Final Authority of the Admissions Committee Policy

PURPOSE
To outline the authority of the Admissions Selection Subcommittee.

AUDIENCE
Prospective applicants and all faculty, staff, students, and other representatives participating in the School’s admission process

LCME STANDARD
10.2 Final Authority of Admissions Committee

POLICY
The Admissions Committee consists of three subcommittees. The Admissions Selection Subcommittee has the final responsibility for setting admission criteria and accepting students into the School.

PROCEDURE

The Admissions Selection Subcommittee, chaired by the Chairperson of the Admissions Committee, receives recommendations from the subcommittees before making the final selection of which students to accept to the School. At least seven Academic Senate faculty comprise the Admissions Selection Subcommittee. Academic Senate faculty serve on all admissions subcommittees as described below: 

The Admissions Selection Subcommittee annually reviews and approves the criteria for admission to the School. Admissions Subcommittees members represent the diversity of the School of Medicine, including faculty from the basic and clinical sciences, Senate and non-Senate faculty, volunteer clinical faculty, and trainees. Final admissions decisions are made by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee’s Academic Senate faculty as outlined in Bylaw 4.21.

The admissions criteria, as approved by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee, are based on the mission of the School and priorities established by the Faculty Executive Committee. In addition to premedical requirements, selected applicants should possess the academic qualities required for successful progression through the curriculum as well as the personal attributes and character necessary to develop into a skilled and empathic physician. These include the ability to communicate effectively with patients and members of the health care team. We seek to admit students who are representative of the diverse communities we serve as a public healthcare institution. We consider myriad elements of diversity including geographic origin (e.g. growing up in a rural setting), and distance traveled. We encourage not only socioeconomic and demographic diversity, but also diversity of thought, opinions, backgrounds, cultures, life, and physical experiences, including and welcoming those who are differently abled.

All admissions decisions are made without consideration of gender, sexual orientation, race, color, creed, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or marital status. In keeping with a holistic review process, we consider each applicant’s entire packet rather than focusing on select parts such as GPA or test scores. In doing so, we consider how each individual applicant will contribute to the School’s mission and academic community. Holistic review considers multiple factors including coursework, academic and extracurricular experiences, unique talents, background, attributes, and career goals. 

EXPECTATIONS OF THE ADMISSIONS SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEE

1. Members are required to attend orientation, review and attest to conflict of interest and other relevant policies, and complete online implicit bias training annually.
2. Review, revise (if needed), and approve the selection criteria and requirements annually.
3. Annually distribute an admissions report to members and to the following parties:
   1. Dean of the School 
   2. Faculty Executive Committee
   3. Department Chairs
   4. Dean’s Council
   5.  Education Council
   6. Curriculum Committee 
   7. Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
   8. Participants in the admissions process
4. Make the final decision to select candidates (including those from the waitlist) for admission to the School. 
5. Adhere to procedures outlined in the Admissions Process Manual.

PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE OF THE ADMISSIONS SELECTION SUBCOMMITTEE 

1. The Subcommittee has the independent authority to decide who is admitted to the School.  
2. The selection of students for admission is not influenced by political or financial factors.
3. The Subcommittee determines the most effective methodology for evaluating applications and potential students, informed by best practices in the field.
4. The Subcommittee is responsible for assuring compliance with Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS), and other regulatory policies and practices.
5. The Admissions Committee Chair represents the Subcommittee and is advisory to the Associate Dean for Admissions on matters related to policy. 
6. As part of a continuous improvement process, the Subcommittee annually reviews the admissions policies and premedical requirements, other relevant policies (e.g. technical standards, conflict of interest, etc.), the admissions website, and other published admissions materials.
7. The Subcommittee prepares an annual report for the Faculty Executive Committee detailing their efforts, outcomes, and outstanding issues.
8. The Subcommittee, in concert with the Office of Student and Resident Diversity, prepares an annual report on diversity policies, practices, and outcomes.
9.  The Subcommittee adheres to the following process related to the management of the admissions waitlist:
   • The Admissions Selection Subcommittee votes to accept, place on a waitlist, or reject each applicant. Consistent with the Committee’s authority to render final admissions decisions, the ranked waitlist is created by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee. 
   • Applicants on the waitlist can only be offered admission after all applicants in the current cycle have been interviewed. 
   • With authority from the Admissions Selection Subcommittee, the M.D./Ph.D. program manages a separate ranked waitlist. The M.D./Ph.D. program ranked waitlist is reviewed and voted on for approval by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee. The Admissions Selection Subcommittee has granted authority to M.D./Ph.D. program leadership to offer waitlist applicants, who have been approved by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee, admission as positions become available in the M.D./Ph.D. program.
   • The Admissions Committee Chair appoints Steering Subcommittee members to review waitlist applicants who have applied for Scholarly Pathway Programs. These applicants are accepted based on mission alignment with the Scholarly Pathway Programs. The Steering Subcommittee make recommendations for acceptance to the Admissions Selection Subcommittee. The Admissions Selection Subcommittee review recommendations and render the final decision to admit a waitlist applicant to a Scholarly Pathway Programs.
   • Non-Scholarly Pathway and non-M.D./Ph.D. applicants on the waitlist are ranked by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee. The ranked list is approved by the Admissions Selection Subcommittee.  As vacancies in the matriculating class become available, applicants on the waitlist are offered admission in the order in which they are ranked. A vote by the Admission Selection Subcommittee on the individuals accepted from a ranked waitlist is not required.

RESPONSIBILITY
Admissions Committee

REFERENCES

School of Medicine Bylaws and Regulations, Bylaws 4.2231 and 4.2232

RELATED POLICY/POLICIES
Technical Standards Policy
Conflict of Interest Policy
Premedical Requirements Policy

POLICY OWNER
Admissions Committee

REVIEWED BY
Admissions Committee*

REVIEWED DATE and REVIEW CYCLE
July 2023, annual review cycle

* indicates the Policy Owner