1. Statement about the Committee's General Purpose 2. What is the

CSP Guidelines

Revised August 2022

1. Statement about the Committee’s General Purpose

1.1 The Committee on Student Progress (CSP) is responsible for monitoring and evaluating student

progress. The CSP, composed of faculty and senior administrative staff members, makes decisions

regarding students pursuing the D.O. degree for purposes of promotion, graduation, program alteration,

remediation, retention, repetition, and dismissal, and other matters related to progress.

1.2 It is the responsibility of the Heritage College to assure the Ohio General Assembly and the Ohio

Department of Higher Education that Ohio University Heritage College graduates have demonstrated

the competencies necessary to enter graduate medical education. The faculty, staff, and administration

are committed to providing academic support to help students successfully meet the institution's

academic standards and to ensure the citizens of the state of Ohio and beyond of the quality of

graduating physicians.

1.3 The CSP shall formulate and periodically review and revise these guidelines to carry out its

responsibilities.

2. What is the makeup of the Committee?

Appointments shall be made in accordance with the by-laws of the faculty of the Ohio University

Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine.

2.1 The Voting Membership:

The voting membership of the CSP shall be composed according to the Committee By-laws of the

following 7 members:

• 3 non-clinical faculty appointed by the Executive Dean

• 3 clinical faculty appointed by the Executive Dean

• The Chief Inclusion Officer

2.2 The Nonvoting Membership: The nonvoting membership of the CSP shall be composed according to

the Committee Bylaws of the following 3 members:

• The Associate Dean of Preclinical Education

• The Associate Dean of Clinical Education

• The Senior Director of Student Affairs.

2.3 The Chair of the Committee will be appointed by the Executive Dean from the voting membership of

the committee. The CSP Chair may appoint a member of the Committee to run the meeting on dates

when the Chair is not available to attend. The Senior Director of Student Affairs will serve as secretary

for the CSP and will be responsible for coordinating minutes, all records, and most correspondence with

students.

2.4 Faculty members will be appointed on a staggered basis and serve for a term of 3 years to improve

continuity and efficiency in monitoring student progress over the full four years of the curriculum.

2.5 CSP members will not vote in instances where they are the Instructor of Record for a course in which

the student is registered.

3. What does the Committee Do?

The CSP shall oversee the review of records of students pursuing the DO degree for purposes of

promotion, graduation, program alteration, remediation, retention, repetition, or dismissal.

3.1 The CSP will review the academic record of students referred for academic failure. In these

instances, the CSP will consider the following decisions:

• Permit the student to proceed through the curriculum

• Place the student on academic probation

• Extend, supplement, or otherwise alter the student’s course of study

• Dismiss the student

3.2 In situations where the CSP is asked to review cases of unprofessional conduct, whether referred

from the Professionalism Committee or as a factor in failed coursework, the CSP will consider the

following decisions:

• Completion of external coursework

• A letter of reprimand placed in the student’s file

• A notation on the student’s Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE)

• Dismissal

3.3 The D.O. Degree is granted on the authority of Ohio University’s Board of Trustees and based on

the recommendation of the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s faculty, delegated by the

Committee on Student Progress (CSP) per faculty bylaws. It is the responsibility of the CSP to review

the list of students who have completed all graduation requirements and to vote to recommend that

list of students to the Ohio University Board of Trustees for conferral of the degree.

3.4 The CSP will review circumstances in which a student cannot be placed on rotations for any reason

not pertaining to rotation availability. In these instances, the CSP will consider the following decisions:

• Administrative leave of absence

• Dismissal

3.5 Immediate Suspension

Any time the actions of a medical student pose a threat of imminent danger due to an alleged

violation(s) of professional standards, the Associate Dean of Admissions & Student Affairs of the

Heritage College may immediately suspend the student from any and all activities of the Heritage

College as well as the property controlled by the Heritage College pending a prompt meeting of the

Committee.

In instances involving sexual misconduct, the Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs shall

confer with the University’s Title IX coordinator prior to suspending a student.

3.6 CSP Recommendations and Outcomes

After meeting with a student and reviewing the student’s information, the CSP will make a

determination of action. After the meeting, the Senior Director of Student Affairs shall draft a

communication of the student’s outcome. The Committee members shall review the draft for accuracy,

with the Chair giving final approval. Upon approval by the Chair, the CSP determination becomes an

action of the Heritage College. The Senior Director of Student Affairs will communicate the outcome to

the student as well as to the appropriate academic areas.

3.7 Standing:

Issues of whether a student is considered to be in good standing will be determined by the CSP on a

case-by-case basis.

4. Leaves of Absence

The CSP will review and grant or deny student requests for leaves of absence.

