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school of health professions - Student Handbook 2023-2024


SLP Academic Progression and Counseling Policies

Academic Standards for SLP Students
Every student enrolled in the graduate program in speech-language pathology is required to maintain a high level of performance and to comply fully with the policies of the program and the institution. Failure to do so will lead to academic probation and ultimately to dismissal from the program. Students who are not meeting academic standards in any course will receive a letter from the Program Director during the semester. Copies of all warning letters will be placed in the student’s file.
To remain in good academic standing, graduate students in speech-language pathology must maintain a 3.0 semester GPA.

Grades Below C
Only courses completed with a grade of C or above are acceptable for degree requirements, certification, and licensure. Students who earn a grade of D, F, or NC in a course will be eligible to repeat the course one time, during the next course rotation. Repeating the course does not replace the original grade. For the purpose of calculating GPA, the grade obtained when a course is retaken is averaged with previous grades.

Academic Counseling Criteria
The SLP curriculum is designed in a lock-step structure which is different in some ways from a traditional format. Students are required to take classes in a set schedule of semesters that are fixed at the start of the program. Unless they intend to withdraw or take a leave of absence from the program, students are not permitted to vary from this schedule.
Each term, the faculty will review students' performance at mid-semester. If there are concerns about a student’s academic or clinical work, the student will receive a letter from the Program Director, instructing him or her to meet with the instructor(s) and Program Director to discuss the concerns and to determine what measures the student needs to take to return to good academic standing. Copies of all warning letters will be placed in the student’s file.

Academic Performance Policies
To remain in good academic standing, graduate students in speech-language pathology must maintain a 3.0 semester GPA.

Academic Probation
A graduate student may be placed on academic probation for one or more of the following:
  • failing to maintain a semester graduate GPA of 3.0.
    • A student who earns a semester GPA below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation for the following semester. The student must raise their semester GPA to 3.0 or higher by the end of next semester in which they are enrolled in courses or the student will be subject to academic dismissal.
  • earning a grade of D, F, “fail”, or “no credit” in any course
    • A course completed with a grade of D, F, "fail", or "no credit" will not meet graduation requirements. Students who earn a D, F, "fail", or "no credit" in a course will have one opportunity to repeat the course, during the next course rotation. Failure to earn a C or better when the course is repeated will result in dismissal from the program. A student will not be allowed to graduate until all courses have been completed with a grade of C or above. A clinical enrollment completed with a D or F (including "fail" or "no credit") will result in loss of all clinical hours obtained during the semester and will not count toward departmental clock hour minimums.
    • Repeating a course does not replace the original grade earned. For the purpose of calculating GPA, the grade obtained when a course is retaken is averaged with previous grades.
  • failing to complete an individualized student support plan when required to remediate Learning Outcomes.
Graduate credit will be allowed for a course with a grade of C, but the experience cannot be used to satisfy departmental clock hour minimums and competencies for the knowledge and skills outcomes.
Academic Probation and Externships
A student who is on academic probation or receives two or more course midterm warnings for poor academic performance may not be assigned an externship placement for the upcoming semester until a GPA of 3.0 or better has been attained. This may delay the start of the clinical externship and may result in a placement other than the student’s requested site. Also, the Director of Clinical Education will not develop new affiliation agreements for students who are not in good academic standing. If/When the student returns to good academic standing, his/her externship placement will be at a facility with an existing affiliation agreement.
Students may be placed on academic probation one time during their graduate program. Meeting the conditions for academic probation a second time or failing to be released from academic probation within the specified timeframe will result in dismissal from the program.
As per the SHP policy on Academic Probation, students will be notified that they are being placed on academic probation via a letter from the Program Director. Copies of the letter will be provided to the student, the Program Director, the Department Chair, and the Director of the Office of Admissions and Student affairs. (Policies of the School of Health Professions can be accessed through the website: https://hscweb.ttuhsc.edu/healthprofessions/current/policies.aspx)
Intervention for Students on Academic Probation
An array of interventions may be recommended for students placed on academic probation. Options for remediation as determined by the Program Director, in consultation with appropriate faculty, may include but are not limited to:
  • Individual tutoring with a program faculty member.
  • Individual tutoring with a student who is performing well in the program.
  • Auditing courses.
  • Repeating courses or clinical experiences.
  • Participating in a faculty-directed group or individual study.
  • Preparing a research paper or project.
  • Completing reading assignments pertinent to areas needing remediation.
All meetings with the student regarding remediation must be documented, to include the student’s understanding of the problem and willingness to comply with the plan.  Routine follow-up counseling with the student is scheduled to assess and document the student’s progress and the outcome of the intervention. The student should be aware that some remediation plans can delay projected graduation.

