Call to Action

1.1 How will your institution ensure that admissions criteria are transparent and wholly described to prospective applicants? And how will your institution ensure admissions decisions are based on merit, achievement, and your university’s educational purpose?

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) is committed to an admissions process that identifies applicants capable of succeeding in demanding health professions programs and ultimately serving patients safely and competently. The fundamental proposition is straightforward: admission to a rigorous professional program should be based on demonstrated preparation, achievement, character, motivation, and the capacity to meet the responsibilities of the profession.

LECOM’s institutional Admissions Philosophy establishes the framework for evaluating and selecting applicants and connects admissions practices to the institution’s mission, values, educational purpose, and commitment to preparing future health professionals. The philosophy is intended to promote consistency and fairness while recognizing that an exceptional academic community is strengthened when individuals with different experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, and intellectual interests are brought together through lawful and transparent processes that preserve academic and professional standards.

Because LECOM offers multiple professional health sciences programs, admissions requirements are established at the program-level and reflect the distinct academic, professional, and accreditation requirements of each program. The institutional Admissions Philosophy provides a common framework for admissions practices across LECOM, while each individual College and School establishes and applies criteria appropriate to their respective program(s). The qualifications necessary for admission to a college of medicine, school of dentistry, school of pharmacy, or another professional program are appropriately different, while the institution maintains a consistent commitment to transparency, fairness, academic achievement, and alignment with educational purpose.

LECOM publishes its admissions policies and requirements in the LECOM Academic Catalog and Student Handbook and on the LECOM website. These sources provide prospective applicants with information regarding the academic prerequisites, application requirements, examinations, and other criteria applicable to each program. Prospective students, therefore, have access to the requirements applicable to the specific program for which they are applying before entering the admissions process.

LECOM’s published nondiscrimination policy prohibits discrimination in admissions, employment, education, scholarships, graduation, and other institutional activities on the basis of protected characteristics under applicable law. The policy also states that LECOM seeks qualified students and qualified employees while fostering a broad-based body of thought and interest within its scholarly community. Consistent with this commitment, LECOM’s admissions process provides qualified applicants an opportunity to compete under established standards without compromising the academic and professional requirements necessary for success in a health professions program.

LECOM’s admissions process evaluates applicants as whole persons rather than relying exclusively on a single measure, such as a test score or prior academic performance. Applicants are first evaluated against the published minimum admission criteria established by the applicable program. Applicants who meet those requirements are then evaluated through the program’s established holistic admissions process, which considers the applicant’s academic qualifications together with characteristics and experiences relevant to success in the program and the health professions. Depending upon the program, these considerations may include academic achievement, standardized or professional admission examinations, personal experiences, leadership, community engagement, service, intellectual curiosity, resilience, interpersonal skills, professional preparation, and other demonstrated attributes relevant to the program’s educational purpose and mission.

The broader evaluation of an applicant does not replace academic standards or published admission requirements. Rather, LECOM’s admissions process combines established academic and program-specific requirements with a structured assessment of the qualifications, characteristics, and experiences relevant to the educational and professional objectives of the program. This approach is intended to identify applicants who demonstrate both the academic preparation necessary to succeed in rigorous professional education and the qualities and experiences consistent with the expectations of the health professions.

LECOM employs structured processes to promote consistency and fairness in the evaluation of applicants. Each College or School maintains an Admissions Committee responsible for evaluating applicants to its respective program(s.) Applicants are reviewed against the established criteria for the applicable program, and the screening process evaluates academic metrics, personal attributes, and relevant experiences before applicants are invited to interview. For programs utilizing interviews, LECOM employs a standardized interview tool that evaluates applicants on identified competencies using consistent interview questions. Faculty interviewers receive training in the structured interview process and are instructed to provide objective and unbiased feedback.

Final admission decisions are made through the established Admissions Committee process for each program. Following completion of the application and interview process, as applicable, the Admissions Committee conducts a final review of the applicant’s academic metrics, experiences, personal statements, and interview information and evaluates the applicant’s overall potential for success and alignment with the program’s mission. Admission offers are then extended in accordance with the program’s established selection process and available cohort capacity.

LECOM’s program-specific admissions criteria are developed and maintained in accordance with the educational purpose of each program and, where applicable, relevant national professional and accreditation standards. LECOM considers national trends in health professions education and developments in the broader admissions environment when evaluating its requirements. These external standards and trends inform, but do not replace, LECOM’s responsibility to establish criteria appropriate to the educational purpose and professional requirements of each program.

