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Student Handbook

Grading and Remediation Policies

This document presents the policy on academic grades and other formal evaluations of students' performance in all facets of the academic program. For the purpose of this policy, the academic program includes course work, supervised professional practice, dissertation and Comprehensive Clinical Examination (CCE) requirements, the internship requirement and professional role development of students. In addition, this document details the consequences of academic performance that is below satisfactory or expected levels and provides the procedures for appealing grades and any actions taken by the Faculty as a consequence of unsatisfactory academic performance.

The Grading System and Expected Performance Levels

A.1    The current grading system is as follows:

A   Outstanding quality work. Above expectancy.

B   Meeting expectancies in a satisfactory manner.

C   Unsatisfactory Performance. Failure to achieve at the expected level.

D   Significantly below expectancy.

F   Clear failure to achieve at even a minimal level.

P   This is a permanent grade that indicates acceptable or passing performance in a course, seminar, lab or other educational experience graded on a pass (P)/unsatisfactory (U) basis. A grade of P may also indicate proficiency for students who, by arrangement with an instructor, demonstrate proficiency in a content area or skill in lieu of taking a course . Both Supervised Experience (PSI 997) and Internship (PSI 999) are graded on a Pass (P)/ Unsatisfactory (U) basis. In addition, Practice Tutorial (PSI 908), Professional Dissertation (PSI 998), as well as some elective courses and laboratories are graded on a P/U basis.

M   This is a temporary grade indicating that satisfactory progress has been made in a course or seminar that spans multiple quarters. A permanent grade will be assigned upon completion of a project or other course work. (If coursework is not completed in a course that spans a single quarter, a grade of Incomplete (I) must be assigned.) During the internship year (PSI 999), students are normally assigned a grade of M each quarter unless the mid-year report and/or the final report, or other evaluative report from the internship Director of Clinical Training to SOPP's Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services indicate unsatisfactory or problematic performance. Once the mid-year and final reports are received in SOPP's Office of Clinical Training, the temporary grade of M is replaced by a permanent grade of Pass (P) or Unsatisfactory (U).

X   A grade of X is a temporary grade indicating missing work. A grade of X may also be given if an instructor knows that a student has withdrawn from a course but the student's name appears on the final grade form. In instances involving withdrawal from a course, the Registrar will replace the grade of X with a permanent grade of W (Withdrawal). In the case of Supervised Experience (PSI 997), a grade of X indicates that one or more required practicum reports has not been submitted in the quarter. Submission of the missing reports to the Office of Clinical Training will result in the assignment of a permanent grade. If, during the same academic year, there are one or more other quarters in which required supervised experience reports are not submitted on time, a grade of U (Unsatisfactory) may be assigned. (Details concerning the assignment of grades for 997 are provided in the Clinical Training Policies and Procedures section of the SOPP student handbook)

U   A grade of U is a permanent grade indicating failure to perform at a satisfactory or expected level. Both Supervised Experience (PSI 997) and Internship (PSI 999) are graded on a P/U basis. In addition, Practice Tutorial (PSI 908) and Professional Dissertation (PSI 998) as well as some elective courses and laboratories are graded on a P/U basis.

I   Incomplete; This is a temporary grade indicating that a student has not completed some of the assignments or required work in a course, seminar or lab and that prior arrangements have been made with the instructor, or clinical supervisor and Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services for the timely completion of all requirements. An Agreement for the Grade of Incomplete Form must be signed and submitted by the course, seminar or lab instructor at the time the grade sheet is submitted.  Please note that instructors should not assign a grade of Incomplete (I)  when a student has submitted work that is not satisfactory in quality or when a student has not made prior arrangements to complete required assignments.  In these circumstances, the instructor should assign a letter grade or other permanent grade indicating failure to complete course requirements.  A grade of Incomplete which is not resolved  prior to the last day of the quarter following the quarter in which the Incomplete was assigned will automatically change to a grade of F.   In the case of curricular offerings graded on Pass/Unsatisfactory (P/U) basis, one of the Associate Deans will notify the registrar and the grade of F will be changed to a grade of U.  Students should note that once a grade of Incomplete has changed to a grade of F (or U), the grade is a permanent one and will remain on the transcript.  If this circumstance arises, the student may retake the course in its entirety and obtain a strike-out for the grade of F (or U) (See Section B.2, below).  Nonetheless, once the permanent grade of F (or U) is on the transcript, that grade is considered an indication of unsatisfactory academic performance and could be cause for a range on actions on the part of the faculty , including termination from the program (See Section B, Consequences of Unsatisfactory Academic Performance, below).

