Academic Appeals Process

• The Academic Standards Committee (ASC) is responsible for the oversight of academic standards and the academic standing of students for all programs – Bachelor’s (BS), PharmD, and graduate (MS) programs.
  • Students are required to maintain minimum course grades, semester, cumulative and professional GPAs as required by the college-wide and programmatic academic standards to be in good academic standing.
     
• The ASC is responsible for reviewing student academic records at the end of each semester and making the decision to place a student on probation or to dismiss the student from their respective program or the college if they fail to meet the respective academic standards. The ASC communicates decisions to the registrar in writing. The Registrar then sends a letter to the student on the Dean’s behalf.
  •  At the end of each semester, the Registrar’s Office prepares student grade reports from the current semester and provides the reports to the ASC
  • Grade reports of all students on academic probation from the previous semesters are also provided to the ASC
     
• The ASC makes decisions on the academic standing of students in academic difficulty, i.e., those on probation who fail to meet academic standards, and on students eligible to be removed from probation. The registrar communicates this decision, along with any probation removal conditions, to the students on behalf of the Dean.
   
• Students are permitted to appeal academic standing and progression decisions (except academic probation) by submitting a form and supporting documentation to the Academic Standards and Progression Committee at academicappeals@acphs.edu. The appeal letter should clearly describe the basis for the appeal and should include:
   
  1. Explanation/justification surrounding the student’s inability to meet the college-wide or program academic standards;
      
  2. Appropriate documentation by a competent, qualified professional in the event extenuating life circumstances are identified;
      
     • The college reserves the right to require further evaluation and/or documentation.
        
  3. Student Success Plan: plan for coping with unresolved issues and for remediating any academic deficiencies.
      
• Appeal forms and documentation must be received by 11:59 PM EST for the appeal to be considered.
   
• While the appeal is being considered, a student’s academic status does not change. If a student was dismissed, he or she remains dismissed.
   
• The Academic Standing and Progression Committee (ASPC) serves in the capacity of an advisory body for the Deans for student appeals of academic dismissal (not probation). In such, the ASPC reviews all student appeals for dismissal, including all related documentation and supporting evidence, and for making recommendations to the Deans to grant or deny the appeals.
   
• After reviewing the appeal form and related documentation along with input from the student’s academic advisor, faculty advisor and program director and other pertinent student information including academic integrity, conduct and professionalism issues; the ASPC will make a recommendation to the Deans to grant or deny the appeal.
   
• If the appeal is granted, the VPAA in collaboration with both Deans reviews ASPC recommendations and collaboratively makes final decisions. In case of a disagreement, the final determination will be made by the VPAA.

The VPAA's decision is final.