Course Policies

Policies Across All 1PD-3PD Courses:

Class Attendance & Excused/Non-excused Absences

Attendance and punctuality are expected of pharmacists in practice since they are essential elements in maintaining quality patient care including patient safety.  The Pharm.D. program has firm policies about attendance in order to instill good habits that will be needed in practice and also because class participation is essential for developing the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for success as a pharmacist.  Class attendance is mandatory for active learning sessions such as problem-solving sessions, case discussions, laboratory sessions, and other activities that the instructor designates as required attendance.    Similar to the employment expectations in pharmacy practice, tardiness and unexcused absences are not tolerated.

Student attendance may be excused in the following situations: serious illness (3 or more consecutive class days requires a health care provider note/documentation), serious family emergencies, military obligation, severe weather conditions, religious holidays, and other reasons of that are of serious nature or unexpected.  Absences from class for court-imposed legal obligations (e.g., jury duty or subpoena) will be excused.  The Pharm.D. calendar allows for participation in special curricular requirements (e.g., professional meetings). Consideration will be given to unusual situations that are communicated to the Academic Coordinator prior to start of the semester.

Students who have an infectious illness that is in the contagious phase should not come to class.  This is an excused illness. The grade book will show EX or excused for the grade of a missed quiz or iRAT and the course grade will be computed without consideration of these missing points unless a makeup is assigned. If the instructor assigns a makeup assignment, the EX grade will be replaced with the grade earned on the makeup assignment.

Both excused and unexcused absences are tracked across the curriculum.  Students with repeated absences (excused and unexcused) either during a course or across courses will be referred to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.  The student may be requested to provide a higher level of documentation.

Requests for Excused Absence

A request for an excused absence must be communicated prior to the class session by email. The email format below must be used for all communications about absences.

A request for an excused absence tardiness must be communicated prior to the class session by email. The email format below must be used for all communications about absences and tardiness. The email must be addressed to:

This message will be received by the Academic Coordinator, distant campus and Education Coordinator. The Academic Coordinator will communicate the information to the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director.  If email is not possible the student should call the Academic Coordinator (see phone number in syllabus). The Academic Coordinator will coordinate all communications about the absence request and therefore, serve as the point of contact about decisions and other information.  Students are encouraged to call the Academic Coordinator for assistance with excused absences.

The following format is recommended:

To: (insert absent email address for your class year)

Subject: PHA XXXX – Excused Absence request

Dear Prof. ___________,

Explain your request for an excused absence in a professional and polite manner.

Explain the nature of conflict and rationale for receiving an excused absence.

Thank the faculty member for their consideration of your special request.

Salutation,

Type in your full name and last 4 digits of UF-ID #, and Campus Name

Failing to follow this policy will render the absence unexcused.  The expectation of prior notification will be exempted in situations where there was an emergency situation such as an accident or similar serious situation.

A request for an “excused absence” does not guarantee acceptance. No precedence can be drawn from any courses in the College of Pharmacy or any other college within University of Florida.

The student is responsible for follow up and confirming whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

Make Up Assignments

Make-up assignments will be provided for any excused absences when the instructor deems a make-up is indicated. Make-up assignment(s) shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make-up any excused absence(s).   Due to the block curriculum model, students are encouraged to complete the make up within one-week of the missed session(s).  If the situation leads to missing multiple class sessions and makeup by end of the course becomes difficult, the student and Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director will meet with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs to develop options such as a makeup/remediation plan or course withdrawal.  The time period for this make up will be consistent with the UF attendance policies.

Please refer to the University Attendance Policy for more details.

Professionalism Assessments

Professionalism is an educational outcome of the Pharm.D. program and therefore, is continually assessed.  Professional behaviors and attitudes are evaluated at each annual milestone to determine progression and eventual readiness for graduation.

Unprofessional behaviors and attitudes will result in a deduction of points in the overall course grade in which the event occurred.    Unexcused absences are considered to be unprofessional behavior.  Other forms of unprofessional behavior include: lateness to class resulting in missing the start of the application exercises/discussions unless permitted by instructor, classroom behaviors that are distracting or disruptive to others (e.g., loud talking that is off topic, derogatory statements towards faculty or other individual, off-topic jokes, cat calls, slamming items against furniture), use of cell/smart phones during class, reading emails/messages, use of social media, leaving class early without informing the faculty or staff member, disrespectful behaviors (e.g., culturally insensitive statements, jokes, discussing topics that make others feel uncomfortable) with faculty, staff, or other students, and inappropriate discussion board or social media postings.  For incidents of lateness to class, an assessment will be made about the seriousness of the tardiness and this will be used to determine the course of action.  Nonadherence to the dress code policy is also considered unprofessional behavior. Students who do not comply with the dress code will be assessed as unprofessional and also asked to leave class as noted in the Dress Code Policy.

