2 - Academic and Professional Policies

The Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences adheres to the University of Oklahoma Health and College of Allied Health policies when handling student situations.   These policies may be referred to within this handbook or found within the following documents.  The responsibility lies with the student to ensure he/she follows current OU Health Sciences policy. 

• The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Student Handbook
• The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Faculty Handbook
• College of Allied Health Student Handbook (Select the applicable year)

Faculty of the Department of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences adheres to the principles in the University of Oklahoma Academic Integrity Policy found in the Student Handbook, Section 3.3 and College of Allied Health Student Handbook, Section 5.1. 

Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in the academic or clinical setting. The basic assumptions regarding student academic work at the University of Oklahoma are: 

• Students attend the University of Oklahoma to learn and grow intellectually. 
• Academic assignments exist to learn and grow intellectually, and grades exist to show how fully the goal is attained. 
• A student’s academic work and grades should result from the student’s own effort to learn and grow. Academic work completed any other way is pointless, and grades obtained any other way are fraudulent. 

Academic misconduct violates the assumptions at the heart of all learning. Academic misconduct destroys the mutual trust and respect that should exist between student and professor and is unfair to students who earn their grades honestly. 
 

The Program Director serves as the academic advisor to all students in their program in conjunction with the Dean of Academic Affairs.  The Program Director keeps current with students’ grades and initiates meetings when grade deficiencies are noted. This does not preclude a student from requesting a meeting with their Program Director at any time to discuss academic progress.  
 
Program Directors also provide professional, and career advisement as needed or requested. This may include job application, resume building, interview advisement, job market outlook, employment resources, etc. 
 

When seeking assistance to resolve an issue the most important factor is contacting the correct individuals in the correct sequence.  This makes the most efficient use of the established chain of command, lends appropriate credibility to the request or complaint, and allows the appropriate people to assist with the situation. 

A student is best served by attempting to resolve an academic issue with the individual course instructor directly.  If this step is not helpful, then the student should speak to their Program Director, and then the Department Chair.  Likewise, if the student encounters a clinical issue, they should first ensure that the patient’s needs are met before attempting to resolve the issue with the clinical instructor. Then proceed by contacting the Clinical Coordinator, Program Director and then the Department Chair. While it is extremely unlikely that the issue will remain unresolved after these consultations, the student may take any unresolved issue to the Dean for Academic and Student Affairs and then to the Dean of the College. Refer to Section 4 Clinic Education Policies, for additional information on resolving such occurrence. 
 

The MIRS Academic and Professional Progress Committee (APPC) consists of department faculty who are responsible for monitoring student academic, clinic and professional progress. The APPC monitors student progress at the midterm of the fall and spring semester and at the end of each semester. The APPC may also meet at any time during the semester if the need arises.  

Any student whose performance is unsatisfactory in a course at midterm of the fall and spring semesters will receive an email notice from the departmental APPC.  As part of this notification, students are required to meet with their Program Director so deficiencies may be discussed and a plan to improve the deficiency may be implemented prior to the conclusion of the semester.  

At the end of each semester, the APPC reviews each student’s overall academic, clinic, and professional performance then makes recommendations in writing to the Dean regarding each student’s progress in regards to College of Allied Health and MIRS Department Standards.  The APPC may recommend that the Dean commend, promote, retain, place on probation, continue on probation, remove from probation, suspend, or dismiss a student. Recommendations may also include, but are not limited to:  

• Individualizing course sequence and selection.  
• Modifying standard timing and sequence of coursework.  
• Repeating courses.  
• Adding courses to strengthen basic competencies.  
• Assigning specialized academic and/or clinic projects.
• Making program modifications to allow for higher-level work and advanced studies for students making exceptional progress. 

In situations where a student’s semester grades do not demonstrate the required progress, the student is informed of the APPC recommendations by letter from the Dean, which includes the Dean’s decision and necessary sanctions.  
 

In addition to ongoing satisfactory progress in the program, students must successfully complete all required competencies assigned in clinic and must meet the requirements identified in the College of Allied Health Student Handbook in order to be eligible for a degree from the College of Allied Health.  

To ensure students are on track to meet graduation requirements, program directors conduct a degree check with the Office of Academic and Student Services midway through the semester prior to the student’s expected graduation. The student may also request a graduation check at any time.

According to the College of Allied Health Student Handbook, to maintain good standing and to be eligible for graduation from the College of Allied Health, the student must meet the following minimum standards of performance:  

• A minimum grade of C or S in each program course.  
• A grade point average of 2.50 or higher each semester.  
• A cumulative grade point average of 2.50 or higher while enrolled in an academic program in the College.  
• A grade point average of 2.50 or higher in all required courses in the academic program in which the student is enrolled. 
• Satisfactory professional performance and behavior.  
• Satisfactory progress, as determined by the Academic and Professional Progress Committee and the Dean.  

