Academic Policies

Academic Freedom

Saint James School of Medicine guarantees faculty members academic freedom in teaching, research, and publication as defined by the American Association of University Professors’ 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure and the Association’s 1970 Interpretive Comments on that statement. The text and details of the college’s statement on academic freedom is published in the Saint James School of Medicine’s Faculty Manual.

Academic Honesty

In an academic community, honesty and integrity must prevail if the work accomplished and the honors awarded are to receive respect. The erosion of honesty is the academic community’s ultimate loss. The responsibility for the practice and preservation of honesty must be equally assumed by all of its members.

Definition—Academic honesty requires the presentation for evaluation and credit of one’s own work, not the work of others. In general, academic honesty excludes:

Cheating on an examination of any type. Giving, receiving, offering, or soliciting information on any examination. This includes the following:

Copying from another student’s paper.

Use of prepared materials, notes, or texts other than those specifically permitted by the instructor during the examination.

Collaboration with another student during the examination.

Buying, selling, stealing, soliciting, or transmitting an examination or any other material purported to be unrealized contents of an upcoming examination or the use of any such material.

Substituting for another person during an examination or allowing someone to substitute for you.

Plagiarism is the failure to acknowledge indebtedness. It is always assumed that the written work offered for evaluation and credit is the student’s own unless otherwise acknowledged.

Such acknowledgement should occur whenever one quotes another person’s actual work or whenever one appropriates another person’s ideas, opinions, or theories, even if they are paraphrased, and whenever one borrows facts, statistics, or other illustrative materials unless the information is common knowledge.

Collusion is collaboration with another person in the preparation or editing of notes, themes, reports, or other written work or in laboratory work offered for evaluation and credit, unless such collaboration is specifically approved in advance by the instructor.

Credential misrepresentation is the use of false or misleading statements in order to gain admission to Saint James School of Medicine. It also involves the use of false or misleading statements in an effort to obtain employment or university admission elsewhere, while one is enrolled at Saint James School of Medicine.

Faculty Responsibility

It is the duty of the faculty to practice and preserve academic honesty and to encourage it among students. The instructor should clarify any situation peculiar to the course that may differ from the generally stated policy. He/she should furthermore endeavor to make explicit the intent and purpose of each assignment so that the student may complete the assignment without unintentionally compromising academic honesty. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to provide for appropriate supervision of examinations.

Student’s Responsibility

It is the duty of the student to practice and preserve academic honesty. If the student has any doubt about a situation, he or she should consult with his or her instructor.

Promotions Committee

The Promotions Committee reviews every student’s grades during and at the end of each semester. Student performance in each subject is recorded as A (90 - 100) = Excellent, B (80 - 89) = Good, C (70 - 79) = Border line passing, and F (below 70) = Failing. The committee has the authority to recommend students for promotion, academic probation, and dismissal from the school for poor academic performance.

Academic Probation

Any student who fails a course by achieving below 70 percent will be placed on academic probation. All transfer students admitted with advanced standing will be placed on academic probation for their first academic year in the school. Students on academic probation are reviewed each semester and may be removed from academic probation if they have demonstrated superior academic performance. Most students, who are on academic probation because they failed a course, will remain on academic probation for their remaining semesters in the basic science program. Graduation from the Basic Science program confers removal from academic probation on all students.

The committee may recommend that a student be placed on academic probation under the following conditions:

Any student accepted with advanced standing for the first semester

Any student that fails a course in the Basic Science program

Any student whose grade point average falls below 2.0

The committee may recommend that a student be dismissed from the Saint James School of Medicine for the following reasons:

1.  A student on academic probation who fails to pass a course on their second attempt

2.  A student who has the potential of not clearing all the Basic Science subjects in 6 semesters

3.  A student who fails two or more courses in any one semester

Disciplinary Committee

The Disciplinary Committee deals with unethical academic conduct, violation of the laws and statutes of the local government, demonstration of behavioral or emotional instability, which impairs judgment and/or represents a potential compromise to patient care, or violation of the Honor Code of the Saint James School of Medicine. Actions of the Disciplinary Committee include but are not limited to:

1.  Community service for minor offences

2.  Suspension from the School of Medicine

3.  Dismissal from the School of Medicine

Examples of actions that will lead to disciplinary action include: cheating, plagiarism, fighting, falsification of documents used to gain admission, public drunkenness, the use or possession of illegal drugs, failure to carry out assigned duties in the academic program, Physical Diagnosis and Clinical Medicine, and failure to be available when on call.

Violation of Anguilla Laws

Violations of Anguilla’s laws that will lead to disciplinary actions include:

1.  Practicing medicine without a license

2.  Driving without a valid Anguilla driver’s license

3.  Driving without car insurance

4.  Parking in areas where student parking is prohibited (on the streets during daytime and near the hospital)

Student Government

Each class annually elects officers to coordinate its activities. The class officers also meet regularly with the Associate Dean. In addition, the president and vice president of each class make up the Student Council, which meets with the Dean and other administrative officers. Students serve actively on a number of school committees.

Student Academic Grievance Policy

The Medical School provides an opportunity for students who may wish to register dissatisfaction with respect to:

General academic organization in the Medical School

Course or clerkship management, presentation, or evaluation procedures

Assigned grades in courses or clerkships.

The channels for redress are as follows:

Problems having to do with the academic organization in the Medical School in general may be presented through the class representative.

Students with specific course or clerkship grievances may seek redress by presenting the problem for resolution in the order as listed below:

a.  The course or clerkship coordinator in conference with Department Chairperson as appropriate             

b.  The Associate Dean

c.  The Dean of the School of Medicine

A student who wishes to appeal a grade received in a course or clerkship, must seek resolution through the following channels in order as listed below:

a.  The course or clerkship coordinator, in conference with the Department Chairperson, as appropriate

b.  A committee comprised of the class representative, the Department Chairperson, and the Associate Dean

c.  The Dean of the School of Medicine

At each level, the individuals contacted will work to resolve the problem. Consideration at a higher level will not be made until the previous level has sufficient opportunity to achieve a solution.

Confidentiality of Student Records

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Saint James School of Medicine students have the right to review, inspect, and challenge the accuracy of information kept in the cumulative file by the institution. Records that may be released to the student for review include grade and evaluation reports and transcripts which relate to student progress. Student progress notes held by individual faculty are not part of the student’s official file and cannot be released.

Honor Code

Each student should accept the honor code of the school by signing the following statement: As a student of Saint James School of Medicine, I recognize that I am to be held to the highest standards of conduct and ethics in every aspect of my life. As a medical professional, I have read and will adhere to the code of academic honesty published in this manual. I will not lie, cheat, steal or tolerate anyone who does. All work handed in for grading will represent my own effort, without assistance from others. In my relationships with others, I will at all times demonstrate that I am a mature, caring adult worthy of consideration for advancement to the last two years of clinical training at Saint James School of Medicine. At no time should my actions jeopardize the safety and well being of my fellow students, faculty, patients or persons in the community. I will not cause disturbances, violate laws, initiate hostile or aggressive acts, or violate patient confidentiality.