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Advisor: A person of the student’s choosing, who is a supporter and provides advice directly to student during the disposition process.  The advisor does not mean the student’s academic advisor.  The advisor cannot be someone who has participated in the disposition process. 

Appeal Conference: A meeting between the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education, the student, and possibly others from the College or Program where the student is provided an opportunity for a review conference on the appeal.

COEHD: College of Education & Human Development at the ÐÔ°®ÎåÉ«Ìì, Reno.

Clinical Experience: For purposes of this disposition manual and policy, the term “Clinical Experience” refers to practicum, internship/student teaching and apprentice teaching. 

Dean: For purposes of this manual and policy, the term “Dean” shall refer to the Dean of the College of Education & Human Development.

Dismissal Notice: A written notification to the student informing the student that the student is being dismissed from the Program.

Dispositions Referral Form: Document which outlines or describes the professional behavior or disposition that needs to be addressed by the student.

Programs: Education preparation programs in the College of Education & Human Development.

Student: For purposes of this disposition manual and policy, the term “Student” shall hereafter include student teachers, apprentice teachers, students from HDFS enrolled in COEHD internships or practicums courses, and students from other University programs enrolled in COEHD internships or practicums courses.

Teacher Education Candidate Professional Behavior and Dispositions Form:  A referral form used as an appendix to the Dispositions Referral Form which is designed to provide feedback to students on areas that they may need to improve upon in their Program.

The College of Education & Human Development at the ÐÔ°®ÎåÉ«Ìì, Reno has adopted a set of professional behaviors or dispositions that are essential for prospective teachers. These dispositions apply to undergraduate students who are in College of Education & Human Development degree programs with licensure requirements. These dispositions apply to undergraduate students from other colleges and other programs, including Human Development and Family Services (“HDFS”), while the students are enrolled in College of Education & Human Development practicum or clinical courses and only with respect to those College of Education & Human Development practicum or clinical courses. The dispositions apply to the practicum experiences and supervised Clinical Experiences and are assessed at different points during the educator preparation program. Failure to adequately demonstrate one or more of the dispositions may lead to an individualized plan for improvement, a failing grade in the course and, in extreme cases, may lead to dismissal from the educator preparation program.

A. By the Student

1. All students in the Program complete disposition self-assessments at application to their Program and at application to the semester-long Clinical Experience, as part of their culminating Portfolio.
2. A student shall complete a self-assessment at two points in their Program: At application to a Program and as part of their Portfolio completed prior to their Clinical Experience. The self-assessment should reflect on the student's own professional behaviors and dispositions.
3. Students should provide an honest reflection on their current level of performance on each indicator in the self-assessment. The College of Education and Human Development expects to see professional growth across the Program, so it would be rare for a student at admission, or even at the end of the semester immediately before the Clinical Experience to be "highly accomplished" in all domains of professional competence as described in student handbooks and the website for the College of Education and Human Development.

B. By the Faculty Member

1. All students in Programs may be evaluated on dispositions by faculty within their Program at various intervals.
2. Additionally, any time a problem or issue related to student dispositions arises (e.g., in a school during internship), a faculty member may fill out a Dispositions Referral Form with an improvement plan following the process outlined later in this Manual. Dispositions Referral Forms are kept in a University secured platform. As noted in the College of Education & Human Development section of the ÐÔ°®ÎåÉ«Ìì, Reno Course Catalog, dispositional issues may result in a student being recommended for dismissal from the Program.
3. During a student's Program, a faculty member may evaluate a student and complete a dispositions assessment for each student using the Teacher Education Candidate Professional Behavior and Dispositions Form. These evaluations are designed to provide feedback to students on areas that they may need to improve upon in their Program. The evaluations also provide valuable feedback to Program faculty regarding students' actual behaviors that demonstrate growing competency related to professional behaviors and dispositions. The College of Education and Human Development expects these assessments to show students' professional growth across the Program.

