The program requires that all students maintain immunizations as required by state law and as recommended by the CDC for healthcare workers. Therefore, all MSPA students must submit proof of immunization prior to program orientation, and must update verification (a) prior to participation in clinical components of the program, and (b) as requested thereafter during enrollment in the program. Evidence of vaccinations will be collected and verified by CastleBranch© https://mycb.castlebranch.com/. Additionally, any student who is 21 year of age or younger at the time of program orientation must present proof of MPSV or MCV4 (MENACTRA/MENVEO) meningococcal vaccination directly to the campus nurse. The vaccination must have been completed no later than ten (10) days prior to program orientation.

Flu Vaccine: Students are required to receive 1 dose of influenza vaccine prior to program orientation and annually thereafter.

This policy aligns with current CDC recommendations for healthcare workers.

The CDC recommended vaccinations for healthcare workers can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html

Tuberculosis Screening: TB screening must be completed no earlier than 6 months prior to program orientation, again prior to first SCPE, and annually thereafter. TB skin tests are offered by the campus nurse by appointment, contact 254-295-4696. Current cost is $20.00, subject to change. Day one, skin test is administered and student must return no sooner than 48 hours and no later than 72 hours or the test is invalid. If a student prefers to obtain a TB skin test (or blood test) at the healthcare provider of their choice, it must be a contemporary test read within the past 6 months. Additional testing options: If choosing to use IGRAs (interferon Gamma Release Assays), QFT or T-spot TB testing methods, students should follow the CDC recommendations. If positive, a chest x-ray and medical exam is required; either by the Bell County Health Department or a qualified healthcare provider. The TB screening document presented to the campus nurse must be legible, and must include the healthcare provider’s contact information, induration, and the date of the test.

Students must provide evidence of a negative TB skin test or a negative chest x-ray if the skin test is positive. The student having a negative TB skin test must also resent evidence of retesting following any known exposure.

The student who has had a negative skin test and converts to positive during enrollment will be referred to the Bell County Health Department or his/her private physician for follow-up care. Evidence of a negative chest x-ray must be provided to the campus nurse within one month. The student must keep the UMHB campus nurse informed of follow-up care during the prescribed regimen.

The student having a documented positive TB skin test upon admission or at any point during the time enrolled in the program must provide the campus nurse with evidence of a negative chest x-ray taken within the last 2 years. Negative chest x-rays over 2 years old must be repeated. Students with a positive TB skin test must complete a Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) symptom questionnaire annually.

The university assumes no responsibility for the effectiveness, contraindications, or adverse effects of required vaccinations. Always consult with your own healthcare provider if you have questions about vaccinations.

Enrollment in the program is a full-time commitment, and employment during the academic year is not recommended. If a student chooses to be employed while enrolled in the program, academic attendance, performance, and participation standards will not be altered in any way to accommodate employment. Students should be aware that the program will require evening or weekend classes, clinical experiences, and related activities.

Students are neither required nor permitted to work for the program. The program will not utilize students in place of administrative staff, clinical staff, or as instructional faculty during the pre-clinical or clinical phases of student training. Lectures, structured clinical experience, and overall instruction are the responsibility of the faculty and not students. This policy will be reviewed with all students, instructional faculty, and clinical preceptors on a yearly basis. Acknowledgement of this policy will be demonstrated through the signed MSPA Program Student Acknowledgement and Agreement, Didactic Instructional Faculty Agreement, and Clinical Site Visit forms.

Students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The MSPA program will coordinate all clinical sites and preceptors for program required rotations. Coordinating clinical practice experiences involves identifying, contacting, and evaluating sites and preceptors for suitability as a required or elective rotation experience. Students may make suggestion to principal faculty for sites and preceptors but are not required to do so. Student suggested sites and preceptors will be reviewed, evaluated, and approved for educational suitability by the program.