LECOM recognizes that transparency requires published admissions information and practices to remain accurate and current. Accordingly, each program annually reviews its admissions criteria and practices to determine whether changes are warranted. This review considers applicant and admissions data, program experience and outcomes, applicable accreditation and professional standards, national trends, developments in the broader educational environment, and alignment with institutional and program missions. Data from prior admissions cycles are also used to inform future admissions strategies.

LECOM’s admissions process incorporates ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement. Throughout the admissions cycle, programs monitor admissions data and compare incoming cohorts with prior years. At the conclusion of each cycle, LECOM evaluates applicant and admissions data, applicant and interviewee feedback, relevant accreditation standards, and applicable state and federal requirements to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.

Through this established framework, LECOM ensures that admissions requirements are clearly communicated to prospective applicants, that program-specific criteria are consistently applied, and that admissions decisions are grounded in demonstrated academic achievement, qualifications, and characteristics relevant to the educational purpose and mission of the applicable program. The institution’s approach reflects a broader principle of equal opportunity: qualified individuals should have access to the admissions process, while the academic and professional standards required to enter and succeed in rigorous health professions programs must remain clear, consistent, and merit based. LECOM will continue to review and refine its admissions practices to ensure that they remain transparent, appropriately rigorous, equitable, and responsive to the evolving expectations of health professions education and the communities LECOM serves.

2.1 How will your institution protect the free exchange of ideas, wide-ranging debate, and open-minded campus discourse?

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recognizes that professional education is strengthened when students and faculty are able to examine evidence, question assumptions, consider competing explanations, and engage respectfully with perspectives different from their own. This is particularly important in health professions education, where scientific progress and sound professional judgment depend upon inquiry, curiosity, skepticism, evidence, and a willingness to revise conclusions when the evidence warrants doing so.

LECOM’s commitment to these principles is reflected in its Academic Freedom Policy, Institutional Values, Statement of Nondiscrimination, Statement on Intolerance, and Student Rights and Responsibilities Statement. Collectively, these policies establish an educational environment in which faculty and students are expected to engage with one another with intellectual openness, respect, honesty, integrity, and collegiality. LECOM’s Institutional Values specifically include Trust, Honesty, and Integrity; Collegiality; Cooperative Relationship; Commitment to the Whole; and Respect for Different Perspectives.

LECOM’s Academic Freedom Policy protects faculty members’ freedom in the classroom to teach and present material appropriate to the subject being taught, providing appropriate academic latitude to introduce relevant concepts, perspectives, evidence, and areas of scholarly disagreement. The policy also recognizes that academic freedom operates within the academic purpose of the classroom and does not extend to the introduction of controversial material unrelated to the subject being taught. Faculty academic freedom also extends to research and scholarship, including the ability to select research topics and methods subject to appropriate academic and regulatory review and to make research findings public.

LECOM likewise recognizes the importance of faculty being able to express differing views as members of the academic community and as citizens. Faculty members are expected to exercise this freedom with accuracy, appropriate restraint, respect for the opinions of others, and a clear distinction between personal views and positions expressed on behalf of the institution. These expectations reinforce that open inquiry does not require uniformity of thought. Rather, it requires an environment in which ideas can be presented, questioned, examined, and evaluated through evidence and reasoned analysis.

Students are also active participants in this environment. LECOM’s Student Rights and Responsibilities Statement establishes expectations for a learning environment that supports thinking and learning and requires that teaching respect the dignity and rights of students. It further provides that mistreatment within the teacher-learner relationship will not be tolerated. LECOM’s Statement of Nondiscrimination and Statement on Intolerance reinforce these protections by prohibiting discrimination and supporting an educational environment free from intolerance toward individuals or groups.

These principles are complementary rather than contradictory. LECOM supports lawful expression, good faith academic disagreement, and the ability of faculty and students to question and challenge ideas. At the same time, academic freedom and open discourse do not require the institution to tolerate harassment, intimidation, discrimination, academic dishonesty, threats, or conduct that interferes with another person’s ability to participate in the educational environment.

Accordingly, LECOM will continue to protect academic freedom within the classroom and in scholarship and research; encourage students to question, investigate, and critically evaluate ideas; and maintain an environment in which differing perspectives can be discussed respectfully. These protections operate alongside the professional and institutional standards necessary to maintain an educational environment that is safe, orderly, respectful, and conducive to meaningful learning.
LECOM’s governing principle is, therefore, not conformity of thought, but freedom of inquiry accompanied by academic and professional responsibility.

2.2 How will you guarantee that unruly and violent protestors do not harass students or disrupt classes, research, public lectures, and campus operations?