4.1 Under exceptional circumstances, a student may request to be granted a leave of absence from the

College, with the opportunity to return at a specified date. Requests for leaves of absence are to be

submitted to the CSP through the Salesforce Student Portal and will go to the Senior Director of Student

Affairs to bring to the Committee for consideration. The Salesforce Student Portal, can be found at:

https://ouhcom.force.com/students/

The link to the “Leave of Absence” form is located in the “Student Portal Tools” box.

4.2 Following appropriate consultation with instructors and/or college administrative personnel, as well

as consideration of any documentation, the CSP will decide whether to approve a leave.

4.3 The CSP may also suggest that a student take a leave of absence from the College, with

the opportunity to return at a specified date.

4.4 Failure or imminent failure of coursework alone shall not be grounds for granting a leave of

absence.

4.5 A student may request a meeting with the CSP to clarify details relating to their leave of absence.

5. How does the Committee work?

Procedures of the Committee

5.1 CSP meeting dates will be scheduled, and agendas will be prepared by the Senior Director of Student

Affairs, their staff and/or the Chair. Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed upon the request

of CSP members, the chair, or under special circumstances. Minutes of the CSP meetings will be kept by

the Senior Director of Student Affairs and will be provided to all Committee members for comment prior

to final approval by the Chair.

5.2 A quorum will consist of a simple majority of the duly constituted voting membership. All matters

submitted to vote require a majority of those present who are eligible to vote. The committee may, at

its discretion, conduct an email vote so that those not present may participate. In time-sensitive

situations not involving repeating of a year or dismissal, the Committee may conduct an email vote

without meeting with the student.

5.3 CSP meetings are not open to non-members except by action of the Committee. The CSP Chair or

Senior Director of Student Affairs may invite to CSP meetings other university or college faculty or

administrative personnel for the purpose of providing additional information helpful to the work of the

CSP.

6. When would a student be required to meet with the CSP?

6.1 Year 1 & 2 PreClinical Student Information

For circumstances involving PreClinical coursework, using the link below, refer to the “Key Grading

Factors” within each course’s syllabus for reasons why a student would be required to meet with the

CSP.

https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/med-education/osteopathic-medicine/pre-clinical-years/syllabi-and-

booklists

6.2 Year 3 & 4 Clinical Student Information

For circumstances involving rotations or other Clinical coursework, using the link below, refer to the

Clinical Student Manual and/or the Year 3 or Year 4 Rotation Syllabus for reasons why a student would

be required to meet with the CSP.

https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/med-education/osteopathic-medicine/clinical-edu/student-resources-

years-3-and-4

6.3 General

The CSP may require a meeting with the student based on (1) concerns about academic performance;

(2) concerns about professional behavior (3) referrals from Pre-Clinical Campus Deans/Clinical Campus

Assistant Deans; (4) the need for additional information on which to make decisions about a student’s

academic progress; (5) referrals from the TCC Director.

The CSP may request a meeting with the student . The Senior Director of Student Affairs will be

responsible for notifying the student regarding the reasons for, date of, and time of the meeting.

Students may request a meeting with the CSP.

7. What happens at the CSP Meeting?

Students will receive a message from the Senior Director of Student Affairs or their staff instructing the

student when and where they are required to meet with the Committee. Depending on the

circumstances, the student may be asked to provide information to be shared with Committee members

prior to the meeting.

Because CSP members are from all campuses, the meetings will be conducted via videoconference. The

meeting will be conducted by the CSP Chair who will start by introducing the student to the Committee

members present at the meeting. The CSP may ask the student for information about their situation,

whether they have reached out for assistance, how they plan to address the issue, etc.

At the conclusion of the discussion, the Chair will advise the student that the Committee will consider

the information discussed at the meeting and make a decision about the student’s outcome. That

outcome has a final review by the Committee and the Chair after the meeting. Once the Chair has

approved the outcome, the Senior Director of Student Affairs will notify the student in writing of the

outcome of the meeting. The process of obtaining final approval of the Committee’s recommendation

can take several days to a week or more depending on schedules.

8. Progress through the curriculum:

All students will be permitted to progress to each successive year upon successful completion of all

course work for the previous year, including reassessments, and all students must take COMLEX Level 1

before beginning third year coursework.

9. Graduation Information:

9.1 COMLEX Requirements for all OU-HCOM Students:

Students are required to pass COMLEX Level 1, COMLEX Level 2 CE and any “Evidence of Clinical Skills

Assessments/Activities” currently available from the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners

(NBOME) and required by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) in order to

graduate from the Heritage College.

For information about the Heritage College COMLEX policy refer to:

https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/about/who-we-are/policies under Academic & Student Matters.

9.2 No student with an un-remediated F, I, or PR grade in a course needed for graduation or an un-

remediated “failing” rating on the clinical evaluation of a required course can be recommended for the

D.O. degree.