Academic Appeal Process
Students may appeal any academic decision believed to be arbitrary, capricious, or unfair. A student’s mere dissatisfaction with a grade or decision is not grounds for an appeal. For an appeal to have merit, there must be some evidence that the student has been treated inappropriately with regard to the administration of the university’s policies and procedures. The appeal process is published and readily available to student prior to and upon matriculation in the UMHB Graduate Catalog.

Reporting Discrimination (including harassment) to University Authorities
Any student who has experienced or observed unwelcome conduct which may constitute illegal discrimination is encouraged to report the matter to one of the university authorities named below. Students are encouraged to report such conduct before it becomes severe or pervasive so that the University can take appropriate steps to prevent the situation from creating an environment which is hostile to education.

Some examples of matters, which are appropriate to report and file a complaint within this section include:

• A complaint of sex discrimination or sexual/gender harassment carried out by university employees, other students, or third parties
• A complaint of gender inequity in any program of the university
• A complaint of discrimination on the basis of a disability or handicap
• A complaint of any violation of the university's Policy Against Discrimination or Harassment

Information is readily accessible prior to and upon matriculation:

1. In the Non-Discrimination Statement located in the MSPA Student Handbook
2. On the university’s Title IX webpage
3. In the university’s Student Handbook

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students
The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) admits qualified students of any race, color, sex, national, or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, nationality, and ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Furthermore, UMHB does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of handicap in the recruitment and admission of students and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by federal laws and regulations.

UMHB is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. The university is a private institution and reserves the right to deny admission to an applicant for any lawful reason.

A student or applicant with a question about the university’s non-discrimination policies or who claims to have experienced unlawful discrimination in connection with any university program or activity should contact the designated coordinator for university compliance with nondiscrimination policies: Susan Owens, Vice President for Human Resources, Title IX Coordinator and non-discrimination compliance officer, Sanderford Administrative Complex, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513, 254-295-4527, susan.owens@umhb.edu

Other Student Grievances and Concerns:
For other types of student grievances and concerns, the university publishes specific processes in its Student Handbook

The university also provides a Report It link on the main webpage (in compliance with state law), which students can use to report concerns in a variety of areas: REPORT IT

The MSPA program and many of the contracted clinical facilities require that students be educated about the dangers of blood borne pathogens and how to protect themselves and others, including the use of universal precautions. The MSPA program will provide education on these topics in specific courses during the first year of the program. Facilities may provide additional training. The summary below is for general information as an overview of universal precautions and may not be inclusive of all elements of university precautions at a particular facility or for a particular task.

Linens

• Handle, transport, and process used linens in a manner that:
• Prevents skin and mucous membrane exposures and contamination of clothing.
• Avoids transfer of pathogens to other patients and/or the environment.

Facial Equipment

• Wear either a surgical or procedure mask and eye protection (eye visor, goggles) or a face shield to protect mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth during activities that are likely to generate splashes or sprays of blood, body fluids, secretions, and excretions.

Hand Washing

• Hand washing (40–60 seconds): wet hands and apply soap; rub all surfaces; rinse hands and dry thoroughly with a single use towel; use towel to turn off faucet.
• Hand rubbing (20–30 seconds): apply enough sanitizing product to cover all areas of the hands; rub hands until dry.
• Before and after any direct patient contact and between patients, whether or not gloves are worn.
• Immediately after gloves are removed.
• Before handling an invasive device.
• After touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, non-intact skin, and contaminated items, even if gloves are worn.
• During patient care, when moving from a contaminated to a clean body site of the patient.
• After contact with inanimate objects in the immediate vicinity of the patient.

Gloves

• Wear when touching blood, body fluids, secretions, excretions, mucous membranes, non-intact skin.
• Change between tasks and procedures on the same patient after contact with potentially infectious material.
• Remove after use, before touching non-contaminated items and surfaces, and before going to another patient. Perform hand hygiene immediately after removal.

