Professional Fitness Alert Policy & Procedure

If any WCOE degree candidate demonstrates inappropriate behavior leading a faculty member to question the student’s fitness for assuming a professional role, the faculty member will warn the student that said behavior is unacceptable and will document the warning(s). If the student’s behavior and/or response to warning(s) do not demonstrate a change, the faculty member will complete the Professional Fitness Alert Form and inform the student of the following steps that will occur.

If a candidate shows an egregious lack of judgment suggesting lack of professional fitness, a fitness form may be issued without a previous warning. The five-member fitness alert committee is appointed by the dean and includes at least one representative from outside the candidate’s department.

Procedure

Issuing the Professional Fitness Alert Form requires the following action:

  1. Professor issuing professional fitness alert form will attach accompanying narrative to document the situation or incident and give both to their department chair.
  2. Department chair will give the professional fitness alert to the fitness alert committee chair.
  3. Fitness alert committee will meet to determine if professional fitness alert documentation meets minimum requirements.
  4. The student’s program coordinator and the student will receive a copy.
  5. Within ten days from the time the Professional Fitness Form was submitted, the committee will convene and meet with the student and the reporting faculty member.
  6. The situation will be described and discussed. The committee can dismiss the complaint, issue the Intervention and Growth Plan, or dismiss the student from the academic program.
  7. The student, the program coordinator, and the department chair will receive a copy of the decision of the committee.
  8. During the intervention period, if credible information of continued inappropriate behavior is brought to the attention of the committee in writing, the professional fitness alert committee will reconvene to consider further action. 
  9. Candidates who have repeated issues with Fitness Alerts or concerns forwarded to a department chair, certification officer or dean, may receive counseling regarding the appropriateness of the teaching/education profession. WCOE concerns may be based upon the knowledge; skills and/or disposition outlined in syllabi and the conceptual framework, but may also include engagement in the profession. WCOE is ultimately responsible for the performance of its completers and reserves the right to determine who is identified as a WCOE teacher/educator professional.