Dental School Remediation Policy

Course Remediation

Students who earn grades of F or U in a course after retesting and have a minimum GPA (term or cum) of 2.000 or higher may be eligible for course remediation. Eligibility for remediation is at the discretion of the Academic Performance Committee (APC) and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs (ADAA) in conjunction with the course director or designee. The course director or designee determine the specific remediation needs, and the method(s) of remediation are defined by the course director or designee in consultation with the ADAA. Remediation is an individualized program of study designed to remedy specific academic deficiencies; therefore, it may take various forms. The specific remediation needs are determined by the course director or designee. 

The remediation plan consists of the following:

• A determination of the student’s deficiencies,
• A specific set of objectives to be mastered to correct the deficiency,
• Any unique instructions as to how the remediation should be accomplished,
• How the remediation is evaluated, and
• An explicit time frame in which the remediation takes place.

Whether a student should be recommended for remediation in a course or repetition of the course depends on the student’s level of performance in the course and the overall curriculum. If a student’s performance in a course indicates a mastery of most of the required knowledge, skill or behavior (as determined by weighted course assessments) and is only deficient in a limited area of the course, the course director may recommend that the student be eligible for remediation. If a student’s performance indicates a pervasive lack of mastery of the required knowledge, skill or behavior in a course or multiple courses, then the student should repeat the course, repeat the year, or be dismissed, rather than be remediated. Courses that encompass three (3) or more contact hours per week of instruction or are offered at times that conflict with courses in the subsequent term/year are ineligible to be repeated without the student repeating the entire academic year of instruction. There are some exceptions to this policy for clinical courses. 

Courses generally eligible for remediation are identified in the course syllabus, but the final determination of remediation eligibility is determined after a comprehensive APC review of the student’s overall academic status. Students with two (2) or more grades of F or U at the end of a term are ineligible for remediation. Grades of F and U are permanent grades, remain on the student’s transcript, and are used to calculate the student's GPA. Upon successful completion of the remediation, a second letter grade is assigned to the student. Both grades are visible on the student's official transcript. Failure to successfully remediate the course results in a F grade and APC review to determine the next steps which may include repetition of the course at its next scheduled offering, repetition of the academic year or dismissal.

Clinical Course Remediation (D3s and D4s only)

Clinical Practicum courses may not be remediated except for the DEGD, DECS, DEDS and DESS 7334 and 7424 courses. If a student should receive a U grade in any of these D3 courses (7334 series), they are evaluated by the APC to determine next steps and may be required to remediate, repeat the D3 year, or be dismissed. Students who receive a U grade in any of the D4 courses (7424 series), are also evaluated by the APC and may be required to enroll in DECS 7996 Extended Clinical Practice to stay beyond graduation, repeat the D4 year or be dismissed.