At any time during a student's Program, a faculty member has the right to provide a verbal or written warning to the student and/or complete a "Dispositions Referral Form," which outlines dispositions that the student is perceived to have violated or professional behaviors that the student is perceived to have violated while participating in a Clinical Experience. The Dispositions Referral Form shall include a clear statement on which disposition(s) was/were violated, provide an improvement plan for the student, and provide the consequences to the student of not following the improvement plan. When a dispositional problem or issue is identified and a Disposition Referral Form is sent to the student, the Student Dispositions and Appeals Processes, described below shall be followed.

In the case of COEHD courses containing Clinical Experience components involving interaction with pre-K through 12 students or other vulnerable populations, professional behaviors or actions which endanger the life, health, well-being or safety of any person at the internship site or academic progress of pre-K through 12 students, may be a basis for the immediate removal of the Student from the internship site. The Student immediate removal from the internship site shall be at the discretion of the Coordinator of Clinical Experience. The Student’s immediate removal from the internship site for professional behaviors or actions which endanger the life, health well-being or safety of any person at the internship site or academic progress of pre-K through 12 students, may be a basis for failing the course or for dismissal from the Program, as described in Section B, below.

When a student dispositional issue emerges, the following process shall be followed.
Dispositional issues are defined in the dispositions self-evaluation and , and include, but are not limited to: initiative, problem-solving.

A. Warning

The faculty member shall meet in person with the student about the dispositional issue*. The faculty member shall document this meeting in a brief report which shall be sent to the appropriate Program Coordinator and Department Chair. The Department Chair is responsible for tracking these reports. If the dispositional issue is resolved after the faculty member meets informally with the student, the faculty member shall document the resolution and report it to the same Program Coordinator and Department Chair.

• NOTE: If multiple faculty have experienced issues with this student, the Department Chair may recommend a written dispositions form.

B. Formal Disposition Process

1. If the dispositional issue is not resolved after the initial meeting with the student, the faculty member shall fill out a Dispositions Referral Form. The Disposition Referral Form shall, at minimum, include a description of the issue, the plan of action to resolve the issue, the dates (if any), by which the student must complete or perform the plan of action in order to return to good standing in the Program, and the consequences for the student if the student does not successfully complete the plan of action. Such consequences may include, but are not limited to, failure to be placed in practicums until the issue is addressed, additional observations by supervisors, lesson plan reviews prior to implementation, completing additional training and so forth.
2. The faculty member shall send the student a copy of the Dispositions Referral Form along with written notification of the following: (1) the formal disposition process is being invoked; (2) a description of the alleged disposition issue; (3) identification of the potential disciplinary sanctions; (4) a meeting is to be held with the student, faculty member and Program Coordinator to discuss the Disposition Referral Form; and (5) the date and time the meeting is to be held.  If the time and date do not work for the student, the meeting can be rescheduled at a date that works for both the faculty member and the student.
3. At the meeting, the student, faculty member and Program Coordinator shall discuss the Dispositions Referral Form. The Disposition Referral Form shall be signed by the student, faculty member, and Program Coordinator at that meeting. The faculty member shall place the Disposition Referral Form in a University secured platform and shall provide a copy of the Dispositions Referral Form to the Program Coordinator and Department Chair.
4. If the dispositional issue is resolved at the meeting or by the student completing the action plan as stated in the Disposition Referral Form, the faculty member shall report this to the Program Coordinator and Department Chair.
5. If the dispositional issue is not resolved in the manner or time stated in the Disposition Referral Form after the Disposition Referral Form was discussed with the student at the meeting, the faculty member shall notify the appropriate Department Chair and the Program Coordinator and the dispositional issue becomes an action item for a department meeting. At that department meeting, the faculty member shall present the dispositional issue and the process followed to the department faculty. The department faculty shall then vote on whether or not the student should be recommended for dismissal from the Program. The faculty member, Program Coordinator and Department Chair shall abstain from voting. After the vote, the Department Chair shall notify the Associate Dean of the vote of the departmentfaculty within two (2) Working Days of its occurrence. For the purpose of this policy, "Working Days" are defined as calendar days, excluding university holidays and weekends.
   1. If the majority of the department faculty vote to recommend the student remain in the Program, the faculty member shall provide a different action required of the student and notify the student in writing through a secure online platform such as the email address listed in MyNevada. This option may only occur once. (That is, if the faculty member recommends a different course of action, but the student does not follow through on that different course of action, another chance will not be given, and the student shall be recommended for dismissal from the Program).
   2. If the majority of the department faculty votes to recommend the student be dismissed from the Program, the Department Chair shall promptly notify the Dean in writing. If the Dean approves the request to dismiss the student, the Program Coordinator or Department Chair shall notify the student in writing that the student is being dismissed from the Program ("Dismissal Notice"). The Dismissal Notice shall include a written statement of reasons for the dismissal action, information about the applicable appeal procedures and the time period by which the student must file an appeal (set forth in Section C below). If the student chooses to accept the recommendation and chooses not to participate in an Appeal Conference, the student is dismissed from the Program.
6. If the student chooses to appeal the dismissal, the student shall have ten (10) Working Days from the date of the Dismissal Notice to submit an appeal to their College. The College then shall have ten (10) Working Days to submit the student's appeal to the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education. The appeal shall be conducted in accordance with the process as described in the Dismissal Policy for Undergraduate Specialized Programs and as described below in Section B.

