Admission and Regulations - School of Allied Health Professions

General Admission Policies

1. Admission to the various programs of the School is by competitive application.
2. Preference will be given to Louisiana residents. Information regarding establishing LA residency may be obtained by the Office of the Registrar or on their website at www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/registrar.
3. Attainment of an acceptable grade point average will be stressed. Please refer to individual programs for the required entering grade point average
4. Applicants must also meet requirements and technical standards established by the respective programs. See program sections for these special requirements.
5. Accepted applicants must furnish a completed Student Health Service Medical History and Physical Examination Form prior to, but before, registration. Forms are distributed to accepted students in their admission packets by the Office of Student Affairs.
6. If an applicant is not accepted for a particular program the applicant must submit a new application, application fee and official transcripts each year in which the applicant desires to be considered for admission.
7. Should transcripts/records be in a language other than English, an official English (course-by-course) detailed evaluation provided by a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Service must also be included. Hand-written documents are NOT ACCEPTABLE.
8. International students who qualify as residents of the state of Louisiana must provide Financial Declaration Affidavit and Declaration by Financial Sponsor to the Office of Student Affairs 60 days prior to start date of their first semester.
9. All applicants who are non-native speakers of English, regardless of previous language of instruction, are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum TOEFL score of 500 is required on the paper-based exam, 80 on the Internet-based exam, or 213 on the computer-based exam. TOEFL is not offered at this institution thus, arrangements should be made to take the test at another college or university. Results of TOEFL should be sent directly to the School of Allied Health Professions by the testing officials prior to the application deadline.
10. Accepted students are required to complete a pre-registration task list which includes a drug screen and criminal background check prior to the start of their first semester.
11. Students pursuing a baccalaureate degree from the School are required to take the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency Exam (CAAP) once enrolled. Students performing unsatisfactorily in any of the six modules may be required to remediate.
12. Failure to complete all pre-registration tasks and forms may result in the applicant not being allowed to register for courses in the student’s respective program.

Policy on Academic Bankruptcy

The School of Allied Health Professions adheres to a policy of academic bankruptcy. The intent of this policy is to allow those individuals who have interrupted their academic careers for three consecutive years to resume their academic careers.

The following conditions apply to this policy:

1. Applicants must request academic bankruptcy in writing from the program to which they are applying.
2. The applicant must not have attended a college/university for at least three years prior to reapplying for admission.
3. All college/university credit earned prior to the three-year period will be forfeited, and therefore not considered in calculating the applicant’s grade point average nor used to meet prerequisite courses.

Method of Application

An application for admission form may be obtained from the school’s website at www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/alliedhealth or by contacting the Office of Student Affairs of the School in Shreveport for each of the programs - Cardiopulmonary Science, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Communication Disorders, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant. Each application must be accompanied by the required application fee.

Two copies of each applicant’s official transcripts should be mailed directly from the Registrar’s Office of each college/university attended to the Office of Student Affairs. Additional transcripts may be required by the program to which the applicant is applying.

The nature of the various educational programs in the School requires that certain admission policies and regulations differ for each program. Specific application procedures are given in the sections devoted to each of the programs of the School.

Acceptance of Deposit

Upon notification of acceptance, a $150.00 non-refundable commitment fee is required. This fee will be credited toward the first semester’s tuition.

Registration

All students are expected to comply with the general Health Sciences Center provisions governing registration and payment of tuition and fees by appropriate term dates as established in the Academic Calendar.

Attendance

Students are expected to attend all scheduled course-related class meetings, clinical and laboratory sessions in each course. Excessive absence, regardless of the cause thereof, may be construed as sufficient reason for considering a student as academically deficient. Determination of the number of absences which may be interpreted as excessive is determined separately by each program.

Examinations

Examinations may be written, oral, practical, or a combination of all three types. A student may be excluded from any examination for excessive absence, regardless of the cause, at the discretion of the department head or program director. A student may also be excluded for failure to pay fees. The department head or program director has the option to re-examine any student at any time or give any additional test or tests other than those regularly scheduled with the object of arriving at a more accurate evaluation of the student’s academic performance.

Grading System

The School of Allied Health Professions employs a letter grading system (A, B, C, D, F, I, P, S, and U). The grades of A, B, and C indicate satisfactory undergraduate work, with A being the highest grade given. D indicates work that is passing, but below the minimum quality expected.

• An F grade indicates failure in a course.
• The I grade is recorded for a student whose work is satisfactory but, for reasons beyond the student’s control, is incomplete at the time grades for the course are reported.
• The P grade indicates a Pass.
• The S grade indicates satisfactory performance.

All students will be notified of their academic standing at the end of each academic semester by the Office of Student Affairs and Records. The grade point average is derived by dividing the total number of quality points by the total number of hours attempted.

