Orientation 2014
VENITA J. SPOSETTI, DMD
ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR EDUCATION
STUDENT PERFORMANCE
EVALUATION COMMITTEE
(SPEC)
Orientation
2014
STUDENT PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
COMMITTEE
The Student Performance Evaluation
Committee (SPEC) acts on
recommendations from units of the
college relative to:
Outstanding student academic
achievement
Student Counseling,
Probation and
Dismissal.
SPEC
Voting members six faculty members
elected by the Faculty Assembly
three predoctoral students elected by
their respective class members
the Basic Science Coordinator.
Nonvoting members include:
The Assistant Dean for Student and
Multicultural Affairs
the Associate Dean for Education
DEAN’S LIST
Each semester the SPEC
committee recognizes the top
ranked 10% of each class by
naming them to the College of
Dentistry Dean’s list.
In the event of a tie for the 10 th
position, all students tied for the
10 th position will be included.
GRADUATION WITH HONORS
The top 10 percent of the original
entering class, ranked at the end
of Fall semester 10, is eligible to
graduate with honors.
WHAT STUDENTS WORRY ABOUT…
New students worry that they will be
asked to leave dental school if they
fail a test.
RELAX. We don’t dismiss students
who fail a test .
(PS – a lot of people fail their first
test in dental school)
(PPS – just don’t fail all of them )
WE WANT YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL!
You were admitted to this program
because we think that you have the
ability to be a successful dentist.
We want everyone to be successful
in school and graduate 4 years from
now.
That is our GOAL.
WE WANT YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL!
BUT, only you can do the work
that is necessary to become a
dentist.
The faculty can not do that for
you.
WE will help you, but you are in
charge of your learning.
WHAT SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS DO
Openness to learning
Recognize that they are learning difficult
new skills
That means that they are beginners, not
experts,
That it takes time and repetition to improve
That spending time listening to feedback and
working will lead to improvement
Do not expect to be perfect, especially
when they are just beginning
IT’S NOT MAGIC
WHAT SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS DO
Ask for help when they are
struggling
Course director
Big sibling
Attend practice sessions and get feedback
Change their approach to learning the
material
Know that they are responsible for learning
WHAT SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS DO
Change your approach to
studying
Form a study group,
attend lectures,
study with a partner,
get a planner and schedule your
time so you study AND you play.
WHAT DOES NOT WORK….
Denial – it can’t be me
I have never failed anything
I don’t need a tutor, I just need to
work harder, study longer, stay up
later…
WHAT DOES NOT WORK….
Dental school IS different from
undergraduate and graduate
programs.
You probably will have to change
your study strategies.
WHAT DOES NOT HELP….
Pretend you did fine, tell everyone you are
doing fine (when you really failed)
Do nothing and hope things will magically
improve
Refuse tutoring help when it is offered
And so what can happen is that the student
can get trapped in a pattern of
failure….student then fails the next exam(s)
And even the next ones…
And then fails the entire course.
WHAT IF YOU FAIL AN ENTIRE COURSE?
We hope you would have asked for help a
LONG time before this happens.
Likely, you will have already been contacted
and offered help in finding ways to improve.
If you do fail a course, you will have a
hearing before the SPEC committee.
Some course directors offer students the
chance to remediate their course before
earning a final failing grade. They are NOT
required to do this.
SPEC HEARING
A hearing before SPEC is just that, a
hearing.
The purpose is to hear what the
student has to say about their
situation,
how they got into the situation and
 the steps they think they need to
take to get out of the situation.
AND, IT’S CONFIDENTIAL
Your academic records are private. They
are protected under FERPA (Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
 We are very careful not to share your
personal academic information with
others.
This means we also don’t share others
academic information with you. 
AND, IT’S CONFIDENTIAL
Because we protect your privacy,
other students will not know about
academic problems, unless the
student shares that information.
AND, IT’S CONFIDENTIAL
Please know that a long time before
we get to the point of a student
repeating an entire course or year, lots
of effort has gone on behind the
scenes in identifying and helping with
tutoring, counseling, and other
interventions to help the person.
But only the people involved will know.
ACADEMIC PROBATION
A student failing a course, is invited by
SPEC for a hearing and automatically
placed on probation.
Probation means that you have been
identified as having significant academic
difficulty.
ACADEMIC PROBATION
Students remain on probation for an
indefinite period of time until the
SPEC determines the student is no
longer in academic jeopardy based
on sustained academic progress.
Students on probation can not
represent the university in any
outside event – humanitarian trips,
officer in clubs.
RETRACKING OR DISMISSAL
Students on academic probation who
fail additional courses or whose
overall GPA falls below 2.5 at the end
of the first academic year, can be
considered for retracking and/or
dismissal from school.
RETRACKING OR DISMISSAL
Retracking: A student may be required to
repeat a year when the student's
academic accomplishments are
substandard.
The purpose of retracking is to recognize
that the student may have the potential to
make satisfactory progress if the student's
knowledge and skills are improved by
repetition. The net effect of retracking will
be to extend graduation date.
DISMISSAL
As a last resort, A student may be
dismissed from the College of Dentistry
if the student fails to maintain normal
academic progress.
 Such dismissal does not prohibit the
student from enrolling in other programs
or colleges, if he or she meets the
requirements for those programs.
APPEAL PROCESS
After the SPEC decision, there is an
Appeal Process.
First, to the Dean of the College of
Dentistry.
And if the student disagrees with the Dean’s
decision on the appeal
The student can appeal to the Vice President
for Student Affairs.
A Student has the right to remain enrolled
until all appeals have been completed.
NOW YOU KNOW
So we don’t dismiss students just for
doing poorly on a single test.
IF you are having academic problems,
ask for help.
Remember, that we will keep your
academic issues private and that means
that you will not know about other
people’s academic issues.
WE WANT YOU ALL TO BE SUCCESSFUL