This page offers essential administrative and informational guidelines designed to seamlessly guide your time throughout the program. Serving as a practical roadmap for your PA education, this section details the day-to-day operational logistics, communication protocols, facility procedures, and resource navigation required of all students. 

It is the operational policy of the program that no potential physician assistant student will be asked to join any class after the official fifth day of classes unless there is approval by the Program Director to permit a later start. 

Each PA class is a cohort and will follow the same course of study throughout the program. Accordingly, courses in the program’s curriculum are not eligible for withdrawal or drop.

These guidelines and protocols outline the approved methods of communication between students and faculty/staff within the School of Physician Assistant Studies. Its primary goal is to foster effective, professional communication while maintaining strict security and privacy for everyone involved.

Approved Communication Channels

Students are expected to communicate with faculty and staff primarily through university-provided email addresses and official office phone numbers.

1. Email Communication

   • Primary Method: Official communication—including inquiries, questions, and other academic matters—must be conducted through university email addresses. Email remains the preferred method of communication between students and faculty/staff.

   • Student Response Time: To ensure prompt and effective communication, students are required to respond to requests from faculty and staff within one (1) business day.

   • Faculty Response Time: Faculty are not obligated to reply to emails after standard business hours, on weekends, or during holidays.

2. Office Phone Communication

   • Zoom Phone System: The University utilizes a Zoom phone system. Faculty and staff can access the Zoom app on their mobile devices, meaning calls placed to their official office phone numbers can be received directly on their cell phones.

   • Professionalism: Verbal communication should occur through these official office numbers. Both students and faculty/staff must ensure that phone conversations remain respectful, professional, and aligned with the institution's values.

3. Voicemail

   • Student Requirements: Students must maintain a working voicemail system on their personal phones to ensure prompt transmission of information when real-time communication is not possible.

   • Faculty Voicemail: Students may leave messages on faculty and staff office voicemail systems. To encourage the prompt relay of information, these voicemail audio files are automatically forwarded to faculty email addresses.

4. Video Communication

   • Acceptable Use: Video conferencing is an acceptable alternative when necessary or preferred by all parties, though it should not serve as the primary method of communication.

   • Scheduling: Video meetings must be scheduled at mutually agreeable and reasonable times based on the availability of all participants.

Prohibitions

• Text and Instant Messaging: The use of text messages (SMS), instant messaging applications, and chat platforms (such as Google Chat, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and similar tools) for official communication between students and faculty/staff is strictly prohibited.

• Unapproved Platforms: This prohibition extends to any communication platform not explicitly provided or endorsed by the institution for official use.

Data Privacy

• Confidentiality: Both students and faculty/staff must exercise caution when discussing sensitive or private information over email, phone, or video.

• Compliance: All parties are responsible for safeguarding personal and confidential information in strict accordance with applicable privacy regulations.

Upon admission to the program, the student will be assigned to a PA faculty member who will serve as their success coach in the didactic and clinical phases of the program. The success coach provides professional guidance and academic counseling throughout the program. The success coach will meet regularly with the student to ensure the student’s best opportunity for success and offer support when needed.

Requirements

All PA students are required to have a tablet running Windows or iOS or a laptop computer running Windows or macOS with wireless networking capability.  The minimum hardware requirements are determined by the device's ability to run Examplify, the testing application used by the program to administer most exams and quizzes.  Examplify does not run on Chrome OS devices.

The program recommends using a tablet with a pen as the primary device.  Our students have found that a tablet facilitates hand-written, electronic note-taking.  Many students use an iPad with an Apple Pencil and the Notability app for note-taking.  Windows-based tablets also offer similar capabilities.

While the majority of Examplify exam administration will occur on campus, there may be occasions when it is necessary to administer an exam remotely.  Examplify’s remote proctoring capabilities only work on Windows and macOS devices.  For this reason, the program recommends that students maintain access to a Windows- or macOS-based laptop with a built-in webcam, if possible.

PA students will be required to routinely access Canvas to access course content, receive course announcements and notifications, download lecture slides and handouts, download and upload homework assignments, and complete in-class assessments and quizzes. PA students are responsible for ensuring their devices are fully charged before electronic use.  PA students are also responsible for complying with all logistical/procedural aspects of electronic utilization.

A removable privacy screen for your laptop or tablet is required for use during quizzes and exams. No particular brand is recommended - just ensure that it fits your screen properly and can be removed when not in use.

Software

Microsoft, Apple, Dell, and other companies offer special pricing for students. See the Discounts and Deals section of the university's Information Technology Services webpage.

