Dental Hygiene
Program Policies
- Academic Advising
- Academic Warning
- Advancement, Probation and Dismissal
- Appeal Procedures
- Grades
- Final Grade for Course Remediation/Repetition
- Grades in Clinical Rotation and Practicums
- Incomplete
- Academic Grievance Policies
- Dropping a Course
- Withdrawal from a Course
- Leave of Absence
- Requests to Change Schedule of Examinations
- Class Attendance
- Reporting Absenteeism
- Dress Code and Grooming
- Student Concerns
- National Board Dental Hygiene Examination
- National Clinical Dental Hygiene Examination
- Dean's List
- Honors Program
- School of Dentistry Social Media Guidelines
Academic Advising
The division director and faculty serve as student advisors. The advisor can assist the student to recognize and acknowledge that he or she is in academic difficulty and can provide appropriate guidance. At all times, the faculty member can act to reassure, counsel, advise and refer students to appropriate individuals for help with their particular problem. Topics that may be addressed through faculty advising include academic issues, program policies, study problems, time management, and clinical progress, as well as the advisor’s referral to other support systems in the university or community.
Academic Warning
The Academic Performance Committee meets twice per semester to review students’ academic progress in the program. At the mid-semester meeting, students identified as performing at an unsatisfactory level in any course are sent a letter from the program director requesting that they meet with their course instructor and academic advisor. An academic warning, unto itself, does not require prescribed action on the part of the student. It is expected that the student who has received an academic warning will correct mid-semester academic deficiencies by the end of that particular semester.
An academic warning is offered at mid-semester and is a courtesy to the student, allowing for supportive dialogue between the student and the dental hygiene administration.
Advancement, Probation and Dismissal
A satisfactory rate of progress toward the degree is determined by the Dental Hygiene Academic Performance Committee (APC) for the bachelor’s degree according to the following standards. A student can be considered for dismissal from the School of Dentistry for academic deficiencies or violation of university regulations. The Academic Performance Committee is responsible for considering students for academic dismissal. Students may be suspended, dismissed, and/or refused readmission at any time if circumstances of an ethical, legal, moral, health, social, psychomotor skill development, or academic nature are considered to justify such an action.
Academic Dismissal: An option to appear before the Academic Performance Committee will be extended to the student before a vote is taken to recommend academic dismissal. The purpose of the appearance is to inform the committee of extenuating circumstances which may have contributed to the student's performance. The student may request that other appropriate verbal and/or written testimony regarding these circumstances be presented at this meeting. Only members of the committee will be present when the vote for dismissal is taken.
Performance Review: Each student’s performance is reviewed at the middle and end of every term by the APC. At mid-term, the APC determines whether the student is progressing satisfactorily or whether a warning letter should be issued. Warning letters specify each course in which the student is performing unsatisfactorily and suggest that the student meet with the course director to assist in remediation strategies. Students are responsible for arranging instructor counseling and assistance in remedying any academic deficiencies.
Promotion Recommendations: At semester’s end, the APC determines the student’s promotion status. The APC evaluates other aspects of the student’s performance: (1) course grade(s), (2) attendance record, (3) professionalism, (4) and psychomotor skill development. The APC also may assess extenuating circumstances that might have affected student progress on an individual basis. Recommendations are forwarded to the program director for final approval. A student performing at an unsatisfactory level will receive written notification of her/his status from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
The policies below apply to students in the bachelor’s degree programs (entry-level and degree completion).
Unconditional Advancement – A student may be considered for Unconditional Advancement if the student:
- Achieves a minimum grade point average of 2.0 each semester,
- Successfully completes all prescribed courses and semester requirements, and
- Earns a satisfactory grade in each course taken.
In addition, the faculty will consider all areas listed above under Promotion Recommendations.
Probationary Advancement – A student may be considered for Probationary Advancement if the student:
- Withdraws from a prescribed course with the approval of the department chair but meets all other conditions for Unconditional Advancement (bachelor completion only),
- Receives an unsatisfactory grade in a single course; or
- Receives an I (incomplete) grade in any course(s).