A.2    Expected Performance Level.
The expected level of performance for the student will be reflected in the attainment of a grade of B or P in all facets of the academic program in which grades are assigned, including courses, seminars, labs, Practice Tutorial Seminars, Supervised Experience and Internship. Grades of C or below, including a grade of U, are considered failing grades and indicators of unacceptable performance. In addition, evaluations indicating less than acceptable performance levels on the Comprehensive Clinical Examination (CCE) or on either the oral or written evaluation of the dissertation are considered unacceptable. Students who believe that their performance evaluations in any aspect of the program are not accurate because of gross violation of students' rights may appeal these evaluations (see Section C.1 below). As noted above, the academic program is defined as all formal program requirements which are part of the School's curriculum as approved by the Faculty. These include course work, supervised experience, dissertation and Comprehensive Clinical Examination requirements, the internship requirement and related professional role development of students. A pattern of unacceptable performance in any or all aspects of the program will be grounds for an immediate hearing for termination from the program.

A.3    Grading of Courses, Labs and Seminars.  Student performance in all courses, labs and seminars is evaluated on a letter grade basis. Practice Tutorial (PSI 908), Supervised Experience (PSI 997), Internship (PSI 999), and Professional Dissertation (PSI 998) are normally graded on a Pass (P)/Unsatisfactory (U) basis . Instructors may petition the Curriculum Committee if they wish to deviate from these standard grading formats.

A.4    Grading of Supervised Experience (PSI 997). Grading for Supervised Experience (PSI 997) is on a Pass (P)/ Unsatisfactory (U) scale and is managed through the Office of Clinical Training (OCT). (Details concerning the assignment of grades for PSI 997 are provided in the Clinical Training Policies and Procedures section of the SOPP Student Handbook and may be obtained from the Office of Clinical Training.)

A.5    Grading of Internship (PSI 999). Grading for Internship (PSI 999) is on a Pass (P)/ Unsatisfactory (U) scale and is managed through the Office of Clinical Training (OCT). Procedures and standards for the assignment of grades for Internship are outlined in the Internship Handbook or may be obtained for the Office of Clinical Training.

A.6    Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA). To remain in good academic standing, students must maintain an accumulated grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Students whose grade point average falls below a 3.0 will automatically be placed on academic probation for the following quarter(s). In addition, students whose GPA falls below 3.0 may lose scholarships, tuition waivers and other sources of financial aid. Failure to improve the grade point average to at least a 3.0 within two quarters will result in a hearing to terminate the student from the program.

A.7    Temporary Grades. As noted above, temporary grades are grades of M, X, and I. Students who receive a temporary grade for a course or other program requirement should work immediately to complete requirements so that a permanent grade can be assigned. If temporary grades remain on a student's academic record that student may not be approved to apply for internships and/or to leave to begin the internship. Under no circumstances will the university grant a degree to a student who has a temporary grade remaining on the academic record.

B. Consequences of Unsatisfactory Academic Performance

Unsatisfactory or unacceptable performance in any facet of the academic curriculum, including coursework, supervised experience, dissertation and comprehensive clinical examination (CCE) requirements, the internship requirement and related professional role development of students will result in serious consequences that include, but are not limited to, placement of the student on a special remedial plan (see B.2-B.6 below), placement of the student on academic probation (see B.1 below) or a hearing for termination from the program (see B.7 below). In addition, unsatisfactory or unacceptable performance in any program of study outside the SOPP, whether in another department or school at Wright State University, or in a program or training experience outside the university, will be treated in the same manner, in terms of the consequences detailed above, as performance deficits exhibited in the SOPP. Students taking coursework outside the SOPP must also understand that any remediation of unsatisfactory performance will be dictated by the policies and procedures of the outside program in which the unsatisfactory performance was exhibited. SOPP will not be responsible for remediating unsatisfactory performance in any course, educational or training experience outside the School.  

