Students must adhere to the progress guidelines and performance standards of both the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Psychology. This section of the handbook describes these guidelines and standards, describes circumstances that may lead to a dismissal action being initiated, and summarizes appeal procedures.

Expected Progress Guidelines

Graduate students in the Department of Psychology are expected to make timely progress in their program of study. Specifically, they are expected to achieve critical milestones within the time limits defined by the progress guidelines below. Failure to do so is regarded as a failure to maintain the levels of academic performance required by the department and, as such, is considered grounds for scholastic termination by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Critical milestones are assessed in years since the student entered the program. For example, students are expected to have their MA proposal accepted after being in the program for a year and a half. They are placed on probation if their MA proposal has not been accepted after two years (which would be the beginning of their third year), and a dismissal action may be initiated if they have not had their MA proposal accepted by the end of their third year (which would be the beginning of their fourth year). Years are adjusted for time spent on program-required pre-doctoral internships, for approved leaves of absence, and for other circumstances such as approved medical leave or disability as detailed elsewhere in departmental, college, and university policies.

For each milestone, the number of years expected, the number of years after which the student is placed on probation, and the number of years after which a dismissal action may be initiated are given in the table below.

Milestone	Expected within	Probation After	Dismissal After
MA proposal accepted	1½	2	3
MA defense passed	2½	3	4
Dept. Core completed	2	3	4
GE Committee formed	4	5	6
General Exam passed	5	6	7
PhD proposal accepted	5	6	7
PhD defense passed	6	7	8

Milestones for the MA do not apply to students who entered with an approved MA, but students who entered with an approved MA, significant graduate coursework credited from previous programs, or both, would be expected to reach further milestones at appropriately earlier points in time.

If a student's progress indicates probation, the student will receive notice of this from the Director of Graduate Studies (this is termed a scholastic warning by the College of Arts and Sciences). At this point, the student should submit a memo to the Director of Graduate Studies documenting how he or she intends to achieve the relevant milestone before reaching the criterion for initiating a dismissal action.

If a student's progress indicates initiation of a dismissal action, the student will receive notice of this from the Director of Graduate Studies. Students may appeal the pending dismissal action by petitioning the Graduate Program Committee but they must do so before the end of the semester in which their progress first indicated initiation of a dismissal action. If they appeal, students should submit to the Director of Graduate Studies an individualized plan, supported by their advisor, detailing dates by which they intend to meet any milestones yet unachieved.

Annual Student Reports and Review of Students

Students are evaluated annually by their advisors in consultation with other faculty members in their program and the department, as appropriate. Beginning the student's second year in the program, these evaluations occur each fall semester. They emphasize the previous academic year but may also consider the current year, up to the time the evaluation is written. All aspects of a student's activities and performance are reviewed, including progress, academic performance, professionalism, and ethical orientation. Evaluation of clinical students also involves the assessment of their clinical skill.

The goal of the review is to assess each student's performance and progress in his or her program in order to better assist and guide them as part of the advisement process. The annual review summarizes and reflects the faculty's judgment regarding each student's ability to complete more advanced academic work, to function successfully as a service provider if required by the student's program, and to master all aspects of professional training relevant to the student's program area.

At the beginning of fall semester, students submit to the chair of their program an annual report describing their research and academic activities and accomplishments during the previous academic year and their plans for the remainder of the current academic year. In addition, clinical students detail their clinical activities. This report is considered during the annual review of students.

Students are provided written feedback on the results of the review during the semester in which the review takes place and are afforded the opportunity to discuss these results with their advisor. The annual review also serves as the basis for the development of a corrective action plan if significant problems or weaknesses are identified. In those instances when a student's performance is judged to be unsatisfactory, the letter of evaluation will include notice of probationary status (i.e., scholastic warning). This is independent of any scholastic warning that may be occasioned by failure to meet progress guidelines.