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) recognizes the right of individuals to engage in lawful expression and peaceful activity while also maintaining its responsibility to protect the safety and educational rights of students, faculty, staff, patients, visitors, and the broader LECOM community. The institution distinguishes lawful expression and peaceful activity from conduct that threatens safety, harasses or intimidates members of the community, or materially disrupts classes, research, public lectures, clinical education, or other institutional operations. When such conduct occurs, LECOM responds through its established institutional policies and procedures and applicable federal, state, and local law.

This distinction reflects a broader institutional principle: a campus can protect lawful expression while maintaining reasonable standards necessary to preserve the safety and functioning of the educational environment. Students, faculty, and staff are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that supports an environment conducive to academic endeavor and professional activity. LECOM’s standards prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and establish expectations for civility, dignity, respect, honesty, and compliance with applicable laws and safety requirements.

LECOM maintains a dedicated Police and Security function responsible for promoting and maintaining a safe and secure learning and teaching environment. At LECOM-controlled facilities, security coverage is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with personnel responsible for patrol, surveillance, security operations, and enforcement of applicable campus policies.

LECOM has also established and approved emergency response procedures for disruptive and potentially violent individuals. Under the Code White: Workplace Violence Procedure, individuals who observe a disruptive person on school grounds are directed to notify Security immediately. Trained security personnel respond, attempt to contain and resolve the situation verbally, and contact 911 when an individual does not comply with instructions. Security personnel may take appropriate action to protect individuals until law enforcement assistance arrives. LECOM communicates its emergency response procedures and safety expectations to members of the campus community through security and safety orientation, emergency preparedness and prevention activities, and its established emergency notification system. These measures help ensure that students, faculty, and staff understand how to report a disruptive or threatening situation and how the institution will respond.

Physical access controls provide an additional safeguard for instructional, research, and administrative activities. Access to LECOM facilities is restricted to authorized members of the community and appropriately identified and escorted visitors. Identification, visitor registration, access controls, and, where equipped, screening procedures help limit unauthorized access to controlled academic and laboratory areas.

LECOM maintains emergency notification procedures to provide timely information and direction when a security or emergency situation may affect campus safety or operations. The institution uses Omnilert, public address systems, email, and other established communication channels to notify the LECOM community and support coordinated response. These procedures are designed to ensure that students, faculty, staff, and other members of the community receive timely information necessary to respond appropriately to significant safety or security events.

When conduct threatens safety, involves harassment or intimidation, constitutes unauthorized entry, or materially disrupts academic or institutional operations, LECOM will use its established security, administrative, emergency response, communication, and conduct procedures. When appropriate, the institution will coordinate with local law enforcement and other emergency responders, including escalation to law enforcement when a disruptive individual does not comply with security instructions or when an active or serious threat exists.

LECOM’s objective is, therefore, not to prevent lawful expression or peaceful assembly, but to ensure that such activities do not compromise the safety of the LECOM community or materially interfere with the institution’s educational, research, clinical, or operational functions. Through its established policies governing security, emergency response, communication, access, and conduct, LECOM maintains a framework for protecting both the rights of members of the community and the continuity of institutional operations.

The governing principle is lawful expression accompanied by responsibility for the safety, rights, and educational participation of others.

3.1 How will your institution encourage intellectual pluralism in all its academic units? How will your faculty hiring and evaluation practices support academic vitality and ensure that all relevant perspectives are taken seriously?

LECOM believes that intellectual breadth is an important component of educational excellence. Professional education is strengthened when faculty and students are encouraged to examine questions from multiple perspectives, question assumptions, consider alternative explanations, and evaluate ideas through evidence, reasoned analysis, and professional discourse. This is particularly important in health professions education, where established knowledge must be taught while students are also prepared to engage in the inquiry through which knowledge continues to develop.

LECOM’s Academic Freedom Policy and Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Statement provide an important foundation for an academic environment in which faculty and students can engage in open inquiry, consider differing perspectives, and examine ideas through evidence and reasoned analysis. Faculty have freedom in the classroom to teach material appropriate to their subject, select methods and topics of research subject to appropriate review, and disseminate scholarly work. These rights are accompanied by responsibilities to pursue scholarly objectivity and truth, respect differing opinions, and promote an atmosphere of respect for knowledge, thought, and inquiry. Faculty are also expected to respect colleagues, particularly when they disagree.

LECOM’s Institutional Values reinforce these expectations by emphasizing Trust, Honesty, and Integrity; Collegiality; Cooperative Relationship; Commitment to the Whole; and Respect for Different Perspectives. These principles recognize that meaningful academic inquiry can involve disagreement and differing interpretations while maintaining the professional standards expected within a health professions institution.