An A has the value of 4 quality points, B=3 quality points, C=2 quality points, D=1 quality point, and F=no quality points. Thus, a 2.0 ratio is equivalent to a C average.

An incomplete (I) grade is given for work that is of passing quality but, which because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, is not complete. An instructor may consider an “I” only with the written authorization from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. It is the responsibility of the student to request and justify the “I” grade. All course requirements must be completed by the last day to add a course for credit in the next regular semester. If the requirements are not met by this deadline, the “I” will convert to a failing (F) grade. If the student’s circumstances preclude removal of the “I” by the deadline, the student or instructor may, before the deadline, petition the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for an extension.

Grading and Evaluation of Performance

In determining the final grade to be assigned for a student at the end of a course, all important attributes of each student’s performance in the course are considered. This includes not only cognitive attributes, but also non-cognitive attributes such as behavior, interpersonal relationships, attitude toward course work, and other factors, which, in the opinion of the faculty, are important to the student’s future role as an allied health professional.

Undergraduate and Graduate Professional Scholastic Requirements

Cardiopulmonary Science: Minimal Cumulative GPA 2.0 with a grade of C or better in all courses

Clinical Laboratory Science: Minimal Cumulative GPA 2.0 with a grade of C or better in all courses

Communication Disorders: Minimal Cumulative GPA 3.0 with a maximum of 9 credits of C

Physician Assistant: Minimal Cumulative GPA 2.5 with a grade of C or better in all courses

Occupational Therapy: Minimal Cumulative GPA 3.0 with a maximum of 9 credits of C

Physical Therapy: Minimal Cumulative GPA 3.0 with a maximum of 12 credits of C

Once a student is placed on academic probation and the student is informed in writing, they will have two semesters to increase their GPA in order to be removed from this status. A student cannot graduate during a semester he or she is on academic probation.

Provisions for Academic Progression

1. Students should refer to program specific policies for academic progression when a failing grade is recorded in a course.
2. Students may not enroll in a clinical rotation, fieldwork, or preceptorship until all clinical course prerequisites are completed successfully.
3. Students may not participate in clinical, field work, or preceptorship courses until all prerequisite course work has been completed successfully.
4. Students who earn a grade of Fail in clinical, fieldwork, or preceptorship courses will be placed on scholastic probation.
5. Students who fall 1-10 quality points below their program’s minimal cumulative LSUHSC-S grade point average requirement will be placed on scholastic probation.
6. Students who fall more than 10 quality points below their program’s minimal cumulative LSUHSC-S grade point average requirement may be dismissed from the School.
7. Students placed on scholastic probation must repeat those courses in which an unacceptable grade was earned when next regularly offered and earn a satisfactory grade. Students will remain on scholastic probation until this requirement is met and the minimum scholastic requirement for cumulative LSUHSC-S GPA is achieved. Failure to meet this requirement will result in dismissal from the School.
8. A course, including those designated clinical, fieldwork, and preceptorship, may be repeated one time only. Students who repeat a course but earn an unacceptable grade will be dismissed from the School.
9. Students who fail to maintain their program’s minimal cumulative LSUHSC-S grade point average requirement for two consecutive semesters can be dismissed from the School.
10. Students on scholastic probation are not eligible for graduation.
11. Students must complete the program in a specified period of time. (Time frame to be completed by each program).
12. Grades recorded in repeated course work do not replace the original grade. Both the original grade and repeated grade will appear on the academic transcript and both grades will be used in the computation of the academic grade point average.
13. Students dismissed from the School for academic reasons must reapply to the program to be considered for readmission.

Dean’s List

Full time undergraduate students (minimum 12 semesters hours) in good academic standing (minimum cumulative professional LSUHSC-S GPA of 2.0) who complete all work attempted during a Fall and/or Spring semester with a minimum 3.5 GPA will be placed on the Dean’s List.

Dress and Professional Appearance

As future health professionals, students are expected to maintain appropriate standards of dress, grooming and appearance. A dress and grooming code is provided to all students in the School on the first day of enrollment. Additional requirements may be imposed in some programs for reasons of health, safety, or public relations. All students must comply with the applicable dress and grooming standards of the School and their program, as they would with any other University regulation. Copies of the dress and grooming code are available from the Office of Student Affairs, the Student Handbook, and individual programs.

Special Status Students

Special status students are defined as students who are not matriculated for purposes of pursuing a full program directly leading to the award of a degree. Appropriate credits earned while in specialstudent status may later be applicable toward a degree, at the discretion of the Department head and/or program director.

Special status students may be registered upon written authorization of the head of the Department and/or program director in which they seek enrollment. Department heads and/or program directors may waive grade-point average requirements and course-prerequisite requirements and for special status students, at their discretion.

