Qualitative Progress:Quality of workis measured by cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for each course/program using various points of evaluation as detailed in the course/program syllabus.

• An SAP tracking sheet is being used to cover these points of evaluation in addition to a customized clinical evaluation checklist wherever appropriate.
• A student must earna Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 or higher in each course/program to maintain SAP.
• If a student receives a final grade of “F”or“W”, in a course/program that course will be repeated in order to qualify to graduate.

Quantitative Progress: Quantity of work is measured by“pace of progression” and a “maximum timeframe” in which the student must complete the educational objective.

• Pace progression:Students must pass 85% of the course/program attempted clock hours to meet this measure. The student is always aware of his/her pace via the student portal (online). Once the student has missed 10% of the required hours, a warning message is sent via the student portal, e-mail, phone and verbally by the instructor. Incomplete/withdrawn courses are reported but don’t count toward the “pace progression”; they affect “the maximum time frame” measurement.
• The maximum time frame to successfully complete a program cannot exceed 150% of the total program length. A warning letter in addition to an electronic message via the student portal, will be sent once the student exceeds the 120% threshold of the typical program length. If the student does not complete a program within the specified time frame, termination due to unsatisfactory academic progress will follow.

• Incomplete work due to course withdrawal or failure is not included in the calculation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) but is required to be “repeated”to fulfill graduation requirements. Once the course is repeated, the most recent grade earned will replace the prior grade in the student Cumulative GPA.

Repeated Courses and Transferredcredit courses affect SAP quantitatively in terms of“maximum timeframe”needed for graduation. All courses are reported on the student’s transcript.

Early signs of unsatisfactory academic progress are reported by the instructor.

• A student scoring below 75 will be directed to the program director and an academic improvement plan is communicated.
• A case by case study will be completed by the school official to help the student achieve his/her academic goals.
• The Program director, academic coordinator and medical advisor may be involved to develop an applicable plan

The plan should consider, but not be limited to:

1. tutoring
2. counseling
3. rescheduling course/ program hours
4. use of new teaching strategies and technologies
5. use of library resources

• A follow-up by the program director and academic support team should be maintained for the subsequent courses/programs.

Probation due to unsatisfactory academic progress is applicable in these situations:

Cumulative G.P.A. below a 2.0 in a specific course for 2 attempts

Cumulative G.P.A. below a 2.0 in 2 different courses within a quarter

Completed hours less than 85% of those assigned to the course.

At the time the student is placed on probation, an improvement plan will be developed and the probationary period set.

Depending on the student progress during probation the appropriate procedure below is followed:

1. The student status is returned to good standing and the probation is removed.
2. If the student continues making “Unsatisfactory Academic Progress”

The student enrollment is terminated due to “Unsatisfactory Academic Progress”.  The student will be sent a letter advising them of their status and offered the opportunity to appeal.

In response to the student appeal, one of two actions may be applied:

1. Continued Academic Probation:upon approval of the appeal in-order to give the student a chance to return to good standing. The student will receive an approval letter and be advised of the continued probation status of the next course(s)
2. Termination:upon failure to Appeal or Denial of the Appeal.

A student who receives a disciplinary action or termination under SAP policy have the right to appeal as follows:

1. The student must submit a typed letter to the Program Director within five (5) days from the date of the action. This letter must contain the student information, the course/program title, explanation of the disciplinary action and reasons why the student is wishing to appeal.
2. The student must provide supportive documentation along with the letter to support the appeal and prove any mitigating circumstances that may exist.
3. The Program Director will hear any student who appeals an “SAP-decision” on an appointment basis only.
4. The Program Director will discuss the case with the Campus Director
5. The Campus Director’s decision will be final.
6. The student will be notified of the Campus Director’s decision within fifteen (15) business days following the receipt of the student’s appeal via a letter.

• A student terminated due to unsatisfactory academic progress is allowed one and only one chance to appeal for“Reinstatement.”