B.1    Academic Probation. Placement of a student on academic probation indicates that the student has not successfully met program expectations or requirements.  Probation represents a change in a student’s academic status.  Typically, it represents an intermediary step between good academic standing and termination from the program (see section B.7 below).  A student who is on academic probation is not considered in good academic standing in the program.  When a student is placed on  academic probation a formal remedial plan will be developed that specifies the time period over which the probationary status will extend as well as any requirements that must be met for the probationary status to be lifted and the student to be returned to good academic standing.  A student who has been placed on academic probation will not be permitted to start or apply for internship, sit for the CCE, serve as a teaching assistant, represent students on SOPP committees, or represent SOPP to the University or the larger professional/academic community.  In addition, for a student on academic probation, any further instance of unsatisfactory performance in any aspect of the program, including violation of School or University policies, will result in an immediate hearing for termination from the program.

B.2    Course Remediation: Required Courses Required courses are those courses that are intended to develop basic competency in the knowledge, attitudes, and skills fundamental to psychological practice. Because mastery of the required courses is essential to satisfactory performance in supervised professional practice (PSI 997 or PSI 999), all required courses must be passed with a grade of B or better. Performance below a grade of B in any required course must be remediated until it is determined that the student has sufficiently mastered the material to be able to proceed with the curriculum. Required courses that are considered prerequisites for Supervised Experience (PSI 997) must be completed in a satisfactory manner or successfully remediated prior to the initial placement on clinical practicum. Required courses must be completed satisfactorily and the requirements of the Comprehensive Clinical Examination must be met in a satisfactory manner prior to the Internship Readiness Review. (See the complete list of requirements for Internship Readiness in the Clinical Training Policies and Procedures section of the Student Handbook.

After giving a grade of C or lower in a required course, faculty must file a Remediation Plan with the Office of Academic Affairs no later than the third week of the subsequent academic quarter.  The Remediation Plan may take many forms including, but not limited to, requiring the student to: retake the course in its entirety, retake a portion of the course, retake examinations, rewrite papers or complete a special project to demonstrate proficiency in the content area.  Once the student has completed the remedial plan, the instructor will inform the Office of Academic Affairs in writing.  Failure to successfully remediate a required course will result in a full review of the student’s academic performance by the faculty and may be grounds for an immediate hearing for termination from the program (See section B.7.a, below).  When a remediation plan requires a student to retake the required course in its entirety, this will be reflected on the transcript by an “E” (Exclude) next to the grade when the course was originally taken and an “I” (Include) next to the grade earned when the course was retaken. When the course is retaken, the GPA is recalculated so that the grade earned originally is excluded from the GPA and the grade earned when the course was retaken is included in the GPA. If remediation does not require retaking the course in its entirety, only the grade earned when the course was originally taken will appear on the transcript and this grade will be included in the GPA. It is important that students inform the Office of Academic Affairs when retaking a course to ensure that the appropriate designations are placed on the transcript.

B.3    Remediation of Supervised Experience Remediation is required if a student is not judged to be performing at the program's expected levels of competence in Supervised Experience (PSI 997). Unsatisfactory performance may be indicated on the Quarterly Progress Report (QPR) or in other written communications between the supervisor and the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services and the student. Remediation will be required when ratings on the QPR indicate unsatisfactory overall performance, when performance in any domain(s) evaluated on the QPR is judged to be unsatisfactory, and/or when other written evaluation from the supervisor indicates unsatisfactory performance. Based on this information a remedial plan will be developed by the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services in consultation with the student's practicum supervisor. The process of developing and monitoring remediation of Supervised Experience is detailed in the Clinical Training Policies and Procedures section of the SOPP Student Handbook. Failure to successfully remediate Supervised Experience will result in an immediate hearing for termination from the program (see section B.7.a, below).

