Role of SPC
The purpose of the Student Progress Committee (SPC) at LMU-CDM is to ensure that every graduate possesses the necessary skills, knowledge, and judgment to responsibly perform as a dentist or dental hygienist. The SPC monitors student progress, ensuring all students meet the academic and professional standards required for curriculum advancement and graduation. This includes oversight of promotion, remediation, probation, leave of absence, expansion, reprimand, suspension, dismissal, licensing exam performance, compliance, and graduation. Additionally, the SPC recommends students for honors and graduation awards.
Each student case is reviewed individually, adhering to LMU-CDM’s Standards, with flexibility allowed when circumstances justify it. The SPC assesses a student's record for concerns regarding academic performance or conduct. If a student's overall record reflects unsatisfactory progress or reports of unacceptable conduct, the SPC decides the appropriate action through voting.
Evaluator concerns about a student’s performance or conduct can lead to failure to meet graduation requirements, even if all curricular elements and exams are passed.
Grades and evaluations from course, block, thread, and clerkship directors form the basis of SPC decisions. The SPC does not handle grade appeals, as this responsibility lies with the Curriculum Committee.
The SPC does not investigate allegations of unacceptable conduct. The Ethics and Honor Code Committee handles such inquiries. Once their investigation is complete, the SPC reviews confirmed violations and determines the necessary actions.
Composition of SPC and Voting Process
The SPC consists of 8-10 voting members from the LMU-CDM faculty, appointed by the Dean of LMU-CDM. One member serves as the Chair. A quorum is achieved when 51% of the voting members are present. Decisions are made by most of those present. The Chair votes only when needed to achieve quorum, break a tie, or create a tie to allow for further discussion.
Ex-officio (non-voting) members may attend meetings to provide relevant information about individual students or insights into LMU-CDM’s curriculum, after which they are excused from Committee deliberations to avoid potential conflicts of interest. Current ex-officio members include but are not limited to:
- Associate Dean for Faculty and Students
- Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
- Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs
- Registrar
- Student Advisor
- Chair of Student Ethics and Honor Code Committee
- Faculty and Staff
Decisions Made on Behalf of SPC
The SPC Chair can convene a subcommittee consisting of the Chair and at least three SPC members to urgently review cases. If a scheduled SPC meeting does not reach a quorum, it can also function as a subcommittee.
If a student accepts a decision made by the subcommittee, the decision is presented to the full SPC at the next scheduled meeting for informational purposes only. However, if a student does not accept the decision, they can request a full review by the SPC at the next meeting. In such cases, the student maintains their current status and does not proceed with the recommended program or remediation until their case is reviewed by the full SPC.
Only the full SPC can recommend suspension or dismissal; these actions cannot be decided by the subcommittee.
Confidentiality
The SPC maintains strict confidentiality regarding students' academic performance and progress in the dental school program. The following individuals are aware of a student's status or are informed as necessary to support the student's successful progress:
- SPC chair and SPC
- Faculty and staff who serve as ex-officio members
- The student’s mentor. Academic advisors are informed of any action taken by SPC regarding one of their students.
- Relevant staff members who schedule appointments with deans, schedule students in courses and clerkships, write letters of good standing, and/or maintain academic files.
- Block, thread, course, and clerkship directors (or designees) who present or provide information to SPC about students having difficulty in their curricular component, and who need to manage remediation.
- Anyone with a legitimate need to know as defined by the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
All SPC members and students appearing before the SPC must sign a confidentiality agreement form. Failure to sign this form will result in the member being removed from the committee and the student facing punitive actions determined by the SPC which may lead to direct dismissal from the program. This form must be signed within 24 hours of receipt of email. Failure to sign this form will result in the students losing their right to be interviewed by the SPC.
Conflict of Interest
Voting and ex-officio members of the SPC may have relationships with students under review. To prevent conflicts of interest, SPC members are required to disclose any conflicts and recuse themselves from student reviews, interviews, discussions, and voting when the student in question is:
- A friend or family member
- Related to a colleague or friend (child, spouse, etc.)
- A current or former patient of the SPC member
- In any other relationship with the SPC member, past or present, that creates a conflict of interest.
A faculty member recusing themselves will physically leave the meeting room during the review, interview, discussion, and vote portions of the SPC process for the student with whom the faculty member has a conflict of interest.
Course, preclinical, and clinical directors may serve on SPC. When a student is under discussion because of a deficiency of a given SPC member’s course, the SPC member is required to recuse themselves from the interview, discussion, and vote. However, that faculty member should inform SPC about that student’s performance in their course before leaving the meeting. This faculty member does not need to recuse themselves from future meetings if the same student is reviewed for different deficiencies.
Students whose case will be reviewed by the SPC or who will be interviewed by SPC, are given a list of SPC members in advance to report any conflict of interest. If no conflict of interest is reported by the student within 24 hours of receiving the list, no recusals will be considered. If students identify any conflicts of interest, they can report them to the SPC chair, who will assess and determine if recusal is necessary.