ASOT OTD Program Student Handbook

According to the Spalding University Catalog, the interpretation of grades in graduate work is as follows. 

"A" (4 quality points) indicates work of excellent quality: a superior grasp of the content of the course, initiative in doing work beyond ordinary assignments, originality in problem-solving, and ability to relate the knowledge of the course to other knowledge.

"B" (3 quality points) indicates work of acceptable quality for the graduate level: a grasp of the essentials of the course, the satisfactory completion of the work assigned, and average ability to see relationships and to make applications.

"C" (2 quality points) indicates grasp of only the minimum essentials of the course: it is passing but indicates work below the level acceptable for a graduate student. Students who earn a grade of C may be dropped from their program.

"F" (0 quality points) indicates failure to master the minimum essentials of the course or unauthorized withdrawal from a course. One course grade of F in a graduate program is cause for automatic dismissal from the program and the University.

"I" indicates that the student's achievement in the course has been satisfactory but, for some good reason, the work is incomplete and permission has been given to complete the work within a given period (not to exceed three months). A contract between the student and the faculty member, stipulating the work to be completed and the date on which the work must be completed, must be filed with the registrar. If the work is not completed within the time stipulated, a grade of F is recorded. Students should note that the grade of I is given only in cases of emergency and not as a matter of convenience to the student. Any extension of the three-month period for course work completion requires the written approval of the Provost.

Please see the Spalding University Catalog for more detail.

The ASOT OTD program consists of all 700, 800, and 900-level courses, thus all are considered graduate program courses and adhere to the University’s grade policies for graduate courses. An overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale must be maintained. If a student earns less than a “B” in two or more courses, continuation in the Occupational Therapy Program is not permitted. The lowest grade for which credit is given in a graduate course is a “C.” In addition to the above requirements, students who earn a grade of “C” for a 5-credit hour course will be dismissed from the program, as will students who earn one grade of “F” in any course. In courses of fewer than 5 credit hours, earning a “C” in more than one course within the curriculum is grounds for dismissal from the program and the University. Some courses in the program are 5-credit hour courses, so these courses must be passed with a “B” or better. Students who earn a “C” in a Level II Fieldwork course will be dismissed from the program.

To achieve success in this course and throughout the OTD curriculum, each student must actively engage in her/his own learning process. Each student must consistently work on course content on a daily basis outside of class to understand the material and demonstrate effective student learning outcomes. The process of engagement involves working through the material in the text, integrating it with class discussions and activities, and completing all assignments. The amount of time each student personally must spends working on the material is unique based upon his/her learning needs. If a student plans to only work with this material inside the timeframes of the course class periods, success in mastering the course content may be limited and may possibly jeopardize the student’s status in this program. Rounding up of final course grades to provide students a higher level of performance will NOT occur.

A = 100% – 90.0%

B = 89.99% - 80.0%

C = 79.99% – 70.0% **

F = anything below 70.0%

Please note, the following ASOT OTD courses are five credit hours or greater and should be completed with care:

OT 740: Evaluation, Intervention, and Outcomes (E/I/O) in Work, Industry, and Orthopedic Practice

OT 750: E/I/O in Rehabilitation Practice

OT 760: E/I/O in Mental Health Practice

OT 770: E/I/O in Children and Youth 

OT 790: E/I/O in Productive Aging

OT 800: E/I/O Special Topics - Beyond Generalist 

OT 830: Level II A Fieldwork

OT 840: Level II B Fieldwork

OT 900: Capstone

Each OTD student will progress through this program according to his/her unique abilities and circumstances. When students have questions or concerns about evaluative items (e.g. assignments, projects, tests), faculty provide their Spalding email addresses and office numbers, as well as offering office hours for meetings. In the event that a student earns a score or a grade on a test or assignment that is unexpected, then students will work with the faculty to complete the Student Success Planning tool. The student will use this tool to prepare for the next evaluative item. Please see the attached Student Success Planning document.

In the event that a student disagrees with a faculty member’s findings and decision regarding a grade assigned or the outcome of an investigation into breaches of professional and/or academic integrity, the student may file an appeal following the steps outlined in the Spalding University Catalog.