A student who receives an unsatisfactory grade in any course may be required to repeat all or part of the academic year. When repeating any portion of the academic year, the student must earn a satisfactory grade in each course or be subject to dismissal from the program.
Dismissal – Dismissal from the program may be recommended if a student receives an unsatisfactory grade(s) in:
- One or more courses in one semester,
- A course being repeated,
- A course being remediated,
- Any course taken while repeating any portion of the academic year, or
- Any course taken while on probation
- Receiving an unsatisfactory or failing grade in professionalism
Appeal Procedures
1. A student may appeal an Academic Performance Committee decision that recommends: a) remediation, b) repetition of the year or c) academic dismissal. The student submits written notification of her/his desire to appeal to the dean’s office. This written request must be received by the dean’s office within five days following the student’s receipt of the written notification of the Academic Performance Committee’s recommendation.
2. The dean will consult with appropriate individuals and render a decision to uphold or overturn the Academic Performance Committee decision. The student will receive written notification of the dean’s decision. The dean's decisions are final.
Student appeals and grievances are handled through established policies and procedures for the School of Dentistry, outlined in the Academic Grievance Policies section of the Catalog.
Grades
The standing of students in their work is expressed by the following grades:
A = Excellent
B = Above Average
C = Average
F = Failure
P = Pass
W = Withdraw
Grades in courses in which performance is graded an S (Satisfactory) or U (Unsatisfactory) are not used in computing grades point average.
A = 4 points
B = 3 points
C = 2 points
F = 0 points
The symbol I (incomplete) may be recorded for a student who has not completed course assignments at the conclusion of the course.
Final Grade for Course Remediation/Repetition
A grade of "C" is the highest letter grade that can be achieved in the remediation of a course. Following remediation of a course, the grade assigned will be the grade ("C", "F" or Pass) achieved by the student as set forth in the academic standards of the remediation of the course.
Following repetition of a course during repetition of an academic year in its entirety, the grade assigned will be the grade achieved by the student as set forth in the academic standards of the course.
All grades achieved by a student in a course (i.e., original, remediation, repetition) will appear on the official transcript but only the most recent grade achieved will be used in calculating the grade point averages.
Grades in Clinical Rotation and Practicums
Clinical rotations and practicums may be graded S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory), or may be assigned a letter grade, depending on the department policy.
A grade of S or other designations of an acceptance grade is assigned if the student successfully satisfies the criteria for clinical courses. Failure to successfully satisfy the course criteria may result in an I (incomplete) or a U (unsatisfactory) or a letter grade considered unsatisfactory based on departmental policy.
Criteria and time frame for removal of an "I" or U or other unsatisfactory grade in clinical courses are determined based on clinical documentation and consultation with the Clinical Coordinator/Clinical Instructor. An "I" or U or other unsatisfactory grade may require that the student complete an additional affiliation or other remediation that could extend the professional curriculum beyond the expected graduation date. More than one unsatisfactory grade is not allowed within the total clinical course sequence.
Incomplete
Incomplete grades should not be confused with failing grades of “F,” in which a student failed to complete requirements without proper notice to the instructor. The assignment of an “I” grade indicates that the student failed to complete the requirements for the course due to unexpected and extenuating circumstances, such as illness, family emergency, or other non-academic and urgent matters. A grade of Incomplete "I" is not acceptable as a temporizing measure in situations of substandard academic performance. The incomplete work must be completed by the designated date specified by the faculty but no later than one year after issuing the "I" grade. When the course is completed, the qualitative grade issued by the instructor will be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar using a Change of Grade Form. If the coursework is not satisfactorily completed within the designated time, the “I” grade will be changed to an “F” grade.
Academic Grievance Policies
Due Process Grade Assignment Disagreement
A student wishing to appeal the assignment of a grade must submit her/his grievance to the course director within seven (7) days of the grade assignment. The appeal mechanism for challenging a grade is limited to: (1) possible clerical errors in calculating or recording a grade, or (2) allegation of mistakes or unfairness in application of the published academic standards in the assignment of a grade. It is the responsibility of the student to substantiate her/his assertion that an incorrect grade has been assigned.