Sharps Handling

• Sharps include items such as needles, scalpels, sharp-edged instruments, broken glassware, and scissors.
• All sharps must be handled with care.
• Do not re-sheath needles.
• Never pass from person to person by hand. Use a receptacle or “clear field” to place them.
• Never walk around with sharps in your hand.
• Never leave exposed sharps lying around.
• Dispose of sharps in the designated sharps containers at the point of use (take a sharps container with you).
• Dispose of syringes and needles as a single unit; do not remove the needle first.
• Never overfill the sharps containers. All containers will be removed and replaced when filled to the designated line.

Waste Disposal

• Ensure safe waste management.
• Treat waste contaminated with blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions as clinical waste, in accordance with local regulations.
• Human tissues and laboratory waste that is directly associated with specimen processing must also be treated as clinical waste.
• Discard single use items properly.

Patient Care Equipment

• Clean, disinfect, and reprocess reusable equipment appropriately before use with another patient.

Universal Precautions Summary

• Specimens, including blood, blood products, and body fluids, obtained from all patients must be considered hazardous and potentially infected with transmissible agents.
• Hand washing must be performed before and after patient contact, after removing gloves, and immediately if hands are grossly contaminated with body fluids.
• Gloves must be worn when hands are likely to come in contact with blood or body fluids.
• Gowns, protective eyewear, and masks must be worn when splashing, splattering, or aerosolization of blood or body fluids is likely to occur.
• Sharp objects ("sharps") must be handled with great care and disposed of in impervious receptacles.
• Needles must never be manipulated, bent, broken, or recapped.
• Blood spills must be handled via initial absorption of spill with disposable towels, cleaning area with soap and water, followed by disinfecting area with 1:10 solution of household bleach.
• Contaminated reusable equipment must be decontaminated using heat sterilization, or when heat is impractical, using a mycobactericidal cleanser.
• Pocket masks or mechanical ventilation devices must be available in areas where cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures are likely.
• Health care workers with open lesions or weeping dermatitis must avoid direct patient contact and must not handle contaminated equipment.
• Private rooms are not required for routine care; select circumstances, however, such as the presence of concomitant transmissible opportunistic disease, may warrant respiratory, enteric, or contact isolation.

Exposure and Incident Reporting MSPA Program students are expected to take precautions to prevent exposure to hazardous materials or substances, including the mandatory use of personal protective equipment, when performing certain procedures. If a student experiences an exposure, he/she should report it promptly to the university faculty member for the course and/or the clinical facility. Students are expected to follow all clinical facility and university policies regarding precautions and exposures.

It is the policy of UMHB to ensure the safety of clinical students from unnecessary exposure to blood or other bodily fluids/communicable diseases through education on universal precautions and immunization; and to implement procedures when accidental exposure occurs in order to minimize risk of contracting disease.

Immediately following an exposure incident:

• Decontaminate the site – vigorous flushing of mucous membranes, eyes and/or thorough washing of hands or the affected area
• Follow protocol established by site where incident occurred

As soon as possible, same day:

• Notify the instructor or clinical preceptor and the MSPA program director or clinical director
• Complete Bloodborne Pathogen Student Exposure Report Form from the MSPA Student Handbook and submit it to the MSPA program director wstewart@umhb.edu and/or clinical director jcastillo@umhb.edu or fax (254) 295-4847

Other recommendations:

• The university strongly recommends that student seek medical treatment.
• The student will be responsible for all costs associated with initial and follow-up treatment.
• Free and confidential student counseling services are available through the UMHB Student Counseling Center

Any individual who is in any capacity as faculty (clinical, principal, lecturing, or otherwise on paid or unpaid status) must not act as health care providers for the program students except as a basic responder in an emergency situation. Students are to be directed to their primary care provider, emergency department, or other health care provider.

A student who is reasonably believed to pose a danger to him/herself or others, for any reason including but not limited to physical or psychological difficulties, may be required by the dean of students to obtain professional evaluation and treatment.