LECOM’s approach to faculty recruitment and appointment is likewise intended to support academic vitality. The institution recruits broadly for talented and motivated faculty and conducts recruitment in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner, with employment based on an individual’s qualifications and ability to perform the position. Faculty appointment recommendations proceed through established academic and administrative processes and are subject to institutional approval. LECOM’s Faculty Qualifications Policy establishes standards for the academic credentials, professional experience, scholarly achievement, and research expertise appropriate to particular faculty roles.

LECOM does not employ a tenure system. Instead, academic vitality is supported through continuing evaluation of faculty performance, professional growth, teaching effectiveness, academic contribution, scholarly activity, and professional service. Faculty are formally evaluated each year using multiple sources of information, as appropriate, including student feedback, peer review, and self-assessment. The evaluation may consider teaching, scholarship and research, service, community engagement, professional development, clinical activity, and administrative responsibilities based on the faculty member’s assigned duties. LECOM’s evaluation process adheres to clear, transparent, and discipline-specific criteria and includes due process protections and respect for academic freedom.

LECOM also evaluates teaching effectiveness through multiple sources of evidence, including student feedback, peer evaluation, and faculty self-assessment. Consideration of these sources of evidence is intended to support instructional improvement and emphasize the importance of critical, analytical, and creative thinking and meaningful student participation in learning. Academic advancement similarly recognizes demonstrated achievement in teaching, scholarly activity, research, professional and academic service, clinical activity, where applicable, and continued professional growth.

The institution’s four-pillar approach further reflects the relationship between different forms of academic and professional activity. Education is strengthened by research; research is informed and tested through clinical application; clinical experience generates new questions; and community service provides insight into the real-world consequences of health care decisions. LECOM, therefore, views intellectual pluralism not as an end in itself, but as an important part of maintaining an academically engaged institution capable of examining health and health care from multiple disciplinary and professional perspectives.

Within the College of Osteopathic Medicine, the structure of the student-centered pathway provides an example of how different educational approaches can coexist with common academic standards. The College of Osteopathic Medicine offers multiple approaches to learning, including Lecture Discussion, Problem-Based Learning, and Directed Study, while maintaining common curricular requirements, assessments, academic expectations, board preparation, and clinical expectations. Different routes to learning, therefore, do not require different standards of excellence. Rather, the College of Osteopathic Medicine can accommodate meaningful differences in educational approach while maintaining a common expectation of demonstrated competence.

Accordingly, LECOM’s approach is to take relevant perspectives seriously while evaluating them according to the evidence, reasoning, and disciplinary standards applicable to the question at hand. Intellectual pluralism does not require treating every perspective as equally supported; it requires an environment in which appropriate perspectives can be presented, examined, challenged, and refined. Through faculty recruitment, academic freedom, ongoing evaluation, varied educational approaches, and expectations for scholarly and professional excellence, LECOM seeks to maintain an academic environment characterized by inquiry, thoughtful disagreement, and demonstrated competence.

3.2 And how will your institution ensure the research enterprise is dedicated to advancing knowledge, deepening understanding, and serving the American people who fund it?

LECOM is committed to maintaining a research enterprise that advances knowledge, deepens understanding, and contributes to improved health and well-being. Research is integrated into LECOM’s academic mission through faculty scholarly activity, basic scientific research, clinical research, educational research, and opportunities for student participation in research. Faculty evaluation and promotion processes recognize research and scholarly contributions, including publications, educational and clinical research, research funding, professional presentations, peer review, and the mentoring and supervision of student and postdoctoral research.

LECOM has established clear expectations for the integrity of research and scholarly activity. The Institutional Code of Ethics requires faculty, administrators, and staff to comply with institutional requirements governing research involving human subjects and animals and to report research results honestly in scientific and scholarly presentations and publications. The Code further requires individuals to act with honesty, integrity, independence, due care, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. These expectations establish that the advancement of knowledge must be accompanied by responsible and ethical research practices.

LECOM’s Policy on the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and Procedure Manual establishes the institutional requirements for research involving human subjects. The policy requires research conducted under LECOM’s auspices to adhere to the principles of Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice and to comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Non-exempt research involving human subjects must receive approval from the LECOM Institutional Review Board (IRB) before research activity begins, unless the project qualifies for an approved exemption or LECOM has formally arranged for oversight by another IRB.
LECOM’s research oversight structure provides independent review and ongoing accountability.