1. The application is for “re-entry”, if submitted within 3 months of dismissal.
2. The application is for “re-admission”, if submitted within 1 year or longer of dismissal

• The student appeal must follow the above-mentioned steps including explanation of the mitigating circumstances that contributed to the academic termination and how these circumstances have been remedied or changed.
• Examples of events that may be considered as “mitigating circumstances” include but are not limited to:
• death of an immediate relative
• student hospitalization
• divorce proceedings
• previously undocumented disability
• natural disaster
• financial hardship such as foreclosure or eviction

Reinstatement will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the school director. Previous academic performance and financial history will be considered.

Students are expected to be in class for the prescribed number of hours for which they have enrolled. Continuous absences, which, in the opinion of the faculty and administration, hinder educational objectives and result in unsatisfactory achievement, may lead to termination of the student’s enrollment. Absences for acceptable personal or medical reasons will not lead to termination although the student’s projected date of graduation may be revised. Excessive lateness and leaving early will be counted as absences. The AMAT attendance policy is based on a percentage of course hours attended. Poor attendance, tardiness, or early departure can substantially impact the student’s ability to master the knowledge and skill objectives for satisfactory completion of the course/program. Consistent absence will affect the final grade thereby affecting the cumulative grade point average and putting the student at risk of failing to achieve satisfactory progress standards.
The following documented absences will be considered on appeal for excused absences in calculating final course “module” attendance:

• Mandated legal appointment.
• Court appearance with subpoena provided.
• Probation appointment with a letter from probation officer provided.
• Jury duty with summons provided.
• Military duty with a copy of orders provided.
• Illness (self or family) with a doctor’s note containing an original signature. Students should understand that non-illness appointments (preventive visits, follow-ups, well-baby, etc.) are typically expected by employers to be made outside of work hours and therefore AMAT suggests the student do the same while in school.
• Agency caseworker appointment with a letter from caseworker.
• Bereavement accompanied with an obituary or death certificate.

Permission to make-up the time exceeding the 15% limit is determined in consultation with the instructor with final approval from the Director of Education.  Any further incidents of missed class will result in failure of the course. In rare cases, instructors may recommend additional make-up work or passing a student who has failed to meet the attendance requirement if there are extenuating circumstances involved and the student otherwise meets the academic requirements for passing the course. The school Director must agree to the exception. Good attendance and timeliness are important workplace skills and are crucial to educational programs with a strong hands-on, practical component. Students are made aware of these policies at orientation and on the first day of all classes. Late arrival, early departure and lateness returning from breaks are also incorporated into the cumulative absence and can result in a possible course failure. Tardiness or leaving class prior to dismissal will result in that time being considered absent to the nearest quarter-hour following the lateness or the preceding quarter-hour for leaving early. Continued lack of attendance may result in further disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal as a violation of the school’s standards of conduct. The Director of Education and School President will make the dismissal decision based upon recommendations from the instructor and department chair.

Students who are absent 14 consecutive calendar days in any course will be considered to have withdrawn from the course unless the student has contacted the school during this period of absence to indicate their intention to return.

A student will be placed on probation if at the end of any course they have completed less than 85% of their scheduled hours within the course. Once on probation, a student will have the following courses to improve their attendance above 85% of the scheduled hours. If at the end of the second consecutive quarter a student is still below the 85% threshold, Austin Medical Assistant Training has the right to dismiss the student for unsatisfactory progress.

Students are required to complete 85% of their clinical hours. Students will not be considered to have completed their clinical externships until the site supervisor has certified all required attendance hours. It is the responsibility of the student to provide the school with a timesheet signed by the clinical site supervisor documenting clinical hours completed for a week no later than Monday of the following week.

• Absence Threshold: The school implements a 90/10 absence policy, which means that students are allowed to be absent for up to 10% of scheduled instructional hours within a course or academic term without penalty. Absences beyond this threshold may result in academic consequences, including grade deductions, academic probation, or course failure.
• Calculation of Absences: Absences are calculated based on the total number of scheduled instructional hours for each course. For each class, as stated on the syllabus the school provides the student with clear information about the number of allowable absences and how absences are tracked and calculated.
• Types of Absences: The 90/10 absence policy applies to both excused and unexcused absences, including illness, personal or family emergencies, and other unforeseen circumstances. Students are responsible for notifying instructors or designated school officials promptly in case of absences and providing appropriate documentation when necessary.

