Faculty Expectations for Student Feedback Policy

Effective 9/8/2025

To whom this policy applies

All University of Nevada Reno, School of Medicine faculty.

Definitions

Final Grade: The cumulative mark (e.g., honors, high pass, pass, fail) in a course or clerkship as recorded on the academic transcript or record.

Formative Feedback: Ongoing, evaluative comments or scores intended to guide students in their learning and skill development (e.g., small group feedback). This feedback is focused on identifying strengths and areas for development, rather than assigning a grade, and must occur by the mid-point of the course or clerkship (LCME Element 9.7).

Summative Feedback: Comments or scores used to evaluate student performance throughout a learning period (e.g., midterm, final exam) that contributes to or influences a grade and is documented as part of a student's educational record. Summative feedback is aimed at helping students understand how well they have done in meeting the overall learning goals of the course.

Narrative Feedback: Individual, descriptive, qualitative comments that provide insight into student progress and professional attributes (e.g., OSCE/OHP written feedback).

Purpose/Background

This policy outlines the expectations for faculty regarding student feedback in accordance with the requirements of the Medical Education Steering Committee (MESC) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accreditation standards. Faculty must provide timely, constructive, and specific feedback to support student learning and professional development.

Policy

1. Timeliness of Feedback:
   • Students must receive formative feedback by the midpoint in a course or clerkship to allow students to improve before final assessments.
   • Faculty and preceptors are responsible for submitting all feedback, evaluations, and assessment scores within the timeline required by the course/clerkship director.
   • Course/clerkship directors are required to report student assessment scores and final grades within 6 weeks of the course/clerkship completion.
2. Types of Feedback Required:
   • Pre-Clerkship Phase:
     • Students may receive formative feedback on their knowledge and practical skills through assignments, assessments, small group verbal feedback, evaluations, or other learning activities as appropriate to the course or clerkship. Formative feedback can be provided by teaching faculty, clinical faculty, residents, teaching assistants, or a combination thereof.
     • Summative feedback can take the form of scores on assignments or assessments as long as specific student strengths and areas for development are available to the student for review.
     • Narrative feedback is required pursuant to the Narrative Assessment Policy.
   • Clinical Clerkships and Rotations:
     • Students must receive mid-rotation formative feedback to ensure they have the opportunity to improve. This feedback includes discussion of progress towards completion of required clinical experiences.
     • End-of-rotation summative feedback must evaluate student performance in meeting learning objectives.
     • Narrative feedback must be included in student assessments to highlight professionalism, communication, and clinical reasoning skills.
   • Electives
     • The nature of clinical electives often results in verbal formative feedback during patient care as the primary source of feedback.
3. Methods of Feedback Delivery:
   • Feedback should be delivered verbally and/or in writing as is appropriate for the learning context.
   • Feedback must be specific, constructive, and actionable.
   • Faculty should document feedback in official evaluation systems, as required.
4. Accountability and Compliance:
   • Department chairs and course directors are responsible for ensuring faculty adhere to feedback requirements.
   • Faculty compliance with feedback expectations will be monitored through student evaluations and the annual faculty evaluation process.
   • Faculty development programs will be available to support effective feedback delivery.

Review

Approved by Medical Education Steering Committee, 8/28/2025