The IRB includes both scientific and nonscientific members and requires at least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with LECOM. IRB members receive required training, and members with conflicts of interest may not participate in the review of applicable research protocols. The IRB evaluates proposed research with respect to minimizing and reasonably balancing risks, equitable selection of research subjects, and the adequacy of informed consent.

Research oversight continues after initial approval. Investigators must report proposed changes to approved research before implementing those changes, report serious or unanticipated problems and serious or continuing noncompliance, and comply with continuing review requirements when applicable. The IRB has authority to suspend or terminate research that is not being conducted in accordance with institutional requirements or that has been associated with serious, unexpected harm to research subjects.

LECOM also extends these expectations to students who participate in institutional research. Students must work with a faculty mentor, complete applicable Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training and safety training, and obtain approval from the appropriate regulatory committees, including the IRB or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), when applicable. Students participating in research are also expected to report resulting scholarly activity, including publications and oral or poster presentations, through the appropriate institutional research channels.

Through these practices, LECOM maintains a research environment in which advancing knowledge is coupled with scientific and scholarly integrity, protection of research participants, independent oversight, and accountability for the responsible conduct and dissemination of research. LECOM’s research enterprise, therefore, contributes to improved health care, health professions education, and the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

4.1 How will your institution ensure that families can access affordable, high-return degrees?

LECOM recognizes that the cost of professional education is a significant consideration for students and their families and believes that professional education should represent a meaningful investment in a student’s future rather than an unnecessary financial burden. Affordability is, therefore, an important component of LECOM’s approach to providing access to health professions education.
LECOM has deliberately pursued an affordability-oriented approach to professional education.

LECOM’s current public materials identify the institution among the more affordable medical schools in the United States, and LECOM maintains scholarship opportunities for qualified students, with more than $4 million awarded through its scholarship efforts. These efforts reflect an institutional commitment to keeping the cost of professional education as manageable as reasonably possible while maintaining the quality and rigor of its academic programs.

LECOM also recognizes that affordability is more than tuition alone. It includes the total cost of education, including required fees, educational expenses, and the time and resources required to complete a degree. LECOM, therefore, seeks to manage the cost of its programs while maintaining rigorous academic and clinical education and providing students with clear information about the financial commitment associated with enrollment. Publicly available institutional and program materials provide information regarding tuition, fees, estimated educational expenses, and other applicable costs so that students and families can evaluate the investment associated with a LECOM education before enrollment.

Educational value is ultimately determined by the relationship among cost, educational quality, student achievement, completion, and preparation for professional practice. LECOM’s programs are designed to prepare graduates for the responsibilities of their respective health professions through rigorous academic and clinical education. The institution monitors progression, graduation, professional examination performance where applicable, and other student outcomes through established academic and institutional effectiveness processes.

LECOM also supports students’ ability to realize the value of their educational investment by providing academic advising, early identification of students experiencing academic difficulty, tutoring, and other structured interventions intended to support timely progression and successful completion. Avoiding unnecessary delays in completion can reduce additional educational expenses while helping students achieve the professional outcomes for which they enrolled.

LECOM’s Strategic Plan likewise identifies sustainable growth, academic excellence, expanded student access, and financial sustainability as institutional objectives. These priorities reflect an approach to stewardship in which institutional resources are directed toward activities that advance educational quality, student success, patient care, research, and service.

Accordingly, LECOM’s measure of affordability is not simply the amount charged for tuition. It is the relationship between the cost of education and the educational and professional outcomes achieved by graduates. LECOM will continue to monitor these factors and use institutional and program-level data to evaluate whether its programs provide students and families with meaningful educational value and a reasonable pathway to professional success.

4.2 And what will your institution do to contain costs, improve pricing transparency, and ensure that every academic program equips students to repay their loans?

LECOM recognizes that maintaining affordability requires ongoing attention to both institutional costs and the financial burden assumed by students. The institution seeks to maintain high-quality educational and clinical experiences while using institutional resources responsibly and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency without compromising educational quality or student outcomes. Cost considerations are incorporated into broader academic, operational, and financial planning as LECOM evaluates tuition, fees, program requirements, educational resources, and costs associated with program delivery.

LECOM is also committed to pricing transparency. Prospective and enrolled students have access to published information regarding tuition, fees, program requirements, and other academic policies through the LECOM Academic Catalog and Student Handbook, as well as program-specific materials. LECOM also provides current tuition, fees, and other applicable costs for its academic programs through the institutional website, including program-specific tuition and fee information. Providing this information publicly enables students and families to understand the financial obligations associated with enrollment and make informed decisions regarding the investment required to complete a LECOM program.

