; successfully completed all non-clinical competency examinations offered during the first, second, and third years of the curriculum whose subject matters are tested on the Board Examination.  Under current curriculum schedules, students have until the end of the last day of Summer Session didactic classes to achieve eligibility to take this Examination. Certification of eligibility is determined by the Student Performance Committee and is recommended to the Dean.
2. Please refer to the INBDE guidelines for re-testing protocol and timeline.
3. The Dean is the final authority in the administration of this INBDE policy.

D3 Clinical Progression

(a)     D3 students who complete third year departmental clinic performance standards may begin to work for D4 credit immediately or at the start of the Summer Term / Summer Clinic (departmental option).

(b)     D3 students who have not met departmental clinic performance standards by the final clinic session of the Spring Term will receive a grade of “I” in all courses where obligations remain.  They will be given until the conclusion of the Summer Term with no penalty to complete them.  They may work for D4 credit in all departments in which they are done while they are converting the “I” grade(s) to passing marks.

(c)     D3 students who have not successfully completed all clinical competency examinations by the final session of the Spring Term will be given until the final session of the Summer Term to complete them.  They may work for D4 credit in all departments in which they are done while they are working on successfully completing their clinical competency examinations.

(d)     D3 students who have not met all departmental clinic performance standards or successfully completed all clinical competency examinations by the final clinic session of the Summer Term will have all “I” grades automatically converted to an “F” as a permanent grade of record that remains on the transcript.  The Student Performance Committee will then meet to make a recommendation to the Dean regarding these students.  This recommendation may include, but is not limited to:

1.   the student may be required to register for a new course(s) to remediate the failing grade(s) and/or competency examination(s).  This may delay graduation.  The Student Performance Committee will determine whether the student will be allowed to work for D4 credit in any course except to serve scheduled block rotations until all failing clinic grades have been converted to passing marks and all clinical competency examinations have been successfully completed

2.  the student may repeat the D3 year

3.  the student may be dismissed from School

Eligibility For Graduation

In order to be eligible for graduation, a D4 dental student must have (1) earned a four year cumulative G.P.A. of not less than 2.00 for all courses, (2) earned no less than a 2.00 G.P.A. in the didactic and clinical courses of the senior year, (4) converted all incomplete and/or failing grades to passing grades, (5) successfully completed all competency examinations offered during the D1, D2, D3 and D4 academic years, including the Senior Clinical Examination (Mock Board) and (6) successfully completed all non-academic obligations to the School and to the University.

Advanced Standing

For information regarding advanced standing students, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs.

DEFINITIONS

PROCEDURE

SCOPE

All students enrolled within the Dental Education Program.

ADMINISTRATION AND INTERPRETATIONS

The Student Performance Committee is responsible for the administration of this policy.  Please forward questions to the Associate/Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs.

AMENDMENTS OR TERMINATION OF POLICY

The University reserves the right to modify, amend or terminate this policy at any time. (2024)