Academic and Clinical Policies WLHSDM

Attendance Policy

During your years at the TTUHSC El Paso Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, attendance and participation in all scheduled activities is required. This is part of the professional commitment that you assume as a dental student. Our integrated curriculum has simulation, clinical and group experience throughout each semester and course therefore missing class will not only hinder your own learning but the learning of others. As a member of the learning community brings forth unique ideas thus your absence could impact your fellow students through your lack of participation and may adversely affect your own success in dental school.

Each course may have specific attendance requirements that will be outlined in the course syllabus.

No credit will be given for any missed graded exercise without a valid excuse. See the policy below for excused activities.

Absences are classified into Excused and Unexcused absences. According to the WLHSDM, the following are commonly excused absences:

How to Report an Absence:

All absences must be reported to the Office of Student Affairs via the official reporting email system in a timely manner. For planned events a 30-day notice is expected. Student must fill out the appropriate form to notify the Office of Student Affairs. The following information will need to be reported: name, date and time of missed activity, and reason for absence. The Office of Student Affairs will notify all appropriate faculty and staff within 72 hours of the event.

Documentation required from student for absences:

• More than two consecutive days due to illness: a doctor’s note on the healthcare provider’s letterhead or prescription paper is required.

• Doctor’s Appointment: a doctor’s note on the healthcare provider’s letterhead 

• When presenting at a national conference: a copy of the invitation to present and travel itinerary is required.

• When interviewing for residency (D4 only): a copy of the invitation to interview and travel itinerary is required.

• Additional documentation may be required depending on the circumstances.

Requests for Absences for Planned Activities

No student will be excused from a scheduled  exam or graded activities for any reason unless due to illness, an emergency, or for an approved university event. Any other reason to be excused would require written approval from an Associate Dean. 

If a student wishes to be excused from class or clinical responsibilities to present a poster or paper at a professional meeting as a school-related function, they must first obtain permission from the appropriate Associate Dean as far in advance of that absence as possible.

Religious Holy Days (See TTUHSC El Paso OP 77.12)

1. A student who intends to observe a Religious Holy Day should provide written notice, at the earliest possible date prior to the absence, to the following: (1) the course directors of classes (for clinic, Clinic Mentors) that will be missed and (2) the Assistant/Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. A student will be excused from attending class(es), examinations, or other required activities for the observance of a Religious Holy Day, including travel for that purpose. A student whose absence is excused under this section will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment within a reasonable time and as determined at the sole discretion of the instructor of record and/or the Assistant/Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs before or after the absence.

2. A student who is excused under the above provision may not be penalized for the absence; however, the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to satisfactorily complete the missed assignment or examination within the time frame set by the instructor.

3. Any disputes regarding this policy should be submitted in writing to the TTUHSC El Paso President or his/her designee. Any decision by the President or his/her designee regarding the dispute shall be final.

4. This policy does not apply to any student absence for a Religious Holy Day which may interfere with patient responsibilities or patient care.

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Policy on Absence During Examinations or Other Evaluations

• If a student is unable to take an exam or other graded activity at the scheduled time due to illness or a personal emergency, they must notify the Office of Student Affairs via the official absence email (wlhabsence@ttuhsc.edu).

• If a student is unable to take an exam or other graded activity at the scheduled time due to an approved university event, they must get the appropriate permission 30 days in advance and notify the Office of Student Affairs via Maxient.

• Any excused missed activities must be made up within one week of the scheduled activity or by arrangements made with Course Director.

• If the absence from the scheduled exam is due to illness, the student must bring a doctor’s note to the Office of Student Affairs. Students will also be directed to contact the appropriate faculty member so that the exam can be made up within one week as stated in the attendance policy.

• No credit will be given for any graded or required exercise missed due to an unexcused absence. If the student believes this consequence is not appropriate to their particular situation, he/she may appeal this in writing to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Associate Dean will in turn consult with the Course Director, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, and one other Course Director from that year to determine if this prescribed course of action is appropriate. In the event that a second exam is missed and again the designated procedures are not followed, the student will be forwarded to the Committee on Academic Performance and Standards (CAPS).

Classroom Behavior Policy

Students are expected to demonstrate professional behavior in the classroom as demonstrated by punctuality, respect for others’ opinions, attentiveness, and courtesy.

If COVID-19 Phase II standards are still in place during 2022-2023 academic school year, students will be required to maintain a six-foot distance to promote social distancing guidelines for the safety of all throughout the campus.

Dress Code Policy

*The following policy may be modified per COVID-19 CDC guidelines.