LECOM recognizes that controlling educational costs also includes supporting students in progressing through their programs in a timely manner. The institution monitors student achievement, progression, graduation, and professional outcomes and uses these measures as part of its institutional and program-level effectiveness processes. Academic advising, early identification of students experiencing academic difficulty, tutoring, and other structured interventions are used to support successful progression and completion. Helping students avoid unnecessary delays in graduation can reduce additional educational expenses and strengthen the overall value of the educational investment.

LECOM’s academic programs are designed to prepare graduates for entry into their respective health professions and for the responsibilities associated with professional practice. The institution evaluates educational value through measures that include successful completion of programs, performance on required professional examinations where applicable, and preparation for professional employment and service. These outcomes, together with financial and enrollment information, provide a basis for continuing evaluation of the affordability, effectiveness, and value of LECOM’s academic programs.

LECOM cannot guarantee an individual student’s ability to repay educational loans, because repayment depends on factors beyond the institution’s control, including individual borrowing decisions, employment, income, and personal financial circumstances. LECOM does provide transparent information about educational costs and continually evaluate its programs to ensure that students receive rigorous academic and professional preparation that supports successful entry into their chosen fields. In this respect, LECOM views cost containment, pricing transparency, timely degree completion, and strong educational and professional outcomes as interconnected components of institutional responsibility.

5.1 How will your institution incentivize rigor in the age of AI, combat grade inflation, and prioritize excellence in teaching and learning?

LECOM recognizes that a professional degree must represent more than completion of a prescribed set of courses. Graduates must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, judgment, professionalism, and competencies necessary to succeed in their chosen professions. Academic rigor is, therefore, not simply an institutional preference. In health professions education, it is directly connected to professional competence and, ultimately, patient safety.

LECOM maintains formal academic oversight of student progression and graduation through its academic standing processes, including the Student Promotion and Graduation Committee. The institution monitors academic achievement and progression and addresses students who experience academic difficulty through established academic intervention and support processes. LECOM also evaluates student outcomes through measures that include academic progression, graduation, performance on required professional examinations where applicable, and preparation for subsequent professional education and practice.

LECOM recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) is changing how students learn, how faculty teach, and how academic work is produced. The appropriate response is neither to reject these technologies outright nor to permit them to replace the learning and professional judgment that academic programs are designed to develop. LECOM’s Institutional Policy on Artificial Intelligence establishes the principle that AI may support learning, research, creativity, and problem-solving, but its use must remain ethical, transparent, secure, and consistent with academic and professional expectations.

The policy places responsibility on students to demonstrate their own knowledge, analysis, and critical thinking. Unless expressly permitted by the course instructor, generative AI may not be used to complete an assignment or examination, and unauthorized use is treated similarly to unauthorized assistance or plagiarism. Students may not use AI to circumvent learning objectives or to replace the development of the knowledge and skills a course is intended to assess. These requirements help preserve the meaning of grades and credentials by ensuring that assessed work reflects the student’s own achievement.

LECOM also places responsibility on faculty to ensure that the use of technology supports rather than displaces meaningful teaching and learning. Faculty are expected to establish clear course-specific expectations for AI use, explain appropriate and inappropriate applications, and consider how AI may support or interfere with achievement of course objectives. Faculty are responsible for reviewing AI-generated material for accuracy, reliability, and educational appropriateness. LECOM further recognizes that AI-detection tools have limitations and does not treat such tools as grading metrics or substitutes for faculty judgment.

LECOM has established institutional controls governing the adoption of AI within its academic programs. Proposed AI tools for use in a course or program must proceed through the appropriate curriculum governance process and include review by LECOM Information Technology for systems integration and implementation risk. This review addresses the technology and its potential institutional risks; it does not replace the academic evaluation performed by the applicable curriculum committee regarding whether the tool appropriately supports the educational objectives of the course or program. Continued use of an approved AI tool is subject to evaluation for effectiveness and risk, and tools that prove ineffective or create unacceptable concerns may be discontinued.

Responsibility for maintaining appropriate AI practices is distributed throughout the academic structure. Deans, Associate and Assistant Deans, Pathway or Program Directors, and Course or System Directors have defined responsibilities for establishing expectations, reviewing syllabi, guiding students and faculty, and ensuring that AI applications receive appropriate review and approval before adoption. LECOM’s Professional Development function also provides training concerning institutional AI policies, procedures, and approved AI tools.

