Miscellaneous Policies

Policies and procedures for certain items, including, but not limited to, academic advisement, academic review, appeals, attendance in academic courses, auditing courses, clinical attire, grades, promotions/dismissal, grievance procedures, and student employment may be referenced in the various Schools’ student handbooks and/or catalogs.

Admissions and Applicants. The educational policies of the TTUHSC are founded upon the regulations of the Board of Regents of the Texas Tech University System. TTUHSC is an upper-level, graduate, and professional study institution. The application and admissions policies for TTUHSC are outlined in the individual Schools’ catalogs. Most programs at TTUHSC have a deadline for receipt of applications and supporting documents. These deadlines vary by program and application year. Applicants are advised to contact the program to which they are seeking admission for specific deadline dates.
Adding and Dropping Courses. Consult with your academic department for deadline dates for adding and/or dropping courses. Students should make an appointment with their advisor to complete appropriate documentation. Students dropping a course to the point of zero hours of enrollment are considered to be withdrawing from the School’s program. Please refer to the individual Schools’ catalogs and/or handbooks for more specific details relating to your program.
Attendance. The faculty member responsible for the course determines attendance requirements for each course. A student who fails to attend any class for any reason is responsible for the material presented in class, assignments, examinations, announcements, etc. to the same extent as though the student had attended the class. Please refer to the individual School’s catalogs and/or handbooks for more specific details relating to your program.
Working with Affiliated Entities-Student Drug Screenings, HSC OP 77.15
1. For purposes of this policy the term “Student” does not include residents in the Schools of Medicine or Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy.
2. Background
  1. TTUHSC enters into affiliation agreements with various health care clinical entities (“Affiliated Entities”), such as hospitals and other facilities, in order to provide clinical experience opportunities for its students enrolled in TTUHSC clinical education programs.
  2. Affiliated Entities may establish more stringent standards for students who wish to do a clinical rotation at the affiliated entity, than those required by TTUHSC as part of its admission process. Affiliated Entities may require students, among other things, to undergo and satisfactorily pass additional background checks and/or drug screenings as a pre-requisite to participating in a clinical rotation at the Affiliated Entity.
  3. Clinical rotations are an essential element in certain degree programs’ curricula. Students who cannot participate in clinical rotations due to a positive drug screening may be unable to fulfill the requirements of a degree program. TTUHSC schools may NOT mandate this requirement for all students. It applies solely to those students who must fulfill the requirement for participation in a clinical rotation at an Affiliated Entity.
3. Clinical Placement
  1. Placements at Affiliated Entities for clinical rotations will be based on the learning objectives as defined by each program consistent with the learning objectives of each student. Determination of unacceptable results of a drug screening will be made by the Affiliated Entity. Any student placed with an Affiliated Entity that requires additional background checks and/or drug screens, who cannot meet these requirements, must discuss all available options with their School’s Office of Student Affairs or their designee.
  2. Affiliated entities may conduct their own drug screening. If the student fails the drug test and is consequently denied externship placement, s/he shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the TTUHSC policies.
4. Responsibility of the School. The student’s school shall:
  1. Notify the student of the Affiliated Entity’s requirements for a drug screen, to include the type(s) of drug screen required by the Affiliated Entity, deadlines to meet the Affiliated Entity’s requirements, a list of approved drug screen testing vendors, and a completed Authorization, Attachment “A,” for signature by the student.
  2. Receive the student’s drug screen test results, which shall be maintained in a confidential, locked file separate from the student’s primary educational records.
  3. Notify and ensure the Affiliated Entity that all students prior to their clinical rotation have met their drug screening requirements.
5. Responsibility of the Student
  1. The student shall pay for the cost of any and all drug screening required by an Affiliated Entity that is designated for student matriculation by TTUHSC provided articles b, c, d, below are met. The student shall be responsible for the cost of any necessary re-test or subsequent tests at TTUHSC designated Affiliated Entity(s) and any drug screening required by an Affiliated Entity selected for matriculation by the student.
  2. The student shall complete the drug screen prior to the deadlines provided by the School and meet the guidelines of the Affiliated Entity. Failure to complete the drug test prior to the deadlines may result in an additional expense to the student, and/or delay in, or denial of, rotation in the Affiliated Entity.