If the student’s concerns are not resolved after a meeting with the course director, the student may submit a written appeal to the division director. The written appeal must be made within seven days of the student’s meeting with the course director and must contain information to substantiate the assertion that an incorrect grade has been assigned.
If the disagreement is not resolved at the division level, the student may submit a written appeal to the Department Chair within seven days of the division director's decision. The written appeal must be made within seven days of the student’s meeting with the division director and must contain information to substantiate the assertion that an incorrect grade has been assigned.
If the disagreement is not resolved at the departmental level, the student may submit a written appeal to the Dean of the School of Dentistry within seven days of the departmental decision. If the dean agrees to review the matter, he/she will review only that the appeal process was conducted appropriately. This School of Dentistry policy supersedes any other grievance policies, and decisions made in this process are final.
Dropping a Course
There is a six course drop limit established by the Texas Senate (SB 1231). This legislation is applicable to all Texas public colleges and universities.
Withdrawal from a Course
Withdrawal refers to the procedure by which students voluntarily remove themselves from courses in which they are enrolled. Each course in the curriculum is built and dependent upon a foundation established in a prior course. To withdraw from a course, a student should seek counseling from the course director and the program director. In addition, the student must make an appointment with the program director to discuss the decision, explore options, and make necessary changes to the degree plan when withdrawing from any course. The student must have an official withdrawal form signed by the course director and program director after the form has been provided and signed by the appropriate associate dean.
If a student withdraws from school or drops a course before the first examination/graded assignment, a grade of W will be recorded.
Leave of Absence
Students in good academic standing seeking an extended leave of absence due to extenuating physical or personal reasons must submit a written request to the dean. The request should include reasons, duration and plans for resuming dental studies. The dean will consider such requests on their individual merit.
Generally, a leave of absence shall not exceed one academic year. Any additional leaves of absence must be reviewed and recommended by the Academic Performance Committee and approved by the dean. The student must notify the dean’s Office and program director of their intentions to re-enroll by a date determined by the Associate Dean for Academic, Faculty and Student Affairs and the Dental Hygiene Program Director prior to the next academic year. Any additional leaves of absence must be reviewed and recommended by the Academic Performance Committee and approved by the dean.
Upon the leave of absence approval, the student must request and complete a Student Clearance Form which is available in My Student Center under Registrar eForms.
Requests to Change Schedule of Examinations
The official dates and times of all examinations are published in the final class schedules after consultation with course directors and representatives of all classes. Students or the course director may initiate requests for changes in the schedule of examinations. All requests should be submitted to the Office of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs/Dental Hygiene Division Director, as applicable.
A request to move an examination to a later date must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the original date of the examination. A request to move an examination to an earlier date must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the proposed date of the examination.
All requests for changes to the examination schedule published in the final class schedule must be accompanied by:
-
A written reason for the move that must be compelling and academically sound.
-
A written statement from the Course Director stating he/she is in agreement with the change.
-
The results (number of yes/no votes) of a secret ballot taken from all members of the class.
The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs/Dental Hygiene Division Director will review the request and can approve it if the following requirements are met:
-
The request has been submitted within the guidelines.
-
The reason for the move is valid.
-
The Course Director is in agreement with the move.
-
No member of the class present and voting opposes moving the examination to an earlier date.
-
An appropriate classroom is available at the proposed time.
Class Attendance
Students are expected to attend and actively participate in all regularly scheduled classes, laboratories, and clinical periods. The policy regarding attendance and the consequences for failure to comply is the prerogative of the course director and the department responsible for that portion of the curriculum, and will be provided in the course syllabus at the beginning of each course. The student is responsible for arranging with the faculty to make up any missed work.
Absences may be considered sufficient cause for issuing failing grades in courses requiring attendance.
Reporting Absenteeism
Students are responsible for contacting course directors upon their return to school to make up missed work.
