LSU Health Sciences Center
School of Allied Health Professions
Policies for
Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) Examination (3 pages)
1. During the first semester of enrollment, the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs
or his or her designee will orient students enrolled in the following programs:
Cardiopulmonary Science, Clinical Laboratory Science, and Physician Assistant
to their respective programs and the administration of the Collegiate Assessment
of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) Examination. The CAAP examination is used,
in part, for assessing student progress and meeting accreditation requirements
established by the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS).
2. During the fall semester the CAAP Examination will be administered to all
students enrolled in the three undergraduate programs.
3. If the student passes the CAAP Examination (achieving above the 10th national
percentile—criteria established by the SAHP’s General Education Committee), he
or she will continue to matriculate through the respective program’s curriculum.
4. If the student fails the examination (falling between the 2nd and 10th percentile),
he or she will collaborate with his or her program director and the health science
center’s education specialist (Dr. Peggy Murphy) to develop a study plan and
guidelines to compile a portfolio documenting competencies in the general
education section(s) failed during the initial taking of the CAAP examination.
Once the study plan and portfolio guidelines are established, they will be
submitted to the SAHP General Education Committee for final approval. If
approved, the student will continue with the remediation. He or she will have up
to the end of the following semester to complete the remediation. In the event the
student does not complete the study plan and portfolio to the satisfaction of the
program director, education specialist, and the SAHP’s General Education
Committee, he or she must follow the remediation guidelines for scores less than
2nd percentile as stated below. The program director may develop a scoring rubric
to establish whether the student has successfully completed the portfolio. The
rubric may include, but not be limited to, a numerical assessment of components
of the portfolio, current SAHP GPA, clinical and classroom evaluation, and other
related assessment of the students’ academic progress. In addition, the student
study plan will be based on a CAAP Study Guide (available at
http://www.studyguidezone.com/caaptest). The student will be allowed to
continue taking courses in his or her program.
5. If the student fails the examination (falling below the 2nd percentile), he or she
will enroll in a program specific independent study or special topics course for 1
to 3 credit hours. He or she will collaborate with his or her program director and
the health science center’s education specialist (Dr. Peggy Murphy) to develop a
study plan and guidelines to compile a portfolio documenting competencies in the
general education section(s) failed during the initial taking of the CAAP
examination. Once the study plan and portfolio guidelines are established, they
will be submitted to the SAHP’s General Education Committee for final approval.
If approved, the student will then continue with the remediation. He or she will
have a semester to complete the remediation. In the event the student does not
complete the study plan and portfolio to the satisfaction of the program director,
education specialist, and the SAHP’s General Education Committee, he or she
will be allowed to re-enroll in one additional independent study or special topics
and collaborate with his or her program director and the health science center’s
education specialist (Dr. Peggy Murphy) to develop a study plan and guidelines to
compile a portfolio documenting competencies in the general education section(s)
failed during the initial taking of the CAAP examination. He or she will have one
semester to complete this second independent study or special topics. The
program director may develop a scoring rubric to establish whether the student
has successfully completed the portfolio. The rubric may include, but not be
limited to, a numerical assessment of components of the portfolio, current SAHP
GPA, clinical and classroom evaluation, and other related assessment of the
student’s academic progress. In addition, the student study plan will be based on a
CAAP Study Guide (available at http://www.studyguidezone.com/caaptest). The
student will be allowed to continue taking courses in his or her program.
6. In the event the student is unsuccessful in earning a passing grade in the second
independent study or special topics, he or she will be required to withdraw from
the SAHP and enroll into remedial courses at a SACS accredited college or
university. The request to withdraw will be made by the program director, in
writing, within ten working days of the last day of the semester the student was
enrolled in. The student will be permitted to re-enroll one year following
withdraw. The point of entry (i.e., resumes with courses following the point the
student withdrew or enter as a new student) will be at the discretion of the
program in which the student is enrolling in. In addition, he or she will be
required to repeat the CAAP examination when normally given to incoming
SAHP students. Pass and fail guidelines as stated above will apply.
Withdrawal Appeal to the School of Allied Health Professions Due to Performance on
the CAAP Examination.
(Appeals of disciplinary dismissals are covered under POLICY AND PROCEDURES
RELATED TO STUDENT CONDUCT, DISMISSAL, AND APPEALS and can be
located on the LSUHSC School of Allied Health Professions web site:
www.sh.lsuhsc.edu/ah.)
A student asked to withdraw from the School of Allied Health Professions due to failing
CAAP remediation via independent study or special topics for the second time, may
appeal this request. The appeal must be made in writing to the Assistant Dean for
Academic Affairs within 15 calendar days of notification of request to withdraw.
Generally requests for an appeal should be based on information not previously
considered.
The Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs will call a meeting of the SAHP’s Academic
Affairs Committee to address the appeal. The student, accompanied by a representative or
advocate—if the student desires, may attend the committee’s meeting to present the new
information. The Academic Affairs Committee will then deliberate, without the student
and the representative or advocate present, to consider the new information and make a
recommendation to the Dean for continuance or revocation of the dismissal decision, or
other actions.
If the Dean feels no new information is presented in the student’s appeal, the Dean may
confirm the request to withdraw or appoint a faculty committee composed of an
administrative council member and three other faculty members; the Dean will designate
the chair. The faculty committee will review the Academic Affairs Committee findings
and recommendation and the student’s appeal. The committee will convene a meeting to
hear the student, accompanied by a representative or advocate—if the student desires.
The committee will then deliberate without the student and representative or advocate
and recommend to the Dean continuance or revocation of the request to withdraw or
other actions.
The Dean’s decision after an appeal is the highest level of due process. The decision may
not be further appealed.
LSU Health Sciences Center
School of Allied Health Professions
Policies for
Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) Examination (3 pages)
I, ___________________________have received and read the SAHP Policies for the
CAAP Examination and Withdrawal Appeals. Date_____________________
Original copy of this signed form will be filed in the student’s program file.