Review of a Student’s Suitability to Continue a Course Involving Placement

Policy and Procedures

1. Introduction

James Cook University has a duty of care to its staff, students and placement agencies.The University seeks to ensure that students who undertake prescribed professional or clinical placements are not only academically prepared, but also are emotionally, behaviourally and ethically prepared for the demands of placements.

A student enrolled in a course of study, or a subject, that involves professional or clinical placements may be required to participate in a review at any stage to assess their suitability to participate, or continue, in a professional or clinical placement or to continue in that course of study.While the review is conducted in the strictest of confidences, the Review Panel may decide to seek additional information concerning the student.All information collected will remain confidential.

The review of a student’s suitability to continue in a course of study or subject may include consideration of any of the following:

  • physical or mental health, where this may:

    • significantly restrict the ability of a student to comply with the occupational requirements of the occupation for which the course of study will academically qualify the students; or

    • put the health and safety of other persons in the workplace at risk, or

    • put public health at risk,

  • interpersonal skills,

  • criminal behaviour,

  • behaviour contrary to the relevant professional ethical requirements, and

  • behaviour contrary to relevant policies of the University or placement agency, or both,

  • ability to undertake prescribed requirements of placements or professional activities,

  • actions (verbal or non-verbal) which demonstrate a risk that a student may cause harm to, or disruption of the activities of University staff, students, placement agencies or persons connected with placement agencies.

Consideration of the above factors should ensure that unlawful discrimination does not occur.

2. Coverage

This policy will apply to students who are enrolled in academic disciplines as listed in the Schedule, which may be varied from time to time by the Vice-Chancellor on the recommendation of the relevant Faculty.

3. Reasons for Review

A review may be requested:

a) if there are serious concerns about the suitability of a student to continue in a professional course of study;

b) in the event that a student's suitability to undertake prescribed professional or clinical placements is in question; or

c) if a student appears to be in a state of health, whether physical or mental, which may:

- significantly restrict the ability of a student to comply with the occupational requirements of the occupation for which the course of study will academically qualify the student; or

- put the health and safety of other persons in the workplace at risk, or

- put public health at risk.

A written request for a review, which may contain a formal complaint, document or other relevant information, should be sent to the relevant Head of School1.If the concerns cannot be resolved satisfactorily through informal processes, the Head of School will institute the Review Process.

4. Request for Review

A review may be requested by:

  1. a Head of Program;

  2. a Head of School; or

  3. anyone involved with the student on a professional basis.

After a review has been requested, the Head of School will nominate, in writing, a relevant staff member2 to convene, and institute, a Review Panel to undertake the process outlined in 5. below.The nominated staff member will hereafter be referred to as the Review Panel Convener.

5. Process for Review

5.1 Membership of Review Panel

The Panel membership will comprise of:

a) The Review Panel Convener who will act as the Chair of the Panel;

b) One member of staff whose main teaching commitment is to the discipline/degree in which the student is currently enrolled; and

c) One experienced qualified practitioner, who is:

- currently employed in the relevant profession, in a position where he/she is responsible for participating in, or overseeing agency staff recruitment or supervision;

- not currently employed by James Cook University in any continuing, contract or casual position; and

- not a person the student is currently working with, employed by, or with whom the student has a close relationship that may cause a conflict of interest.

d) One or more nominee of the Chair of the Review Panel who would be qualified to provide expertise specific to the review under consideration.This expertise may include medical, psychological, professional or other expertise that is appropriate to properly inform the Panel in respect of the suitability of a particular student.

In the case of a student who is Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, normally it will be appropriate to ensure that the third member of the Panel is an experienced practitioner of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.

5.2 Conflict of Interest

5.2.1 Panel members must be able to deal with the matters before them in an unbiased manner.A conflict of interest may result in a Panel member being unable to review the student’s suitability solely on the material presented to the Review Panel.A conflict of interest would exist, for example, if the student and a potential Review Panel member have, or have had, a personal relationship such as near relative, spouse, close friend or personal associate.

5.2.2 The student will be consulted (see 5.3 (f) below) as to whether he/she considers specific staff member(s) and/or practitioner(s) to have a conflict of interest in being a member of the Review Panel.

5.2.3 In the event that a conflict of interest is identified with respect to the role as Panel Convener, another staff member associated with a relevant program will take on the role of Review Panel Convener, following consultation by the Head of School with the student.

5.2.4 The staff member who is approached to participate in the Review must be asked to advise the Review Panel Convener if there is a conflict of interest and must withdraw from the Review process if this is the case.

5.2.5 The practitioner who is approached to participate in the Review must be asked to advise the Review Panel Convener if there is a conflict of interest and must withdraw from the Review process if this is the case.

5.2.6 An impartial observer, acceptable to all parties may be appointed at the discretion of the Head of School, to oversee the procedural fairness of the Panel’s proceedings.The observer will submit a report as an addendum to the Panel’s report.The observer will not participate in determining the recommendation of the Review Panel.

5.3 Duties of Convener

The Review Panel Convener will normally within two weeks of receiving the request of review from the Head of School:

a) Obtain copies of relevant documents received by the Head of School;

b) Ensure the student is informed in writing of the Review Panel process;

c) Clarify in writing the grounds of the Review with the student, including sending copies of the formal complaints and other relevant documents and invite the student to submit a written response;

d) Inform the student he/she is entitled to be accompanied to the Review Panel hearing by a fellow student and/or a representative of the Student Association and/or a solicitor, who may act as a support person and adviser;

e) Liaise with the Head of School, who will suggest an appropriate staff member to be part of the Panel (see 5.1 (b) above);

f) Liaise with the Head of School, who will suggest an appropriate experienced practitioner to be part of the Panel (see 5.1 (c) above).If appropriate, the Head of School will consult with the relevant Head of Program;

g) Contact the student to ensure that there is no conflict of interest in relation to the members proposed for the panel (refer 5.1 (a), (b) and (c) above).If the student identifies a conflict of interest with any specific staff member or practitioner, these people should not normally be approached to participate in the Review and alternatives should be identified in consultation with the Head of School;

h) Ascertain that the identified staff member and practitioner are available and willing to participate in the Review; and

i) Create a file for each party to the Review (including the student), which will include a copy of the formal documents received by the Head of School (including where available a submission from the student).These files are to be returned to the Panel Convener by Panel members at the end of the Review process, one set for filing and the rest for destruction.The student may choose to retain a copy of the documents.

