Departmental Regulations
Department of Psychology
University of Minnesota
Departmental Regulations
Fall 1987
Revised and Reprinted Fall 1989
Revised and Reprinted Winter 1993
Revised and Reprinted Spring 1996
Revised and Reprinted Spring 1997
Revised and Reprinted Spring 2006
Amended May 7, 2007
Table of Contents
I. Graduate Students
A. Admission to Graduate Work
B. Choice of advisers
C. M.A. Degree
D. Departmental Evaluation of Grad Student Performance
E. Graduate School Registration Permits and Guidelines
F. Ph.D. Preliminary Written Examinations
G. Ph.D. Oral Examinations
H. Timeline Requirements for Completion of the Ph.D.
I. Ph.D. Language Requirement
J. Internal Supporting Program for Psychology Majors
K. Thesis Research Experience
L. Teaching and Research Experience
M. Private Practice by Graduate Students
N. Graduate Student Records
O. Student Research and Travel Expenses
P. Minors in Psychology
Q. APA Publication Manual
R. Job Opportunities
II. Undergraduate Students
A. Psy 1004/1005 (4-5)
B. Accepting Other Courses in lieu of 1001 as Prerequisite
C. Students Seeing Course Exams
D. Course Registration
E. Undergraduate Psychology Advisers
F. Undergraduate Honors Majors
G. Undergraduate Advising Records
H. Examinations Under Special Circumstances
I. Independent Study
III. Faculty
A. Confidentiality
B. Lectures, Hiring Substitutes
C. Administrative and Committee Structure
D. Curriculum
E. Review of Grant Applications
F. Faculty Changes in Status
G. Selection of Faculty for Extension Teaching
IV. Miscellaneous
A. Calendar of Events
B. Research Experience Program (REP)
C. Journal Seminar Room
D. Requests for Department Data
V. Amendments to Regulations
VI. Appendix A: Courses for the General Area Distribution Requirement
I. Graduate Students
A. Admission to Graduate Work
1. All applications for graduate work in psychology are made to the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions.
2. Official correspondence with applicants for graduate work, e.g., recommending admission and offering financial aid, is carried out over the Chair's signature. Answers to routine inquiries are usually handled by the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions.
3. Psychology graduate program information and application materials are available on the department website at http://www.psych.umn.edu. The revision of the graduate program information and application materials available on the web is under the supervision of the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions. The department web site provides a link to the Graduate School online Application and information. Application materials for the School Psychology Program are different from those provided by the Department of Psychology and are available on the School Psychology web site.
4. The chief graduate areas for which a prospective student may apply are listed on the face sheet of the Departmental Application for Graduate Work and consist of the following:
- Biological Psychopathology
- Clinical Science and Psychopathology Research
- Cognitive and Biological, including the following areas of emphasis:
- Affective Neuroscience
- Animal Learning
- Behavioral Pharmacology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Human Learning and Memory
- Neuroimaging
- Psychoacoustics
- Psychobiology
- Vision
- Counseling
- Individual Differences, Personality, and Behavioral Genetics
- Industrial and Organizational
- Quantitative/Psychometric Methods
- Social Psychology
5. Completed applications are first reviewed by the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions, using screening rules derived from previous faculty actions. Applicants who do not meet the initial screening criteria are rejected. The decision is recorded on the Graduate School electronic Admission Appraisal Form.
6. Completed applications that are not rejected by the screening rules are forwarded to the Area Director of the applicant’s chosen interest area. Area faculty members review the application, make the admission decision, and return the entire folder to the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions. Admission to the Department of Psychology in School Psychology is approved by a member of Psychology's core faculty who agrees to serve as co-adviser for the prospective student.
7. Accepted applicants are informed by the Chair and the decision is recorded on the Graduate School electronic Admission Appraisal Form. The Graduate School confirms the admission decision and notifies the student of formal acceptance.
8. Rejected applicants are informed by the Graduate School after the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions completes the Graduate School electronic Admission Appraisal Form.
9. Accepted applicants may be nominated by faculty for teaching assistantships, Graduate School Fellowships (GSF), or Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) Fellowships. Files for these applicants are forwarded by the Area Director to the Coordinator of Graduate Admissions who makes them available for review by the T.A. Committee or the Awards Committee. The number of nominations the department may submit to the Graduate School for the GSF and DOVE is limited to the number of nominations assigned to the program by the Graduate School Fellowship Committee. Offers of research assistantships are made directly by the faculty.
10. A Graduate Faculty member may not process an application outside that member's usual area to the point of acceptance for graduate work. In rare instances of exceptional competence and emergency circumstances, that member may admit an applicant on provisional basis, making clear to the Graduate School and to the candidate that this admits to "psychology," and so far as work in an area is concerned, the applicant must still obtain acceptance by faculty in the specific area.
11. Each graduate area may determine its own admission prerequisites, standards, the number of students to be admitted, and, within limits, its curriculum; however, any departure from general departmental policies or established admissions procedures should have interim approval of the Chair and is subject to departmental review. Full faculty review of such decisions may be placed on the agenda for a faculty meeting at the request of any member of the Department's graduate faculty.