Special Status Students must:

1. Make application for admission to the School and the program.
2. Pay the application fee and such other tuition and fees as are required by the program, the School, the Health Sciences Center, and the LSU System
3. Supply the required official transcripts of all post-secondary education completed or under way at the time of application
4. Complete the student health physical form and return to Student Health Services by the required date for the entering semester and
5. Meet all other requirements for maintaining satisfactory progress, for attendance, and for completion of course work.

Registration as a special status student does not guarantee future acceptance and admission as a regular, degree-seeking student. Special-status students are not eligible to receive any federal financial assistance.

Auditing Courses

Students regularly enrolled in the School of Allied Health Professions may be admitted to classes as auditors by obtaining written permission from the instructor of the course. Auditors must pay a non-refundable fee which shall be consistent with the “Regular Semester” and “Summer Term” fees as established by the Health Sciences Center. The fee for students enrolled for combined credit and audit courses will be assessed in accordance with total hours scheduled.

Auditors will not receive Health Sciences Center credit for any course audited and may not change from audit to credit after registering for the course. In order to receive Health Sciences Center credit, the course must be taken on a for-credit basis.

Leave of Absence

A short leave of absence may be granted in case of illness or other emergency at the discretion of the Dean, with the explicit understanding that, prior to the beginning of the leave, the student will arrange with the faculty concerned to make up to their satisfaction all the work the student will miss. In addition, all necessary forms must be filed and departmental clearances must be validated by the Office of Student Affairs before leave can be finalized.

Withdrawals

Students who for legitimate reasons are unable to return to their program at the opening of any semester or who for acceptable reasons must discontinue their enrollment during the academic year must contact the Registrar’s Office to complete the required paperwork before leaving the Health Sciences Center. Failure to complete the withdrawal process will result in a block on the student’s academic record.

Misconduct

Students need to refer to the School’s Policies and Procedures for Academic Misconduct, Dismissal, and Appeals for further information, however in the event a student is dismissed from the School for misconduct, he or she is ineligible for readmission to the School.

Students with Disabilities

The School of Allied Health Professions seeks to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act by providing reasonable accommodations to students with documented disabilities. Students must register with the Office of Student Affairs to request disability-related accommodations, and are responsible for providing documentation of a disability. Costs associated with documentation of a disability are the responsibility of the student. For further information, contact the Office of Student Affairs.

Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Each program within the School of Allied Health Professions has established requirements pertaining to the statues of satisfactory academic progress. Specific details are delineated by each program in this catalog/bulletin.

Student Conduct, Dismissals and Appeals

The School of Allied Health Professions has an established policy and procedures relative to student conduct. Students are provided a copy of the document entitled “LSUHSC School of Allied Health Professions Policy and Procedures Relating to Student Conduct, Dismissals and Appeals” at the time of enrollment. Copies of this document may be obtained through the student’s program, the Office of Student Affairs, the Student Handbook or the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Student Grade Appeals

The student is responsible for initiating the appeals process for a final course grade within thirty days after the beginning of the next semester (as defined by the academic calendar). This appeals process is for final course grades only; students who wish to appeal grades received for examinations, quizzes, laboratories, or clinicalpracticum experiences, must resolve their appeals within their own program or departments. The instructor of record will have the final authority for assignment of grades in all program or departmental courses and activities.

The following procedure for appealing a final course grade is to be followed:

The student should meet with the faculty member concerned to discuss the situation and attempt to arrive at a solution. Although each may have an advisor present, under most circumstances the meeting will be more productive if only the student and the faculty member are present. If an administrative officer (program director, department head, Dean, or Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for Academic Affairs) is the faculty member who assigned the grade which is being appealed, that person should be excused from the appellate process. The administrative officer will be replaced by a faculty member appointed ad hoc by the Dean, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or the Chancellor, as appropriate. If a solution is reached which requires changing a final grade in an official LSU System record, the faculty member must comply with all University System regulations and procedures necessary to accomplish the change.

If the matter is not resolved between the student and the faculty member, and the student chooses to pursue an appeal, the student shall make a written request to the program director (or an individual appointed by the Dean if the program director is the grade awarding individual) asking for a meeting with the program director (or Dean’s appointee) and faculty member. The written request should clearly state the purpose of the meeting and should list the faculty member’s name; however, it should not go into detail as to the justification for the appeal. The program director (or Dean’s appointee) shall arrange a meeting within 14 working days from the date of receipt of the request. At this meeting, both the student and the faculty member may be accompanied by an advisor. At the close of the meeting, or within seven working days thereafter, the program director (or Dean’s appointee) shall render a decision. If a decision is made at the close of the meeting, it is to be given orally to all present with written summary placed in both the student and office file. If the matter is taken under advisement, the program director (or Dean’s Appointee) shall inform all parties of the decision in writing within 14 working days. If the decision reached requires change in an official record, the faculty member must comply with all regulations and procedures necessary to accomplish the change.