A. Grounds for Immediate Removal From Clinical Experience

The following process shall be followed when a Student  is immediately removed from the internship site for professional behaviors or actions which endanger the life, health, well-being or safety of any person at the internship site or the academic progress of K-12 students.

1. The Director of Clinical Experience shall notify the Department Chair of the Student's removal from the Clinical Experience site and this dispositional issue becomes an action item for the next department meeting to determine whether the Student should be dismissed from the Program. At that department meeting, the Director of Clinical Experience shall present the dispositional issue to the department faculty. The department faculty shall then vote on whether or not the Student should be recommended for dismissal from the Program. The Director of Clinical Experience and Department Chair shall abstain from voting. Only department faculty  who are present at the meeting are eligible to vote.  After the vote, the Department Chair shall notify the Associate Dean of the result of the department faculty vote within two (2) Working Days of its occurrence.
2. If the majority of the department faculty votes to recommend the Student remain in the Program, the Director of Clinical Experience shall give the Student a grade of "unsatisfactory" or F (whichever is appropriate for the class taken), allow the Student to retake the Clinical Experience course and notify the Student. This option may only occur once. (That is, the Student shall only be allowed to retake the Clinical Experience course one time under this disposition process and if the Student is not successful, the Student shall be recommended for dismissal from the Program.)
3. If the majority of the department faculty votes to recommend the Student be dismissed from the Program, the Director of Clinical Experience shall promptly provide written notification of the department faculty’s recommendation to the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development (the “Dean”). The Dean shall review the information and documentation related to the grounds for removal. If the Dean approves the recommendation to dismiss the student, the Dean shall notify the student in writing that the student is being dismissed from the Program ("Dismissal Notice"). The Dismissal Notice shall include a written statement of reasons for the dismissal action, information about the applicable appeal procedures and the time period by which the Student must file an appeal (set forth in Section B below). The Dean shall send the Student the Dismissal Notice  within fourteen (14) Working Days of the recommendation of dismissal from the Program being made by the department faculty. If the Student chooses to accept the recommendation and chooses not to participate in an Appeal Conference, the Student is dismissed from the Program.
4. If the Student requests an Appeal Conference, the Dean then shall have ten (10) Working Days to submit the Student’s appeal to the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education. The appeal shall be conducted in accordance with the process as described in the Dismissal Policy for Undergraduate Specialized Programs which is described below in Section B, shall be followed.