Medical Assistant and Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Program

The classroom instructor maintains the attendance roster. The attendance roster is always kept at the school. If a substitute teacher is used, the substitute must initial the day’s attendance.

Attendance will be taken in the following manner:

1. Approximately ten minutes after class begins
2. Approximately ten minutes before class ends

The student will not be permitted to repeat more than one course per quarter due to absences.

A student will be placed on probation if at the end of any courses they have completed less than 85% of their scheduled hours within their academic program. Once on probation, a student should contact the academic support team to follow their directions in order to remedy this non-compliance with the attendance policy.

If the student is absent for 14 consecutive days without notifying the school, the student will be considered dropped/withdrawn. The school will contact the student by telephone and in writing and formally advise the student of this status. Results will be recorded on the Absent/Drop Form. If appropriate, the student will be informed that a leave of absence status is available. The student will also be informed that the tuition paid will remain valid unless there has been a significant financial or educational change to the program, in which case, extra tuition will be charged. The student should respond in writing and provide reasons for withdrawal. The results will be recorded on the Absent/Drop Record Form.

The classroom instructor maintains the attendance roster. The attendance roster is always kept at the school. If a substitute teacher is used, the substitute must initial the day’s attendance. Attendance will be taken in the following manner:

1. Approximately ten minutes after class begins
2. Approximately ten minutes before class ends

When the student is absent a first time they will be contacted by phone and the results will be recorded on the Absence/Drop Record Form.

If the student is absent a second time, the student will be contacted by telephone and in writing and will be advised of possible consequences. A copy of the same letter will be given to the student the next time they come to class; at which time the student must sign the Absence/Drop Record Form acknowledging receipt of the letter.

If absent a third time, the student will be informed in writing that the course must be repeated, and the student will be subject to paying additional tuition for the repeat. The student will not be able to repeat more than one course per program due to absences.

If the student is absent for 5 consecutive days without notifying the school, the student will be considered dropped/withdrawn. The school will contact the student by telephone and in writing and formally advise the student of this status. Results will be recorded on the Absent/Drop Form. The student will also be informed that the tuition paid will remain valid, unless there has been a significant financial or educational change to the program, in which case, extra tuition will be charged. The school will then request that the student respond in writing and provide reasons for withdrawal. The results will be recorded on the Absent/Drop Record Form.

Classroom work missed due to an absence can be made up through an arrangement with the Instructor and the School Director. The student is responsible for initiating any request to make-up work missed due to absence. Completion of make-up work does not remove an absence from the attendance record. Absences of more than 15% of instructional hours must be made-up in supervised work and documented by faculty for the student to receive credit. Attendance at make-up sessions will be permanently recorded in an attendance register maintained by the instructor. All makeup hours for a course must be made-up before the end of the course. Permission to make-up the time exceeding the 15% limit is determined in consultation with the instructor with final approval from the Director of Education. Any further incidents of missed class will result in failure of the course. In rare cases, instructors may modify additional make-up work for the student who has failed to meet the attendance requirement if there are extenuating circumstances involved and the student otherwise meets the academic requirements for passing the course. The school Director must agree to any exceptions. Good attendance and timeliness are important workplace skills and are crucial to educational programs with a strong hands-on, practical component. Students are made aware of these policies at orientation and on the first day of all classes.

Late arrival, early departure and lateness returning from breaks are also incorporated into the cumulative absence and can result in a possible course failure. Tardiness or leaving class prior to dismissal will result in that time being considered absent to the nearest quarter-hour following the lateness or the preceding quarter-hour for leaving early. Continued absence may result in further disciplinary action including suspension or dismissal as a violation of the school’s standards of conduct. The Director of Education and School President will make the dismissal decision based upon recommendations from the instructor and program director. Students are required to make up any missed hours.