Professional Attire

As representatives of the Hunt School and the dental professional, and as a source of personal pride, confidence, and comfort, students are expected to dress in appropriate professional attire during the entire course of their education in the classrooms, simulation labs, clinics or hospital settings at the WLHSDM. Dental students should always present themselves in the best way possible. Personal hygiene, cleanliness, and being well groomed can help to promote feelings of confidence both physically and mentally, and in turn create a positive impression and communicate a level of confidence to patients.

It is essential for all dental students to have good personal grooming and hygiene. Microbes spread easily in health care due to physical contact between health care professionals and patients. Maintaining a good personal hygiene significantly reduces the risk of cross- contamination and transmission of contagious infections.

Hand hygiene guidelines should be followed as outlined by the Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. The CDC recommends that natural nails be kept trimmed to ¼ inchin length because of the potential pathogens that can be harbored in the subungual spaces. Evidence also shows thatartificial nails may contribute to transmission of certain pathogens and therefore should not be worn. If natural nails are polished, the polish should be chip free.

Hair (including facial hair) should be clean, neat, and should be secured and covered when seeing patients to avoid potential contamination or interference with the dental operating field.

Only post, stud or very small loop earrings are allowed to be worn in the simulation laboratory and patient care clinics. Other accessories such as watches, rings, and bracelets which may penetrate gloves should be worn with extreme caution.

All clothing including scrubs should be neat, clean, and wrinkle free.

The following are examples of “business casual” options:

• Business dress pants, slacks, khaki pants, chinos, or knee-length skirts; intact, well- cared for jeans are allowed

• Button-down shirts, dress shirts, blouses, sweaters, button-downs, henleys, or collared polo shirts;

• Knee-length dresses;

• Optional hosiery or tights, especially for added warmth during colder months;

• Optional cardigans, blazers, jackets or sport coat;

• Closed-toed shoes (e.g., loafers, oxfords or brogues with dark dress socks pumps. Flats, boots or dress sneakers made of leather or canvas).

• Athletic sneakers/tennis shoes which are intact and nice condition

• Optional necktie

• Simple, professional accessories such as scarves or belts

What NOT to Wear for Business Casual

• Flip-flops or sandals

• Stained or wrinkled clothing

• Clothing with holes (e.g., distressed jeans)

• Clothing that is too tight or too short

• Shorts or short skirts

• Overly-distracting patterns

• Clothing with large logos or text

• Tank tops or strapless shirts (unless paired with blazer, jacket, or cardigan)

• Backless or low-cut tops

• Clothing that exposes the midriff

• Exercise or yoga clothes

Dental Student Scrub Policy

*The following policy may be modified at any time; an example is to comply with COVID- 19 CDC guidelines.

All students are expected to dress in appropriate professional attire during the entire course of their dental school education within the classroom, clinical or hospital setting at the WLHSDM Professional dress would include (but not be limited to) clean clothing, no holes, no open toe shoes, no shorts, and no sweats.

The WLHSDM is requiring that all students wear scrubs when working in the Dental Simulation Clinic and the Oral Health Clinic. Please see requirements below. Detailed description regarding scrub requirements is provided in the pre-matriculation packet and orientation packet.

• Students are required to own a minimum of 3 sets of scrubs.

• All scrub tops must be embroidered.

• Scrubs must be in good condition, no holes, fading or slight tearing.

• Hemming of pants is required, if needed.

• Round neck short-sleeve or long-sleeve undershirts will be required and are expected to be worn at all times to minimize skin exposure as per the CDC.

• Undershirts are highly recommended

• Undershirts with logos are discouraged. The exception would be undershirts with TTU logos. Any logos should not show when in the oral health clinic.

• Students may wear a surgical cap in the simulation clinic.

The student is expected to be compliant with the CDC, OSHA, state institution and school guidelines when seeing any type of patients - standardized or real patients - or during any simulation or lab experience. Unapproved hats, caps, and other head gear are not permitted in the clinics. Headgear worn for religious purposes and approved in advance by the Office of Student Services and Student Engagement is permissible.

Students not in compliance with the scrub policy will be asked to leave and return appropriately dressed as per the scrub policy. Dress code compliance is considered to be a component of the professionalism Code of Conduct.

*For additional dress code requirements within the oral health clinic, please refer to the WLHSDM Clinic Manual.

*For general dress code requirements, please refer to the WLHSDM Student Affairs Handbook.

Electronic Devices in the Classroom

The use of electronic devices in the classroom setting (i.e., laptop computers, PDAs, recording/taping, etc.) is to be limited based on the requirements listed on each syllabus for each particular class or based on the approval by the faculty member. Cell phones are to be turned off or placed in vibrate mode. Bluetooth headphones are not allowed in classroom settings, but are allowed in the simulation clinic with faculty approval.

