James W. Farris

Dr. Farris is in his 31st year as a physical therapy educator and has helped lead faculty in the redesigning and refining of the admissions processes at both a public and a private institution as DPT program director/Department Chair. He is fully aware that predicting student success is akin to the search for the Holy Grail and that there are non-cognitive factors that contribute to student success in PT school and on the NPTE, in addition to the measurable cognitive factors. Overall, the goal of the admissions process should be to assure students who are admitted to a program have a good chance to successfully graduate so they can become a licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. Early recognition of students who appear to be struggling by the faculty, personalized learning plans, continued monitoring of student progress, learning activities outside of class with faculty, peers, and more senior students all contribute to student success through the curriculum and o