12. Unless English is not his/her native tongue, a student shall not be admitted to the graduate program without having GRE scores in his/her file. Applicants whose native language is not English are strongly encouraged to take the Test of Spoken English (TSE). International applicants residing in the Twin Cities area may take the TSE or SPEAK test (institutional version of the TSE). In order to work as a teaching assistant or instructor in courses in the psychology department, a passing score of 50 is needed on one of these tests.
B. Choice of Advisers
1. The primary choice of an adviser rests with the student. Faculty in a field may make temporary or interim assignments by a group decision or predetermined procedure, e.g., adviser quota or screening ratings, but in doing so, it shall be made clear to the student that this is an interim assignment and that the student should normally survey the field and select and approach an adviser when the student has found one.
2. Acceptance of a student as an advisee rests with the individual faculty member. It is understood that no Graduate Faculty member may be compelled to accept any person as a degree candidate. If a student is unable to secure an adviser in his/her area of specialization, it is taken for granted that the faculty member who recommended the student's admission to the area would be willing to advise the student during the pre-candidacy period.
3. If a student wishes to change advisers within the field of specialization, s/he should, as a matter of courtesy, discuss the matter with his/her adviser. The student need not consult the Chair and needs no official "permission" except that of their new adviser. The student is responsible for notifying the Department Office (N218 Elliott) and the Graduate School of this change.
C. M.A. Degree
1. Master's degree programs should be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies for consideration, approval, and transmission to the Graduate School.
2. The application for a Master's Degree shall be made on the Graduate School form which requires a listing of the M.A. program. It shall not be made before completion of at least nine credits of graduate work. The adviser shall supply supporting data, including at least the GRE score and a current transcript.
3. Either a written or an oral examination is required for the Plan B Master's degree. The type of examination will be determined by the student's adviser. An oral examination is required for the Plan A Master's Degree.
4. The Department will permit considerable flexibility in the options available to students for completion of the MA degree Plan B Project(s). At the discretion and approval of the graduate faculty adviser, the student may elect to fulfill the Plan B Project(s) requirement in one of the following ways:
5. By completing Plan B Papers in three courses in the Master's program, each paper requiring a minimum of approximately 40 hours of direct effort.
6. By completing Plan B Papers in less than three courses in the Master's program, in any combination totaling no less than approximately 120 hours of direct effort.
7. By undertaking Independent Study courses creditable to the Master's program and devoted totally to the completion of Plan B Project(s). Such courses would require a minimum of 4 graduate credits (approximately 120 hours of direct effort).
8. By completing one or more Plan B papers or projects independent of any courses, in any combination, totaling no less than approximately 120 hours of direct effort.
9. These options are in conformance with the Graduate School regulations described in the current Graduate School Bulletin.
10. A foreign language is not required by this department for the M.A. degree.
11. Plan A (with thesis) Master's Degrees are covered by current Graduate School regulations. Graduate students considering the Plan A Master's Program should consult with their advisers in regard to the feasibility of such a program.
D. Departmental Evaluation of Graduate Student Performance
1. The primary purpose of these evaluations is to provide the adviser and student with concrete and important feedback on the student's performance and progress to date, and on the student's chances of completing the program.
2. All advisers will report to the Executive Committee during the Spring semester of each academic year on the progress of their first-year graduate students, using as the first guideline the grade point averages used by the prior committee for review of graduate student progress (3.3 for Ph.D. candidates and 3.0 for M.A. candidates). Other factors (adviser's statement, course load, number of incompletes, and so forth) will, of course, be reported to and considered by the committee. In those cases in which the performance of first-year graduate students appears questionable by Executive Committee review, the faculty adviser will receive a letter asking him/her to show cause for the student's continued registration. The response to that request will lead to a recommendation by the Executive Committee either to drop the student, or to place him/her on some form of probation, or to clear him/her for continued registration.
(Note: A reminder will be sent to all advisers early in the Spring semester alerting them that they must report to the Executive Committee on the status of their first year advisees.)
E. Graduate School Registration Permits and Guidelines
In late 1969, the Graduate School requested all departments to file, with the Graduate School, criteria regarding satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree. These guidelines were incorporated into a new Graduate School registration system, which utilizes registration permits of three types: "clear," "warning," and "hold". Students with "clear" or "warning" permits need not obtain Graduate School approval during the registration process each semester. Students who receive "hold" permits must clear with the Graduate School before they are allowed to register; usually they must consult with their adviser and the departmental Director of Graduate Studies to demonstrate that the condition which led to the "hold" permit is being remedied.
The Department does not consider these guidelines as an evaluation of performance for the student, but rather a system which reminds the student of certain tasks which should be done if progress toward the degree is to be made.
The following is a brief summary of the set of guidelines transmitted to the Graduate School by the Department:1. Grade Point Average: A "warning" permit will be issued whenever a student receives any grade of "D" or "F" or when the overall grade point average falls below 3.0. (Note: Most advisers set a higher standard of performance, particularly for those students in the Ph.D. program.)
2. Incompletes: A "warning" permit will be issued whenever a student's total number of incompletes, or courses with "X" or no grade, exceeds 9 credits (this total includes incompletes in courses in which Plan B papers are being written).