Dismissal
A graduate student will be dismissed from the program for one or more of the following:
  • violating the academic and/or non-academic misconduct policies of the School of Health Professions.
  • failing to achieve a semester GPA of 3.0 while on academic probation.
  • earning a grade of "D" or "F" while on academic probation.
  • earning a grade of "D" or "F" in a repeated course.
  • earning a grade of "D" or "F" in more than one course within the program.
  • failing to successfully complete remediation as established by the program.
  • meeting the conditions of academic probation for a second semester.
  • failing comprehensive examination remediation.
A graduate student whose semester GPA falls below 2.75 in the final semester of the program will be ineligible for graduation.
As per the SHP policy on Academic Dismissal, students will receive an “intent to dismiss” letter generated by the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs and signed by the Department Chair. This letter will provide information about the student’s right to appeal the dismissal. Copies of the letter will be provided to the student, the Program Director, the Department Chair, and the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs.
A student who has been academically dismissed from the SLP program is ineligible for readmission to the program.
(Policies of the School of Health Professions can be accessed through the website: https://hscweb.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/current/policies.aspx)

Withdrawal from Program
A student who wishes to withdraw from the SLP program must schedule an appointment with the Program Director, who will provide guidance on the withdrawal process.

Expectations of Graduate Students in the Speech-Language Pathology Program
Clinical Practica
As students advance through the program, they will assume greater responsibilities as clinicians. Below is a summary of some of the major responsibilities.
  1. Maintain a realistic daily schedule that allows sufficient time to manage patient assignments.
  2. Determine if your clinic assignments are sufficient to meet your clinical clock hour requirements.
  3. Schedule patients during regular operating hours subsequent to obtaining the supervisor’s permission.
  4. Maintain all clinical fees, hours, and records as specified in the clinic handbook.
  5. Attend all clinic meetings, supervisory appointments, and other professional activities (e.g., staffing and extracurricular departmental presentations).
  6. Secure all equipment, files, tests, rooms, and buildings used.
  7. Fulfill all assignments issued by a Clinical Director.
  8. Solicit constructive criticism from the clinical educator(s).
  9. Incorporate constructive criticism provided by the clinical educator(s)
  10. Behave in a professional manner when interacting with clinical educators, patients, other professionals, and caregivers (e.g., parents).
  11. Obtain formal permission from the supervisor(s) prior to implementation of any communication with a patient or caregiver(s) or the initiation of any clinical management (e.g., therapy, referral, dismissal from therapy, cancellation of a scheduled clinical session, assessment results and/or recommendations, etc.)
Certification and Licensure
Students who complete the graduate program in speech-language pathology will meet the academic and supervised clinical practicum requirements to apply for a clinical fellowship experience through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Texas licensure. The Program Director verifies satisfactory completion of both undergraduate and graduate academic course work, clinical practicum, and knowledge and skills requirements. The salient features of the standards for the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence include:
  • Completion of required coursework culminating in a graduate degree from a program accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
  • Skills in oral and written communication and demonstrated knowledge of ethical standards, research principles, and current professional and regulatory issues.
  • Practicum experiences that encompass the breadth of the current scope of practice with both adults and children result in a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised practicum (at least 375 at the graduate level).
  • A clinical fellowship completed under the direction of a mentoring speech-language pathologist who holds a current Certificate of Clinical Competence.
Prior to graduation, students must demonstrate, through completion of the Knowledge and Skills form with supporting documentation, the ability to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information pertaining to normal and abnormal human communication across the life span, including the effect of cultural and linguistic diversity. Similar knowledge must be demonstrated for swallowing and emerging areas of practice. Examples of acceptable documentation to support the Knowledge and Skills outcomes include class projects, clinical experiences, independent studies, checklists of skills, records of the progress in clinical skill development, research projects, course modules, and workshops.
Failure to Meet Knowledge and Skills Standards
Students not meeting departmental requirements for the acquisition of knowledge and skills must complete remediation plans as defined by the program director in conjunction with the Director of Clinical Education, departmental faculty members, and/or clinical educators. Failure to complete the remediation plan will result in dismissal from the program.