Students receiving such a warning from their program will be evaluated again at the end of the spring semester of that academic year. If at that time the faculty judges that the circumstances have not changed and the student's performance is again rated as unsatisfactory, a dismissal action will be initiated. As with appeals for failure to meet progress guidelines, students may appeal their pending dismissal; see Appeal Procedures later in this handbook.

Professional Behavior and Continuance in the Program

All student are bound by standards of professional conduct as specified by the American Psychological Association (see Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct). Violations may result in initiation of a dismissal action.

Clinical Students

The clinical committee utilizes the following criteria to govern its decisions concerning students' continuance. Students found to be in violation of one or more of the following criteria are subject to dismissal from the Clinical Program by majority vote of the clinical faculty. The committee's judgments are made within the context of students' expected levels of performance and accomplishment given their seniority in the program.

1. The student must complete the required and elective program and departmental course work, and other departmental, college, and university graduate degree requirements appropriate to their status in the department in a competent and timely manner.
2. The student must demonstrate the ability to develop, conceptualize, and complete major research projects in an independent manner, and to describe and explicate, both orally and in writing, the significance of such research as demonstrated in thesis and dissertation work, additional research projects, and research courses.
3. The student must demonstrate the ability to analyze, integrate, and make use of psychological knowledge gained from courses and independent reading in a unified, meaningful way as demonstrated by the student in course work, practicum and internship activities, the doctoral general examination, and thesis, dissertation, and other research work.
4. The student must display sensitivity and respect for the cultural, racial, and individual diversity of their clients, research participants, staff, and other professionals. The student must relate to clients, research professionals, staff, and other professionals in a mature, responsible, cooperative, and professional interpersonal manner
5. The student must practice the levels of clinical judgment and skill appropriate to their level of training. The student must show the ability to use psychological knowledge to competently and adequately develop and carry out appropriate clinical treatments with a range of actual clients.
6. The student must recognize the limits of his or her professional skills and abilities and work within these limits. The student must recognize when supervision from a more experienced clinician is needed
7. The student must work well under supervision while in the program and show the potential to function independently as a scientist-practitioner upon completion of the PhD.
8. The student will not present or describe himself or herself as a "psychologist" until licensed as such or employed in a state or federal government position that carries the psychologist job title.
9. The student must be free of personality or behavior problems that would prevent the student from functioning effectively as a clinical psychologist.
10. The student must adhere to generally accepted scientific, professional, and ethical standards of behavior and judgment that include refraining from any behaviors which would be subject to sanctions by the American Psychological Association.

Students who wish to appeal a decision of the Committee should review the procedures described later in this handbook (see Dismissals and Appeals).

Grades and Grade Point Average

Letter Grades

The College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Psychology expect students to maintain superior performance in course work. The College of Arts and Sciences requires that a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 be maintained and stipulates that a graduate student is subject to dismissal for failure to achieve a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the end of the next 18 semester hours of enrollment in letter-graded courses after the GPA has fallen below 3.0.

The department requires a GPA of 3.0 across all departmental courses. A student whose Psychology GPA falls below 3.0 is subject to dismissal for failure to achieve a 3.0 cumulative Psychology GPA by the end of the next 18 semester hours of enrollment in letter graded courses after the GPA has fallen below a 3.0. It is important to note that courses taken outside the Psychology Department are not used to compute this GPA, although these courses are computed in the overall GPA monitored by the college.

Letter-graded courses used to satisfy degree requirements (i.e., courses required by the department, the program, or both, including electives whose hours are required for the MA or PhD) must be passed with a grade of B or better. When the student earns a C or F in one of these courses, it must be retaken until a B or better is earned. Only the most recent attempt is computed in the Psychology GPA. All course attempts are included in the GPA calculated by the Registrar's Office. When there exist various courses that meet the same requirement, the student is allowed to take another course in that set. In this case, both grades are computed in the GPA. Although there is no formal limit to the number of times a course may be repeated, taking a course repeatedly with continued poor grades could adversely affect the GPA criterion, the progress guidelines, or both.

Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory Grades

Certain courses in the department are graded only as satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). These include thesis hours, doctoral general exam hours, and dissertation hours, as well as practicum hours. Although these hours are not included in the student's GPA, unsatisfactory performance is considered a serious matter.

Theses, exams, and dissertations. Thesis, exam, and dissertation hours earn grades of in progress (IP) while they are being taken. When a defense or exam is passed, these grades are changed to satisfactory (S). However, when a defense or exam is failed, these grades are changed to unsatisfactory (U). The student has 8 months to correct the deficit by passing the defense or examination. If this does not occur, the Director of Graduate Studies will initiate a dismissal action.

Practica. Like thesis, dissertation, and exam hours, practica are graded as S or U. Satisfactory performance implies that the following questions, where applicable, have all received affirmative responses from both departmental and on-site supervisors.

1. Did the student demonstrate the ability to analyze, integrate, and make use of psychological knowledge gained from courses and independent reading?
2. Did the student display sensitivity and respect for the cultural, racial, and individual diversity of their clients and research participants?
3. Did the student practice levels of judgment and skill appropriate to his/her level of training?
4. Did the student recognize the limits of his/her professional skills and abilities and work within these limits? Did the student recognize when supervision from a more experienced practitioner was needed? Did the student respond to the supervisor's input and feedback in a conscientious and responsible manner?
5. Did the student relate to clients, staff, and other professionals in a mature, responsible, cooperative, and a professional interpersonal manner?
6. Did the student adhere to generally accepted scientific, professional, and ethical standards of behavior and judgment? Did he or she refrain from any behaviors which would be subject to sanctions by the American Psychological Association?

A student who receives a U in practicum should anticipate remedial action as recommended by the student's advisor and program chair. Any student receiving a U in practicum will receive a letter of scholastic warning from the Director of Graduate Studies. If an additional U in practicum is earned, the Director of Graduate Studies will initiate a dismissal action. Students who wish to appeal should review the procedures described later in this handbook (see Dismissals and Appeals).

Grade Appeals

The department follows the current procedures and policies of the College of Arts and Sciences regarding grade appeals and complaints. See the College of Arts and Sciences Student Grievance Policy.

Departmental Policy on Cheating

The Faculty of the Department of Psychology strongly affirm the following principles:

1. Work presented by students in fulfillment of class requirements or other requirements of an academic program should be that student's own work, and not that performed by someone else.
2. Granting of credit for such work implies that the piece of work has been accomplished for a particular course or requirement.
3. The same piece of work should not be presented for credit for two different courses or requirements without special arrangements being made with relevant faculty
4. Falsification of any kind of data, including clinical work samples, is a violation of academic and ethical principles.

The department follows the University's Policy on Academic Honesty described in the General Catalog for Georgia State University and the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Bulletin.

Dismissals and Appeals

Dismissal Procedures

The Department of Psychology is committed to supporting students in their progress through the program in every way consistent with the maintenance of acceptable academic and professional standards. There are, however, occasions when the standards of the College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Psychology are not met and dismissal (called scholastic termination by the College of Arts and Sciences) must be considered.

It is the College of Arts and Sciences that ultimately assumes responsibility for both the admission of students and, in rare cases, their dismissal. Nonetheless, a psychology student is subject to program, department, and college standards. The procedure for dismissal and appeal differs somewhat when a program standard (e.g., practica performance), a departmental standard (e.g., progress guidelines), or a college standard (e.g., cumulative GPA) is violated.

When a program standard is violated, the student will first be required to meet with his or her advisor and program chair. If the student does not resolve the deficiency to the satisfaction of the program, the program chair will forward a recommendation to initiate a dismissal action to the Director of Graduate Studies, who will inform the student. Information on appeal procedures is provided below.