9.3 The Heritage College Degree Conferral and Commencement Ceremony generally takes place on the

second Saturday of May although this is subject to change following Ohio University’s calendar. If a

student has not completed all graduation requirements by the date of the Commencement Ceremony,

they may participate in the Commencement Ceremony if all degree requirements can reasonably be

completed prior to July 1

of the current year. Any student on a modified enrollment plan may only

participate at the Commencement Ceremony with the cohort in which they will enter the ACGME

match.

10. Maximum Time to complete Degree Requirements:

All Heritage College students, except those enrolled in a dual degree program or those who are selected

for the Primary Care Associate (PCA) program, must complete the D.O. degree program within 150% of

the time required to achieve the degree as required by the COCA accreditation standards. Therefore,

students must meet all graduation requirements and graduate within the allotted time as determined

from their date of matriculation into the program. For information about the Maximum Length to

Completion policy refer to:

https://www.ohio.edu/medicine/about/who-we-are/policies under Academic & Student Matters.

11. Appeal Information:

11.1 Appeal of CSP Decisions

In order for a student to request an appeal of a decision made by the CSP and approved by the Chair,

the student must be able to demonstrate that their request for appeal meets at least one of the

following criteria:

Criteria for an Appeal:

• Sanction or outcome is extraordinarily disproportionate to the issue(s) or violation(s).

• Discovery of new and significant information that could have affected the decision that was not

known, or could not reasonably have been discovered at the time of the meeting. If the

information the student seeks to admit as part of the appeal process was available or known by

the student at the time of their CSP meeting and was not presented at that time, it cannot serve

as the basis of an appeal.

• A defect in process.

Disagreement with the CSP’s decision cannot constitute the sole basis for an appeal.

11.2 Appeal requests must be written and submitted directly to the Senior Director of Student Affairs

within five business (5) days of the date on the letter describing the decision and must document:

• Criteria for the request for an appeal.

• Specifically what the student is appealing.

The Senior Director of Student Affairs will forward the appeal letter to the College’s staff member that

manages the agenda for the Deans Council and request that the Deans Council review the appeal at the

next scheduled meeting.

11.3 Deans Council will meet and review the appeal request. For appeals that do not involve dismissal of

the student, the Deans Council may decide whether they need to consult with the student in person (or

via phone, videoconferencing, etc.) or whether they may rule on the appeal based only on the written

appeal documentation. For dismissal cases, the Deans Council will arrange to meet with the student.

The Deans Council will discuss the merits of the appeal and vote on whether to uphold the original CSP

decision, reverse or revise the decision. The Chief Inclusion Officer and the student’s preclinical campus

dean may participate in the appeal discussion but may not vote on the outcome of the appeal.

In cases of dismissal, the Deans Council’s decision will be reviewed by the Executive Dean prior to a final

decision.

The outcome of the appeal will be communicated to the student by their preclinical campus dean.

11.4 While a student is awaiting the outcome of an appeal, the student may continue to attend

coursework but the student is not permitted to sit for summative assessments or reassessments until

the outcome of the appeal is determined.

12. Ohio University Student Code of Conduct

Upon matriculation to the Heritage College, all students become members of Ohio University and are

subject to the behavioral expectations outlined in the OHIO Student Code of Conduct, which can be

accessed at: https://www.ohio.edu/communitystandards/code-of-conduct.cfm

When a medical student is charged with a violation(s) of the general policies of the Ohio University

Student Code of Conduct, the Director of Community Standards will notify the Associate Dean of

Admissions & Student Affairs of the Heritage College of the charge. In cases where the alleged conduct

of a medical student appears to be in violation of the Ohio University Student Code of Conduct, a

decision whether to handle the alleged misconduct through the general university judicial system in

accordance with the Ohio University Student Code of Conduct Procedures, the College in accordance

with these CSP Guidelines, or both, will be reached jointly by the Associate Dean of Admissions &

Student Affairs of the Heritage College and the Director of Community Standards.

13. Revision of Committee on Student Progress Guidelines

The CSP Guidelines must be responsive to the growth and change of the college and its instructional

programs. At the same time, the CSP must maintain stable structure and organizational clarity. To that

end, revisions will occur as follows:

All revisions must be approved by majority vote of all CSP members and submitted to the Executive

Dean for approval. Such changes are effective immediately on approval by the Executive Dean.

Any CSP member or a non-Committee member (faculty, administration) may propose revisions by

submitting them in writing to the Senior Director of Student Affairs.

All proposed changes will be reviewed by the CSP in quorum. Changes become effective upon final

approval by the Executive Dean. In the event that a quorum is not present, an approved change will be

labeled as "tentative" and must be reaffirmed by the full CSP in order to have permanent status.

The Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education will notify all faculty, staff and students of the Heritage

College and appropriate university offices of approved changes.

The Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education is empowered to affect any revisions to these

guidelines mandated by changes to College policies, university actions, or statutory requirements. Such

changes shall take effect immediately and remain in effect until the forgoing revision process can be

implemented.