Across the academic year, unprofessional behaviors will be tracked across all courses.  Each offense will result in a grade deduction in the course the unprofessional behavior occurred in.  The maximum grade deduction that will be applied to each course is 5% from the final course percentage grade.  Repeated unprofessional behaviors will also be evaluated as an end of year milestone and can negatively impact curricular progression.

Device Readiness

  1. Students are required to have a laptop that is compliant with the entry-level program computer requirements.
  2. The student is required to use a personal laptop for all quizzes, exams and other classroom learning activities that are electronically administered.
  3. For quizzes and exams, if a student’s laptop is not functioning the student will be provided a paper-based format up to two (2) times during a semester. Any additional administrations of a paper-based quiz/exam must be approved by Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs.
  4. The student is expected to have a nonfunctioning laptop fixed immediately. If the student encounters problems with having a laptop available, the student should immediately contact the academic/educator coordinator and provide a plan for securing a functioning laptop and achieving compliance with the entry-level program computer requirements.

Quiz & iRAT/tRAT Policies

  1. Students must bring their laptop or tablet to class in order to participate in the quiz/iRAT/tRAT.
  2. All quizzes/iRATs/tRATs are closed book unless otherwise noted by the instructor.
  3. At the start of the quiz/iRAT, the access code will be provided. Students who miss getting the access code because they were late will not be allowed to take the quiz/iRAT and a grade of zero will be assigned unless there is an excused absence.
  4. When a student completes a quiz/readiness-assessment test (RAT), they must close their laptop or turn over their tablet to indicate they are finished with the assessment.  These devices should not be used until the instructor has announced that the quiz/RATs have ended.
  5. Students who miss the iRAT may take the tRAT if they are in class at the start of the tRAT. (The Academic or Education Coordinator will assess the time of arrival and indicate to students who enter the classroom late whether they can join their team and participate in the tRAT.)
  6. Students may not leave the room during the iRAT and tRAT.
  7. All students must remain quiet during the iRATs and as other team are completing the tRATs .
  8. For tRATs, a team may appeal the answer to a question to the instructor after the active learning session within 24 hrs. The appeal must be evidence-based and in writing. Such an appeal process is not applicable to quizzes, iRATs, and exams.
  9. Videosurveillance/recording via technologies may be used during quizzes and iRATs/tRATs and may be used as evidence of academic dishonesty.

Exam Policy

During any Exam: 

  1. Students must wait outside the testing room until the proctor enters
  2. The following items are not allowed to be accessed during the exam: cell phones, other electronic or digital devices including smart watches, pagers, photographic devices, and recording devices. Any watches must be placed on the top of the desk for proctor review.
  3. All backpacks, purses or other bags should be kept away from the student’s designated testing space and must not be accessed during the exam. Nonessential materials (e.g., gloves, sunglasses, umbrellas) are NOT allowed at the student’s desk during examination periods. Please leave all nonessential materials outside of or in the front of the examination room. Items allowed at the student’s desk are a water bottle, laptop charger, and laptop mouse.
  4. Students must arrive and be seated promptly to be eligible to take the exam. To maintain exam security, students who arrive late for the exam will not be allowed to start the exam if they are more than 15 minutes late or if another student has left the room after seeing the exam. Students who have valid reasons for arriving late at the exam may request a makeup exam as outlined below. In situations where a makeup exam is granted due to lateness, the exam grade will be no higher than 69.5% (C-).
  5. There must be no talking or other disruptive behavior during the distribution or taking of the exam.
  6. Calculators must meet the following requirements: Only non-programmable calculators are allowed unless the course has a specific policy.
  7. If you encounter calculator problems (e.g., dead battery), contact the Proctor.
  8. Other exam rules may be instituted during the progression of the course.
  9. Once the exam commences, students may not leave the room without first turning in the exam. Once the exam is turned in, the examination period for the student is considered complete and the student must leave the examination room.
  10. Videosurveillance/recording via technologies may be used during exams and may be used as evidence of academic dishonesty.
  11. If there is urgent need to use the restroom, the Proctor will provide guidance.