5.4 Procedure

5.4.1 The Review Panel Convener will:

a) Convene a meeting of members of the Panel to formulate questions to be asked in the formal review panel process.Questions should relate only to issues raised in the documentation.

b) Schedule interviews between the Panel members and the student and with the writers of submitted documents.Where possible interviews will be in person but telephone or video conferencing with another campus may be utilised.If necessary the relevant School will fund the transport costs, between campuses, of the student under review.

5.4.2 The Panel will interview the student, focusing on the issues raised in the formal documents, and will aim to ascertain the student’s suitability to undertake the prescribed professional or clinical placements and/or continue in the course of study in which the student is currently enrolled.

5.4.3 Possible recommendations of the Review Panel include:

- permission to participate or continue in a placement;

- suspension from participation in a placement;

- exclusion from participation in a placement;

- suspension of enrolment in specified relevant subject(s);

- repeat of specified subject(s);

- exclusion from specified subject(s);

- suspension of enrolment from the course of study until such time as the student can satisfy a reconvened Review Panel that he/she has addressed the issues of concern and is ready to continue with studies;

- transfer to another course of study;

- exclusion from the course of study;

- exclusion from the University; or

- any other recommendation that may be considered appropriate in a particular student’s situation.

A unanimous decision must be made.

The Review Panel may also recommend that the student:

- attend personal counselling to address personal issues which have impacted on his/her ability to perform to an appropriate standard in the course of study; and/or

- obtains at his/her own expense a Psychiatric, Psychological, physical or other appropriate assessment.The assessment should determine the fitness of the student to continue in the course of study.

5.4.4 The Panel will advise the Head of School, in writing, of its recommendation(s) and reasons for the recommendation(s).

5.4.5 The Head of School will act on such recommendation(s) and will notify the student in writing of the action to be taken, together with a copy of the Panel’s report.

Where the recommendation involves an amendment to a students’ course of study this must be approved by the Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor.

6. Appeal of Review Panel Decision

Where a recommendation against continuation in the course of study (permanently or at this point in time) is made, the student has a right of appeal against the decision.No appeal shall lie in relation to the merits of the decision of the Review Panel, but the student may appeal against the decision on the basis that due process was not observed during the course of the review proceedings.

6.1 Procedures for an Appeal

6.1.1 The student must lodge any appeal with theDirector, Student and Academic Services within20 working days of the receipt of the Review Panel’s recommendation(s).The appeal must state why the student believes that due process was not observed during the course of the review proceedings.The appeal must include any relevant documentary evidence in support of the claim.In exceptional circumstances only, the Appeal Panel may choose to consider further evidence from the student.

6.1.2 The appeal process must commence within 10 working days of lodgement of the appeal with the Director, Student and Academic Services.

6.1.3 The Appeal Panel membership will comprise of:

a) the Chair of the Academic Board (or nominee), who will also act as Chair of this Panel;

b) a Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor other than that in which the student is enrolled;

c) a staff member from the Faculty in which the student is enrolled who has no association with the teaching of the discipline in which the student’s suitability has been reviewed; and

d) a member of the staff of the Student Association appointed by the Association.

6.1.4 Unless the circumstances are exceptional, the Appeal Panel shall consider only:

a) the student’s grounds for appeal; and

b) any documents relevant to the process undertaken by the Review Panel.

6.1.5 The Chair of the Appeal Panel shall notify the student, and the relevant Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, in writing of the Appeal Panel’s decision and the reasons therefor within fourteen days of the meeting of the Appeal Panel.

6.1.6 The decision of the Appeal Panel will be final.

Schedule

Academic discipline areas where satisfactory completion of a professional or clinical placement is mandatory for the attainment of an Award:

  • Community Welfare

  • Clinical Exercise Physiology

  • Dental Surgery

  • Education

  • Engineering

  • Medical Laboratory Science

  • Medicine

  • Midwifery

  • Nursing Science

  • Occupational Therapy

  • Pharmacy

  • Physiotheraphy

  • Psychology

  • Public Health and Tropical Medicine

  • Social Work

  • Speech Pathology

  • Sport and Exercise Science

  • Veterinary Science

Academic discipline areas where a professional or clinical placement may be required for successful completion of a subject:

None listed

1The relevant School is that which is responsible for the course of study in which the student under review is enrolled.

2Examples of a relevant staff member include a Director of Professional Experience, Clinical Placement Supervisor or equivalent, an Academic Advisor or equivalent.

Approval Details

Policy sponsor:

Director, Student and Academic Services

Approval authority:

Vice-Chancellor

Version no:

11-1

Date for next review:

09/10/2013

Modification History

Version no.

Approval date

Implementation date

Details

11-1

14/07/2011

15/07/2011

Change of approval authority only from Council to Vice-Chancellor

08-2

09/10/2008

10/10/2008

08-1

04/02/2008

05/02/2008

Vice-Chancellor approved changes to the Schedule

03-1

03/10/2003

04/10/2003

Sue Foster of 779staff last updated this page on 21 Aug 2012.