If a student observes anyone harming, attempting to harm, or stating intent to harm himself, herself, or another person, the student should report the matter immediately to the UMHB Police Department, the dean of students, or the UMHB Student Counseling, Testing and Health Services Center.

More information on the university’s procedures for student physical and mental health emergencies can be found in the UMHB Student Handbook.

Once the semester begins, registration in the university is considered a contract binding the student for charges for the entire academic period. However, a student may find it necessary to make schedule changes once the semester begins.

Tuition — Tuition refunds, when approved, will be granted according to the following schedule: Spring, Summer, Fall (16 week) semester:

• 100% refund of tuition prior to expiration of 4th semester day, (4 calendar days) scheduled from the first day of the start of the semester.
• 80% refund of tuition prior to expiration of first 2 weeks, (14 calendar days) scheduled from first day of start of semester
• 60% refund of tuition prior to expiration of first 3 weeks, (21 calendar days) scheduled from first day of start of semester
• 40% refund of tuition prior to expiration of first 4 weeks, (28 calendar days) scheduled from first day of start of semester
• No tuition refunds will be made after the end of the 28th calendar day, counted from the first day of the semester. Refunds for courses other than regular day classes will be prorated.

Credit Hour The semester credit hour is a unit by which an institution measures its course work. The value of a semester credit hour can be determined by time, the educational experience, and outside preparation by the student. The following constitutes the definition of a semester credit hour for various modes of instruction offered at UMHB:

• At least fifteen (15) contact hours, as well as, a minimum of thirty (30) hours of student homework is required for each semester credit hour.
• Laboratory courses, with little outside work, require a minimum of forty-five (45) contact hours. If moderate outside work is required, thirty (30) contact hours are required.
• Internships, clinical, and field experiences require a minimum of forty-five (45) clock hours for each semester credit hour.

Syllabi for every course will contain the appropriate definition of a semester credit hour from the list above. Each course will follow this definition.

Course Numbers The first digit in the numbering system denotes the course level (5 & 6 Masters, 7 Doctoral). The second digit denotes the number of semester hours the course carries. The third and fourth digits are departmental numbers.

Grading System

*Not counted in computing GPA **Counted in computing GPA for the semester in which the course was taken AND for computing overall GPA.

MyCampus the online portal for courses, grades, registration, and finances can be accessed here.

The purpose of this policy is to provide clear expectations on requirements related to academic performance and progression. It is the intent of the program to fairly evaluate the progress of our student’s attainment of didactic and clinical competencies and to collaboratively promote successful academic progression through remediation.

The MSPA curriculum is delivered in a sequential pattern. All courses in each semester are prerequisites for the following semester courses and for continued enrollment. If a student is granted a leave of absence, they will be required to complete all course work within four years from their original program start date.

Academic Progression
A grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or above, semester and cumulative, is required of all graduate students enrolled at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Students with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 will be placed on probation. Two consecutive terms of enrollment with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 will result in dismissal from the program.

Academic Progression Levels
Demonstration of competency is required in order for the student to progress in the program.

Good Standing
At the end of each semester, the committee designates each student’s academic standing in the program. Students in good standing with the program are demonstrating satisfactory progression in achieving competencies and demonstrate professionalism commensurate with their stage of education. Satisfactory progression and professionalism can be further defined as:

• Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Absence of serious and/or multiple academic warnings or academic alerts
• Absence of serious and/or multiple remediation plans

Academic Alerts
Written academic alerts may be given to the student at any point during the student’s enrollment. Academic Alerts are provided to support and assist the student in academic success, when his/her academic performance in one or more areas requires attention. Outcomes and specific action steps are included in the Academic Alert.

Academic Warning
Written academic warnings may be given to the student at any point during the student’s enrollment. Reasons for academic warnings include but are not limited to: academic probation (see below), elevation of academic alert, failure to comply with a remediation plan, violation of program policies or procedures. Outcomes and specific action steps are included in the academic alert.

