Three Level Review Process
All students are expected to maintain a certain level of academic and professional standards in their coursework and engagement with faculty and other students. Any behavior that is considered a violation of the NASW Code of Ethics or WVU Code of Student Conduct is grounds for review within the program, as are any charges of academic dishonesty/plagiarism (see Academic Integrity).
When concerns about a student’s academic and/or professional behavior are raised, the SSW follows a three-level review process:
Level 1
If concerns arise related to academic performance or conduct within the classroom, the faculty member who has concerns should first communicate these directly to the student and work with the student to implement a corrective action plan. They may also notify the student’s faculty advisor of the issue and plan.
Level 2
If concerns persist despite the corrective action plan, the faculty member should then coordinate a meeting with the student and the academic advisor to discuss the student’s behavior and determine whether the current action plan should be modified or whether the student’s case should be referred directly to the PhD committee for either an academic success meeting or an academic review (see section below on academic success meetings and academic reviews).
Level 3
If concerns about the student’s behavior persist after the revised action plan determined during the Level 2 meeting has been implemented, the student’s case will then be referred to the PhD committee for an academic review (see section on academic reviews).
Student Success Meetings
In cases where a student receives a grade below a B in a required PhD course, or where there are concerns regarding academic or professional behavior that do not require an academic review, students may be asked to attend a student success meeting. In a student success meeting, the student will meet with their advisor and, if needed, additional faculty (such as a course instructor and/or program director), to discuss reasons for the student’s inability to meet benchmarks in a particular course or other areas of the program. Resources and supports that will help them succeed in the future will also be discussed. The advisor, student, and other faculty involved will jointly determine a plan of action and then document this in the student’s Degree Works. The student success meeting is intended as an intermediary step to help assist students who are struggling or demonstrate difficulty meeting academic benchmarks. Students who continue to have difficulty meeting the academic or professional standards of the program may be referred on to an academic review.
Academic Reviews
In situations in which a student’s case requires an academic review, the PhD program director will coordinate a meeting time during which the PhD committee members will meet to review the various information regarding a student’s progress in the program and any concerns that have prompted the review. The student will be informed, in writing, of the time and date of the review and invited to attend a portion of the meeting in order to provide the committee with any additional information he/she feels is important. Students away from campus will be invited to participate using technology such as Zoom. After the committee reviews the available information and hears the student’s statement, it will decide on an action plan regarding the student’s continuance in the program. The student will be notified of this plan in writing via a letter from the PhD program director within one week of the review meeting. Students have the right to a copy of the written minutes from the academic review committee meeting.
Disciplinary Actions & Appeals
Probation
The student remains eligible for continuance in the PhD program but remains on a period of academic probation, the length of which is determined by the members attending the academic success meeting or the PhD committee (in the case of an academic review). Assignment of probationary status is contingent upon the student’s agreement to follow the specific corrective action plan recommended by the academic success team and/or PhD committee. Failure to follow this plan during the probationary period may result in a second academic review, and/or suspension or dismissal from the program. Students will be notified of the decision to be placed on probation in writing and a copy of this documentation will be placed in the student file.
Suspension
The student is asked to withdraw from all PhD courses for a period of time to be determined by the PhD committee. During this time, the student may pursue coursework in other departments at the university or other academic institutions but may not enroll in any additional coursework in the PhD program. Once the period of suspension has finished, a second academic review meeting will be held with the PhD committee in order to determine whether it is appropriate for the student to return to PhD courses. Students can be suspended from the program in cases in which there has been a prior probationary period, and the student has not followed the corrective action plan or in cases in which there is a serious violation of academic or professional standards. Suspension of a student without a previous probationary period occurs with approval of the SSW director, the dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and the Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs.
Dismissal
The student is dismissed from the PhD program and will not be permitted to register for any PhD program courses. They can, however, apply and register for other programs within the university. Students can be dismissed from the program in cases in which there has been a previous period of probation or suspension, and the PhD committee decides that the student has not taken appropriate actions to remedy the previous concerns about academics or professional behavior or in cases in which there is a serious violation of academic or professional standards. Suspension of a student without a previous probationary or suspension period occurs with approval of the SSW director, the dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and the Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs.
Appeals
Students may appeal disciplinary decisions Situations in which students may submit an appeal include, but are not limited to:
- Appeals of final course, including the grade of Unforgivable Failure (UF), if determined by a violation other than academic dishonesty
- Appeals of academic penalties (other than a final grade or based on academic dishonesty)
- Appeals for penalties related to academic dishonesty