Policies and Procedures

This policy applies to students who withdraw from the PA program and have followed all formal withdrawal policies and procedures for Berry College.

Students who withdraw from the College will receive tuition and fee credit based on the timing of their withdrawal as outlined in the Berry College Graduate Catalog. Please refer to the Graduate Catalog for further information under “Tuition and Fees: Refund of Charges."

Should the student have any questions, please contact the PA Program Director, who can assist the student.

Students who have decided to withdraw from the PA program must first meet with their faculty coach and the PA Program Director. Please refer to the Viking Code Handbook for additional information under “Withdrawal from College.” Students must withdraw from the entire program and cannot withdraw from individual courses. If a student wishes to withdraw from the Berry PA Program, they should notify the PA Program Director, who will provide them with next steps in the withdrawal process including:

• Completing forms from the Provost’s Office.
• Meeting with faculty coach.
• Meeting with the PA Program Director.
• Meeting with the Student-business Office.

Should the student wish to re-enroll, they must reapply. The application will be treated in the same manner as all other applications. In this instance, the applicant will not be considered for advanced placement, regardless of the student’s previous time in the program.

The Berry PA Program faculty members (principal faculty, medical director, area clinical education director, and program director) may not serve as healthcare providers to students while enrolled in the PA program. The PA Program faculty can assist in referring students to a health care provider in the community and provide supportive measures in case of emergencies but cannot serve directly as the student’s health care provider.

Additionally, students have access to the Health Center on campus.

The PA Program does not offer or permit advanced placement or waive any program prerequisite or course requirement.

Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity. Title IX prohibits use of federal money to support sex discrimination in education programs and provides individuals effective protection against such practices. Title IX applies, with a few specific exceptions, to all aspects of federally funded education programs and activities. In addition to traditional education institutions such as colleges, universities, and elementary and secondary schools, Title IX also applies to any education or training program operated by a recipient of federal financial assistance.

Consistent with Title IX, as well as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and any related federal, state, and local laws, Berry prohibits all unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation in any employment decision, education program or educational activity. This policy applies to all members of the Berry Community. As required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Berry does not discriminate on the basis of sex or gender in its educational, extracurricular, athletic or other programs and activities, or in the context of admissions or employment at the College.

As part of its commitment to maintaining a community free of discrimination and in compliance with Title IX’s mandate, Berry will address allegations of sexual misconduct or harassment in a timely and effective way, provide resources as needed for affected persons (reporters, complainants, respondents and third parties within the Berry community), and not tolerate retaliation against any person who reports sex/gender discrimination or sexual misconduct.

Any individual designated by Berry to have the duty to report alleged sex/gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and/or retaliation (known as a “Mandatory Reporter”) and who fails to report such conduct may be subjected to sanctions by Berry.

PA students are not required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.

Students may recommend sites and preceptors to the Director of Clinical Education. The program’s clinical team or designee will review and evaluate student-recommended sites and preceptors for educational suitability. It is at the PA Program’s sole discretion to approve clinical sites and preceptors for use as supervised clinical practice experiences for individual students. For further information, please get in touch with the Director of Clinical Education.

Students should have access to a reliable personal vehicle, since some clinical rotation sites may be outside of Rome. Students should expect to be assigned to these sites and should anticipate the need to find housing in these areas during the clinical portion of the program. The clinical team will work with AHEC about potential housing at these away sites; however, neither AHEC nor the program guarantees housing. Students are responsible for their housing and reliable transportation for all SCPE-related activities and call-back weeks on the Berry campus, including financial arrangements. Should air travel be required, the program will work with students to ensure they have time between the SCPE and the callback week. Arrangements will be made and paid for by the student.