​Student Affairs Programs

Academic Eligibility For Participation in Extracurricular Activities

Any student who is determined to be in need of remediation due to inadequate or incomplete performance in any course must be placed on monitored status. Any student on monitored is prohibited from participation in any extracurricular affairs. These prohibited activities include service as a class or organization officer, travel to a global health externship, or extramural voluntary externship to another hospital or dental college, club activities, et.al.

Immediately upon satisfactory remediation, the Class Committee Chair will notify the Associate Dean for Student Affairs that monitored status is ended and the student is in “Good Academic Standing” again.

Academic Liaisons

During 3rd and 4th year of dental school, you can apply to work with various faculty members and various departments,as an academic liaison. Academic Liaison’s are compensated $3,000 for the year. Being selected as an Academic Liaison is a huge honor and responsibility. The application process is typically very competitive. Applications become available at the end of the spring semester for the following fall.

Student Success Network

The College of Dental Medicine in collaboration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons has in place an academic support program for students in Year I. The joint program focuses on voluntary attendance review sessions. The College of Dental Medicine supplements this review session series with Individual, confidential free tutorials for College of Dental Medicine students who are identified as requiring remediation. This tutorial support is arranged with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Two concluding second year students with academic records of distinction and an expressed interest in teaching are selected to serve as College of Dental Medicine coordinators of these activities. In addition, the Office of Diversity Affairs also employs a 4th year dental student who can assist with study skills and tutoring. The coordinators have formal Academic Liaison responsibilities, and they report directly to the Associate Dean for Students Affairs and work with course directors as indicated.

In addition to the SSN review and individual tutorial support for Year I students, tutorials for Year II students may be offered to students requiring remediation as authorized by the Associate Dean for Students Affairs. Selected courses frequently offer their own review sessions on a voluntary basis; students are strongly encouraged to utilize these valuable opportunities. Finally, the major laboratory based preclinical science courses also have their own Academic Liaisons, who may be assigned to support students identified as struggling in a course.

Students who learn that they are not meeting expectations in a course in year I or II should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs immediately to arrange tutorial support.

Student Government/CDM Club/ASDA

All predoctoral College of Dental Medicine students are members of the Student Government Association (SGA) and the American Student Dental Association (ASDA). Part of your annual fees go towards membership into ASDA and to fund SGA activities. SGA is the overarching body for all College of Dental Medicine student clubs, as well as the governing body for Student Council (each classes’ elected officers); the plan many school wide events and provide support to the student clubs. ASDA focuses on organized dentistry and offers students many opportunities to become involved at national and local levels.

Awards of the College of Dental Medicine

During Commencement, there are general awards and awards presented in each discipline (Division). The 3rd & 4th year Academic Progress Committee has oversight of selection. Divisional Excellence Awards are selected by each Divisional Faculty and verified by the Academic Progress Committee, which includes the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, the Chair of the Clinical Academic Progress Committee, the Director of Senior Comprehensive Care, plus typically 3 to 4 clinical Third and Fourth Year Faculty. Awards are presented at Class Day, a separate ceremony that occurs at the time of the College of Dental Medicine and CU Commencement events.

There are a few other “named” (one-time) awards disbursed throughout the years at different times (end of Year 1, end of Year 2, end of Year 3). Where academic performance is a listed criterion of the donor, the recipients are selected by the Academic Progress Committee for each corresponding year.

Ceremonies

During your time at the College of Dental Medicine, there are several milestones commemorated in distinct ceremonies. As a pre-doctoral first year, the White Coat Ceremony established your first steps in the journey of becoming a dentist. It is a traditional ceremony at the beginning of orientation week; actually putting on your white coat for the first time is a significant moment for students and their families.

At the beginning of Year 3, The Predoctoral Clinician Ceremony commemorates your next step into the clinic. This smaller ceremony for students and faculty is held during orientation week for year 3 and provides a moment to reflect on successfully completing the biomedical curriculum, and preparing to see your first patients.

Graduation is the final culminating celebration for all College of Dental Medicine students. Commencement week is a university wide event with a University-wide Commencement on Wednesday for all degree granting programs and individual school graduation ceremonies throughout the week. We also celebrate Class Day where awards are given to 4th year predoctoral students that have demonstrated excellence in different areas and specialties.

Post-doctoral graduation ceremony is held in June, at completion of the program.