Attendance and Participation Policy

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Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to establish consistency in expectations for participation and attendance across the themes and didactic teaching components of the PharmD curriculum.

Definitions

1. Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE): preceptored experiences within the PharmD curriculum that provide operational and patient care experiences to prepare the student pharmacists for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

2. Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE): preceptored experiences within the PharmD curriculum that provide student pharmacists with the opportunity to continue to grow their knowledge, skills, and professionalism and to apply them in pharmacy practice settings.

3. Small Group: as defined by course syllabus and indicated on Ilios.

4. Large Group: as defined by course syllabus and indicated on Ilios.

Background

The PharmD degree program comprises a range of educational activities that are enriched by active, shared learning. Settings include large and small groups, laboratory, simulation, and clinical workplaces. The expectation that students be fully engaged in these learning activities is predicated on:

1. The value of active team-based learning in students’ professional development and pharmacists’ work.

2. Students’ professional responsibility to contribute to peer-based learning by preparing for and participating fully in group learning activities.

3. Ensuring that students are viewed as integral members of the care delivery team.

4. Respect for:

   1. patients who contribute generously to students’ education,

   2. faculty and other health,

   3. care providers who would alternatively be engaged in patient care, research or other professional activities,

   4. staff who coordinate curricular activities, and

   5. your peers.

5. The importance of students demonstrating expected competency in professionalism.

6. Alignment with accreditation and licensing standards.

Pharmacy school is a full-time endeavor, and therefore, students are expected to make their pharmacy school schedule their highest priority. Consistent on-time attendance and participation demonstrate respect for the educational environment, contribute to the effective work of learning teams, and are essential ways for the school to monitor student progress in multiple competencies. Because the School realizes that predictable and unpredictable situations affecting attendance arise, the attendance policy includes provisions and procedures for such events. Students are accountable for:

1. accurately managing their schedules,

2. managing their on-time attendance and participation,

3. communicating professionally about absences and keeping track of the total number of absences accrued,

4. seeking the assistance of the School of Pharmacy if personal circumstances interfere with their on-time attendance and participation.

The University of California, San Francisco, in compliance with the state Education Code, makes every effort to reschedule tests or assessments, without penalty, at a time when the activity will not violate the religious creed of the student.

Policy

1. Students are required to attend all sessions marked “mandatory” in Ilios. Mandatory sessions include but are not limited to:

   1. orientation sessions,

   2. sessions in which patients or standardized patients are physically present as part of the learning experience sessions,

   3. sessions with speakers external to UCSF,

   4. small group sessions,

   5. large group sessions with a small group break out consisting of an ongoing, pre-defined group or team,

   6. inquiry sessions^[1],

   7. workshops,

   8. journal club sessions,

   9. applied patient care skills (APCS) sessions,

   10. sessions in Core Wrap-up weeks,

   11. IPPEs,

   12. APPEs.

   13. CORE IPE Classroom sessions and IPE OSCE

2. Students are expected to arrive on time and participate fully in educational activities.

3. There are two different types of absences a student may take:

   1. Dis­cre­tion­ary (D) Absence:

      1. Reasons for requesting a dis­cre­tion­ary absence, may include important:

         1. personal and professional commitments,

         2. professional meetings,

         3. family events/obligations.

      2. The following sessions and times are not eligible for dis­cre­tion­ary absences:

         1. orientation week,

         2. clinical skills sessions with standardized patients,

         3. summative assessments and reassessments,

         4. Core Wrap-up week,

         5. IPPE days.

         If a student needs to take a dis­cre­tion­ary absence during one of the above sessions, they must first get exceptional approval from their Course Director before they submit their Absence Request Form (ARF). Course director approval must be obtained at least two weeks before the day(s) of the absence(s). In rare circumstances, students may not be able to meet the two-week deadline for reasons that are beyond their control. In this case, a dis­cre­tion­ary absence may still be granted at the Course Director’s discretion. As with other exceptional approvals, students must first get approval from their Course Director before they submit their ARF.

      Students may request up to five (5)^[2] dis­cre­tion­ary absence days per year from required didactic activities. Unused days do not roll over from P1 to P2 year.

   2. Non-dis­cre­tion­ary (ND) Absence:

      The following non-dis­cre­tion­ary absences, which arise for circumstances beyond the student’s control, do not count toward one of the five dis­cre­tion­ary absence days:

      1. health care issue,

      2. personal emergency.

      These specific types of absences will be excused; however, students will be responsible for missed content and activities and may be expected to complete make-up work as dictated by the instructor.