3. Ph.D. Program Form: A "warning" permit will be issued if a student has not filed the Ph.D. Program Form by the end of the second year in residence.
A student who fails to meet these guidelines may expect to receive a "warning" permit the following semester, and a "hold" permit the semester after that if the deficiency is not made up.
Other requirements, such as the filing of Master's Program Forms and the filing of the Ph.D. Thesis Title Form, are not covered by these guidelines; deadlines set by the Graduate School for the filing of such documents are fully described in the Graduate School Bulletin.F. Timeline Requirements for Completion of the Ph.D. (amendment approved 5/07/07)
1. The maximum time for completion of the Ph.D. is 8 years of enrolled time. This is the maximum. Registration for the eighth year will require a written justification on the part of the student and adviser, and approval by the Area Director and DGS. Few students, if any, should need that much time. Funding is guaranteed only for 5 years. Completion of the Ph.D. is defined as a) successful completion of the Ph.D. Final Oral Exam, and b) having a final approved copy of the dissertation filed with the Graduate School. For example, if a student’s first semester of enrollment is September, 2007, and the student maintains continuous enrollment (i.e. Fall and Spring semester of each academic year), the Ph.D. must be completed before the Fall semester begins in September 2015. The scheduling of the Final Oral must accommodate any time that is necessary to make any revisions to the thesis mandated by the Final Oral Committee. Failure to meet both of these completion requirements means termination from the Ph.D. program. Extenuating circumstances (e.g. prolonged illness) can be accommodated by a formal leave of absence, which stops the clock. However, such leaves must be approved by the Adviser, Area Director, and DGS.
2. The Ph.D. Preliminary Oral examination must be completed successfully within 4 calendar years of the semester in which the student was admitted. For example, assuming the student has been continuously registered, if she or he began in the Fall semester of 2007, the Preliminary Oral must be completed before the end of Fall semester 2011. Given that the Graduate School requires registration for 24 thesis credits (Psy 8888) post Preliminary Oral, it will be in the student’s own best interests to complete the Preliminary Oral even earlier, thus maximizing the opportunity for tuition benefits to pay for thesis credits. Note that before a student can take the Preliminary Oral exam, the General Area Distribution Requirements and the Special Preliminary Written requirement must also be completed, as well as any other requirements imposed by a student’s specific program area.
3. Enrollment in Psy 8666, Psy 8444, and Grad 999 will no longer be allowed without permission from the Adviser, Area Director, and DGS.
4. Summary of the Implications of the new PhD Timeline (Amended May 78, 2007)
|
Status under Old Guidelines for Time line |
Status under New Guidelines for Time line |
Amount of Time to Complete Prelim Orals |
4 years and 1 semester (Department Regulations) |
4 years and 1 semester (No Change) |
Amount of Time to Complete PhD after Prelim Orals |
Maximum of 5 years (Graduate School Rule) |
No longer applicable as the issue is the total time to PhD |
Total Amount of Time to Complete PhD |
9 years and 1 semester |
7 years (An 8th year is available with advisor, area director, and DGS approval) |
Enrollment in Psy 8666, Psy 8444, and Grad 999 |
Register without approvala (Graduate School Policy) |
Register with advisor, area director, and DGS approval |
All students, including those enrolled in the program as of Spring Term 2007 will need to secure approval from their advisor, area director, and DGS before enrolling in Psy 8666, Psy 8444, and Grad 999.
G. Ph.D.Written Preliminary Examination Requirement
The Ph.D. written preliminary examination requirement of the Graduate School shall be fulfilled by the student's passing a special area written examination (see Section 2). The special area written examination may be taken only upon completion of the general area distribution requirement. This latter requirement is intended to ensure that the student is broadly conversant with psychological science.
The general area distribution requirement
(a) To fulfill this requirement, the student shall demonstrate competency in four "general" areas. The four areas shall be chosen by the student and the student's adviser from the following list of thirteen, subject to restrictions that may be imposed by the Department's area training program:Developmental
Differential/Behavior Genetics
Human Learning, Memory and Cognition
Industrial/Organizational
Learning/Behavior Theory
Measurement
Personality
Psychobiology
Psychopathology
Quantitative Methods and Research Methodology
Sensation and Perception
Social
StatisticsCourses required to demonstrated competency in each general area are listed in Appendix A. Each general area faculty shall prescribe the course work requirement for the area. The Prelim Committee shall publish a current Appendix A each Spring semester.
(b) Only courses taken for graduate credit and taught by instructors with at least Limited Teaching Status in the Graduate School faculty may be used to demonstrate competency in an area. A given course may be used to demonstrate competency in only one area.
(c) Retaking courses. A student who earns a grade below the minimum required to demonstrate competency may informally retake the course, at the discretion of the instructor. Upon the student's successful retaking of the course, the instructor shall submit a letter to the student's file indicating satisfaction of the competency requirement.
(d) Special exemptions.Students who have taken courses at other institutions comparable to one or more courses listed in Appendix A may petition the Prelim Committee to apply such courses toward partial or full satisfaction of the competency requirement. The petition must be endorsed by the adviser and must include documentation that describes the circumstances of prior course-taking experience (namely, transcript, syllabus, written materials such as examinations or term papers). If the petition is approved, the Prelim Committee shall submit a letter to the student's file indicating satisfaction of the course requirement.