If the student is not satisfied with the decision reached, the student may appeal to the Dean of the School. The student’s appeal must be in writing and must contain the following information: 1) An explanation of the complaint; 2) the relief requested; 3) and a specific statement of the reasons supporting the relief sought. Upon receipt of the request, the Dean will forward copies of the request for an appeal to the program director (or Dean’s appointee) and faculty member concerned, who must reply within 14 working days with an individual written statement supporting their previous actions. When the program director (or Dean’s appointee) and faculty member’s replies have been received, the Dean may take one of the following actions:

1. Decide the question on the basis of the written appeal and the faculty member’s and department head’s written replies.
2. Meet with all parties concerned, who may be accompanied by advisors if desired, and, after discussion, reach a decision.
3. Refer the appeal to a hearing panel for its recommendation.

If the Dean, or his/her designee, chooses to convene a hearing panel, the Dean will appoint a chairperson and three faculty members. The Dean, or his/her designee, may also appoint to the panel one or two students. The panel will conduct a hearing to elicit facts from the concerned parties. After deliberation, the panel will make its recommendation in writing to the Dean within seven working days. Copies of the recommendation and the Dean’s final decision must be given to all parties. Regardless of the method used, the Dean must make a decision within thirty working days from the date of receipt of the student’s appeal. The decision must be written, listing the reasons supporting the decision; copies must be given to all parties. If the decision requires change in an official record, the faculty member must comply with all regulations and procedures necessary to accomplish the change. The decision of the Dean shall conclude the matter.

If any party to the appeal seeks resolution of the matter through any agency outside the Health Sciences Center, whether administrative or judicial, the Health Sciences Center shall have no obligation to continue the appeal process, subject to constraints of law. If any party to the appeal believes that a serious procedural error occurred or that there was an abuse of discretionary authority in reaching the Dean’s decision, that person may file with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs a written petition for review. This petition, which must be filed within seven working days after receipt of the hearing panel’s decision, must contain a complete statement of the alleged serious procedural error, or examples of abuses of discretionary authority complained of, and also must contain reasons for the relief sought. The petition must be accompanied by all documents produced in the appeal. Copies should be sent to all parties to the appeal and to the Dean. The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs or his/her designee shall decide within 14 working days after receipt of the petition whether further action should be taken. In reaching this decision, this official may ask other parties to the appeal to make written reply to the request for a review or these parties, on their own, may make a written reply. If the decision is reached that a review is not justified, the student and all other parties will be so notified in writing. If the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs decides to respond favorably to the petition for review, this official will hold a formal meeting with all parties and their advisors, if desired, and reach a decision based on discussions at this meeting, as well as on all written materials furnished. Once a decision is reached, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs will notify all parties, plus the Dean, of the decision. The decision of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs shall conclude the matter.

Requirements for Graduation

The student must have fulfilled all requirements of each course, and have maintained at least the minimum scholastic requirements established by the program.

The student must be registered in the semester of anticipated graduation and pay the appropriate diploma fee.

The student must have met all financial obligations to the LSU System at least ten days prior to graduation.

The student must attend commencement ceremonies, unless excused, in writing, by the Dean.

Student Financial Aid

A complete detailing summary of all provisions governing financial aid available to Allied Health Professions students may be found in the general sections of this publication under the heading “Student Financial Aid.”

Student Activities and Services

There is a Student Government Association of the School of Allied Health Professions, with representatives elected from each class of each program of the school. Students in the school also participate in the Health Sciences Center Intramural Sports Program and in the student sections of various scholarly and professional organizations.

Awards and Honors

Outstanding graduates and students are recognized each year. One or more outstanding students is recognized from each program.

The Chancellor’s Award - A cash award is presented annually to highranking graduating student who has done the most to promote the Health Sciences Center and the School before the public. Selection is made by a committee of the faculty appointed by the dean. This award was established by the chancellor of the Health Sciences Center in 1977.

The Dean’s Award - A cash award is presented to the graduate who in the opinion of the faculty “represents the highest ideals of the School of Allied Health Professions.”

Recognizing that outstanding achievement in the allied health professions is not always totally determined solely by academiccourse grades, these awards serve to recognize the qualities of professionalism, skill, ethical conduct and motivation, in addition to scholastic achievement.

Degrees with Honors

Baccalaureate degrees are awarded summa cum laude to students whose quality point average falls within the range of 3.960 to 4.000, magna cum laude to students whose quality point average falls within the range of 3.860 to 3.959, and cum laude to students whose quality point average falls within the range 3.760 to 3.859. Scholastic honors are based on the overall quality point average for all course work attempted in pursuing the degree.