Academic Probation
A student with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. Any MSPA student placed on academic probation will be required to meet with the faculty advisor and MSPA program director to develop a remediation plan. During the subsequent semester, a student must achieve a semester GPA of 3.00 or better and improve the cumulative GPA to 3.00 or better in order to be removed from academic probation. Two consecutive terms of enrollment with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 3.00 will result in dismissal from the program.

The following will be required for the student to be removed from a probation to a good standing status:

• Semester GPA of 3.0
• Overall GPA of 3.0

Professional Behaviors (C3.02)
Professionalism is the conduct or qualities that characterize a profession or a professional person. Students in the MSPA program must learn the professional behaviors that are required to be a competent and caring practitioner, in addition to academic knowledge and psychomotor skills. The professional behaviors development process begins upon matriculation into the MSPA program, continues through graduation, and provides the foundation for exemplary career professionalism. Examples of expected professional behaviors for students include, but are not limited to, integrity, accountability, respectful consideration for others, punctuality, active participation in educational activities, personal and academic preparedness, contributing to a positive environment within and outside of the classroom, and professional appearance.

Professionalism is one of the elements of academic performance faculty and preceptors will be evaluating. Students must exhibit professional conduct at all times. Students will be evaluated and graded on their professionalism during each didactic course and supervised clinical practice experience. During clinical rotations, a student’s professional performance is particularly being observed by professionals and patients. Students will be evaluated and receive a score for their clinical professionalism as part of their mid and end of rotation Preceptor Evaluation of Student Performance. The descriptors used in the professionalism evaluation can be found in each course syllabi and on the Program Professionalism Evaluation (PPE) Form.

Student Remediation
Individualized Remediation Plans are created to specifically address areas where a student needs improvement to attain, maintain or re-attain good academic standing in the program.

Students can be placed on an individualized remediation plan during a semester or following a semester of low performance (whether or not the low performance resulted in academic probation).

Students will be recommended for individualized remediation for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to unsatisfactory grades, professional performance issues, academic alerts, academic warnings, or academic probation. The individualized remediation plan may be recommended by a faculty member, the Student Promotions Committee or the MSPA program director or clinical director. The individualized remediation plan will be approved by the MSPA program director and/or clinical director. Once approved, the MSPA program director or clinical director will either oversee the remediation plan or will assign it to a course director, advisor or other appropriate faculty. The outcomes will be documented and assessed with either the MSPA program director or clinical director to ascertain if the student successfully completed the remediation plan.

If the student fails to complete remedial work, if the remediation is not successfully completed and within the specified period of time, or the student fails to /re-attain academic good standing, the student may be dismissed from the program.

Deceleration
The MSPA program does not provide academic deceleration as a component of academic intervention or remediation.

Withdrawal
Withdrawal from the program has significant consequences. A student may request withdrawal from the program at any time. In addition, the program reserves the right to require withdrawal of a student at any time it is deemed necessary to safeguard the standards of orderly operation, scholarship, and conduct. Students may not withdraw from individual courses or clinical experiences in the program curriculum, but instead must withdraw from the entire program. A grade of “W” will be posted to the student’s transcript for all courses within the withdrawal semester.

Leave of Absence
Under extenuating circumstances, a leave of absence may be granted to a student in good academic standing with the program at the sole discretion of the university. Students should understand that a leave of absence will likely delay progression through or graduation from the program. If approved, a leave of absence will typically be granted for a maximum of 12 months.

If a student wishes to request a leave of absence as a medical/disability accommodation, s/he must contact the Disability Services Office. If a student wishes to request a leave of absence for pregnancy accommodation, she must contact the Title IX Office. In these situations, the Office of origin will evaluate, and if applicable, coordinate the leave with the MSPA program director.

If a student wishes to request a leave of absence for any other reason, he/she must submit the request in writing to the MSPA program director. Requests should be submitted within 30 days prior to the requested leave, or as soon as practicable. The university does not guarantee that the student’s place in the cohort will be available upon return to the program.