At the request of the adviser and with the approval of the Prelim Committee, a student may be allowed to take examination(s) that correspond to the examination(s) of the course in question, to satisfy the competency requirement. This option exists solely at the discretion of the course instructor. Upon the student's successful completion of the examination(s), the instructor shall submit a letter to the student's file indicating satisfaction of the course requirement.
Appeals concerning special exemptions shall be adjudicated by the Prelim Committee, in joint consultation with the course instructor, the student, and the student's adviser.
(e) Students are required to complete the general area distribution requirement by the beginning of their fourth year in the Ph.D. program. When they satisfactorily complete the requirements for an area, students should, with proper documentation, immediately inform their advisers and the Prelim Committee.
The special area written examination
(a) This examination is intended to assess the student's competence in a special area of interest. The special area written examination should give the student an opportunity to demonstrate detailed knowledge of research literature and techniques of investigation, originality and rigorous thinking, and both breadth and depth in the special area.
(b) The special area written examination shall be constructed by a committee of three, including the student's adviser, who appoints the other two members with the approval of the Department Chair. A common examination may be given for students in an area training program, in which case the training program Area Director shall be responsible for recommending the examination committee members to the Chair.
(c) The special area written examination should ordinarily be taken shortly after completion of general area distribution requirement, unless the examination committee approves postponement to a later date. The faculty group in an area training program may designate times at which the special written examination shall be given.
(d) The special area written examination shall be graded on a pass-fail basis, and a committee majority shall determine the student's grade.
(e) At the discretion of the adviser and with the approval of the Chair, a review paper in the student's special area of interest may be substituted for the special area written examination and graded on the same basis. The review paper may be used as the basis for the preliminary oral examination with the concurrence of the student's preliminary oral examination committee. The paper must be distributed to this committee at least 28 days before the oral examination.Failing the written preliminary examination requirement
(a) Failure to demonstrate competency in four general areas by the beginning of the fourth year shall result in termination of graduate student status. If a student has not demonstrated competency in at least two general areas by the end of the second year, the student's adviser shall warn the student that her/his progress is unsatisfactory. If competency in three general areas has not been demonstrated by the third year, the Chair shall send the student a letter warning of impending termination of graduate student status.
(b) Failing the special area written examination shall result in termination of graduate student status.
(c) Graduate student status may be reinstated by: (1) motion of the adviser and a seconding of this motion on the agenda of a regularly scheduled faculty meeting; (2) majority vote of the Voting Faculty, by secret ballot, following discussion in this meeting. The Voting Faculty shall have access to all written examination material and relevant data in reaching its decision.H. Ph.D. Oral Examinations
1. Preliminary oral examination (supplementary to existing Graduate School rules).
At the conclusion of an oral prelim, and prior to any discussion, the committee's Chair shall obtain a ballot vote. This vote is understood to be "preliminary" unless it is unanimously Pass or Fail, in which case it is final. On this vote, everyone must vote "Pass" or "Fail," not "With qualifications" unless the voter's ballot specifies the concrete qualification and the means of its removal.2. Final oral examination
The final oral examination is governed by existing Graduate School regulations.3. Scheduling of oral examinations
Major advisers in the Department of Psychology may not give permission to their advisees to hold either preliminary or final oral examinations between the end of May term and the beginning of Fall Semester unless the circumstances are most unusual. Application for waiver of this rule may be made to the Chair, in writing, by the student and the adviser.4. Composition of Ph.D. Committees
All preliminary and final oral committees for graduate students in the Department must have on them at least two voting members of the Department of Psychology faculty.5. The following requirement of the Graduate School pertains to the final oral only. As required by the Graduate School, the student must complete the final oral within five (5) years after successfully completing the preliminary oral. It is an additional Department of Psychology requirement that the preliminary oral must be successfully completed within four (4) calendar years of the semester in which he/she was admitted for graduate work. For example, if a student was first admitted for fall semester , 1977, the time limit would expire at the end of fall semester , 1981. Failure to complete the preliminary oral within the time limit will result in the termination of the individual's graduate student status. The time limit applies to students admitted initially for the Ph.D. and also to those admitted for the M.A. but who later are approved for the Ph.D. program. That is, being admitted for the M.A. program does not automatically extend the time limit. Extensions may be granted in extenuating circumstances. A request for an extension must be submitted to the Executive Committee by the student's adviser and approval requires a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee. The Chair of the Department shall have the responsibility for maintaining the proper records to implement this policy.
I. Ph.D. Language Requirement
For Ph.D.'s in Psychology, the decision regarding the foreign language or collateral field or special research technique is at the option of the major adviser. The rule is retroactive to Ph.D. programs already approved as of February 26, 1970.
J. Internal Supporting Program for Psychology Majors
On May 26, 1970, the Graduate School officially approved an internal supporting program for Psychology majors. The traditional minor and supporting programs are options still available. The internal program should total 21 to 27 credits and may have both internal and external courses. Examples of such can be obtained in the Psychology Central Office (N218 Elliott Hall).