The use of any digital or electronic device capable of information capture, storage, retrieval, or processing, including computerized eyewear (e.g., Meta Glasses, etc.), or other wearable devices (e.g., Apple Watch, etc.) is expressly prohibited during any examination or assessment (e.g., quizzes, in-class assignments) unless explicitly permitted by the course instructor (or coordinator).  No audio devices or accessories (e.g., headphones, earbuds) may be used in the classroom unless explicitly permitted by the course instructor.  No aspect of the preceding device policy supersedes guidance related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Due to privacy concerns, computerized eyewear cannot be used in any clinical practice setting unless instructed otherwise by the site preceptor. 

Courtesy

A general policy of respect for instructors and fellow classmates should be followed regarding the use of all electronic devices that may be a distraction to the individual PA student or to others in the classroom. 

Emergencies

Cell phones and other electronic devices registered with the Campus Safety Office to receive text messaging and e-mail alerts may be left in the “on” position but temporarily set to silent mode during program activities.

Participation in a professional organization as a PA student can lay the groundwork for career opportunities and giving back to the profession.  Membership in the national and state PA academies is often a good place to start.

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) https://www.aapa.org/

Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants (TAPA) http://www.tnpa.com/

The School of Physician Assitant Studies will provide membership to the TAPA. However, AAPA student membership remains at the sole discretion of each student.

Attendance

On occasion, it may be necessary or desirable for PA students to attend professional meetings for state and national professional organizations.  In such cases, each student must clear the absence with the appropriate faculty member and submit the completed  Student Absence Form to the Director of Student Affairs once all signatures have been obtained. Approval may depend upon the academic standing of the requesting student and will be taken on a case-by-case basis. In the event that the program provides release time for the entire cohort to attend an event, no form submission will be required. 

PA students who voluntarily withdraw from the program may be considered for readmission only if they remain in good standing with both the School of Physician Assistant Studies and Lipscomb University. Readmission will only be considered through submission of a new application in CASPA. Students seeking readmission will be evaluated as per the current admission requirements at time of re-application alongside all other applicants. 

Each PA class is a cohort and will follow the same course of study throughout the program. Students will register for the predetermined course of study prior to the beginning of each semester.

Use social media and networking sites legally and appropriately. Consider your personal obligation as a citizen of the University. Use proper conduct in your posts regarding the University, University faculty and staff, and fellow students.  Potential employers, admissions committees, and scholarship committees often search social networking sites to screen candidates. Your profile is part of how others perceive you. Classroom and clinical site training commitments should be respected. Students should not engage in social networking during in-class and on-site clinical time.  Do not post any confidential or sensitive information online.  For example, photos of patients, partial photos of patients such as a specific body area or part even if the patient’s face is not visible, photos of patient data such as lab results or imaging, generic or specific descriptions of a patient’s status, diagnosis, or any other information.

Pictures and information posted on the internet via social media outlets are public information.  Pictures or information that appear to document or describe behavior that violates University, College, or School policy will be subject to further investigation. If the investigation documents any policy violations, these will result in appropriate disciplinary action.

Except for rare circumstances, PA faculty members, staff, and clinical preceptors may not be connected on any social media or networking sites with current PA students. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are acceptable. 

Each cohort shall be required to form a student government association. The purpose of this organization will be multi-faceted,  both serving the student body and acting as a liaison between the cohort and the program. As a self-governing organization, the SGA will draft and adopt bylaws, determine the structure and function of the association, elect officers, and remain in place through graduation.  The intent of this activity is to promote class unity and offer a conduit to pursue matters that affect each class as a whole.  

Initial Development of the SGA

The program will assist in the initial phases of SGA development, which include nomination/election of a class president, presentation of sample bylaws, and early counseling with the class president-elect.  All subsequent actions will fall upon the class president and officers to be elected thereafter. Otherwise, the SGA must remain student-driven in form and function, except as noted in the requirements below.

Sample Bylaws

The program will provide sample bylaws and brief advice on best practices during the initial development process. 

Required Officers

At a minimum, the program requires a president, a state and national chapter student representative, a chaplain, and a faculty advisor. Other officers provided for in the sample bylaws are recommended to support good governance. The bylaws may include any other officer positions deemed necessary to manage the student government association's activities. All officers of the SGA must be elected.

Required Faculty Advisor

Each association must solicit a faculty advisor of its choosing. However, the faculty member must willingly accept the responsibility of such a role. The faculty advisor will serve in a consultative fashion to assist with SGA development and operations.  Furthermore, the faculty advisor must ensure that SGA operations do not conflict with university or program expectations and values.

Throughout the entire curriculum, certain educational activities may require travel off campus. Transportation to hospitals, clinics, and other community settings is the student’s responsibility. Clinical year students are responsible for transportation to all SCPE sites and to campus for end-of-rotation days.