During the 2018 ASDA House of Delegates, Resolution 406-2018 – Amendment to ASDA’s Current Statements of Policy or Policy was referred to the Governance Committee. The committee was tasked with providing a recommendation at the 2019 House of Delegates.
The Governance Committee reviewed the policy and agreed that:
- Dental students in their final year should be able to graduate from the institution at which they are matriculating if they meet graduation requirements. It is important that “final year” be used as not all dental schools require four years of education.
- References to post-doctoral training programs be removed from the policy. This language was originally included for doctors when ASDA membership included the resident membership category. The committee agreed to remove these references as there is no longer an ASDA resident membership category.
- References to the ‘Guidelines for Student Action After a Dental School Announces Closure document’ should be removed from the policy. Committee members felt it would be difficult for detailed guidelines to be universally helpful to students given the various circumstances of school closures. The E-3 policy effectively addresses broad actions to be taken in the case of a dental school closure. Language about ASDA central office providing resources in the case of a school closing will remain in the policy; therefore, be it
Resolved, that ASDA’s Current Statements of Position or Policy ‘E-3 School Closings (1985, revised 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2016)’ be amended to read:
In the event of the closing of a dental school
or postdoctoral dental training program, students
and residents in their final year must be provided a proper and humane transition with a specific phase-out action to protect their rights. ASDA's position is that it is the responsibility of the school
or program to protect its students
and residents in the following ways:
- Assurances that the same standards of high quality education under which students
or residents were accepted will be maintained.
- Assurances that the school
or program will continue to meet accreditation standards as set by the Commission on Dental Accreditation
- Assurances that all reimbursements will be made by the dental school for any classes, supplies and materials paid for and not provided to the student.
- The ASDA President will contact the school's Dean
or program director to obtain his their personal assurance that a phase-out committee will be established immediately to enforce the phase-out plan. This In the case of a dental school, this committee will be composed of student, faculty, and administration representatives.
- Assistance in transfers
/ or relocation.
- Advice and support in seeking legal counsel.
- The immediate disclosure of pertinent closing information to the students
or residents as it becomes available.
In the case of a dental school, avoid at All cost attempts should be made to ensure to place fourth year students in their final year or those who meet graduation requirements are able to graduate from their matriculated institution. due to differences in dental school curricula and the inevitable compromise in the students' dental education.
In addition, in the event of an impending dental school closure, a letter will be sent to that state's legislators at the request of the school's delegates, to explain the health and economic impact of a dental school's closure. Chapter delegates will be provided with
the Guidelines for Student Action After a Dental School Announces Closure, along with other resources that may be available from the central office including information about the circumstances of prior school closings.
Finally,
in the event of the closing of a dental school or postdoctoral dental training program, an announcement
with guidelines will be sent to all first delegates requesting their assistance in:
- Finding temporary and permanent housing for transferring students
- Providing mentors to assimilate transferring students to the new academic and clinical environment; and
- Updating membership information so transferring students can receive their benefits and publications in a timely manner.