K. Thesis Research Design
As a standard procedure, Ph.D. candidates should be sent by the adviser to present the thesis design to the other members of the thesis committee.
L. Teaching and Research Experience
All students with career goals for academic teaching, research, and practice are expected to acquire experience in teaching, research, and practice during their tenure as graduate students. Such expected experience may be acquired in positions such as Teaching Assistant, Teaching Associate, Research Assistant, or practicum or internship positions under faculty supervision.
The Faculty of the Department of Psychology strongly encourages graduate students in psychology to gain teaching experience through participation in one or more of the following:1. Shared or team taught teaching in Psychology 3960 (Undergraduate Seminar) under the guidance of a faculty member(s).
2. Directing the study and preparation of a paper by students registered for Psy 3970 who have taken Psy 3960 from that graduate student in a preceding semester.
3. Leading a regularly scheduled discussion section in conjunction with a course taught by one of the professorial faculty under the guidance of that faculty member.
4. Teaching one or more of the regular sections of Psy 1001 under professional supervision.
5. Teaching or team teaching a course in the Extension Division, on nomination by the faculty member teaching that course during the regular academic year, and under the supervision of that faculty member and the Psychology Department Coordinator of CEE.
6. Teaching or team teaching a course during the summer session, following nomination and with the guidance of the faculty member who teaches the course during the academic year.
7. Giving guest lectures a number of times in a regularly scheduled academic course with the consent of, and under the supervision of, the professor teaching the course.
Only items 4, 5, and 6 above carry stipends. All of the items above have student teaching experience as their primary intent.
All graduate students working for the Ph.D. degree are expected to obtain research experience in their area of specialization under the supervision of a faculty member. This experience is required to insure proper preparation for the dissertation requirement for the Ph.D. degree, and to enhance their ability to use appropriate research methods and instruments in their late scientific and professional careers. This research experience may be acquired by the student as a paid or unpaid research assistant on either sponsored or non-sponsored research, or a combination of these.
It is the normal requirement that each graduate student will be actively engaged in research throughout their graduate training unless specially exempted for any period by their adviser. This addition is a formalization of long-standing practice.M. Private Practice by Graduate Students
1. No graduate student in psychology shall engage in public activity within or outside the University in which he/she would represent the profession of psychology (e.g., seminars, courses, therapy projects) without the permission of the adviser or the Executive Committee. If the adviser has any doubts about the matter, he/she should bring it to the attention of the Executive Committee immediately. When such activity is being considered, the student and adviser should ascertain that this activity is consistent with the Code of Ethics of the American Psychological Association and with the student's level of professional training. When a graduate student is engaged in such approved activity, the student may identify himself/herself (in announcements, programs, brochures, etc.) only as "Graduate Student in program Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis".
2. No graduate student in psychology shall engage in unsupervised counseling or psychotherapy. (Working in a bonafide agency such as the VA, SCB, or CLA, where supervision is provided and the practical experience is integrated with the University's training program, is not to be interpreted as a violation of this regulation.) Exceptions to this regulation can be made only by the Executive Committee and only if the student by other training or experience has qualifications or experience meeting existing professional standards in a specified domain of practice.
3. A student, even when engaged in permissible practice or consulting activity, is not to identify himself/herself with the University by the use of University stationery, a University mention on a personal card, etc., without the written approval of the Chair and the concurrence of the director of the program in which the student is specializing.
N. Graduate Student Records
1. Information on each graduate student is filed by the student in the Department Central Office (N218 Elliott Hall) at the beginning of each semester. It is particularly important that students notify the Department of any change in address, e-mail address and phone number as this information is needed for the departmental mailing list and the Graduate Student Roster. Changes of this sort may be given to N218 Elliott Hall (625-4042).
2. Each Adviser shall keep a Personnel Folder for each student; additional folders are available in the Graduate Admissions Office.
3. Prior to the oral prelim, each student will prepare five copies of a "Statement of Qualifications" or vita for the use of the examining committee covering personal data, work history, publications, etc.
O. Student Research and Travel Expenses
1. Expenses up to $100 for thesis research (apparatus, hiring help, mimeo, purchase of tests, etc.) may be granted upon application (in writing) by student and adviser to the Chair. Such decisions will be made at the Chair's discretion.
2. If funds are available, round trip coach air fare (tax exempt) may be paid for one trip per fiscal year for a graduate student, upon written recommendation of the adviser, to an APA meeting, a regional psychological meeting, or a comparable professional or scientific meeting, provided that the student is presenting a paper. Additional travel support may be authorized in special "hardship cases" upon written recommendation of the adviser.
3. This support of student research or travel is contingent upon funds being available, in terms of the current rate of supply budget and other fund expenditure rates and the best estimate of future expenditures for the remainder of the fiscal year.
P. Minors in Psychology
Whether or not a Ph.D. candidate minoring in psychology is required to take a written examination in psychology is left to the discretion of the faculty serving as minor members on the preliminary oral examination committee.
Q. APA Publication Manual
Advisers shall require all graduate students to use the APA Publication Manual and follow it in preparing term papers, topics papers, experimental reports, and theses.