To ensure students are on track to meet graduation requirements, program directors conduct a degree check with the Office of Academic and Student Affairs prior to graduation. The student may also request a graduation check at any time. 
 

To maintain good standing within the MIRS Department, students must meet College of Allied Health Standards as well as the Standards and Competencies outlined in the following documents;

• MIRS Technical Standards document, reflect the daily technical standards for medical imaging and radiation sciences practice and are guidelines to assist students in understanding the physical requirements of the health care training and practice environment.  Inability to perform each of these functions may impact a student’s ability to complete clinical rotations and graduate on time.  
• MIRS Essential Competencies document, outlines the specific competencies students must demonstrate in the academic and clinical environments.  These competencies are derived from standards set by national organizations that accredit the MIRS programs and the national organizations which guide the professional standards in the clinic. 

Satisfactory completion of an accredited program is a requirement for eligibility to take the national certification examination(s) in the respective radiation science professions.  The Department will not verify eligibility if incomplete work is recorded for any portion of the required academic or clinical course work in the student’s professional program.  In addition, if the student fails to discharge financial and other obligations sustained as a student, the Department cannot verify completion of the program in good standing.  

Students should be aware that some certification bodies require a student to provide information regarding felony and misdemeanor charges and convictions against them. Schools may also be required to provide certification bodies information about academic and professional misconduct while the student was attending school. This information is used to determine eligibility to sit for the certification exam. Students should review the applicable certification body’s website for details to determine if they can meet eligibility requirements.
 

Faculty have autonomy for determining the rounding of grades within this general structure and this information is presented in each course syllabus. 

Most didactic coursework uses a traditional grading scale as follows:

• A = 90% and above
• B = 80-89%  
• C = 70-79%
• D = 60-69% 
• F = below 60%

A higher standard is used for clinical course grading as follows:

• A = 93% and above 
• B = 85-92%
• C = 75-84% 
• D = 65-74%
• F = below 65%

A student may receive a Zerograde(s) in any course if the student demonstrates a deficiency in academic or clinical performance or a deficiency in completing essential competencies.  Such deficiency in performance may also result in failure of a course, charges under the appropriate College or University policy, and/or dismissal from the program.  The Zerograde Form, available on the MIRS Department website, communicates the specific deficiencies that may result in a Zerograde.   

Zerogrades severely impact the student’s final course grade as follows:

For first year students in a letter grade course:

One Zerograde    =     reduction of final course grade by five percentage points and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde.

Two Zerogrades    =     reduction of final course grade by ten percentage points and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde.

Three Zerogrades    =    upon occurrence of a third Zerograde, reduction of final course grade by fifteen percentage points and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde. 

If a Zerograde brings the student’s grade below a “C” the student may be dismissed from the program.

For second year students in a letter grade course:  

One Zerograde     =     Reduction of final course grade by one letter grade and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde. 

Two Zerogrades    =     Reduction of final course grade by two letter grades and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde.

Three Zerogrades     =    Upon occurrence of a third Zerograde, reduction of final course grade by three letter grades and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde. 

If a Zerograde brings the student’s grade below a “C” the student may be dismissed from the program.

For any student in an S/U graded course:  

One Zerograde     =     Final course grade will not be altered but Zerograde serves as a warning. Other disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde. 

Two Zerograde     =     Reduction of final course grade to unsatisfactory is immediate and disciplinary action as specified in the student handbook may also be applicable in addition to the Zerograde.
 

This Code applies to students, former students, and graduates. It is the responsibility of each faculty member and each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct.  

Academic misconduct includes any act, which improperly affects the evaluation of a student’s academic performance or achievement, including but not limited to the following:  

• Cheating: the use of unauthorized materials, methods, or information in any academic exercise, including improper collaboration;  
• Plagiarism:  the representation of the words or ideas of another as one’s own, including:  
  • Direct quotation without both attribution and indication that the material is being directly quoted; e.g., quotation marks; 
  • Paraphrase without attribution;  
  • Paraphrase with or without attribution where wording of the original remains substantially intact and is represented as the author’s own;
  • Expression in one’s own words, but without attribution, of ideas, arguments, lines of reasoning, facts, processes, or other products of the intellect where such material is learned from the work of another and is not part of the general fund of common academic knowledge;  
• Fabrication: the falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise;  including unpermitted and/or unattributed use of artificial intelligence tools.
• Fraud: the falsification, forgery, or misrepresentation of academic or clinic work, including the resubmission of work performed for one class for credit in another class without the informed permission of the second instructor; or the falsification, forgery, or misrepresentation of other academic or medical records or documents, including admissions materials, transcripts, and patient records; or the communication of false or misleading statements to obtain academic advantage or to avoid academic penalty;  
• Destruction, misappropriation, or unauthorized possession of University property or the property of another; 
• Bribery or intimidation;  
• Assisting others in any act proscribed by this Code; or  
• Attempting to engage in such acts.   