Failure to follow exam rules may be considered as evidence of academic dishonesty.

After an Exam

Policy across All 1PD-3PD courses where ExamSoft is used:

  1. Students are required to upload the encrypted exam file immediately after completing the exam. Technical issues that prevent this from occurring must be immediately reported to a proctor to record the incident.
  2. Graded exam appeals:
    1. There are no exam appeals/rebuttals except in instances where the student deems there is a possible grading/grade calculation error. Following release of the exam grades, the student has 3 business days to contact the Teaching Partner and Academic Coordinator to clarify questions and appeal any possible grading errors.

Make-up Quiz/iRAT/tRAT/Exam Policy

Make-up exams are given only under special circumstances and only for excused absences. (The policies related to requesting an excused absence also apply to makeup requests for quizzes/iRATs and exams.) If the student is unable to take a scheduled assessment, the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director and Academic Coordinator must be notified before the assessment or if it is an emergency situation, as soon as possible.  The instructor will arrange an alternate deadline for the assessment consistent with the University examination policies.

The questions on the make-up assessment may be in the form of essay, short answer, or multiple-choice and will be the same level of difficulty as the assessment administered during the scheduled time. With the exception of highly extenuating circumstances, failure to follow the prescribed procedures for make-up or failure to be present for the make-up assessment will result in a grade of zero for that exam.  No precedence can be drawn from any courses in the College of Pharmacy or any other college within University of Florida.

Grading Scale

Grading Scale
92.50-100% A
89.50-92.49% A-
86.50-89.49% B+
82.50-86.49% B
79.50-82.49% B-
76.50-79.49% C+
72.50-76.49% C
69.50-72.49% C-
66.50-69.49% D+
62.50-66.49% D
59.50-62.49% D-
< 59.50% E

Rounding of Grades

Final grades in Canvas will be rounded to the 2nd decimal place. If the decimal is X.495 or higher, Canvas will round the grade to X.50. The above scale depicts this policy and grades are determined accordingly.  Grade assignment is made using this policy and no exceptions will be made in situations where a student’s grade is “close.”

University Grading Policies

Please review the UF Undergraduate Catalog to understand how the University uses the course grade to compute your overall GPA.

Concerns, Appeals, and Complaints

Students who have concerns about their evaluation of performance and/or student-faculty relations should review the Student-Faculty Handbook for guidance.  The Student-Faculty Handbook also outlines the chain of command for any appeals and/or complaints.

Academic Integrity Policy

Students are expected to act in accordance with the University of Florida policy on academic integrity. This Honor Code specifies a number of behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions.  Furthermore, you are obliged to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel.  If you have any questions or concerns, please consult the course’s Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director.

Students are also expected to abide by the UF Honor Code. The following is the UF Honor Pledge:

We, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code. 

On all work submitted for credit by students at the University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: "On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment."

Psychomotor and Learning Expectations

Psychomotor expectations relate to the ability to meet the physical demands of the pharmacy curriculum. Physically impaired students and students with learning disabilities such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, dyslexia or other specific learning disabilities such as sensory deficit or sensory-motor coordination problems should cooperate with the faculty and staff in addressing these circumstances in order to meet academic standards.

How to Request Learning Accommodations

Students with disabilities requesting accommodations should first register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565), by providing appropriate documentation. Once registered with the Disability Resource Center, students will receive an accommodation letter which must be presented to both the instructor and academic coordinator to utilize classroom accommodations. Students registered with the Disability Resource Center who are requesting clinical accommodations for rotations or clinical experiences should contact their Learning Specialist in the Disability Resource Center. Students with disabilities should follow this procedure as early as possible in the semester.

Additionally, students at all College of Pharmacy campuses are expected to provide a copy of the accommodation letter of the Office of Student Affairs by email (sburgess@cop.ufl.edu), phone (352-273-5617) or in person at room 4312 in the Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy Building since some learning activities, exams, and assessments require additional assistance. The College of Pharmacy highly encourages that this procedure be completed before each course begins. Being proactive in this process will ensure that accommodations are in place for each student’s learning activities, exams, and assessments because grades cannot be retroactively changed.

Faculty and Course Evaluations

Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in every course based on 10 criteria.  These evaluations are conducted online through the GatorRater system. Evaluations are typically open around mid-semester and need to be completed by the established deadline.  Summary results of these assessments are available to students at the evaluations website.

