LAHORE, July 2025 — The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has rolled out sweeping reforms to its undergraduate academic regulations, aiming to raise academic standards and improve the quality of medical and allied health education across Punjab. The decision was taken at a recent UHS Syndicate meeting chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore.
The approved amendments to the Undergraduate Programs Regulations 2024 now provide explicit and stricter criteria regarding student promotions, probation periods, resit policies, and dismissal protocols within the semester-based system.
Key Academic Changes Introduced by UHS
Under the revised framework, students enrolled in key professional programs such as BSc Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) must now secure at least 50% marks separately in both theory and practical components of each subject — a departure from the previous practice where overall aggregated marks often sufficed.
In addition, to be eligible for graduation, a student must attain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 throughout the degree program.
Updated GPA Rules and Promotion Criteria
To ensure continuous academic performance, students must maintain a semester GPA of at least 1.7 and pass all subjects to be promoted. If a student fails in any course or wishes to improve their grade, they will be permitted to appear in a resit examination, which will be conducted after every two semesters.
Failure in the resit exam will lead to academic regression, meaning the student will be rolled back to the previous semester. Consistent underperformance or repeated failures can result in dismissal from the degree program, although the university will provide one opportunity for re-admission during the course of study.
Attendance Shortfalls and Makeup Classes
The amended regulations also tighten the university’s stance on student attendance. If a student fails to meet the mandatory attendance threshold, they will now be required to attend makeup classes organized under special arrangements before being allowed to sit in the final examinations.
This measure is aimed at reducing absenteeism, which has been identified as a contributing factor to poor academic performance across several UHS-affiliated institutions.
Retrospective Application and Result Adjustments
In a move that sparked widespread academic discussion, the UHS Syndicate also approved the retrospective application of these rules to already declared results. The decision mandates a revision of recent undergraduate exam outcomes to align them with the newly adopted regulatory framework. This adjustment aims to standardize assessment criteria and ensure fairness in academic grading.
Syndicate Meeting Highlights
The crucial decisions were taken during a high-level Syndicate session presided over by UHS Vice Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore. The meeting was attended by an array of senior academic leaders, including:
- Prof. Dr. Khalid Masood Gondal (VC, Fatima Jinnah Medical University)
- Prof. Nadia Naseem (Pro-Vice Chancellor, UHS)
- Prof. Maryam Malik, Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Prof. Tayyaba Waseem, Prof. Sidra Saleem, Prof. Samina Kausar, and Registrar Kiran Fatima.
Notably, Prof. Arshad Cheema, Prof. Sofia Farrukh, and key representatives from the Punjab Finance Department and the Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Department participated via video conferencing.
Wider Impact on UHS-Affiliated Institutions
These policy changes are expected to impact dozens of UHS-affiliated colleges and universities across Punjab. UHS plans to initiate an awareness campaign and training workshops for faculty and administrative staff to ensure a smooth transition and consistent implementation of the new rules.
Officials confirmed that a digital monitoring system is also being developed to track attendance, GPA progression, and examination performance in real-time, helping institutions preempt issues before they escalate.
