Grading Procedures

• The letter grades of A, B+, B, C+, and C represent passing grades in order from highest to lowest. The letter grades D+ and D allow progression to the next sequenced courses during the same academic year, but are not considered passing grades.
• Required courses in which students earn grades of D+, D, F, WF or U must be repeated. A required course may only be repeated one time; a second deficiency will result in dismissal from the Pharm.D. program. 
• Grades of S and U indicate, respectively, satisfactory (passing) and unsatisfactory (failing) performance in courses carried under the Pass-Fail option. 
• Per USC policy, W (Withdrawn Without Penalty) is assigned for student withdrawal from a course after the last day to change/drop a course without a grade of W being recorded but before the last day to change/drop a course without a grade of WF (Withdrawn With Penalty) being recorded. A WF, which counts as an F in GPA calculation, is assigned for student withdrawal from a course after the last day to change/drop a course without a grade of WF being recorded in the USC College of Pharmacy Academic Calendar. Students who must withdraw from all courses due to compelling circumstances may petition the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee to receive grades of W rather than WF in those cases where a WF is assigned. An “I” (Incomplete) is assigned at the discretion of the course coordinator when, in the course coordinator’s judgment, a student does not complete some portion of the assigned work in a course. Per USC policy, students must fulfill remaining course requirements within 12 months in order to replace the incomplete grade with a final grade. Failure to complete the remaining coursework within 12 months will result in a final grade of F (Failure) for the course. A grade of Incomplete cannot be carried into the fourth professional year; requirements to remove the Incomplete and receive a final course grade must be fulfilled prior to the start of the pharmacy practice experiences in the fourth professional year.
• Some courses in the professional curriculum appear in a sequence (similar course names and sequential course numbers) when course material is similar, related and/or sequentially builds knowledge/skill in a given area. In some instances, mastery of material in one or more courses in such sequences are considered prerequisites to further courses in that sequence. A student receiving a grade of F or WF in a prerequisite course cannot take the next course in that sequence when the first course has been designated as a prerequisite to the affected course. The student must retake the failed course and receive a grade of C or better before taking the next sequenced course(s), which may delay a student’s progression.
• Students must have no required course deficiencies and must meet all progression guidelines as defined under the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing Guidelines in order to begin their advanced pharmacy practice experiences at the end of the third professional year.
• The following grading scale will be utilized:
  • A 90–100.00
  • B+ 85–89.99
  • B 80–84.99
  • C+ 75–79.99
  • C 70–74.99
  • D+ 65–69.99
  • D 60–64.99
  • F < 59.99
• Course coordinators and course faculty will identify the specific course requirements, which will be utilized to determine student performance (i.e. tests, reports, class participation, group projects), and this should be provided to students in the syllabus at the beginning of the course.
• In cases where a student must repeat a course, both grades will remain in the student academic record and will be factored into the overall GPA. 

Academic Accommodations

The USC Student Disability Resource Center grants reasonable student academic accommodations. Students requesting academic accommodations at USC should contact the Student Disability Resource Center directly. Students on the Greenville campus must also utilize the USC Student Disability Resource Center in order to be granted accommodations.

Students who believe they may require accommodations are strongly suggested to meet with the Senior Associate Dean or Associate Dean for Student Affairs prior to their meeting/communication with the USC Student Disability Resource Center. The purpose for this meeting is to equip the student with information regarding courses, including IPPEs and APPEs, that may be necessary to discuss with the USC Student Disability Resource Center as accommodations are being determined.

Once Faculty are notified by the USC Student Disability Resource Center of a student’s accommodations, they are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide the approved accommodations for the student.

After accommodations are approved by the USC Student Disability Resource Center, the student is responsible for setting an appointment with EACH course coordinator of courses which the accommodations may be utilized in order to verify the receipt of documentation regarding the accommodations so that appropriate planning can be completed for the semester. This should occur prior to the first exam in which the student wishes to use the accommodation(s), but after the accommodation(s) has/have been electronically communicated to the course coordinators. 

Students with accommodations will communicate directly with individual course coordinators to discuss use of accommodations within each specific course’s structure. 