These measures complement LECOM’s broader expectations for teaching effectiveness and student achievement. Academic rigor is maintained through alignment among learning objectives, instructional methods, assessment, and demonstrated student competence. LECOM’s approach to AI is, therefore, consistent with its larger educational responsibility: technology should enhance the learning process, but it cannot substitute for the knowledge, judgment, skills, and professional competencies that students must personally demonstrate.

LECOM will continue to monitor the evolving use of AI, evaluate its effectiveness and risks, and refine institutional expectations as appropriate. The objective is to ensure that technological innovation strengthens teaching and learning while preserving the integrity of grades, the meaning of academic credentials, and the rigorous standards expected of graduates entering the health professions.

6.1 How will your institutions protect academic programs from foreign influence and safeguard the integrity of the research enterprise?

LECOM is committed to protecting the independence and integrity of its academic programs and research enterprise from inappropriate external influence. LECOM does not accept foreign monies to support the institution. In addition, the institution maintains policies and oversight processes intended to ensure that financial relationships, personal interests, and other external influences do not compromise academic judgment or the integrity of research.

LECOM’s Institutional Code of Ethics requires faculty, administrators, and staff to act with honesty, integrity, and independence; avoid actual or apparent conflicts of interest; disclose transactions or relationships that could create a conflict; and comply with applicable laws, regulations, and institutional policies. The Code also requires research results to be reported honestly in scientific and scholarly presentations and publications. These requirements establish expectations for independent judgment and responsible scholarly conduct across the institution.

LECOM maintains formal institutional oversight of research involving human subjects. Under LECOM’s Policy on the Protection of Human Subjects in Research and Procedure Manual, research conducted under LECOM’s auspices must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations and adhere to the principles of Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice. Non-exempt research involving human subjects must receive approval from the IRB before research activity begins, unless the project qualifies for an approved exemption or another approved form of IRB oversight.

The IRB provides independent oversight through a membership structure that includes scientific and nonscientific members and at least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with LECOM. IRB members receive required training, and members with conflicts of interest do not participate in the review of applicable protocols. The IRB evaluates research with respect to risks to participants, equitable subject selection, informed consent, and other applicable requirements. Approved research remains subject to continuing oversight, and the IRB may suspend or terminate research that is not being conducted in accordance with institutional requirements or that is associated with serious unexpected harm.

LECOM also applies institutional safeguards to the use of artificial intelligence in research. Researchers are required to be transparent regarding the use of generative AI, protect confidential and unpublished research information, and safeguard personal information and research-subject data. Proposed AI tools used in research are subject to appropriate review, including consideration of methodology, information technology integration, and risk before implementation.

Through these policies and oversight mechanisms, LECOM seeks to ensure that academic and research decisions remain grounded in scholarly judgment, evidence, ethical standards, and institutional responsibility. The institution will continue to monitor applicable requirements and potential risks associated with external relationships, financial interests, technologies, and other sources of influence in order to protect the independence of its academic programs and the integrity of its research enterprise.

7.1 How will your institution answer the national call to action?

LECOM answers the national call to action through its commitment to rigorous professional education, transparent admissions standards, and preparation of health professionals who serve patients and communities in the United States. As a baseline requirement for admission, applicants must complete a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university by the time of enrollment. Applicants participating in special affiliated programs with LECOM, as well as other approved exceptions to the standard requirement, are considered on an individual basis.

LECOM’s identity is also closely connected to an important American tradition in health professions education. Osteopathic medicine was established in the United States by Andrew Taylor Still in 1874 and has become an established component of the nation’s physician workforce and medical education system. LECOM, as a college of osteopathic medicine, contributes to that tradition by preparing physicians through rigorous academic and clinical education for professional practice and service.

More broadly, LECOM’s academic programs prepare graduates for careers in health care and related fields in which professional competence, ethical conduct, and service to patients and communities are essential. LECOM’s response to the national call to action is, therefore, reflected not only in its admissions requirements, but also in its continuing commitment to rigorous education, professional preparation, and the development of graduates who contribute to the health and well-being of the American public.

7.2 How can your campus and faculty advance American security interests, deliver academic programs that meet urgent workforce needs, and contribute materially to the Nation’s prosperity?

LECOM believes that a strong health professions workforce is an essential component of the nation’s health, economic productivity, and resilience. As a health professions institution, LECOM’s primary contribution to American interests is through the education of physicians and other health professionals who are prepared to provide high-quality care, advance health-related knowledge, and serve patients and communities throughout the United States.