B.5    Remediation of Elective Courses, Seminars and Other Program Requirements. Remediation of elective (i.e. non-required) courses and seminars may be required if the faculty determines that such is necessary for satisfactory completion of a particular student's program of study. In any event, if a student earns an unsatisfactory grade in an elective course or seminar and does not remediate, the course or seminar will not count toward graduation from the program. Similarly, the faculty may require remediation of any program requirement, e.g., all or portions of the Comprehensive Clinical Examination (CCE) or either or both of the written or oral portions of the Dissertation, if a student's performance is judged to be below acceptable standards. In these instances, the specific requirements for remediation and the means of documenting successful remediation are developed on a case-by-case basis.

B.6    Special Remedial Programs. In some instances, the Faculty may require the student to undertake more extensive remedial actions and/or to follow a special program of matriculation. Special programs are developed by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services in consultation with the student and the Faculty. Because pecial programs usually involve extensive remediation, continuance in the program is normally contingent on successful completion of the requirements of any special program of matriculation.

B.7    Termination from the program. Unsatisfactory performance in any facet of the academic program, as indicated by a letter grade of C or below or other formal evaluation indicating unsatisfactory performance, may be cause for a student to be terminated from the program. Grades of U, D or F or evaluations indicating clear failure in any aspect of the academic program are particularly unacceptable and receipt of one of these grades or evaluations alone could result in a hearing to terminate the student from the program. With the exception of instances in which a single unacceptable evaluation results in a hearing for termination, a student who receives her or his first grade of C or below in a course, or a grade of U in an evaluation for Supervised Experience (PSI 997) will be provided with a formal plan for remediation and his or her performance will be fully reviewed at the subsequent, regularly-scheduled annual review meeting. Receipt of a second unsatisfactory grade, or a grade of U for Supervised Experience (PSI 997), whether or not this or any prior unacceptable grade or evaluation was remediated, will result in the student being automatically placed on academic probation and provided with a plan for remediation. In any case, the cumulative receipt of three unacceptable grades or performance evaluations, whether remediated or not, will be viewed by the faculty as a sustained pattern of unacceptable performance and will result in an immediate hearing to terminate the student from the program. A hearing to terminate a student from the program might be conducted at a regularly-scheduled faculty meeting, at a meeting for annual review of students or at a meeting of the faculty scheduled for the purpose of reviewing a student's performance. Students terminated from the program under these circumstances may appeal to the Dean for reinstatement (see Section C.2 below). When a hearing to terminate a student from the program is scheduled, the following procedures will be followed: 

B.7.a Faculty Hearings for Student Academic Termination

Procedures: A hearing to terminate a student from the program for academic reasons requires the presence of a quorum of the fully-affiliated continuing faculty and will be conducted according to the procedures outlined below:

• The student will be informed by either the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training and Psychological Services in writing and at least 5 working days prior to the hearing, that the hearing has been scheduled. At the Associate Dean's discretion, the portion of the meeting devoted to the student termination hearing may be audio or videotaped (the faculty's deliberation of the issue will be private and not taped).
• The student will be permitted to have a faculty advisor to assist in the review process. The faculty advisor may counsel the student and assist in preparing for the meeting. The faculty advisor may also assist in preparing an appeal. The faculty advisor may not directly question members of the faculty during the meeting.
• In considering whether to terminate a student from the program, the Faculty will conduct a complete review of the student's performance in all aspects of the program. The student's academic advisor will coordinate this review. In addition, the Faculty will consider any extenuating circumstances that may have influenced the student's performance.
• The student will be permitted to address the Faculty and to present information bearing on the issue. The student may ask others to present information to the Faculty and the student may also question Faculty or others who are presenting information bearing on the issue.
• After all information has been presented, the Faculty will deliberate privately and decide whether to terminate the student. A decision to terminate a student from the program must receive the approval of two-thirds of the faculty present at the hearing.
• The Associate Dean will communicate the decision to the student, in writing, within seven working days of the date the decision is made. 

