Program Policies
a. Graduate students are expected to be on site at the medical center from 8am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday (with the exception of the first 4 weeks when instruction begins at 8:30am and ends at 4pm) unless otherwise indicated by program leadership. This schedule is carefully configured to meet state and national requirements for both clinical and lecture hours.
Three weeks of vacation are built into the schedule. Two weeks occur just prior to the start of spring semesters and one week falls in the middle of spring semester. Graduate students are permitted to take up to 16 hours (or 2 days) of personal time per semester in hourly increments with advance notice. The written request must be made two weeks prior to the requested date/ time and must be made to the program director AND the clinical instructor. Advance notice provides adequate opportunities to schedule make-up experiences. Request forms are provided in the appendix.
Students missing more than 2 days in a row due to illness or other unplanned critical events are required to:
Submit a written explanation as to the program director that includes: the anticipated date of return; a list of missed experiences; and the approved make up schedule for those experiences (clinical instructor approval required).
Submit a doctor’s excuse for absences due to illness for more than 2 consecutive days that provides the date the graduate student is medically cleared to resume normal activity (and return to the program).
In the event of a prolonged absence graduate students must adhere to the leave of absence policies found in the current Graduate Studies Bulletin entitled: Regulations and University Policies Concerning Graduate Studies.
Noncompliance may result in dismissal from the program. A sample evaluation form is provided in the appendix.
Unscheduled absences (those that occur without prior advance notice) will be monitored. Absenteeism and a history of repeated requests to leave early without proper approval will result in remediation and may lead to dismissal from the program.
Graduate students must inform clinical instructors or the program director if they are unable to attend clinical rotations and/or lectures prior to the beginning of the shift. It is the expectation of the department that the graduate student reports their absence directly to a departmental representative. Although it may be helpful to leave a voice mail or send an email, key instructors may not receive the message in a timely fashion. In some cases, instruction to other students may be delayed until everyone is present.
Missed exams must be made up immediately upon the graduate student’s return to the program.
Alerts for program closings due to dangerous travel conditions, power outages, or unexpected utility failures will be made directly to students as soon as the information becomes available.
b. Attendance is mandatory. Students are permitted 2 sick days per semester and must make up practicums and exams within a reasonable time frame when they return to class. In the event that additional days are missed the student must:
- Submit a written explanation within 2 days to the program director explaining the reason for the extended absence that includes an anticipated date of return with an approved (by the appropriate instructor) action plan detailing the makeup schedule for missed practicums and/or exams.
- Submit a doctor’s excuse for absences over 3 consecutive days with written approval to return to normal activities.
- Submit a doctor’s excuse for leave of absences due to a medical condition with a written statement that the student cannot return to the program for medical reasons.
- Students that do not comply with these policies will be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the program at the discretion of the program director.
c. University Leave Of Absence and University Withdrawal
Tuition Refund Policy
Students who cancel admission, withdraw or take a leave from the University, voluntarily or involuntarily, before the first day of classes will receive a full tuition and fee refund (100%). Such students are not included in University records as registered for the term. All disbursed Title IV aid, institutional aid, state, and other aid will be returned to the appropriate account by the Financial Aid Office. Note, however, that non-refundable application and enrollment fees will not be refunded.
An enrolled student who withdraws or voluntarily takes a leave from the University on or after the first day of classes and through the seventh day of the term (first week), will receive a full tuition and fee refund (100%). An enrolled student who becomes inactive on or after the eighth day of the term but before the time when s/he will have completed 60 percent of the period of enrollment, will have their institutional charges and institutional aid adjusted based on a daily proration of attendance.
A student who withdraws or takes a leave of absence after the 60 percent point of the period of enrollment will receive no refund of institutional charges or financial aid for that term.
The Refund Schedule For The UHS Health Fee Is As Follows:
- 100% during the first two weeks of the semester or first week of the quarter, for students NOT insured with UR Student Health Insurance.
- 0% during the remainder of the semester or quarter.
- 0% for students covered by UR Student Health Insurance, regardless of time in semester. Students with UR insurance are not eligible for health fee or insurance premium refunds. Health benefits continue until current coverage ends.