• Due to unique, hands-on, or experiential structure of many courses within the curriculum, situations may arise in which application of issued accommodations is challenging. If a course coordinator is unable to determine a method to honor accommodations within their course, the affected student must arrange a meeting with the Senior Associate Dean. The Senior Associate Dean will work with the student, faculty member, and USC Student Disability Resource Center to formulate a solution that assists the student, as well as meets the expectations and requirements for the course.
• As Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) are conducted at sites outside of the College of Pharmacy with a wide variety of preceptors, it is essential that students who plan to utilize any accommodation during an IPPE or APPE discuss an action plan that includes, but is not limited to, communication from the college to the preceptor, application of accommodation(s) in the practice setting, and student role in communication to the preceptor/rotation site. Annually, upon receiving a finalized rotation schedule from the Experiential Department, a meeting must be requested by the student no later than the end of March with the Director of Experiential Education to formulate a plan for the affected rotation(s).

Students with accommodations involving exams must communicate directly with the course coordinator at least 5 business days prior to each exam in order to ensure that the faculty member knows that an accommodation will be utilized for the exam and the location at which the student will test (i.e. pharmacy classroom, virtually proctored testing environment (when applicable), or proctor room). It is the student’s responsibility to schedule exams requiring the use of the proctor room per the guidelines and scheduling processes of the USC Student Disability Resource Center. Failure to notify the course coordinator as described above or to schedule exams requiring use of the proctor room per the guidelines of the USC Student Disability Resource Center will result in inability to utilize accommodations for that exam.

• Students choosing NOT to utilize issued accommodations for an exam must notify the affected course coordinator at least 5 business days prior to the exam for planning purposes and exam security reasons. If the student has previously scheduled to take an exam at the university proctor room, they must also utilize USC Student Disability Resource Center policies regarding cancellation. A student who has previously scheduled to utilize the proctor room for an exam must utilize the university proctor room for that particular exam unless they notify the course coordinator within at least 5 business days that they desire to take the exam as scheduled within the regular classroom.

Examinations will be taken during the regularly scheduled class time when possible. If a conflict exists, then:

• The examination will begin the class period prior (if possible) to the regularly scheduled time, or the examination will be taken the same day, at the first available time slot of the course coordinator or proctor room.
• The USC Student Disability Resource Center proctoring room may be utilized for students requiring accommodations. Due to capacity limits, the course coordinator may schedule separate times to test enrolled students with accommodations at the USC Student Disability Resource Center proctoring room, if necessary, after discussing with the center. 

Accommodated students should contact the Dean’s Office for assistance if use of their approved accommodations would cause the student to miss another scheduled class.

If accommodated students opt to take an exam at another time due to class schedule conflict, they are required to be present in the classes that conflict. If the student is found to not attend the classes that conflict, they will be referred to the USC Office of Student Conduct and/or Student Policy & Professionalism Committee (College of Pharmacy) for sanctions.

Faculty are encouraged to have the accommodated student(s) attempt the exam in the same format as the entire class (computer or paper). The only exception is if the accommodation relates to the exam format administration (paper or computer).

Faculty should ensure that accommodated students who receive extra time on an exam are able to remain in one location for the entire time allotted per the accommodation if possible.

Scholastic Standing Policies

Progression 

In order to be eligible for promotion and graduation, students must obtain at least a 2.0 (grade of C or better) in each professional course and maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.0 in all professional courses. Course grades of D+, D, I, F, WF and U are considered deficiencies.

Students must remove any deficiencies by the beginning of each fall semester in order to be promoted to the next year. This may be accomplished by taking summer courses, if available. Summer courses are not regularly offered. Summer course availability is subject to the ability of the College to offer the needed course. No student will be allowed to attempt a remedial summer course without a successful petition outcome from the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing & Petitions Committee.

Any course in the Pharm.D. curriculum requiring remediation outside of the originally scheduled time period results in additional tuition charges, including pharmacy practice experiences. Requests to take classes outside of the College of Pharmacy and to receive credit for these classes will require the approval of the course coordinator, Senior Associate Dean, and Curriculum Committee.

Course withdrawals and leaves of absence require the approval of the Dean’s Office. “Compelling circumstances” must be evident. Students who withdraw after the last day to change/drop a course without a grade of W being recorded but before the last day to change/drop a course without a grade of WF being recorded as established in the USC College of Pharmacy Academic Calendar will receive a grade of W; students who withdraw from a course after the established USC College of Pharmacy last day to change/drop a course without a grade of WF being recorded will receive a grade of WF, which calculates as a zero for purposes of computing a student’s GPA.

Students are required to register for and successfully complete all required and elective coursework in a specific professional year in order to register for courses and progress to the next professional year in the curriculum.

