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Program Policies

Student Involvement

Professional Organizations

Academic Standing

Technology Competencies

Mentoring Relationship

Termination Procedures

Student Involvement

The School Psychology Student Organization (SPSO) is a student-run organization that represents the needs of the graduate students, both master's and doctoral, in school psychology and is a liaison organization to the area faculty. All school psychology students are required to be members and are encouraged to participate in all sponsored activities. The organization seeks to increase awareness of the field of school psychology, increase communication and relationships among school psychology students and faculty at OSU, raise funds for professional events, sponsor a lecture series, and maintains a website.

In addition to the School Psychology Student Organization, students also participate in the functioning of the program through the Student Advisory Board which is a subcommittee of the Student Organization. Four students (one first year master's, one second year master's, and one doctoral) are chosen each year to represent the student bodies' concerns and ideas to the faculty. In addition to these three elected students, the president of the student association is also a member of the Student Advisory Board. These representatives are required to meet with the director once per quarter so that students are provided updates on new program information as well as provide feedback to the faculty regarding student concerns and ideas. Student representatives may also be asked to attend faculty meetings when deemed necessary. One specific function of the Student Advisory Board is to inform the entire student body of changes made to the program which are then documented in the Program Handbook. Students can provide feedback on any changes and the members of the Advisory Board share this feedback with the faculty. Although faculty make final decisions regarding the structure and operation of the program, student feedback will be seriously considered before changes are adopted. If a student does not uphold the responsibilities of the position, the faculty will reappoint another student to the position for that academic year.

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Professional Organizations

As a professional school psychologist, each student is expected to maintain knowledge of current trends and developments in the field of school psychology. One way to accomplish this is through various professional organizations. Students are required to become members of the following associations: Division 16 (APA), NASP, OSPA, and SPCO and become familiar with the procedures and philosophies of the various associations. Membership in APA is optional. Students will be required to show proof of membership to the program Graduate Assistant at the beginning of the academic year.

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Academic Standing

It is expected that all students will receive a B- or higher in all core school psychology courses and maintain a 3.0 overall. If a student receives a less than a B- in a core school psychology course, they will be required to repeat the course resulting in the student extending the length of their program.

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Technology Competencies

To be consistent with professional standards, students will be expected to acquire certain technological skills before completing the program. These skills include using email, searching the internet, understanding basic word processing and power point, using digital video cameras for supervision, and using testing software for assessments. Students will also be expected to have email accounts and access the school psychology list serve on a regular basis. Much of the out-of-class communication with students is done via email. And students may also be required to download Word and Power Point documents for class. Additionally, doctoral students are required to have basic skills in data management and statistical software.

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Mentoring Relationship

The mentoring relationship between faculty and student in the doctoral program is much different than that for the master's program. Doctoral students are expected to play a very active role in their training. The doctoral program is influenced much more by Graduate School policies than the master's program. Therefore, keeping up with policies, procedures, and deadlines set forth by the OSU Graduate School and the School of PAES is imperative. You are responsible for contacting your advisor regarding each requirement in your program, therefore, you need to be aware of the requirements and the sequence in which they occur. You are also ultimately responsible for keeping up with policy changes made by the Graduate School or the School of PAES. The school psychology faculty wants your doctoral experience to be a positive one, and this relationship works best when students are actively involved in their educational experience.

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Termination Procedures

Students can be dismissed from the program based on two separate violations. Disciplinary action is taken when students violate institutional standards of conduct. These violations can include stealing, drug abuse, plagiarism, falsifying records, and cheating. Students are responsible for learning about all university, college, school, section, and program policies regarding disciplinary action. Policies regarding disciplinary action can be found in other parts of this handbook, as well as the OSU Graduate School Handbook, the PAES Patterns of Administration and Graduate Studies Handbook.

Academic dismissal occurs when students do not make progress in personal, professional, academic and/or skill-related areas. This type of dismissal is under the jurisdiction of the program; however, minimal standards are also enforced by the OSU Graduate School. Although students are allowed due process, court decisions at the state and federal level have determined that trained faculty have the right to evaluate students as they see fit as long as evaluation is not done in an arbitrary, unfair or capricious manner. When students choose to appeal any academic action taken by a faculty member or the program, the burden of proof is on the student. In the event that a student does not make sufficient progress, the following procedures will be followed.

As soon as a faculty member has concerns over a student's performance, that student will be given the appropriate feedback and recommendations for improvement. If the student continues to perform poorly, the school psychology faculty will schedule a time to meet with the student to discuss their concerns and create a remediation plan. Students who are on remediation plans will be closely monitored until satisfactory progress is achieved. In addition to being placed on a remediation plan, advancement in the coursework, advancement to practicum, and/or advancement to internship can be delayed until satisfactory progress is made. Therefore, students can be delayed in their progression through the program and be placed on a remediation plan simultaneously. Throughout this process, students will be encouraged to be active participants by providing feedback to faculty regarding their skills and identifying additional support needed by the student. Students are also encouraged to provide the faculty with any information that will aid in making the best decisions for the student and the field. Documentation throughout this process will also be shared with the Graduate School.

Students can be dismissed from the program or denied further registration based on the following conditions:

• Student does not maintain a 3.0 grade point average after three continuous quarters.
• Student does not maintain reasonable progress toward the degree.
• Student does not meet the goals of their remediation plan.

Once the faculty determines that the student is not making reasonable progress, the student is then given a final warning along with time frame and expectations for change that must be met to remain in the program. Students are removed from the program after a unanimous vote of the school psychology faculty and a careful review of the student's materials. This decision is then forwarded to the Graduate School and the student will be informed of this decision in writing. Students who are terminated will no longer be considered a member of the school psychology program, nor will they be allowed into any school psychology course. In order to obtain reinstatement, the student must petition the University. Procedures for reinstatement can be found in the OSU Graduate School Handbook.

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