R. Job Opportunities
1. A "jobs available" file for graduating students at the M.A. and Ph.D. levels is maintained in the central psychology office (N218 Elliott) for the use of faculty and students. Some local positions are also publicized in the Department mail room (2nd floor).
2. Job letters or notices received by the Chair may be filed in the "jobs available" file at his/her discretion.
II. Undergraduate Students
A. Psy 1004/1005 (4-5)
Under no circumstances may credit be given for Psy 1004/1005 (4-5) without class attendance
B. Accepting Other Courses in lieu of 1001 as Prerequisite
The decision that another course will be accepted as a prerequisite in lieu of Psychology 1001 can be made only by the undergraduate advisers in the Undergraduate Advising Office or the Coordinator of the Undergraduate Psychology Office.
C. Students Seeing Course Exams
Whether a student may be permitted to look over the examination for a specific course, with an assistant or instructor, is a matter left to the individual instructor. The department as such adopts no general rule or policy in such matters, except in the case of Psychology 1001, for which deadlines for seeing examinations are stated in that course's current syllabus.
D. Course Registration
In accordance with established College and University procedures, it is the policy of the Department of Psychology to require that all participants in any course, including graduate seminars, be registered for that course. Any participant in a course must, therefore, be registered for credit or registered officially as an auditor or visitor (V). Under College rules, instructors are asked to exclude from class activities any student who is not so registered.
E. The Undergraduate Psychology Advisers
The Undergraduate Psychology Advisers in the Undergraduate Advising Office will interview all undergraduate majors in psychology. They will perform all advising functions including making referrals for student interviews with appropriate faculty when necessary or specifically requested by the student.
F. Undergraduate Honors Majors
Undergraduate honors majors will be referred to the Undergraduate Psychology Advisers for initial interview and routine advising. They also will be assigned to an appropriate faculty member who will serve as an adviser for the student's final two to three years as a psychology major.
G. Undergraduate Advising Records
All undergraduate advising records will be maintained in the Undergraduate Advising Office.
H. Examinations under Special Circumstances
1. Conflict examinations
The Department abides by the College regulation stated in the 1988-90 CLA Bulletin: "Instructors are obligated to schedule make-up exams within the final examination period for students who have three final exams within a 16-hour period. You must submit your request for an adjustment in your schedule at least two weeks before the examination period begins."2. Make-up examinations
Make-up examinations are sometimes administered to students who must miss an exam for a serious and legitimate reason, e.g., illness.
(a) Midterm make-ups for all courses are given in common, approximately one week after the scheduled midterms, at a time designated by the instructor.
(b) Final make-ups for all courses are also given in common, but during the second week of the subsequent semester. Like midterm make-ups, these examinations should be considered exceptions to the general rule, by no means merely alternative times for examinations. The Psy 1001 make-up is given with the final exam of the subsequent semester.
No student may be given a make-up examination without permission from the course instructor; forms for these permits are available from the Undergraduate Psychology Office. Blanket permissions are not in keeping with University policy. Because of the administrative difficulties involved in approving, administering, scoring, and recording these examinations, and because of human resource power and space limitations, course instructors are urged to discourage make-up exams.3. Special examinations
These examinations are administered with consent of the department upon recommendation of the Scholastic Standing Committee of the student's College.
(a) Examinations for proficiency
These are usually taken to satisfy prerequisites for advanced courses or to prove satisfaction of a requirement and are usually conducted by the course instructor. Examinations for proficiency require no fee and yield no credit or grade. They may be taken at any time, and, if the student's work is of passing quality, a simple notation of the fact is made on his or her record. Students wishing to take such exams should pick up the appropriate forms in their college divisional office.
(b) Examinations for credit
These examinations may be typical final examinations, oral tests, written papers or projects, or any other combination of work which satisfy the examiners that the student has adequately achieved the goals of the course. Such examinations are usually conducted by a committee appointed by the Chair or the Assistant Chair. A student must do C quality work to earn credit, and a notation will be placed on his or her record showing the course and credits earned. If a student fails to do C work, no notation will be made. The appropriate Scholastic Standing Committee determines whether or not a grade will be assigned; if so, it will count in the grade point average. These examinations are without fee if taken during the student's first semester in residence or during the first semester after an absence of a year or more. Otherwise a fee is charged. In either case, these credits do not count as residence credits.I. Independent Study
The Department offers certain courses on an Independent Study basis. Registration for these courses requires either consent of the course instructor and Department or consent of the Department only, as determined by the Department. Registration for more than one Independent Study course per semester requires approval of the student's adviser or the Scholastic Standing Committee.
A listing of psychology courses showing their availability for Independent Study is maintained and updated periodically.
For courses that do require consent of instructor, syllabi are placed in the Undergraduate Psychology Office; the regular course instructor constructs the exams.
Independent Study midterm examinations are administered by the Undergraduate Psychology Office at a time and place stated in the syllabi mentioned above. The final examinations are given at a time and place determined by the College office and announced in the Daily; these exams are usually given with the Conflict Examinations for that semester.