If a student fails to achieve a grade of C or better in an elective course, the student is encouraged, but not required, to re-take the elective course. However, the student must successfully complete a minimum of eight hours of approved electives by the end of the third professional year.

Students will not be allowed to attempt a course in a sequenced group of courses if they receive a grade of F, WF or U in the previous course that has been designated a prerequisite to the latter course(s); a grade of D+ or D in the previous course will allow a student to attempt other courses in a sequenced group of courses, but the course deficiency must be removed prior to beginning the next professional year in the curriculum.

Sequenced courses in the College of Pharmacy curriculum in which one course in the sequence is considered a prerequisite for one or more of the other courses in the sequence are listed below; it should be noted that some sequenced courses are scheduled over multiple professional years:

• Dosage Forms & Drug Delivery and Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics
• Foundations of Pathophysiology & Pharmacology I and II
• Foundations of Medicinal Chemistry I and II
• Introduction to Drug Information and Advanced Drug Information
• Pathophysiology & Pharmacology I, II, III, and IV
• Intro Community Pharmacy Laboratory and Applied Community Pharmacy Laboratory
• Intro Health Systems Laboratory and Applied Health Systems Laboratory
• Clinical Applications II, III, IV, V, and VI
• Patient Care Fundamentals, Patient Care Applications I, Patient Care Applications II, Patient Care Integration, and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Readiness
• Pharmacotherapy I, II, III and IV
• Biopharmaceutics & Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Pharmacokinetics

For integrated/ linked courses that are also delivered in sequence (such as Pharmacotherapy I-IV and Pathophysiology/Pharmacology I-IV), students will not be allowed to complete either of the two next courses in the sequence if they receive a grade of F or WF in either of the two previous integrated courses. A grade of D+ or D in either course will allow a student to complete the next course in the sequence, but the course deficiency must be removed prior to beginning the next professional year in the curriculum.

Students will not be allowed to complete the Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) Community Rotation (PHMY 699) if a student has a deficiency (obtains a D+, D, F, WF or U) in PHMY 670 and/or PHMY 671 (Pharmacy Skills Lab I – II) or in PHMY 750 Self-Care and Complementary Medicine. Students will not be allowed to complete IPPE Hospital/Health System Rotation (PHMY 798) if a student has a deficiency (obtains a D+, D, F, WF or U) in PHMY 790 and/or PHMY 791 (Pharmacy Skills Lab III – IV).

If a student has deficiencies (obtains a D+, D, F, WF or U) in more than four courses during any given academic year, he/she will be dismissed from the pharmacy program.

If a student has deficiencies (obtains a D+, D, F, WF or U) in more than two courses in any given academic year, he/she will NOT be allowed to make any of those courses up during summer sessions and must repeat those courses during the next academic year. If the student is on probation, he/she will be dismissed. If the student is not on probation, he/she will be suspended per the Suspension section.  

No student will be allowed to take more than two courses per summer. A student may choose to self-suspend for an academic year instead of attempting two courses (if offered) during a summer session.

No student will be allowed to take a required course (except IPPEs and APPEs) for the first attempt in a summer session.

Any IPPE and/or Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) experiential course deficiency (obtaining a D+, D, F, WF or U) must be remediated. Students with a deficiency in a required or elective introductory or advanced pharmacy practice experience must remediate the rotation at a site determined by the Experiential office. Students who elect to complete ten APPEs must complete an eleventh rotation in the event of a rotation deficiency.

Students with a deficiency (obtaining a D+, D, F or WF) in more than one APPE rotation will be dismissed from the program.

Students who earn a course deficiency in a Fall semester course will not be allowed to hold office in any professional organization or class at the College of Pharmacy or university level for the following Spring semester. Students who earn a course deficiency in a Spring semester course will not be allowed to hold office in any professional organization or class at the College of Pharmacy or university level for the following Fall semester. If you are a current or incoming student leader who falls under one of the above situations, you will be required to resign from your leadership position(s). Students must not have earned any course deficiencies for the academic year immediately preceding admission into a combination degree program.

Suspension 

Suspension means that a student will be prohibited (suspended) from progressing to the next professional year. For P1 and P2 students, the period of suspension will include the fall and spring semesters of the academic year during which the student is remediating coursework. For P3 students, the period of suspension may include the fall and/or spring of the academic year during which the student is remediating coursework. Students will be suspended if, by the beginning of a fall semester, the student has not successfully remediated any deficiency earned in a required course taken during the previous professional year.