LECOM’s multi-campus structure extends this mission across multiple regions of the country. The institution operates campuses and academic programs in Erie and Greensburg, Pennsylvania; Elmira, New York; and Bradenton and Jacksonville, Florida. This geographic reach allows LECOM to educate health professionals in different regional environments and to develop clinical education and community relationships that connect academic preparation with the needs of the communities in which students learn and graduates may practice.

LECOM’s contribution to workforce development extends beyond the education of physicians. The institution educates professionals in pharmacy, dental medicine, podiatric medicine, health services administration, biomedical sciences, and other health professions and graduate disciplines. Together, these programs contribute to the interdisciplinary workforce required to provide, manage, and improve health care.

LECOM’s clinical education model further connects academic preparation to workforce needs. Through its network of clinical education sites, students gain experience in hospitals, health systems, physician practices, community-based settings, and other health care environments. This connection between academic education and clinical practice helps ensure that graduates are prepared to apply their knowledge and professional skills in the environments in which health care is delivered.

LECOM also continues to develop educational programs and opportunities in areas of health care need, including primary care, rural and underserved communities, behavioral health, aging and senior care, pharmacy, dentistry, podiatric medicine, health care administration, and clinical education. These efforts reflect an institutional view that workforce alignment is not simply an external requirement; it is intrinsic to the mission of a health professions institution.

Faculty contribute to this mission through teaching, clinical practice, scholarship, and research that advance the health sciences and improve the preparation of future health professionals. Students contribute through clinical education, community engagement, and professional service experiences that connect academic learning to the needs of patients and communities.

While LECOM’s primary mission is health professions education rather than national security, a capable and geographically distributed health care workforce contributes to the nation’s resilience and its ability to respond to public health and health care needs. By educating health professionals, supporting clinical care, advancing health-related knowledge, and developing programs responsive to workforce needs, LECOM contributes to the health, productivity, and prosperity of the American people.

LECOM will continue to align its academic planning and program development with its educational mission, the needs of the communities it serves, and evolving health care workforce demands, while maintaining the academic and professional standards expected of all LECOM graduates.

LECOM appreciates the opportunity to respond to the national call to action issued by the U.S. Secretary of Education and to the corresponding request from Florida Commissioner of Education. This document describes the policies, practices, and institutional processes through which LECOM advances academic excellence, accountability, affordability, intellectual inquiry, research integrity, and preparation for the health care workforce.

The responses throughout this document reflect several principles that are fundamental to LECOM’s institutional approach. Admissions should provide qualified individuals a meaningful opportunity to enter rigorous professional programs while maintaining clear academic and professional standards. Academic freedom and intellectual inquiry should be protected while preserving the professionalism, safety, and orderly operation of the educational environment.

Faculty and academic programs should be held to meaningful standards of qualification, performance, scholarship, and continuous improvement. Educational costs should be managed responsibly and communicated transparently, with student outcomes providing an important measure of educational value. Research and scholarly activity should be conducted with integrity and appropriate oversight. Academic credentials should represent demonstrated knowledge, skills, judgment, and professional competence. Finally, health professions education should remain responsive to the needs of the communities and workforce it serves.

These principles are reflected in LECOM’s existing policies, governance structures, assessment practices, and institutional planning processes. They are not commitments created solely in response to the present request. Rather, they are longstanding components of LECOM’s responsibility as an institution of higher education and as a provider of health professions education.

LECOM also recognizes that institutional responsibility requires continued evaluation and improvement. Admissions requirements, academic programs, student outcomes, educational costs, technologies, research practices, and workforce needs do not remain static. LECOM, therefore, will continue to review these areas through its established governance, assessment, and institutional effectiveness processes and make appropriate adjustments when evidence, professional expectations, accreditation requirements, or applicable law warrant them. The Four Pillars of Excellence – Education, Community Service, Research, and Clinical Care – provide an enduring framework for this work. Together, they connect the quality of the educational experience with the advancement of knowledge, service to communities, and the preparation and practice of health professionals.

LECOM’s mission is ultimately centered on service to others. The institution’s responsibility is to provide students with a rigorous education, meaningful opportunities for professional development, and the knowledge, skills, judgment, and character necessary to contribute to the health and well-being of the communities they serve. The principle expressed through LECOM’s credo, Non Sibi Sed Aliis – “Not for ourselves, but for others” – captures that enduring purpose.

LECOM welcomes appropriate oversight, accountability, and continued examination of its institutional practices and outcomes. Through its policies, practices, and results, the institution is committed to demonstrating that academic excellence, opportunity, individual responsibility, fiscal stewardship, intellectual inquiry, institutional accountability, and service can and should exist together within professional higher education.