B.7.b Further Appeals Process:

If the student believes that s/he has not been granted due process or that her or his rights have been violated in the hearing, s/he may appeal the decision to the Dean of the School (see Section C.2 below).

C. Appeal Processes

A Student may appeal a course grade, practicum evaluation and any other formal evaluation made by faculty in connection with the CCE, dissertation or other program requirement when he or she believes that the grade or other evaluation was made on grounds that reflected bias, discrimination or other violation of students' rights. The process and procedures for these appeals are provided below:

C.1 Appealing a Course Grade, Practicum Evaluation or Other Formal Evaluation. A student who decides to appeal a course grade or other formal evaluation, including formal evaluations associated with practicum, and the Comprehensive Clinical Exam (CCE), the dissertation requirement or other program requirement must appeal first to the course instructor, clinical supervisor or other faculty member(s) responsible for the grade or evaluation. If the issue is not resolved at this level, appeal can be made to either the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Associate Dean for Clinical Training. Generally speaking, course grades or evaluations and evaluations associated with the dissertation requirement should be appealed to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, whereas grades or evaluations associated with clinical practicum or the comprehensive clinical examination (CCE) should be appealed to the Associate Dean for Clinical Training. An exception for this general rule in submitting appeals will be made in instances when the Dean of the School or either of the Associate Deans was directly involved in assigning the grade or other evaluation that is the subject of the appeal. Appeal of a grade or other evaluation made by the Dean will be appealed to the Provost. Appeal of grades or other evaluations made by one Associate Dean should be directed to the other Associate Dean. In rare instances, in which both Associate Deans were directly involved in a grade or other formal evaluation, appeal should be directed to the Dean who will render a decision. Appeal must be made within 30 days of the student's receipt of the grade or evaluation or the right to appeal will be forfeited. The student initiates the appeal process by submitting a written appeal. One or both of the Associate Deans will render a decision in the matter following investigation and, at their discretion, consultation with other faculty. The Associate Dean(s) will respond to the appeal, in writing, within 60 days of receipt of the appeal. If the outcome of the appeal is a recommendation for a change in a grade or other formal evaluation, appropriate actions (e.g., a change in a grade, evaluation, etc.) will be taken by the Associate Dean(s). In all cases, faculty members directly involved in the appeal, as well as all fully-affiliated faculty will be kept informed of appeal process and outcome.

A student who believes that the outcome of the appeal reflected bias, discrimination or other gross violation of student rights may appeal the decision to the Dean of the School (see C.2 below). The Dean's decision in the matter will be final. (As noted above, a different appeals process is employed when the appeal involves a grade or evaluation made by the Dean.

C.2 Appealing Faculty Decisions to the Dean: As noted above, students may appeal to the Dean faculty decisions concerning termination from the program (see B.7 above) well as decisions concerning student-initiated appeals of course grades, practicum evaluations, remedial plans, and evaluations made in connection with the CCE and dissertation requirements (see C.1 above).

The student should submit the appeal including the reason(s) for the appeal, in writing, to the Dean. A written petition must be presented to the Dean within seven working days of receiving the letter notifying the student of the Faculty's decision. The Dean will review the relevant documents and other information and the student will be informed, in writing, of the Dean's decision within 30 days of receipt of the appeal. Failure to appeal within the allotted time renders the Faculty's decision final. The Dean's decision is final in all instances except when the decision by the Faculty and/or the Dean is to terminate the student from the program. In instances of termination, and only in these instances, the student has the option of appealing the Dean's decision directly to the Provost of the University.

C.3 Appealing the Dean's Decision to the University Provost: A written petition must be presented to the Provost within seven working days of receiving the letter notifying the student of the Dean's decision. The Provost's decision is final. Failure to appeal within the allotted time period renders the Dean's decision final.

Adopted by the faculty 9/19/07