Dress Code and Grooming
An excellent dental education is dependent on the number of patients and the diverse patient needs that allow students to provide a broad scope of oral health care to a large number of patients. As this is a totally voluntary system on the patient side, it is incumbent upon the School of Dentistry to provide an environment that gives patients the confidence to come to this institution knowing they will be treated in a professional manner, by professionals, and in a safe environment. To achieve this goal, first impressions are important; therefore, all students in the School of Dentistry need to look professional in dress and grooming since patient contact can occur in many areas of the building. When students have direct patient contact in the clinics, additional issues require students to pay particular attention to clinic attire and grooming because they affect patient safety as well as their own. The dress code policy is published on the School of Dentistry Intranet site, http://dserver.uthscsa.edu/intranetdocs/UTDentistry_Dress_Code.html. Any additional dress code/grooming requirements will be addressed by the program director and/or course director.
Student Concerns
Various mechanisms are available at all levels for student input regarding their concerns. Individuals and groups who respond to these concerns include course directors, advisors, associate dean for academic affairs, and the associate dean for student affairs. Procedures for grievances can be found in the General Section of the catalog.
Once a month, the Dean of the School of Dentistry and Assistant Dean for Students meet with the presidents and vice presidents of all classes. Student liaisons for each course will meet with the respective course director as needed. Town hall meetings are held quarterly for each class. Students can voice concerns through the Voice-Your-Opinion link online.
National Board Dental Hygiene Examination
Senior dental hygiene students will be eligible to take the written national board the spring semester of their senior year provided they successfully complete the fall senior courses. In order to be considered for graduation, senior dental hygiene students are expected to take the board exam before their last class day in the spring semester as indicated in the academic calendar. If an extenuating circumstance prevents a student from taking the exam prior to the last class day of the spring semester, the Academic Performance Committee will meet to recommend a course of action.
If a student is unsuccessful on the board exam on the first attempt, the National Board policy requires a student to wait 90 days before attempting the exam again. Additionally, candidates must pass the examination within five years of their first attempt or five examination attempts, whichever comes first. Subsequent to the fifth year or fifth attempt, candidates may test once every 12 months after their most recent examination attempt.
National Clinical Dental Hygiene Examination
Senior dental hygiene students in good standing will be eligible to take the clinical dental hygiene examination in the spring semester of their senior year provided they successfully complete the fall senior courses.
Dean's List
Current students in the dental hygiene bachelor’s degree program with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 or greater for an academic semester may qualify for inclusion on the dean's list if they do not have an incomplete (I) grade for that academic semester.
Honors Program
Graduation with Distinction in Dental Education
The School of Dentistry contributes to the national effort within the dental education community to increase students' awareness of the academic arm of the profession. The school also works to enhance awareness of career options in teaching, scholarship and academic administration. All of these efforts are extended to dental students through the Teaching Honors Program (THP). This program provides The UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry students with teaching and educational planning experiences and provides a way for them to learn about academic careers.
Gaining the Distinction in Dental Education recognition is reserved for students who complete additional enrichment coursework that immerses them in a world of teaching and academics. Students will have discussed career choices with faculty, participated in fundamental teaching practices, taught in classroom, lab, and clinical settings, and participated in academic fellowship opportunities.
Description of the program
In order for a dental or dental hygiene student to graduate with the Distinction in Dental Education, he or she must be in good academic standing to complete selective courses unique to the Dental Education Teaching Honors Program. Throughout the dental and dental hygiene program, students progressively participate in faculty mentoring activities and acquire and apply teaching fundamentals needed for teaching in dental education. As senior students, in both dental and dental hygiene programs, participate in peer learning projects such as posing as “faculty for the day” where students use their previous knowledge and acquired skills to experience a day as an academician. The director(s) for the School of Dentistry’s Teaching Honors Program monitors all students who wish to have the “Distinction in Dental Education” appear on their diploma and transcript and will need to submit supporting materials verifying the completion of the activities and goals of the program. This includes verification of the core and enrichment selectives. Copies of all scholarly materials produced by student (i.e. abstracts, posters, manuscripts, evaluation forms, submission of assignments in the learning management system, or verified by faculty/mentor) shall be submitted to course director(s). Upon completion of all activities, the course director(s) will review all projects, and presentations for completion, and determine if graduating students have achieved “Distinction in Dental Education.” This list will be shared with the Office of Academic Affairs in the School of Dentistry. The course director(s) will also compile these names and share them with the Office of the University Registrar for conferring.