The MSPA program director, in consultation with the dean of the school of health professions and other appropriate faculty/staff, will review the request and will notify the student in writing of the decision as soon as possible, typically within 2 weeks of the request. All university policies regarding withdrawal, grades and refunds will apply.

A student preparing to return from a leave of absence must request reinstatement in writing to the office where the request was originally made (Disability Services, Title IX or MSPA program director) as soon as is practicable. The program director, in consultation with the Student Promotions Committee, will make an academic determination whether the student should re-enter the program at the point when the leave of absence began, at some other appropriate point, or whether the student must submit a program readmission application and enter the program at the beginning. The program director’s decision shall be made on the basis of the length of the absence, the student’s academic performance prior to the absence, the point in the program at which the absence began, and any other relevant academic criteria.

If a leave of absence is granted for a contiguous period of time within a single semester, the amount of leave requested will be reviewed to determine if independent study format is a viable option. If the leave of absence is requested for an entire or significant portion of a semester or spanning more than one semester, the next opportunity for reinstatement will be the beginning of the next academic year’s sequence.

If a student who takes leave either (1) did not request a leave of absence as outlined in this policy or (2) elected to take leave although the leave request was denied, the student will be required to reapply for program admission.

Dismissal
Students may be dismissed from the program for reasons which may include but are not limited to:

• Failure to meet post-acceptance requirements as specified in the admissions policy and offer of the acceptance letter
• Two consecutive terms of enrollment with a semester or cumulative GPA of less than 3.00
• Failure of a didactic course
• Failure of supervised clinical practice experience
• Violations of the university’s Academic Integrity Policy
• Academic performance that does not meet program standards, including professional behaviors and technical standards
• Failure to follow the program’s policy regarding drugs and alcohol

The Student Promotions Committee may also recommend dismissal from the MSPA program to the MSPA program director when a student fails to comply with a remediation plan.

Students will be notified in writing by the MSPA program director of their dismissal and a copy will become part of the student’s education record.

Students may appeal program dismissal by following the Academic Appeal Process.

Readmission to the Program
A student returning from an approved leave of absence is generally not required to reapply for admission.

A student who is dismissed from the MSPA program due to academic probation or failure of one MSPA didactic course may apply for readmission to the program.

A student dismissed from the MSPA program for failure of more than one MSPA didactic course or failure of two or more supervised clinical practice experience is not eligible to apply for readmission to the program. The university may declare a student ineligible for readmission to the MSPA program after dismissal for a serious violation of program or university policy, including student misconduct as described in the UMHB Student Handbook.

Applying for readmission does not guarantee that a student will be re-admitted. In order to apply for readmission consideration, a student must submit a re-application form for the MSPA program. The student must also submit a letter to the MSPA program director that includes a self-assessment of why he/she did not successfully complete the course(s), a description of how he/she has or will prepare for re-entering the program including remediation, and why student believes he/she will be successful when completing the course(s) for a second time. The MSPA Student Promotions Committee is responsible for making the decision regarding student readmission to the program.

Students who have satisfactorily completed all academic requirements listed below and who have been recommended by the MSPA program director for graduation may be awarded the Master of Science in Physician Assistant.
The following are requirements for graduation from the UMHB MSPA program:

• Overall GPA of 3.0
• Successful completion of all 120 credit hours.
• Attain a score of 80% or greater on the Summative Evaluation.
• Adhere to all behavioral, ethical, and procedural requirements outlined in the MSPA Student Handbook and MSPA Clinical Manual.
• Completion of the program within a period of 4 years from original program start date.
• Settle all financial accounts with the university.
• Pay all graduation fees and complete all graduation clearance requirements as instructed by the Office of the Registrar.

Students must wear name tags at all times during the pre-clinical and clinical phases of training. MSPA students must be clearly identified in the clinical setting to distinguish them from physicians, medical students, and other health profession students and graduates. The name tag must be clearly written to include the student’s name, the word student, and UMHB MSPA Program. Additional identification will also be present on the student’s white coat.