Standard

All enrolled Physician Assistant students must adhere to established institutional and programmatic requirements governing temporary or permanent program separations, including program dismissal, voluntary withdrawal, and approved leaves of absence.

• Associated ARC-PA Standard (A3.14e, f): The program publishes, consistently applies, and makes readily available to enrolled and prospective students standards and procedures for withdrawal and dismissal.

Provisions

1. Program Dismissal: Students are subject to program dismissal for academic deficiencies (as noted in the Academic Standards), egregious lapses in professionalism as determined by the Progression & Accountability Council (PAC), egregious illegal activities as determined by the PAC or university, failure to meet conditions of a written behavioral action plan, academic integrity violations, or unpaid university balances.

2. Voluntary Withdrawal: Students requesting voluntary withdrawal must notify the Director of Student Affairs and the Program Director in writing. Withdrawing students must satisfy all financial obligations outlined in the Tuition, Fees, and Refunds standard and remain subject to university transcript and grade reporting guidelines.

3. Leave of Absence Application and Duration: Students requiring extended separation for compelling reasons—including medical necessity, parental leave, or personal circumstances—must submit a Leave of Absence form and meet with the Progression & Accountability Council (PAC) to review their rationale and propose an action plan. Approved leaves of absence must not exceed one year in duration, and students must accept that curriculum sequencing may require cohort deceleration and alter planned graduation dates.

   • Leave of Absence Administrative Processing: Following Progression & Accountability Council (PAC) approval and action plan recommendation, students must meet with the Director of Student Affairs to execute all required university and program documentation and complete a final exit interview with the Program Director.

   • Leave of Absence Appeals: Students seeking to appeal a leave-of-absence decision rendered by the Progression & Accountability Council (PAC) must follow the procedures established in the College of Health and Human Sciences Grievances and Appeals Standard for Administrative Actions.