Computer and Other Technology Requirements

Students are required to meet the PharmD computer and technology requirements.

ExamSoft® is used for administration of exams and students are required to follow the procedures that are established for exam administration.  Students must bring a laptop to class to complete exams and this laptop must meet the computer and technology requirements established by the College.  Students must also complete mock exams prior to the actual exam to assure that all computer features are supported by ExamSoft®.

Expectations In Class and Other Learning Activities

Students are expected to:

  • Be diligent and timely in studying the course material.
  • Be on time for class sessions, quizzes, and exams.
  • Be prepared for group discussions and conference calls.
  • Do your own work.
  • Actively collaborate with peers when assigned to groups.
  • Inform the Academic Coordinator about an absence from an exam or other assigned class activity at least 24 hours prior to the event.
  • Dress appropriately for class sessions or clinically related activities.
  • Turn cell phones and other electronic communication devices to silent mode during a class session or phone conference. Special circumstances may be discussed with professor (i.e. family emergency phone calls, etc).
  • Be quiet during class sessions including peer presentations.
  • Be focused and avoid distractive behaviors in class.
  • Appropriately use the computer in class, i.e., do not be looking at unrelated information on the web site during class.
  • Participate in class or group discussions.
  • Raise one’s hand to be recognized before making a comment during a class session.
  • Be respectful to the teacher.
  • Be respectful to fellow students in discussions.
  • Be courteous, respectful, and civil when using discussion boards.
  • Focus on the course learning activities; it is not respectful to study for other coursework during the class session.
  • Address faculty with the appropriate title and name, i.e., Dr. (last name) or Professor (last name).
  • Address concerns about performance or course material directly with the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director.
  • Seek assistance with academic or personal difficulties as soon as possible.

Communications

Course-related Communications

Students with questions about course content should post questions on the discussion board.  As noted in the attendance policy, communications about class attendance/absence should be emailed to the email address appropriate for your class year (i.e., absent1PD@cop.ufl.edu, absent2PD@cop.ufl.edu, absent3@cop.ufl.edu). The student may email the course leader for any other needs that are personal in nature (e.g., request for accommodations, personal issues such as illness, emergencies).

Faculty member Response Time

  1. The course faculty will work to respond to discussion board postings and email communications within 24 hours of the posting between Monday and Friday 12N. Responses on weekends and holidays will be sporadic. (On weekends when assignments are due, students are advised to post questions before 12 Noon on Friday.)

Email Communications

  1. When communicating with faculty via email, the subject line needs to include the course number & title.
  2. At the end of the email, in addition to listing your name, list your academic year and campus/site.

Discussion Board Policy

The purpose of the discussion board is to provide a venue for you to enhance your learning. This is accomplished by having a thread for each module where you can post questions to the course faculty. (A thread is a single link that is devoted to a topic.) The discussion board is also a place where your instructors may post virtual cases for you to work up.

Such interaction on the discussion boards with the instructors will allow you to clarify your questions and apply what you are learning in other parts of the course. The goal of these discussions is to help you learn.

Students Netiquette on the Discussion Board:

  1. Post your comment on the correct discussion thread. If you have a question about Module 1, post it in the discussion thread for Module 1 and not the Module 2 thread.
  2. The discussion board is not a place to complain. Complaints should instead be directed directly to the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director via a professional email. This allows the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director to quickly address your concern without causing distraction to other students who have limited time and want to focus on learning.
  3. Review the Rules of “netiquette”. If you follow these rules of netiquette, you will avoid posting an embarrassing or inappropriate comment.
  4. The discussion board has been designed to allow you a place to ask further questions on the material to clarify any confusion, gain a deeper understanding of the material, or ask general course questions. A question you might see on a discussion board is “What do I need to study for the exam?” Please reflect on how this question can be perceived by your lecturing faculty as well as your fellow classmates. Rewording the question to address a specific topic would be more appropriate. For example, “Dr. XX, you listed numerous side effects for drug XX on slide XX. Of those, what are the most relevant that we could expect to occur and monitor for in clinical practice.”  The type of material that is covered in these classes is material that is important for patient care.  All of this material is important. There are variations in courses, but please make use of your syllabus since there might be guidance on how to prepare for various exams in your classes.
  5. In most situations, lectures are released as planned by the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director. Clarifying at the beginning of a semester on the planned release date/time, if not posted in the syllabus, is appropriate. Continual posts on the discussion board on weekly basis can become overwhelming for the teaching partners as well as your fellow students.

