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 course failure for 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 agreed upon between the instructor of record (IOR) and the student that allows the student the opportunity to revisit key course concepts and then to demonstrate competency. Remediation is only available for required didactic courses. Please check the syllabus to see if remediation is offered for an individual course. For certain courses, remediation will be in the form of retaking the course over the summer at a different institution. The grade at Creighton will then be replaced, but the cost of the course will be the student’s responsibility.
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:
All of the following must be met to be eligible for course remediation:
1. Remediation is only offered to students with a failing grade. Those who fail due to academic misconduct are not eligible for remediation.
2. The student must attempt to take all examinations and quizzes and complete all assignments on time during the semester in which the course is offered.
3. The student has failed only one course during the academic semester (Spring or Fall). If a student has more than one failing grade per semester, they are not eligible for remediation and the Scholastic Standing Policy will be followed.
4. The final percentage earned in the original course must be within 10% of passing the course. (e.g. if a "D" is allowed and the range for a "D" is 60-70%, the final score must be above 50%). 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.
5. The student must have utilized resources available during the original course (e.g. regular class attendance, 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.
6. The student will not be allowed to remediate more than 3 courses during the didactic coursework while enrolled in Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions. For courses ≤ 3-credit hours, students will be allowed to remediate 1 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 1 course per academic year in each sequence (Pharmacology I or II, PHA 413 or PHA 414, PHA 415 or PHA 416).
7. If successful remediation will still result in dismissal from the program because of a GPA < 2.0, the student will not be allowed to remediate and will move through the dismissal process.
8. Eligibility for remediation is determined by the Progression Committee in consultation with the IOR, Academic Success Consultants and mentors.
Once the final is completed and it is determined the student will fail the course, they can apply for remediation. This will be done before grades are finalized by the Registrar to allow the student enough time to remediate between the Fall and Spring semesters. Application for remediation does not guarantee remediation participation and eligibility will be determined by the Progression Committee in conjunction with the IOR, Academic Success Consultants and mentors. If a student does not meet eligibility for remediation, they will take the course at the next offering.
Elective courses, experiential courses (i.e., Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience [IPPE] 2, 3 and 4 or Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences [APPE]), and skills-based courses (e.g., Dispensing and Patient Care and Immunizations) are not eligible for remediation.
Procedure
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 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.).
5. The student will sign a Remediation Contract outlining the actions needed to learn the material and the methods of assessment and feedback the student will receive throughout the process. A copy of the contract will be on file with the Assistant Dean for Educational 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.
6. When the student successfully completes the remediation course with a passing grade, the student’s incomplete grade will be replaced with a passing grade (SA, C or D depending on the course).
7. 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 an F or UN for the final grade and the student will be required to repeat the course at the next offering. This grade cannot be appealed.
8. Remediation will incur additional expense to the student and the fee will be determined based on the credit hours remediated.
9. 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.