Academic Policy Manual Part I (1st and 2nd Years)
Voluntary Withdrawal, Dismissal and Appeals Procedure

Withdrawal from the Stritch School of Medicine requires that the student secure permission from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. The student is responsible for executing the withdrawal forms. All University and School property, including keys, library books, parking key cards, slides, microscopes, equipment, bone boxes, and student identification cards must be returned. If these procedures are not followed, the student is not in good standing and is not entitled to the usual amenities, or to any tuition refund that he/she may be eligible to secure.

Students who request a voluntary withdrawal do so with the full knowledge that, as a consequence, the Stritch School of Medicine is under no obligation to consider an application on behalf of the student for readmission.

Dismissal and Appeal Procedures

The Associate Dean for Student Affairs reviews the academic performance of each enrolled student throughout the curriculum starting with the first in-course exams in the first semester of the first year and schedules academic advisement appointments with students at risk of failing one or more courses. When appropriate, the student will be referred to appropriate assistance resources. When it becomes apparent that the student will fail or has failed one or more first year courses, the Associate Dean for Student Affairs will develop with the student a remediation plan for the balance of the academic year. This plan may include a reduction in course load, a leave of absence or in certain circumstances a repeat of the semester or entire year.

If a student ends the academic year with a single outstanding course failure after taking the single remediation exam the student will not be eligible for promotion to the second year. However, the student may petition to have the opportunity to repeat the failed course and may be required to audit other courses, especially courses in which the student received a marginal passing grade or passed the course by remediation. This option will not be available if the student has exceeded the capstone limit of no more than four initial course failures.

Students who fail the same basic science course for a second time, have two or more unremediated course failures or have exceed the capstone limit of no more than four initial course failures, will be dismissed from the Stritch School of Medicine by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs according to the provisions of the Academic Policy Manual.

The student will have up to thirty days, upon receipt of the letter of dismissal or any change in academic status to appeal this decision. Appeals for reinstatement or other changes in status will be heard by the Student Appeal Board within two weeks of receipt of a written request by the student to the Chair of the Student Appeal Board for an appeal hearing. The student will be informed in writing of the date, time and place of the hearing. The student may represent himself/herself and/or ask members of his/her peer group and/or a Loyola faculty member to represent him/her at the hearing. Legal counsel for either side will not be present at the hearing. The Student Appeal Board will consider each student appeal on a case-by-case basis. The decision of the Student Appeal Board will be forwarded to the Dean of the Stritch School of Medicine for approval. The Dean will notify the student in writing of the final decision.

If a student still is dissatisfied with the action of the Student Appeal Board and the Dean, he/she may submit a petition for a single appeal to the University through the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center. This petition for an appeal must be in writing and be received by the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center within 30 days of notification by the Dean. The appeal will be reviewed by the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center or his designate. Under Loyola University Chicago's due process norms, an appeal to the Executive Vice President of the Medical Center must be in writing and limited to the following areas:

1. the violation of an official policy or procedure of the Stritch School of Medicine that was not followed in a student's case; or
2. a written statement describing why the student feels that an unjust decision was rendered.

The Executive Vice President of the Medical Center or his designate will inform the student, in writing, of the appeal procedure, and of the outcome of the appeal. Students are not entitled to any additional appeals within the University.