  3. The student shall use a drug screen vendor from the designated vendors provided to the student by their School and/or the Affiliated Entity. Results from a vendor NOT on designated by the School and/or Affiliated Entity will not be accepted and the student shall be required to have the drug screening test(s) conducted by an approved vendor.
  4. The student will be required to sign a valid consent and authorization, Attachment “A,” consenting to the drug screening and giving the vendor performing the test permission to provide the drug screen test results to the person designated by the School to receive student drug screen tests results under this policy.
6. Student Refusal to Consent to Drug Screen. Any student who fails or refuses to consent to a drug screen required by an Affiliated Entity to which the student has been assigned by their School shall be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the TTUHSC Student Handbook/Code of Professional and Academic Conduct, the Schools’ written policies, if any, and this policy.
7. Period of Validity - Drug Screen Results
  1. Unless otherwise required by an Affiliated Entity, drug screen test results will generally be valid for the time the student is in the program within the School unless there is a break in enrollment, defined as not enrolled for one full semester.
  2. Students may be required to undergo drug screening more than once depending on the requirements of each Affiliated Entity in which the student is placed to meet their learning objectives or the number of Affiliated Entities at which the student is placed.
8. Drug Screen Results
  1. Diluted Specimen. Should the vendor report that the screening specimen was diluted, thereby precluding an accurate drug screen test, the student, at their expense, will be required to complete and successfully pass a new drug screen test.
  2. Negative Drug Screen Results. The School which receives a student’s drug screen test results, may release negative drug screen test results to the student, provided the student has signed the appropriate release form, Attachment A.
  3. Positive Drug Screen Results
    1. A positive drug screen is any instance in which a drug screen report shows a positive test for one or more of the drugs on the panel required by the Affiliated Entity.
    2. Any student with a positive drug screen will not be placed in any clinical facility pending review and outcome of appeal with the vendor.
    3. The student has the right, at their expense, to request an independent review of any positive drug screen, by an independent Medical Review Officer, provided by the vendor. There will be an additional charge if review by the Medical Review Officer is requested, and the student is responsible for all costs related to this review.
    4. Any appeal based on a positive drug screen is solely between the student, the Medical Review Officer and the vendor. The student’s School will not become involved in the appeal of a positive drug screen.
    5. If, after review by the independent Medical Review Officer, there is no valid medical basis which would cause or contribute to the positive drug screen, the test results will stand, at which point the student will be referred to the School’s Office of Student Affairs for disciplinary action in accordance with this policy and the School’s written policies.
9. Confidentiality of Records. Drug screening reports and all records pertaining to the results are considered confidential information with restricted access to the extent allowed by law.
10. Re-admission
  1. Any student who is withdrawn due to a positive drug screen without medical validation will only be eligible for readmission to any TTUHSC program of study in accordance with the School’s readmission policies.
  2. If accepted for readmission after the required period of time, the student must, at their own expense, provide a negative drug test and satisfactory documentation of completion of any remedial action required by the School.
11. Right to Change Policy. TTUHSC reserves the right to change, modify, amend or rescind this policy in whole, or in part. at any time.
Credit by Exam. Specific credit by examination policies may be found in each of the Schools’ catalogs and/or student handbooks; however, the School of Nursing does not offer Credit by Exam. Pass or fail grades earned on examinations for these courses will not be considered in determining grade-point averages. TTUHSC Schools may elect not to accept credit by examination, where it is determined that such academic achievement may hinder the success on national licensure exams/certifications.
Grades/Grading
1. The instructor assigned to a course has the responsibility for determining a grade and for judging the quality of academic performance.
2. The processing of formal appeal procedures is the responsibility of the School which administers the course. A copy of the grade appeal procedures may be found in the individual Schools’ catalogs and/or handbooks. A student must file a formal written appeal within three (3) business days of the beginning of the next semester in accordance with the individual Schools’ policy regarding student grade appeals. A grade can be formally appealed only when there is demonstrable evidence that prejudice, arbitrary or capricious action on the part of the instructor has influenced the grade. The burden of proof that such an unfair influence has affected a grade rests with the student who appeals the grade. Only final course grades may be formally appealed to the responsible academic dean. Earlier grades and other academic grievances may be discussed with the instructor involved and with the chair of the department or division involved. After a degree has been posted, no further adjustments can be made on the record except under extraordinary circumstances as determined by the Dean of the School the student is enrolled under.