A suspended student may repeat required course(s) once in order to remove deficiencies and strengthen areas of weakness. (Additionally, the student may utilize electives to improve the overall GPA and strengthen areas of weakness during their academic matriculation.)

A suspended student who completes their suspension period and successfully remediates all required course deficiencies will be removed from suspension, placed on academic probation (see definition within this document) and allowed to progress in the curriculum.

If a student withdraws from the professional program while on suspension and later returns, the student remains on suspension until they have completed their original suspension period and successfully remediated all required course deficiencies.

Suspended students will not be allowed to seek or hold office in any professional organization or class at the College of Pharmacy or university level.

Failure to remove all deficiencies and to attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher by the conclusion of a period of suspension will result in dismissal (see definition below) from the College of Pharmacy.

Academic Probation

Academic probation is defined as the time in the professional program immediately following a suspension period. The purpose of the academic probation period is to provide additional monitoring and oversight of students who have a history of prior academic difficulty.

Students on probation must demonstrate their ability to consistently and satisfactorily progress in the curriculum, by maintaining a minimum cumulative pharmacy GPA of 2.0 and meeting promotion requirements. A student will be dismissed if they earn any additional required course deficiencies while on academic probation. The probation period will consist of the equivalent of two consecutive semesters, not to include summer.

If a student withdraws from the professional program while on probation and later returns, the student remains on academic probation until they have completed the equivalent of two consecutive semesters, not to include summer.

To enter the fourth professional year, all professional students must have successfully completed all professional course requirements, including elective courses, by the end of the spring semester of the third professional year.

Probationary students will not be allowed to seek or hold office in any professional organization or class at the College of Pharmacy or university level.

Students must not be on probation during the academic year immediately preceding admission into a combination degree program.

Failure to satisfy the terms of probation will result in dismissal.

Dismissal

Dismissal is the mandatory withdrawal of a student.

A student will be dismissed if they fail to attain a minimum cumulative pharmacy GPA of 2.0 by the conclusion of a period of suspension. While on probation, a student will be dismissed if they earn any new deficiencies or fail to attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 by the conclusion of a period of probation.

A student may repeat a course in the professional curriculum only once. Failure to remove the course deficiency in a required course after the second attempt will result in the student’s dismissal.

If a student has deficiencies in more than four courses during any given academic year, he/she will automatically be dismissed from the program.

Students with a deficiency in more than one APPE rotation will be dismissed from the program.

Students may be dismissed for lack of professionalism and/or professional misconduct.

Students may be dismissed by the College of Pharmacy and/or the University of South Carolina dependent upon individual student situation.

After dismissal, the college will not accept any course work from the student to complete the Doctor of Pharmacy program or final two years of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree.

Petitions

Any student seeking an exception to the academic standards may petition the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee. Students have 3 business days from the date they receive written notification of their deficiency, suspension, or dismissal to notify the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, who will serve as liaison and provide all documents to the Chair of the committee, of their intent to petition. A petition may be approved or denied by the Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee based on the merits of the individual situation. The petition process will be handled through the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee.

Students desiring to take a course as remediation during a summer term must petition the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee for permission to take the remedial summer course if it is offered.

The College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee does not have the authority to change grades assigned by faculty or preceptors.

The Senior Associate Dean will review petition decisions as submitted by the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee. The Senior Associate Dean will issue final communication regarding the petition decision to the student.

When the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee approves a student’s petition to overturn their suspension or dismissal status, the committee will determine the student’s academic probation status and set the student’s length of probation.

Students whose petition was denied may appeal directly to the Dean in cases where new, substantial information has arisen following their hearing with the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee. Any appeal to the Dean must be received no later than 30 days from receipt of the notification of petition denial. Upon receipt of an appeal, the Dean will convene an ad hoc committee made up of the Dean, Senior Associate Dean, and an unbiased faculty member or administrator of the Dean’s choosing to hear the appeal and issue a final decision in the matter.

Students who separated from the College of Pharmacy while not in good academic and/or professional standing, whose absence has been more than 2 years but less than 10 years, may petition to return to the professional program by submitting a formal, written statement including the cause for their separation, reasons for their desire to return, and actions they have taken to ensure their readiness for return. Students whose separation from the College of Pharmacy has been greater than 10 years are ineligible to petition to return and must reapply for admission.

A petition for readmission must be submitted to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs. The petition process will be handled by the College of Pharmacy Scholastic Standing and Petitions Committee.