The FPAP reviews professional behavior issues arising as part of student activity in a course or clerkship, including missed examinations, examination compliance issues, cheating, plagiarism, and other behavior contrary to the outcome objectives and expectations described in the Student Manual and the applicable course or clerkship syllabus.
When appropriate, course, clerkship, and examination noncompliance issues may be referred to the FPAP for a hearing.
FPAP hearings are administered by the Office of the Senior Associate Dean responsible for the student's phase of the curriculum. An associate dean or assistant dean chairs the hearing. The panel includes at least two additional SOM faculty members appointed by the senior associate dean. All panel members, including the chair, are SOM faculty who have experience with the standards for promotion and progression outlined in the Student Manual and who do not participate in student advising.
A quorum consists of the chair and at least 2 additional panel members. Decisions are reached by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the chair casts the deciding vote.
The panel may recommend referral of the student to an appropriate support service, application of an academic penalty, or completion of a specified or customized remediation pathway for infractions involving lapses in professional behavior. In the Basic Sciences phase, the panel may recommend a penalty that is less than, but may not exceed, the penalty published in the course syllabus. The panel may also recommend that a course or clerkship grade be held as Incomplete (I) until the student demonstrates the required remediation outcomes.
The panel's recommendations are submitted to the appropriate senior associate dean for action and communicated to the student by the appropriate Office of the Senior Associate Dean.
Appeal Process
A student may appeal the outcome of the FPAP process. The appeal must be submitted in writing and clearly outline the sequence of events and circumstances relevant to the matter considered by the panel.
Appeals must be submitted within 5 business days of the date the outcome is communicated to the student:
- Basic sciences students should submit appeals to StudentDOBS@sgu.edu.
- Clinical students should submit appeals to Ask-ClinStudies@sgu.edu.
The appropriate senior associate dean reviews the appeal, and the decision is communicated to the student by the corresponding office.