Program Standards

Students enrolled in all programs in the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology must maintain high scholastic standards and develop skills necessary to work effectively with people with diverse needs. Students are expected to demonstrate emotional and mental fitness in their interactions with others, use skills and techniques that are generally accepted by others in the professional fields and conform to the codes of ethics of relevant professional associations and the state of Texas. A student's acceptance in any program does not guarantee their fitness to remain in that program. The faculty is responsible for assuring that only those students who continue to meet program standards are allowed to continue in any program.

 

Members of the faculty, using professional judgment, continuously evaluate each student's fitness and performance. Students receive information related to their fitness and performance from faculty members, their advisors, and their supervisors. The criteria used by the faculty to make such judgments include instructor's observations of course performance, evaluations of students' performances in simulated practice situations, supervisors' evaluations of students' performances in clinical situations, and the discipline's codes of ethics.

Students who are not making satisfactory progress or who are not meeting program standards will meet with faculty members to discuss remediation. In this context, the term "unsatisfactory progress in the program" refers to professional judgment made regarding the student's fitness and performance. It is a determination that the student has failed to meet academic standards rather than a judgment made on the basis of the student's violation of valid rules of conduct.

 

If a faculty member believes that a student is making unsatisfactory progress or is not meeting program or university standards, they will discuss the situation with the student. If the faculty member believes the student's performance cannot improve to acceptable standards, the faculty member will refer the student to the Program Standards Committee. The Program Standards Committee (PSC) consists of three faculty members from the student's discipline, appointed by the program, in consultation with the faculty. The PSC will notify the student of the reasons why he or she is not making satisfactory progress or meeting program standards and will have the opportunity to meet with the committee to respond to the concerns. Within 10 working days of meeting with the student, the committee will report to the student, the program coordinator, and the department chair, the recommendations coming from the PSC. The committee may make recommendations, such as placing restrictions or conditions on the student's continuing in the program, up to  recommending that the student be removed from the program. Within 10 working days of receipt of the PSC recommendations, the student will notify the Chair of the Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology of the acceptance or appeal of the committee's recommendation.

 

If the student appeals the committee's recommendations, the department chair, after considering the committee's recommendation and after meeting with the student, will determine whether the student will be allowed to remain in the program. The Chairperson need not meet with the student before making a decision if the chairperson has given the student a reasonable opportunity to meet, and the student has either failed or refused to meet. The student will be notified of the chairperson's decision in writing within ten working days of the chairperson's meeting with the student. If the student is dissatisfied with the chair's decision, they may appeal to the Dean of the College of Education in writing within ten days. The dean will consider the matter based on results compiled by the department chair and notify the student of their decision within ten working days of receipt of the appeal.

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⇒  For more information, see the CLAS Department section of the Graduate Catalog.