Guidance When Student Leaders Experience Struggles

Purpose

To outline the procedure for addressing students in leadership who experience academic and non-academic struggles in the UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Office or person responsible for implementing

Office of Student Life

Applies to

All medical students, including students on LOA, who hold office(s) in an extracurricular organization or group housed under Medical Student Services (MSS).

Rationale

• Involvement in extracurricular activities is important for students' sense of well-being; provides important opportunities for leadership development; and can add value to students' residency applications.

• Leadership roles vary and require different levels of commitment and there is not a “one size fits all” standard which can be applied.

• For students struggling academically, involvement in extracurricular activities can provide a much-needed outlet for energy other than studying and give the student something to look forward to. This must be balanced with the extra time and effort they might need to devote to academics.

Guidance

1. Students who currently hold office and are flagged for either academic¹ or non-academic² concerns should be discussed with the Office of Student Life. In consultation with the Associate Dean for Students, a decision will be made about the best course of action. Options to be considered are:

   1. The student will be allowed to stay in office with close monitoring by MSS. No notification will be sent to the student.

   2. The Director of Student Life Programs will have a conversation with the student about the concerns raised and advise the student on the pros and cons of remaining in the office or position. The Office may recommend the student step away from the office or position temporarily or permanently. The Office of Student Life will summarize the conversation via email to the student and Associate Dean for Students, within 24 hours of the meeting. (It’s possible that a student could choose to proceed against the advice of MSS).

   3. The student may be asked to temporarily step aside from duties. The Office of Student Life will summarize the conversation via an email to the student within 24 hours of the meeting.

      1. Example #1: A student may fail a mid-term and be asked to step aside from their office duties until they pass the module.

      2. Example #2: A student might have a professionalism concern and be asked to step aside from their office duties until the non-academic misconduct process completes its work.

   4. The student may be asked to resign from their office. The Director of Student Life Programs will notify the student and request to meet with them. The Director of Student Life Programs will summarize the conversation via email to the student and Associate Dean for Students, within 24 hours of the meeting.

Appeal: A student may appeal the decision of the Office of Student Life, by notifying the Associate Dean for Students within 24 hours of receiving the written summary from the Director of Student Life Programs. The Associate Dean for Students will make a determination to grant the student’s appeal or uphold the decision by the Office of Student Life.

Additional Information

It is ultimately the responsibility of the Office of Student Life, Medical Student Services (MSS), and the Associate Dean for Students, to make determinations about extracurricular involvement. These decisions will be made based on what the staff feel are in the best interest of the student and the organizations. We recognize a level of professional judgement in these decisions.

¹Examples include failed exams, remediation, repeated low performance alerts, etc.
²Examples include professionalism concerns, behavior issues, conduct processes, etc.

Created: November 2018
Implemented: January 2019
Reviewed and updated: February 2026