College of Optometry (CO) 2024–2025 116 in a mandated dismissal. Students who have been out of clinic for an entire semester or more as a consequence of a leave of absence, an administrative break in enrollment, an academic or disciplinary suspension, or readmission after dismissal or voluntary departure from the program must take and pass the proficiency examination again as a condition to reentry to clinic. If it is determined that a student’s performance is unacceptable and/or may be detrimental to the health and welfare of the patients, any instructor in the clinical program may recommend the removal of a student from direct patient care to the chair of the Department of Clinical Education. In the event the recommendation is upheld, the student will receive a failure for the course and will be placed on academic probation and may be subject to dismissal. The Student Performance Advisory Committee (SPAC) The Student Performance Advisory Committee (SPAC) shall advise the dean on matters concerning student failures, dismissal, promotion, administrative breaks in enrollment, and other academic issues. This committee may consist of the associate dean for Academic Affairs acting as the chair; the department chairs for clinics and clinical science; and a panel of additional faculty members who will be appointed by the dean biannually. The assistant dean for Student Affairs and Admissions shall be an ex officio member. A quorum shall consist of five voting members. All members, except the ex officio member and the chair of the SPAC, are voting members. Any faculty member issuing a failing grade to a student resulting in the student’s appearance before the committee may be present to discuss the student’s performance and answer questions, but will recuse from voting or participating in deliberations on that student. Any faculty member with a reasonably perceived conflict of interest will also recuse from the meeting. The committee shall generate its rules of procedure and transmit them to the dean. The dean will notify the committee of the dean’s decisions concerning cases heard by the committee, including the disposition of appeals. The SPAC hearing will proceed under the direction of the chair, and summary notes of the meeting must be taken. The student will be notified of the date, place, and time of the hearing via the student’s NSU email account. Any student who fails to appear at the designated place, date, and time will automatically waive the right to appeal. The student will be present only during the student’s testimony. At this time, the student will have the opportunity to present the student’s position and provide statements and evidence in support of the problem(s) leading to the academic issue and/or decision. Procedure to Appeal Mandated Academic Dismissal The associate dean for Academic Affairs will monitor the academic progress of all individual students, and, when a student incurs a mandate for academic dismissal, the associate dean will notify that student—in writing, via hand delivery, and via mail to the student’s last official address on file with NSU—that the student is dismissed. The first step in the chain of appeals for a student who wishes to dispute a mandated academic dismissal is the SPAC. To implement this appeal, the student must submit a letter to the chair of the SPAC within five business days of the date that the notification of dismissal was sent by the college. This letter must specify the basis for the appeal. The chair of the SPAC will schedule a hearing on the student’s appeal in a timely fashion. The student will be permitted to present the case to the SPAC
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