B.  Student Appeal Process (Appeal Conference)

1. Student's Appeal Request
   1. Within ten (10) Working Days of receipt of the student's written request for appeal, the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education shall review the student's appeal and provide the student with written notification of the opportunity for a review conference on the appeal ("Appeal Conference").
2. Appeal Conference
   1. The Appeal Conference shall be administered by the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education. The Appeal Conference is a meeting that is not intended to be adversarial in nature. The student may be accompanied by an advisor during the Appeal Conference, who may serve in a support role to the student during the Appeal Conference. In this process, the advisor has no right to speak during the Appeal Conference except to the student.
   2. If a student, who has been given notice does not appear for the Appeal Conference with the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education, then the Appeal Conference shall proceed in the absence of the student.
   3. The Appeal Conference is the time for presentation of the information, documents or witnesses in support of the dismissal. The Appeal Conference is the time at which the student is afforded the opportunity to present information, documents or witnesses on the student's behalf. Witnesses may present a statement to the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education, however, only the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education is allowed to ask questions of any witnesses. Furthermore, the individual who made the recommendation for dismissal has the opportunity to participate in the Appeal Conference and may present information, documents or witnesses in support of the dismissal recommendation. The Vice Provost Undergraduate Education may also include a representative from the applicable discipline or Specialized Program in the Appeal Conference.
   4. The Appeal Conference shall occur within thirty-five (35) days but no earlier than ten (10) Working Days after the date the Dismissal Notice was sent to the student by email or by personal delivery. The student can make a written request to the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education asking that the 10-day period be waived if the student wants the Appeal Conference to occur sooner. If necessary, the student can make a written request to the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education for an extension of time for the Appeal Conference and the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education in their sole discretion, may grant the extension with regard to the Appeal Conference. If an extension of time for the Appeal Conference has been granted by the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education, the Appeal Conference must take place no later than forty-five (45) Working Days after the date that the Dismissal Notice was sent or personally delivered to the student.
   5. Advisors. During the disposition process, the Student may be assisted by one (1) advisor of their choosing, if desired. The Student’s advisor cannot be a witness or have a conflict of interest in the matter, as determined by the Associate Dean.  The advisor may be an attorney.
      1. The advisor serves as a supporter and provides advice directly to the student during the Appeal Conference.
      2. The Student, and not the advisor, is responsible for presenting the Student’s own information, introducing witnesses, asking questions, answering questions, and all other procedures throughout the Appeal Conference.
      3. The advisor has no right to participate or speak during the Appeal Conference, resolution, or hearing processes, except to the Student.
      4. The Student must notify the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education in writing and email their advisor’s first and last name and whether they are an attorney, at least five (5) Working Days before the Appeal Conference.
      5. If the Student chooses to have an advisor, the Director of Clinical Experience may be accompanied by an advisor or by an attorney.
      6. A representative from the Disability Resource Center (DRC) may be present during the Appeal Conference to protect the interests and rights of the Student and/or the University pursuant to federal law.
3. Written Decision
   1. After a review of all the materials, statements and relevant circumstances, the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education shall issue a written decision setting forth the reasons upon which the final decision is based. The Vice Provost Undergraduate Education's determination shall be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the student engaged in behavior or actions related to the Specialized Program that warrant dismissal.
   2. If the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education does not uphold the recommendation for dismissal, the student shall be reinstated in the Specialized Program. The Vice Provost Undergraduate Education shall render a decision to the student and the Specialized Program within five (5) Working Days after the Appeal Conference.
4. Decision Final
   The decision of the Vice Provost Undergraduate Education is final and is not subject to appeal.

*NOTE: If this is a second+ issue with a particular student and/or the issue endangers the life, health, well-being, safety of any person at the Clinical Experience site or academic progress of K-12 students, then the issue shall move directly to the step where it becomes an action item for the department meeting.