Question/Answer sessions in live class sessions

Time is usually reserved at the end of the class for questions regarding the material to clear up any confusion or expand on material covered in the particular section.  This is a valuable time for all students and since time is limited, the questions should focus on the topics at hand.  Questions such as, “What material will be covered on an upcoming exam?” or, “Do we need to know dosing for the exam?” are inappropriate during this time period. In our profession, all material is important. However, if this question does need to be asked, please consider using the discussion board to clarify any specific exam questions.

Student Complaint Process

Concerns about the course (e.g., course requirements, quizzes, exams) should first be discussed with the appropriate course instructor and the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director.  If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved, the student may appeal to the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs and Accreditation who will also engage other individuals depending on the request (e.g., campus dean, department chair, Associate Dean for Student Affairs).  If the student finds the decision unsatisfactory, the student may appeal to the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. If this decision is unsatisfactory, the student may appeal to the dean of students office.

Religious Holidays

Please see the University policy on attendance and religious holidays.

Counseling and Wellness Center

Students who are experiencing issues and events that could adversely affect academic performance and personal health should be encouraged to meet with the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director or Associate Dean for Student Affairs for guidance. Students in the Gainesville area may contact the UF Counseling and Wellness Center for Gainesville students (352-392-1575). Students outside the Gainesville area may obtain similar contact information from the campus/program administrator.

Emergencies

Call the University Police Department for emergencies: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 

Student Crisis

Your well-being is important to the University of Flo­­rida.  The U Matter, We Care initiative is committed to creating a culture of care on our campus by encouraging members of our community to look out for one another and to reach out for help if a member of our community is in need.  If you or a friend is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu so that the U Matter, We Care Team can reach out to the student in distress.  A nighttime and weekend crisis counselor is available by phone at 352-392-1575.  The U Matter, We Care Team can help connect students to the many other helping resources available including, but not limited to, Victim Advocates, Housing staff, and the Counseling and Wellness Center.  Please remember that asking for help is a sign of strength.  In case of emergency, call 9-1-1.

Students who are experiencing issues and events are also encouraged to contact their local crisis center. For Alachua County the Crisis Center number is 352-264-6789; for Jacksonville and Duval County 904-632-0600 and toll free for Northeast Florida at 1-800-346-6185; and for Orlando 407-425-2624.

The following national call numbers are also available for students who reside outside of the main COP campuses: a) 1-800-273-8255, and b) 1-800-784-2433.

How to Access Services for Student Success

Students who need guidance for course success or who are having academic difficulty should contact the Teaching Partnership Leader/Course Director.  In addition, students are encouraged to contact their advisor or Campus Director/Associate Dean for Student Affairs for assistance.

Faculty Lectures/Presentations/Course Materials Download Policy

Photography, audio-visual recording, and transmission/distribution of classroom lectures, course materials, and discussions is prohibited unless there is expressed written permission.

Recorded lectures and class sessions are authorized solely for the purpose of individual or group study with other UF College of Pharmacy students enrolled in the same class.  Such recordings may not be reproduced, shared, or uploaded to publicly accessible web environments.  Students who do not adhere to this policy will be considered to be breeching COP copyrights and/or FERPA law.

Faculty and Staff: Who to Contact

Academic Coordinator/Education Coordinator:

  1. Issues related to course policies (absences, make up exams, missed attendance)
  2. Absence requests (Only the Academic Coordinator handles absence requests)
  3. Questions about dates, deadlines, meeting place
  4. Availability of handouts and other course materials
  5. Assignment directions
  6. Questions about grade entries gradebook (missing grades, wrong grade)
  7. Assistance with ExamSoft® (Distant campus students may contact Education Coordinator for use of SofTest and assistance during exams. The Academic Coordinator is the contact person for issues related to grading and posting of ExamSoft grades.)

Teaching Partnership Leaders/Course Directors

  1. Questions about grades
  2. Concerns about performance
  3. Guidance when there are performance problems (failing grades)
  4. General questions about content

Other Teaching Partnership Faculty Members

  1. Questions about specific content

Technical Support

For technical support related to eLearning, educational videos, mobile learning tools and other course-related issues, see College of Pharmacy Technology Support.