III. Faculty
A. Confidentiality
Since the faculty meeting agenda and minutes often contain information or opinions about students and extra-departmental persons or have other special features, the faculty should treat them as confidential and should secure them.B. Lectures, Hiring Substitutes
If a faculty member must, on a rare occasion, miss a class due to a nonprofit absence on her/his part, she/he may either "swap" with another faculty member, request the teaching assistant to take over, or arrange with an advanced student who wants the teaching experience. Classes should not be canceled unless make-up time is open at the semester’s end.
On the other hand, if the faculty member is absent on a profit making venture, especially if these happen more than once or twice a year, that member should pay the substitute lecturer at an appropriate rate per lecture.
A CLA rule requires permission from the Dean to be absent from the campus while classes are in session. In most cases, the rule can be complied with by completing the Request for Authorization for Travel Outside State, which requires the CLA Dean's signature.
When a faculty member will be traveling away from the campus, it is helpful if a memo indicating where he/she can be reached is sent to the departmental secretary.C. Administrative and Committee Structure
With the exception of the Executive Committee, department committees shall be appointed by the Chair. Terms may vary and may be "indefinite". Certain departmental faculty, i.e., University Senate members, must be elected to office by procedures established outside these regulations.
The Chair shall distribute a list of departmental committees and their composition at the beginning of every academic year. At present, the following committees, special assignments, and functions are listed:
| Chair Associate Chairs Department Administrator Executive Committee (elected) Advising and Graduate Admissions Affirmative Action Animal Laboratories Audio/Visual Equipment Awards Committee CLA Assembly (elected) CLA Honors Council Computer Facilities Coordinator for Handicapped Students Council of Graduate Students Curriculum Committee DATA Editor Director of Graduate Studies (elected) |
Director of Honors |
Grievance Committee
(a) In accordance with the report of the University Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility accepted by the University Senate (December, 1970), the Department will maintain a committee of faculty, students, and staff to hear cases involving faculty, student, or staff freedom and responsibility when the parties involved are unable to resolve the complaint informally.
(b) The Grievance Committee of the Department of Psychology shall consist of the four elected members of the Executive Committee, one graduate student (to be chosen annually), one undergraduate student (to be chosen annually by the CLA Student Intermediary Board), and one Civil Service representative (to be chosen annually by the total department Civil Service staff). The Civil Service member, the graduate student member, and the undergraduate student member will, in each case, serve with the faculty members to hear a grievance only when one of the principals in the grievance comes from the group s/he represents. If the specific grievance involves any faculty member, student, or staff member serving on the committee so constituted, the committee member involved will withdraw from such service during the processing of the specific grievance.
(c) A student, faculty member, or Civil Service staff person, having a grievance should first make every effort to resolve the problem through informal channels. If the grievance cannot be resolved informally, the complainant should request that the matter be reviewed by the Grievance Committee; this request should be made to the Committee in writing and should cite all relevant circumstances.
(d) If the Committee's recommendation is unacceptable to the parties involved, an appeal may be submitted to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and, finally, to the President's Office.D. Curriculum
Major matters pertaining to curriculum are normally acted upon by the Voting Faculty. Proposals concerning the following may be initiated by any member of the faculty and should be sent to the Executive Committee or Department Chair and will be forwarded to the Curriculum Committee:
Program sequences, including the requirements and recommended order of courses leading to an undergraduate major in psychology, general graduate course requirements and sequences, and review of graduate course programs in special fields of psychology.
Initiation and termination of individual courses, and the determination of level, credits, and course numbers for undergraduate, graduate, and extension courses.
Scheduling of individual courses to attain an adequate time distribution of departmental offerings and to minimize significant course conflicts.
The Chair will inform Voting Faculty of all new course proposals under consideration by the departmental Curriculum Committee, so that interested faculty may contact the Curriculum Committee. Any Voting Faculty member may request that a specific course proposal be discussed and voted on by the Voting Faculty in a regular meeting.E. Review of Grant Applications
To implement long-range guidelines for Department set by the faculty and to maintain control over space allocation, all applications for new or continuing research or training grants are to be reviewed carefully and in detail by the Department Chair. In any cases where the Chair considers it advisable, review of the application by the Executive Committee will be requested.
To provide continuing information on the nature of grant applications and of their implications for the Department with respect to space and programs, the Chair will provide copies of B.A. Form 23 for all applications to the Executive Committee for information.F. Faculty Changes in Status
In all cases in which a member of the department faculty requests a change in status that entails leaving or abridging typical professorial roles and responsibilities for a period of time, the Chair will bring the request to the Executive Committee for discussion and recommendations.
The request itself and the recommendations of the Executive Committee and the Chair will be reported to the Voting Faculty as an item for information, and for discussion and/or action if the faculty so desires.
These procedures will be followed in all cases, including the assuming of an administrative position (academic or non-academic), requests for leave without pay, requests for partial leaves without pay, sabbaticals, and single-semester leaves. The intent of these procedures is to assure full communication to the Voting Faculty with respect to both the plans of the faculty member and the plans of the department whenever a change in roles and responsibilities is contemplated.G. Selection of Faculty for Extension Teaching
In the selection of faculty for Extension teaching, the primary consideration will be the competence of the individual to teach the course. Within this consideration, the following priorities for Extension teaching will be observed:
Voting Faculty
Adjunct Faculty, Clinical-rank Faculty, Graduate Students, and Postdoctoral Fellows in the Department of Psychology, with preference determined by relative need.
Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows in other departments.
IV. Miscellaneous
A. Calendar of Events
The department shall post a "calendar of events" in the central office, available to staff and graduate students. Scheduled events (such as department meetings, APA or MPA meetings, colloquia, special visiting groups, etc.) should be entered here by the faculty in charge as soon as the dates are set. In arranging dates for department activities, the staff should first consult this listing for conflicts.
B. Research Experience Program (REP)
Participants for psychological research projects may be recruited on a voluntary basis from the Introductory Psychology (Psy 1001) classes each semester.
The REP pool of participants may be used by full departmental members of the Psychology faculty and graduate students under Psychology Department faculty supervision. Members of other departments who are closely affiliated with the Department of Psychology in a teaching or research capacity may use the pool on a special permission basis when conditions permit. The final decision in all cases will be made by the REP Pool Chair of the Department.
Each academic semester, a departmental application form must be completed and turned into the REP Committee. Application forms are typically due to the Committee at the end of the first week of each semester. Applications will be reviewed for compliance with REP program regulations. Guidelines for preparing a REP application and detailed information on REP procedures may be obtained from Kate Briggs at khbriggs@umn.edu.
All applications will be reviewed for compliance with REP program requirements. All projects that comply with REP requirements will be assigned a REP project number. Each REP project will be allocated a maximum number of REP points that maybe used during the semester. REP point allocations made to each project will vary depending on total demand for use of the REP pool.
Researchers may begin REP recruitment and conduct research sessions immediately after formal notification of REP committee approval and REP point allocation has been received. REP project notification typically is provided in the second full week of classes each semester.
REP Researchers are required to keep accurate records of all participants from the pool contacted by mail, phone, or any other method. It is the responsibility of each researcher to provide full information on participants to the Undergraduate Psychology Office. Information on participants is provided to the Undergraduate Psychology Office using REP point cards. A separate, fully completed card is required for each participant. REP point cards must be turned in on or before the deadlines to provide sufficient time for calculation of course grades. Information describing how to complete REP point cards is available in N306 Elliott Hall..
All researchers are responsible for providing potential participants with a brief description of the project and procedures involved in the research at the time of recruitment. In line with current APA, NIH, and University regulations, all researchers must also: (1) have participants read and sign an informed consent form prior to beginning the project, and (2) provide participants with a full debriefing at the conclusion of the project. In addition, REP regulations require that all researchers must provide an educational debriefing of the project. Guidelines for the development of these forms are available in room N306.
Psychology 1001 students will receive one REP point for each 30 minutes of REP project participation. REP points will be applied as raw score points to the final grade distribution. These credits are added after the letter grade cutting scores have been determined so that the grades of persons not participating in the REP program are unaffected by this system. No student may increase his/her course letter grade by more than one step through REP participation.
Psychology students may apply no more than 10 REP points toward their course grade. In no instance will students be permitted to have points transferred to an earlier or later academic semester.All REP projects must be approved by the University Committee on the Use of Human Subjects in Research before any participants are recruited or any research is conducted. All REP projects will be expected to fully adhere to policies on ethical standards specified in the following sources:
Ethical Principles in the Conduct of Research with Human participants (American Psychological Association, 1982.)
The Institutional Guide to DHEW on Protection of Human Subjects (USDHEW Publication No. (NIH) 72-102), with updated entered in the Federal Register, 30 May 1974.
"The Board of Regents' Policy on Principles and Procedures Related to the Use of Human Subjects in Research" (Regents of the University of Minnesota, July 1987).Additional information on various REP pool procedures and copies of APA Ethical Guidelines are available from the Undergraduate Psychology Office. All REP procedures and deadlines must be strictly adhered to for the benefit of all concerned. Failure by a researcher to conform to the current regulations may result in a withdrawal of the responsible faculty member's privilege to use this participant pool.
Nothing in these regulations prevents recruitment of non-REP participants through other channels. Use of other Psychology Department classes requires pre-approval of the instructor of the class. If students from other departments participate in psychological research projects, the researcher should, as a matter of courtesy, make this information available to the Chairperson of the department in which the course is offered.
C. Journal Seminar Room
The Journal Seminar Room (JSR) is available to all department faculty and graduate students. The Journal Seminar is located in N219 Elliott and is accessible on a 24-hour basis using the Elliott Hall building key. The JSR provides a study space for graduate students as well as a mini-computer lab with laser printers and Internet access. A copier located in the JSR provides graduate students with free Xeroxing for school related needs. The JSR also houses back issues of popular psychology-related journals as well as new issues donated by faculty and friends of the department.
D. Requests for Department Data
Requests for department data, which are sometimes erroneously directed to teaching assistants, research assistants, or instructors, should be referred to the Chair.
V. Amendments to Regulations
Amendments to the Regulations shall be by majority vote of the faculty present at a faculty meeting. Amendments may not be made by the Executive Committee, or by the Chair. But emergency ad hoc suspensions, subject to departmental review, may be occasionally necessary. Such suspensions must be by unanimous vote of the Executive Committee with veto power by the Chair.