Student Mistreatment
Mistreatment of students will not be tolerated. Mistreatment, intentional or unintentional, occurs when behavior shows disrespect for the dignity of others and interferes with the learning process. Student mistreatment may take many forms, all of which impact student performance. For more information, reference the Student Mistreatment policy.
School of Dentistry Social Media Guidelines
The purpose of this policy is to promote the safety and privacy of students, faculty, staff, patients, and visitors. Students, faculty members and staff must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) when using social media.
No student, staff or faculty may post, release, or otherwise disclose photos, identifiable case descriptions, images, or records related to the educational, clinical, or research activities of the school via social networking sites, non-educational blogs, message boards, Internet websites, personal e-mail, or anything other than standard professional means of query and/or dissemination.
No student, staff or faculty may post statements about the School of Dentistry community (employees, staff, students, and visitors) that are defamatory, obscene, threatening or harassing.
Failure to comply with this policy may be a violation of legal, professional, and/or ethical obligations. Violation will result in disciplinary action by the School of Dentistry up to and including reduction in professional grades, loss of clinical or pre-clinical privileges, additional HIPAA training, probation, termination of employment and/or dismissal from the School of Dentistry.
The School of Dentistry assumes no duty to monitor Internet activity but reserves the right to take appropriate action in accordance with this policy.
Netiquette
The School of Dentistry has developed Netiquette Guidelines which align with the social media policy.
- Think twice before posting- Privacy does not exist in the world of social media. Before each posting, students are encouraged to consider how the item may reflect both on the author of the post and the School of Dentistry. Something that would not be said in person should not be posted in social media. Imagine your posting on the front page of the local newspaper.
- Strive for accuracy- Students should be certain that anything they post on a social media site is factual. The posting should be reviewed for grammatical and spelling errors, especially when posting on behalf of the School of Dentistry.
- Be respectful- Posted responses and comments should be respectful and considerate.
- Photography- Students should be aware that photographs posted on social media sites can easily be accessed by visitors to those sites. Posting unauthorized photos on a website or social media network site can result in disciplinary action.
- Rules- It is important to review the terms of service, privacy settings, and other policies of the social media network before use.
UT Health San Antonio Social Media Policy
- Familiarize yourself with existing UT Health San Antonio’s employment policies and disclaimers. All communication professionals should follow all rules and policies.
- Do not engage in any communication or activity that is prohibited under federal, state or local laws. These laws include, but are not limited to, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), copyright, libel and false advertising laws.
- Do not discuss or disclose any confidential or proprietary information of UT Health San Antonio, or any non-public information on social media.
- Acknowledge and correct mistakes promptly. Be professional, use good judgment and be accurate and honest in your communications; errors, omissions or unprofessional language or behavior reflect poorly on UT Health San Antonio and may result in liability. Link directly to online references and original source materials, when possible.
- The UT Health San Antonio Marketing, Communications & Media team reserves the right to edit, modify, remove or delete any content or other information or materials on official UT Health San Antonio social media profiles, groups or pages. UT Health San Antonio also reserves the right to delete or suspend official UT Health San Antonio accounts if violations are committed.
- Social media platforms are owned by third parties, which have their own policies and rules for operating accounts on the site and, often, specific rules for brands and businesses. It is important that account managers understand the rules or guidelines they agree to abide by in operating any account. Below are links to the brand pages of social media channels, to understand best practices and proper uses of their channel and brand assets.
- Facebook Brand Resource Center
- Twitter Brand Guidelines
- Instagram Brand Resources
- YouTube Brand Guidelines
- Google+ Style Guide
- LinkedIn Brand Guidelines
- Snapchat Brand Guidelines
- UT Health San Antonio reserves the right to revise this policy at any time.