Graduation Procedures
1. Degree requirements are published in the individual School’s catalogs.
2. Prior to graduation, all candidates for TTUHSC degrees are required to:
  1. Complete all graduation requirements set forth by the applicable School;
  2. Complete and return to the Office of the Registrar the University’s Graduation Application form in the semester before anticipated graduation (the student’s “diploma name” as requested in the Graduation Application form is printed on their diploma, and information provided by the student is used in commencement programs);
  3. Be registered in the semester the certificate or degree is to be conferred unless the student is granted an exception by the dean of their school;
  4. Federal Student Aid Exit Counseling must be completed by students who have received financial assistance, which must be repaid after graduation.
Interprofessional Education. All TTUHSC students, regardless of school affiliation, will be required to complete the IPE Core Curriculum prior to graduation. The IPE Core Curriculum is composed of two components including successful completion of a non-credit online course (>70% accuracy on all knowledge post-tests) and successful participation in at least one registered IPE learning activity. Failure to complete the IPE Core Curriculum will result in delayed graduation. Students should consult their academic/program advisor and/or school catalog for additional information.
Notification of Student Death. HSC Student Affairs is the Office of the Chancellor’s liaison regarding notification of any student deaths. Schools must notify the Associate Provost for Student Affairs immediately in the event of any student death.
Registration
1. Registration is coordinated by the Office of the Registrar in cooperation with the School in which the student enrolls. Tuition and fees are payable in full at the time of registration unless other arrangements have been completed. Registration for new students is completed as a step in the orientation process, or with the assistance of the Schools’ Student Affairs or Coordinators office.
2. To be eligible for registration, the student must have been officially admitted as a new student, or officially readmitted following an absence, and must have satisfied all admission requirements, or must be a continuing student who is eligible to continue as a student at the University. Any student deemed ineligible due to academic, administrative or disciplinary sanction will be barred from registration. Students must provide all final transcripts to each school ‘s Office of Admissions by the end of the first semester in which they are enrolled or a hold will be place- preventing registration in future semesters. *See Student Record and Transcript Policy located at http://www.ttuhsc.edu/registrar/documents/student.record.transcript.policy.pdf
3. Late Registration. Students are expected to register at their earliest opportunity. A student who registers late may be assessed a fee. Consult the Office of the Registrar for deadline dates for registration.
Religious Holy Days
1. A student who intends to observe a Religious Holy Day should provide written notice, at the earliest possible date prior to the absence, to the following: (1) the instructor of each affected class and (2) the Director of Student Affairs of their School. A student will be excused from attending class(es), examinations, or other required activities for the observance of a Religious Holy Day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this section will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment within a reasonable time and at the sole discretion of the instructor of record and/or the Director of Student Affairs before or after the absence.
2. A student who is excused under the above provision may not be penalized for the absence; however, the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the missed assignment or examination within the above-stated time.
3. Any disputes regarding this policy should be submitted in writing to the TTUHSC Provost or their designee. Any decision by the Provost or their designee regarding the dispute shall be final.
4. This policy does not apply to any student absence for a Religious Holy Day which may interfere with patient responsibilities or patient care.
Remote Examinations. Remote examinations will be conducted with the assistance of proctoring tools to preserve academic integrity and fairness. Such proctoring tools may include, but are not limited to, the utilization of video and/or audio capabilities to examine, scan, evaluate, and/or monitor you, your work station, associated areas, and surroundings (“Exam Conditions”). By continuing to remain registered in your courses, you consent to these Exam Conditions. If you do not consent or wish to withdraw your consent, please contact the faculty member of your course and other arrangements may be made, such as onsite testing.
State Residency Classification. Students are responsible for registering under the proper residence classification and for providing documentation as required by the institution. If there is any question about the right to classification as a resident of Texas, it is the student’s obligation, prior to the time of enrollment, to ask for an official determination by the Office of the Registrar. Non-residents who live in Texas taking only online courses are charged non-resident tuition and fees. An applicant whose classification as a resident of the State of Texas is not clearly established should request a Residency Questionnaire from the Office of the Registrar.