Pharmacy Remediation
Purpose:
Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions (SPAHP) is committed to the success of our students. This policy describes course remediation following unacceptable academic performance of students in the Doctor or Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Remediation is intended to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate competency in a required didactic course while minimizing disruption to progression. Remediation is not to be construed as a “safety net” for students who fail a course and is a privilege accorded to students who meet the criteria for participation and put forth the effort in the required didactic course.
Definitions:
Course Remediation: a process that allows the student the opportunity to revisit key course concepts and then to demonstrate competency. Remediation is only available for required didactic courses. Elective courses, experiential courses (i.e., Professional Development Experience 1 and 2, Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience [IPPE] 2, 3, and 4 or Advance Pharmacy Practice Experiences [APPE], and skills-based courses 9e.g., Dispensing and Patient Care, Immunizations, and Pharmacotherapeutic Cases) are not eligible for remediation. Please check with the IOR to see if remediation is offered for an individual course if there are questions.
Course Retake: when a student retakes a course in its entirety the next time the course is offered, most likely resulting in delayed graduation.
Eligibility Criteria:
All of the following must be met to be eligible for course remediation:
- Remediation is only offered to students with a final grade of D (≥59.5% and < 69.5%).
2. The student must take all examinations and quizzes and complete all assignments on time during the semester in which the primary course is offered unless and alternate arrangement is approved by the instructor.
3. The student achieved a grade of D in only one course during the academic semester (Spring or Fall).
4. The student must have utilized resources available during the original course (e.g., regular class engagement, utilization of tutors, recitation attendance, completion of assignments, etc.). Resources available are encouraged to be published in the syllabus so students are aware of them, but ultimately it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about resources.
If these criteria are not met, then the student is not eligible for remediation and will retake the course the next time it is offered.
Disqualification Criteria:
The student will be disqualified from remediation for any of the following reasons:
- The student has failed the course (< 59.5%).
2. The student has previously been dismissed and subsequently reinstated into the Doctor of Pharmacy Program.
3. The student has achieved a grade of D or F in the same course twice.
4. The student achieved a D in the course they wish to remediate due to academic misconduct.
5. The student has more than one grade of D or F in the semester.
6. The student will not be allowed to remediate more than three courses during the didactic coursework. For courses ≤ 3-credit hours, students will be allowed to remediate one course per semester. For courses > 3-credit hours (Pharmacology I and II, and the Pharmacotherapeutics sequence [PHA 413, PHA 414, PHA 415 and PHA 416]), students are only allowed to remediate one course per academic year.
Exception:
There is one exception to remediating only one course a semester, and that occurs in the fall of the P1 year. Because remediation for PHA 313 Calculations will occur before the semester is completed, if a student achieves a grade of D in another course that is eligible for remediation, the student will be allowed to remediate that second course as long as the student passes remediation for PHA 313 Calculations and only achieves a grade of D in one additional course. The maximum number of courses a student can remediate during their didactic coursework remains at three. Students will need to apply for remediation for PHA 313 Calculations as soon as they are informed they have achieved a final grade of D. Students will be responsible for remediation fees for all courses that are remediated.
Procedures:
Once the course is completed and it is determined the student will achieve a grade of D in the course, the student can apply for remediation. The student must submit a request for remediation to the Progression Committee. This request must be submitted by the deadline set by this Committee in the email containing the application. Application for remediation does not guarantee remediation approval, and eligibility will be determined by the Progression Committee after consulting with the IOR and Academic Success Coordinators. If a student is not eligible for or permitted to do remediation, they will be required to repeat the course at the next offering.
Students who remediate will be required to meet with the Progression Committee to discuss the plan for success for the following semester. If there is enough time, the meeting will also occur before remediation so the student can address how they will successfully complete remediation.
Student leaders who participate in remediation will be required to give up their leadership position(s) for the following semester so they can focus on coursework.
If remediation is offered, the following will occur:
1. The IOR will issue an incomplete for the course.
2. The IOR will determine when the remediation will be offered. Most often, this will occur at the end of the semester but may be delayed to summer. If summer remediation is offered for a fall course, pre-requisites for spring courses will be waived. Students will be advised of risks and benefits of proceeding in courses with waived prerequisites.
3. The length of the remediation process will be determined by the IOR and the number of credit hours for the course will be taken into consideration.
4. The IOR will explain to the student the process of course remediation (e.g. viewing previously recorded lectures, completing assignments, discussing material with course instructors, taking exams to demonstrate knowledge, etc.) through the syllabus, e-mail communication, or in-person meeting.
5. Courses taught by faculty outside our school (PHA 301 Biochemistry, PHA 404 Human Physiology and MIC 541 Microbiology and Immunology) will be taken at an outside University. Students will be responsible for registering and paying for the course on their own. There will be no additional remediation fees. The student must complete the course and have a grade by the Friday before classes start in the fall or they will not be allowed to start fall classes. Once the course is officially completed, the student must send their official transcript to OASA so their grade can be updated in NEST.
6. Remediation is based on self-directed learning, and as such, tutoring services are not provided by the School during remediation.
7. The student will sign a Remediation Contract outlining their plan for success and the requirements for a successful remediation. A copy of the contract will be on file with the Director of Educational Data and Outcomes until completion of course remediation and then will be filed in the student’s permanent file. In addition, the student will be registered for a zero-credit remediation course.
8. When the student successfully completes the remediation course with a passing grade, SA will be applied to the remediation course and the student’s incomplete grade will be replaced with a C grade.
9. If a student is unsuccessful in the remediation course, NC will be applied to the remediation course and the incomplete for the semester course will be replaced with a D for the final grade. The student will be required to repeat the course at the next offering. The remediation grade and the course grade assigned after remediation cannot be appealed.
10. Remediation will incur additional expense to the student, and the fee will be determined based on the credit hours remediated.
11. Students remediating the same course will complete remediation activities alongside other students; therefore, confidentiality regarding a student’s need to participate in remediation cannot be guaranteed.
Syllabi
The following statement will be added to syllabi taught by faculty within SPAHP (except for Skills Lab and Experiential syllabi).
Remediation is a process that allows the student the opportunity to revisit key course concepts and then to demonstrate competency. Remediation is only available for required didactic courses and for those students who utilized class resources. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor of record (IOR) to discuss a remediation option. The IOR will determine when the remediation will be offered. Most often, this will occur at the end of the semester but may be delayed to summer. If summer remediation is offered for a fall course, pre-requisites for spring courses will be waived. Students will be advised of risks and benefits of proceeding in courses with waived prerequisites. The length of the remediation process will be determined by the IOR and the number of credit hours for the course will be taken into consideration. The IOR will meet with the student to explain the process of course remediation (e.g., viewing previously recorded lectures, completing assignments, discussing material with course instructors, meeting with tutors, taking exams to demonstrate knowledge, etc.).
The following statement will be added to syllabi taught by faculty outside of SPAHP (Biochemistry, Physiology, Microbiology and Pharmacology):
Remediation is a process that allows the student the opportunity to revisit key course concepts and then to demonstrate competency. Remediation is only available for required didactic courses. For this course, remediation will be in the form of retaking the course over the summer at a different institution. The incomplete grade at Creighton will then be replaced, but the cost of the course will be the student’s responsibility. If summer remediation is offered for a fall course, pre-requisites for spring courses will be waived. Please contact the Assistant Dean for Educational Outcomes for more information.