4. Unexcused absences include missed mandatory sessions that are neither dis­cre­tion­ary nor non-dis­cre­tion­ary. This includes:

   1. prior approval was not obtained,

   2. exceptional approval was not received, or

   3. the ARF was not submitted before class/IPPE began (unless the student is physically incapable or has experienced a catastrophic event, e.g., death of an immediate family member).

5. Regarding make-up work for missed sessions:

   1. Students are responsible for the content of all missed sessions.

   2. Some sessions will have required make-up work at the instructor’s discretion.

6. The standard for passing any didactic or experiential course is established by the course director and explicitly stated in the course syllabus. Students who fail to meet attendance expectations of a course may receive a no pass (NP) grade for the course. Make-up work to receive a passing grade is at the discretion of the course director.

7. Students with attendance that is inconsistent with the principles of this policy may receive a Professionalism Concern Report (PCR).

Procedures

Absence requests

Dis­cre­tion­ary (D) absence

Dis­cre­tion­ary absence requests should be submitted at least two weeks before the requested date. In rare circumstances, students may not be able to meet the two-week deadline for reasons that are beyond their control. In this case, a dis­cre­tion­ary absence may still be granted at the Course Director’s discretion, but students must first get exceptional approval before they submit their ARF. After submitting a dis­cre­tion­ary absence, students are responsible for making up all missed work during this time.

Non-dis­cre­tion­ary (ND) absence

Non-dis­cre­tion­ary absence requests should be submitted before the start of classes for the day of absence, when possible. Students who submit their non-dis­cre­tion­ary absence after classes have begun for the day, will be considered to have an unexcused absence unless the student is physically incapable or has experienced a catastrophic event (e.g., death of an immediate family member). Course Directors may request documentation justifying the need for non-discretionary absence (e.g., health care provider’s note); non-compliance with the request will result in a PCR.

IPPE/APPE absences

Students who request an absence from an IPPE or APPE must refer to the applicable course syllabus, student manual, preceptor, and site director for specific policies and procedures. Students who will be absent from their IPPE or APPE must notify their site director and their site preceptor as far in advance as possible. Additionally, if missing an IPPE, students must complete an ARF prior to the absence.

Additional instructions and information

1. Students who request an absence from a required session due to a health care issue or personal emergency may be asked to provide documentation or documentation from a medical provider if available.

2. Students must submit an online ARF for dismissal for all required sessions. Requesters must indicate the reason on the form as dis­cre­tion­ary or non-dis­cre­tion­ary.

3. In some instances, whereby the student has ongoing medical issues, the student may be referred to Student Disability Services.

4. Minimum request requirements include:

   1. For all required sessions, a request for a planned, dis­cre­tion­ary absence must occur a minimum of two weeks prior to the session.

   2. In the case of unexpected illness or emergency absences from required sessions, students must submit notification before class begins unless physically incapable or have experienced a catastrophic event (e.g. death of immediate family member).

5. After an Absence Request Form has been submitted, typical response times for approval or denial of an absence is three to five business days. The information submitted is shared with appropriate offices, appropriate theme directors, course director, or other relevant instructors for the affected classes.

Review of dis­cre­tion­ary and non-dis­cre­tion­ary absences

On-time arrival to mandatory sessions

1. Students are expected to arrive on time.

2. Students who arrive to required sessions 10 minutes after the scheduled start time may be marked as ‘tardy’. If the student is tardy for a valid reason, this must be communicated to the instructor. A pattern of tardy behavior may result in filing a PCR. More information regarding on-time arrival may be found in the syllabus.

Recording presence

1. Students’ presence in non-mandatory sessions will not be tracked.

2. In mandatory sessions, students’ presence will be documented.

Unexcused absences

1. Unexcused absences may affect the ability of a student to pass a course.

Makeup-work

1. Regarding make-up work for missed sessions:

   1. students are responsible for the content of all missed sessions

   2. some sessions will have required make-up work at the instructor’s discretion

2. To meet the objectives of a missed session, students should review relevant learning materials, answer discussion questions, and consult with their classmates on specific content covered in the session.

3. For sessions with required make-up work, students must complete required make-up work by the assigned deadline, without reminders from course staff or faculty.

4. Arrangements may not be possible when alternative scheduling imposes undue, unavoidable hardship on faculty or staff. Unresolved scheduling conflicts will be addressed in a prompt and equitable manner.

5. In cases of conflicts, students may appeal to CEPC (see below).

Conflict resolution

1. Disagreements between faculty and students of any kind related to the Attendance Policy will be resolved by a subcommittee of CEPC.

[1] Some large group Inquiry sessions in Foundations are expected, but not required, and are noted in Ilios.

[2] If a student requires more than 5 absences due to religious holidays, then additional dis­cre­tion­ary days may be requested.