The Academic Misconduct Code policy is available:

• The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Student Handbook, Section 3.4
• The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Faculty Handbook, Appendix C.
• College of Allied Health Student Handbook, 5.1 Academic Integrity (Select applicable year) 

A student who meets one of the following criteria at the end of a semester will be recommended for dismissal from the program: 

• One or more grades of “F” in an academic semester 
• Two or more grades of “D” or “U” in an academic semester or in two different academic semesters 
• Failure to earn a “C” or higher in a repeated course in which the initial grade was a “D,” “U,” or “W” 
• A grade of “D” or “U” in the semester following two consecutive semesters on probation.
• Overall OUHSC GPA below 2.50 with an inability to improve to 2.50 by graduation. 
• Not meeting or maintaining clinical proficiency/competency standards after 2 consecutive semesters
• Inability to complete the program within five (5) years 

Faculty are ultimately responsible for evaluating student progress in their courses.  If a student feels he or she has received a prejudiced or capricious evaluation by an instructor, and if he or she is unable to resolve the matter by conference through the appropriate chain of command (course instructor → program director → departmental chair → Director of Student Affairs), the student may request an academic appeal hearing.  The student may submit an appeal to the College of Allied Health Academic Appeals Board or respective college offering the course. The links below outline the process for an appeal and the Office of Student Services will assist the student to locate information regarding the appeal process. 

The Academic Appeals policy is available:

• CAH Student Handbook: 7 Academic Appeals (Please select applicable year) 
• UHSC Student Handbook: 3.1 Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure
• OUHSC Faculty Handbook: Appendix C-1 Academic Appeals Policy and Procedures 

Students have rights and obligations to participate fully in the educational process; to provide input as appropriate regarding their educational and professional roles; and to seek information and clarification of actions that affect them.  Both the Health Sciences Center and College of Allied Health student handbooks include policies on the protection of student rights. 

The Department believes that all participation, comment, query, and debate by students and faculty should be characterized by honesty, common courtesy, respect for the dignity of all concerned, and a keen sense of the rights of others. 

The responsibility for academic evaluation rests with the faculty.  If a student feels they were evaluated by an instructor in a prejudiced or capricious manner, and is unable to resolve the matter first by speaking to the instructor followed by consultation with the program director then departmental chair, the student may elect to pursue the academic appeal process, as described in the CAH Student Handbook – Academic Policies.  Any student evaluation that occurs during the term must be appealed within 10 University business days after the evaluation is given to the student.  An appeal of an end-of-term evaluation must be initiated by February 15 for the previous fall semester or winter intersession and by September 15 for the previous spring semester, spring intersession or summer term. See CAH Student Handbook for complete details of this process. 

• CAH Student Handbook: 7 Academic Appeals (select applicable year)
• OUHSC Student Handbook: 3.1 Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure
• OUHSC Faculty Handbook: Appendix C, C.1 Academic Appeals Policy and Procedures

The University, College, and Department Student Professional Behavior policies relate to the ethical and professional behavior of students. These policies refer to the expected overall professional behaviors of students.  

These policies and procedures are described more fully in the following:  

• CAH Student Handbook (select applicable year): 6.1 Professional Performance and Behavior
• OUHSC Student Handbook: 3.17 Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy
• OUHSC Faculty Handbook:
  4.20 Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy
  4.21 Student Rights and Responsibilities Code 

In addition to the Department Zerograde policy, failure to follow ethical and professional behavior standards may also result in complaints, sanctions and/or Professionalism Concerns Report which are reported in accordance with the policies of the University Student Handbook.   Breaches must be filed with the College and submitted within 10 University business days after discovery of the incident, exclusive of University breaks and academic intercessions.  

• OUHSC Faculty Handbook: Appendix C, C-3
  4.0 Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy 
  4.21 Student Rights and Responsibilities Code 

If a student feels he or she has been accused of unprofessional behavior falsely, and if he or she is unable to resolve the matter by conference through the appropriate chain of command (course instructor → program director → departmental chair → Director of Student Affairs), the student has the right to file an appeal based on the appropriate policy.  The student should follow the appeal procedures outlined in the links below. The links below outline the process for an appeal and the Office of Student Services can also help the student locate information regarding the appeal process.  These policies and procedures are described more fully in the following:  

• CAH Student Handbook (Select the applicable year): 6.2 Management of Student Professional Behavior
• OUHSC Student Handbook:
  3.1 Academic Appeals Policy and Procedure 
  3.17 Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy 
• OUHSC Faculty Handbook: Appendix C: C.1 Student Professional Behavior in an Academic Program Policy