When a student needs to separate from the University, there are two options available: a University leave of absence or a University withdrawal. Definitions of these options, impacts, and steps to be taken are outlined below. The most important step is to work with your academic advisor, program coordinator, program administrator, or school registrar to understand the path forward.
Please be sure to review the policy (pdf) for more detailed information: https://www.rochester.edu/registrar/assets/pdf/university-of-rochester-leave-of-absence-and-withdrawal-policy.pdf.
d. Grading Policy For SMD Graduate Programs
The School of Medicine and Dentistry requires satisfactory academic performance and accomplishment in research and coursework for all students. This satisfactory performance is mandatory for continuation in good academic standing in the graduate program.
Grading System
Grades for graduate students are reported as letter grades. A grade of “E” is considered a failing grade. Students do not receive academic credit for a failing grade and must retake any courses required for their program in which they receive a failing grade. Failing grades should be assigned to students who have not mastered course content sufficiently to progress.
- A (excellent), A–, B+, B (good), B–, C (poor), and E (failure)
- S (satisfactory) and E (failure)
Grading Policy For Master's And Advanced Certificate Programs
First Grade Below B-
Upon receiving one grade below B- in any course or research experience:
- The student must meet with the program director for review, to evaluate any necessary supports, and to document a plan intended to enable the student to successfully complete the graduate program.
- The program director will notify the Office for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) and provide a copy of the documented plan to be placed in the student’s academic file.
- GEPA will issue a letter to the student notifying them that they have received an academic warning. The letter will be placed in the student’s academic file with the improvement plan.
Second Grade Below B-
Upon receiving a second grade below B- in any course or research experience:
- The student must meet with the program director and the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs to evaluate their standing in the graduate program.
- A second grade below B- may result in disciplinary action such as being placed on academic probation or dismissal from the graduate program.
- GEPA will issue a letter to the student notifying them of the final determination. The letter will be placed in the student’s academic file along with any associated documentation.
- Note: at the program director’s discretion, students receiving their first and second grade below B- in the same semester may be handled according to the First Grade Below B- process.
Additional information is found in the Graduate Education – Trainee Handbook: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/graduate/trainee-handbook/policies-benefits/grade-policy
e. Evaluations of student performance are provided an impartial, fair and consistent manner. One on one advisement meetings between the program director and students occur mid semester in fall and spring. The program director is also available for additional meetings at the student’s request. In addition, the program director schedules advisement meetings as needed when a student is identified at risk and in need of advising for academic, behavioral or emotional concerns. One to one advisement meetings between the program director and graduate students are held in a private setting. Records of these meetings are maintained in a confidential manner.
The Care Network is a university resource that offers students support. Students may engage independently or be referred by a member of the university. The CARE Network strives to maintain students’ privacy as much as possible, but when there are instances related to sexual misconduct (Title IX issues) or self-harm/harm to others, CARE staff are mandated to report information to the appropriate campus resources. Care referrals have no impact on the student’s academic standing or records.
The program adheres to the University of Rochester Policy on Confidentiality: www.rochester.edu/policies/policy/confidentiality/.
f. Grade appeals must be submitted in writing with a full explanation of the reason for dispute; a copy of the graded assessment; and references to course materials to support the claim. Appeals will be reviewed by the Medical Director and Program Director. The outcome of the appeals will be returned within 2 weeks of submission of the required documents.
g. As per the University of Rochester Regulations and University Policies Concerning Graduate Studies, academic honesty is taken very seriously and a central responsibility for all students. Suspected breaches are reported to the department chair and associate dean of graduate studies. Claims of academic misconduct will be reviewed by department leadership and if a breach is confirmed will result in penalties. Ignorance of this policy is not considered a valid excuse or defense. The full policy can be viewed at the following URL; on page 19: www.rochester.edu/GradBulletin/PDFbulletin/Regulations.pdf.
h. Should a student drop out of the program and wish to return the following academic year they will need to reapply to the program. If accepted to the program the student will need to pay the going flat tuition rate for the academic year that they are scheduled to return.
i. In the event that the student must retake a course, they will need to pay for the course again at a pro-rated, per credit hour cost.
j. The entire Graduate Education Trainee Handbook is provided at this URL: www.urmc.rochester.edu/education/graduate/trainee-handbook.aspx.