Unauthorized use of audio and videotaping is prohibited.

Testing Policy

*The following events may be modified for social distancing due to COVID-19.

1. All formative and summative computer testing will be accomplished at a designated location with secure access. Students will not be allowed to bring anything into the room during the testing so they should allow ample time to store their belongings. (Lockers are available for this purpose.) Scratch pads, calculators and other items needed for the test will be provided.

2. Tests are the property of the faculty who have provided questions to assess student knowledge and provide the students with feedback to improve their performance for the unit and course tests as well as the national licensing examinations (INBDE). Any unauthorized reproduction of test items by any method is a serious breach of the Code of Professional and Academic Conduct and will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine.

Loss of WLHSDM Equipment Policy

In the event of misplaced or lost WLHSDM dental equipment, the student responsible will be charged for the dental equipment. Failure to comply will result in a hold being placed on student registration of courses for the following semester. Misuse of equipment beyond normal wear and tear will result in a charge for cost of replacement.

Professionalism Assessments

All students will receive professionalism assessments at the end of each required evaluation period (DDSK will assess twice a semester and all other courses will be at least once a semester, as needed). The assessments indicate if the student has met the expectations, needs improvement, or has not met expectations. Detailed explanations will be given by faculty based on student performance. Additionally, students may receive an assessment on their communication skills as appropriate.

The professionalism assessments contribute to the student’s annual reviews. Students may challenge comments in their portfolio. (See Challenging Student Records or Grades policy,).

Information about assignments, any changes, or other information about evaluation requirements will be communicated via email. Students are expected to read emails in their entirety and request clarifications before the deadline. Students will not receive warnings prior to receiving professionalism assessments.

Course Evaluations

At the end of each semester all students are expected to complete course and professor evaluations for each course they took in a particular semester at the WLHSDM. Participation in evaluations is considered an indicator of both professional citizenship and general professionalism.

Students working in the oral health clinic will evaluate faculty members in which they have interacted at the end of each semester. Students completing a research project with the assistance of faculty members will also be given an evaluation to complete based on that specific faculty member(s).

Evaluations completed by students are used for curricular review/improvement and faculty accountability. Course results following the end of the semester are provided to curriculum committees, course directors, faculty, and Deans. Faculty results are reported to the specific faculty and their supervisors. Identified trends of concern are also reportable to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. In addition to curricular review/improvement and faculty accountability functions, accreditation and research drives the expectation of participation. Curriculum reviews at the end of each course, each year, and every three years include the results of evaluations. Evaluation ratings for faculty are used both for performance reviews and promotion and tenure applications.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) requires that schools have a robust evaluation system with high levels of student involvement. Research indicates that professionalism at the predoctoral dental education level is predictive of later professionalism issues.

Student Eligibility to Participate in Clinic Rotations

All WLHSDM students must complete certain requirements in order to attend clinic or hospital assignments during their dental school curriculum, whether in the WLHSDM clinics, University Medical Center of El Paso, or at affiliated community clinics. This also applies to volunteer activities that may occur in these or any other locations (through student interest groups).

D1 - Each student must have completed the following prior to a Service-Learning Experience:

• Immunizations as required by clinical affiliates

• Annual Influenza Vaccine (Administered by TTUHSC El Paso in the Fall)

• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) Certification

• Community Wide Orientation

• Health Insurance coverage

• Criminal background check

• STEPPS (safety module)

• Annual HIPAA Online Training (required by TTUHSC El Paso)\

D2, D3 and D4 - Each student must have completed the following prior to the External Clinic Rotation (Service Learning Experience):

• Yearly update of immunizations as required by clinical affiliates (updated yearly)

• BCLS (BCLS) and for D3/D4s PALS Certification

• Annual HIPAA online training (required by TTUHSC El Paso)

• Health Insurance coverage

• Annual influenza vaccine in the fall

• Drug Screen (prior to Year 3)

Students who will be providing patient care services at the affiliated clinical sites must be in good academic standing, as determined by the Committee on Academic Performance and Standards.

Consequences of non-compliance:

If a student fails to meet the requirements as outlined above, they will not be allowed to attend any clinical activities. Missing activities because of noncompliance would be an unexcused absence. As a result, the student may receive a negative grading consequence.

With the second episode of noncompliance, a notation citing their poor professionalism would be placed in their file regarding professional attributes.

A third episode of noncompliance would require the student be discussed at the Committee on Academic Performance and Standards.

eLearning

WLHSDM is approved by Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to administer electronic learning. Students will have the necessary resources provided to them. The eLearning website with additional resources is currently being developed and will be shared with all students once it is published.