When a departmental standard is violated, the dismissal action will be initiated by the Director of Graduate Studies. This will occur only after the student has failed to address or correct the deficiency during any specified probationary period.

When a college standard is violated, the dismissal action is taken by the Associate Dean for the Social and Behavioral Sciences. As is true at the departmental level, this will occur only after the student has failed to correct the deficiency during any specified probationary period.

Appeal Procedures

Reasons for initiating dismissal at the program level include:

1. two unsatisfactory practica performances (6 hours total of U),
2. an unsatisfactory annual evaluation spring semester after an unsatisfactory annual evaluation the previous fall semester, and
3. Violation of professional ethical principles endorsed by the American Psychological Association

Reasons for initiating dismissal at the departmental level include:

1. failure to present an acceptable individualized plan to the Graduate Program Committee within the semester the student's progress met the criterion for dismissal,
2. failure to pass a thesis or dissertation defense within eight months after a failed defense, and
3. failure to maintain a Psychology GPA of 3.0 after the probationary period of 18 semester-hours.

In either case (program or departmental level reason), the student will receive notice from the Director of Graduate Studies that dismissal is being considered. The student may appeal this, in writing, to the Director of Graduate Studies, although such an appeal must be received no later than 20 business days after notice was given. The appeal will be considered by the Graduate Program Committee. At the meeting called for this purpose, the student has the opportunity to present evidence, including any testimony from faculty with whom he or she has worked, that he or she is capable of successful completion of the graduate program and that the conditions leading to the dismissal action represent atypical behavior or the presence of temporary, mitigating circumstances. The committee will inform the student of their decision within 30 business days of receiving the appeal.

Actions of the Graduate Program Committee may include, but are not limited to: (a) Let the dismissal action stand, in which case the student may not continue in the program. (b) Place the student on probation and specify remedial actions which must be taken before the student may continue in the program. Such actions are at the discretion of the Graduate Program Committee as informed by faculty who are familiar with the student's work. Retaking courses with low grades is one possible action. A deadline for completing such remedial action must be specified. (c) Allow the student to complete requirements for a terminal master's degree.

If an appeal is granted and the student is placed on probation, the student's advisor and Director of Graduate Studies will monitor whether the student has met the specified requirements by the specified deadline. If the student has not done so, the Director of Graduate Studies will again initiate a dismissal action. The student may again appeal the action to the Graduate Program Committee.

If the student believes that a decision by the Graduate Program Committee decision has been arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory, he or she may appeal its decision in writing to the chair of the department. This action must be taken within 20 business days of the date of the Graduate Program Committee's decision.

If the student does not appeal the decision or if the appeal is denied at the Departmental level, the Director of Graduate Studies will forward the recommendation for dismissal to the Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. The Associate Dean will notify the student that this has occurred. The student may then appeal the decision through normal channels within the College of Arts and Sciences.

Reasons for initiating dismissal at the college level include:

1. a second failure of the doctoral general exam, and
2. failure to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 after the probationary period of 18 semester-hours.

In such cases, the Graduate Program Committee is not empowered to consider an appeal. The student may, however, request support from the Graduate Program Committee for an appeal to the appropriate college committee. The student should refer to the College Graduate Bulletin for instructions on appeal procedures at this level.

Grievance Procedures

The department follows the current procedures and policies of the College of Arts and Sciences regarding grade appeals and other complaints. Students who believe that they have been treated in an unethical, unprofessional, or unfair manner by university faculty, staff, administrators, or fellow students should act to correct the situation. Several procedures are available to do so. First, students may bring the situation to the attention of their advisor, the chair of their graduate program, the Director of Graduate Studies, or the chair of the department. At the college level, students may bring their complaint to the attention of the Associate Dean. Students may also discuss the situation with the University's ombudsperson (404-651-2220). Finally, students may follow formal grievance procedures. See the College of Arts and Sciences Student Grievance Policy.