Policies and Procedures
Advising
After acceptance into the Department of Human and Development Service’s Counseling Program, each student will be assigned an advisor. The academic advising process serves to:
1. Assist students in planning a program of vocational interest and professional study.
2. Identify student learning blocks and related obstacles to career or educational progress.
3. Recognize students’ skills, abilities, aptitudes, and interests leading to appropriate career selection.
- Periodically assess student’s academic progress and career goals.
- Advise and place students in appropriate course selection taking into account appropriate sequence and required pre-requisites.
- Advise students of all requirements for graduation.
- Refer students to appropriate remedial developmental services.
- Provide students with any other assistance deemed necessary.
- Prepare students to register for courses each semester.
Once students are assigned an advisor, they will remain with that advisor throughout the program. Students will not change advisors unless so directed and approved by the department chairperson. All departmental advising is done in accordance with the University Academic Advisement Handbook.
Ethical Conduct Policy
The Department of Human Development and Services at North Carolina A&T State University fully endorses the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association and the Academic Dishonesty Policy of the University. All students are expected to conduct themselves in an ethical, responsible and professional manner in accordance with both professional and University standards.
University policy as stated in the 1997-99 Bulletin of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University reads as follows:
Academic Dishonesty Policy
Academic dishonesty -includes but is not limited to the following:
- Cheating, or knowingly assisting another student in committing an act of cheating or other academic dishonesty.
- Plagiarism (unauthorized use of another person's word or ideas as one's own which includes but is not necessarily limited to submitting examinations, theses, reports, drawing, laboratory notes or other materials as one's own work when such work has been prepared by another person or copied from another person.
- Unauthorized possession of examinations or reserve library materials, destruction or hiding of source materials, library materials, or laboratory materials or experiments or any similar actions.
- Unauthorized changing of grades or marking on an examination or in an instructor's grade book, or such change of any grade record.
- Aiding or abetting in the infraction of any of the provisions anticipated under the general standards of student conduct.
- Assisting another student in violating any of the above rules.
A student who has committed an act of academic dishonesty has failed to meet a basic requirement of satisfactory academic performance. Thus, academic dishonesty is not only a basis for disciplinary action but may also affect the evaluation of the student's level of performance. Any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action. The procedure for disciplinary action will be in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University governing academic discipline.
In instances where a student has clearly been identified as having committed an academic act of dishonesty, the instructor may take appropriate punitive action including a loss of credit for the assignment, an examination or project, or award a grade of "F" for the course subject to the review and endorsement of the chairperson and the dean. Repeated offenses could even lead to dismissal from the University (p. 74-75).
Additionally, the Department of Human Development and Services does not tolerate any unethical conduct relative to falsifying applications or reports. Students are expected to document papers and presentations thoroughly in accordance with the Publications Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Registration
During the months of April, August and November, a time is set aside for students to receive advisement and to register for courses for the following semester. The specific dates for advisement and early registration are identified in the academic calendar that is published each semester in the Schedule of Classes booklet. Students should meet with their advisors to discuss course selections. Advisors will provide each advisee his or her PIN (Personal Identification Number), which have been assigned by the University Registrar. Following advisement, students may register by phone using their PINs or on Aggie Access Online (found in the Current Students drop down menu on www.ncat.edu). Aggie Access Online enables students to register for classes, drop classes, review financial aid information, and view their academic record including final course grades. Complete registration instructions, including Aggie Access Online instructions, are published in the Schedule of Classes booklet. Student PINs change every semester so it is imperative that each student meet with his or her advisor on an ongoing basis prior to registering.
Note 1: All graduate students must maintain continuous registration during fall and spring semesters or be dropped from the rolls by the Graduate School and forced to reapply in order to continue studies. Students who have completed all coursework with the exception of taking the Comprehensive Examination and/or applying for graduation must enroll for at least three (3) semester hours.
Note 2: All major courses must be taken in the counseling program at NC A&T State University.
Adding, Dropping Courses or Withdrawing from Program of Study
Students should pay attention to the University Academic Calendar for drop/add dates during the semester. This calendar is in the Schedule of Class booklet. If your name does not appear on the class roll called by your professor, it is your responsibility to go to the registrar's office immediately to resolve the problem. No student is permitted to remain in class whose name does not appear on the class roll.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance is required for all students enrolled in internship and lab courses such as group counseling and other courses that require field placement where counseling services are involved.
Personal Counseling Requirement
Beginning Spring 2006, all students admitted to the counseling program in the Department of Human Development and Services are required to participate in a minimum of three (3) individual counseling sessions. This requirement must be fulfilled prior to registering for HDSV 735 – Counseling Methods. Students who do not complete the Personal Counseling Requirement will not be able to enroll in the course.
Comprehensive Examination
Upon completion of all required curriculum courses (not including electives) students will apply to take the Comprehensive Examination. Students will not be allowed to take the Counseling Comprehensive Examination unless all professional core courses have been taken excluding 765, 780 and 790. Students enrolling in Internship II are eligible to take the Comprehensive Examination. Students who are interested in taking the Comprehensive Examination, must register for HDSV 788 in the semester in which they intend to take the exam. Students who have completed their coursework and internships, but who have not passed the Comprehensive Examination, must register for HDSV 999 in the semester in which they intend to take the exam. Students may take the Comprehensive Examination no more than twice and must pass the Comprehensive Examination in order to graduate.
The exam is multiple choice and covers the eight CACREP curricular areas: 1) Human Growth and Development, 2) Social and Cultural Foundations, 3) The Helping Relationship (counseling process and theory), 4) Group Work, 5) Career and Lifestyle Development,
6) Appraisal, 7) Research and Program Evaluation, and 8) Professional Orientation (ethics and professional history). The examination is a standardized test developed by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). In addition to the Department based comprehensive examination, Human Resources Rehabilitation Counseling students take a Program based comprehensive examination addressing the rehabilitation specific competencies.
Students must be enrolled for at least one (1) hour the semester in which the comprehensive examination is taken. Applications to take the exam may be picked up at the Graduate School Office (120 Gibbs Hall). Consult the department staff or your advisor as to when and where the exam will be scheduled each semester.
Graduation Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled in order to graduate:
- The Comprehensive Examination must be taken and passed.
- Completion of course work required for student’s specific concentration (Counselor Education [school], Human Resources Community/Agency Counseling, Human Resources Rehabilitation Counseling, or Human Resources Business and Industry) with a 3.0 or better grade point average overall and a 3.0 or better grade point average in the student’s professional core courses (everything but electives).
- Submit the application for graduation. (Applications may be acquired from the Graduate School Office). Students should submit the application to the Graduate School after registration in the semester in which they intend to graduate. Check the University Calendar for the date that the application is due for any given semester.
Endorsement Policy
The Department stipulates endorsement for employment or credentialing only in the program area in which a student received training (i.e., graduates from the School Counseling program would be considered for school counseling positions, but not for mental health counseling positions).
Grievance Procedures
A conflict between a graduate student and a professor should begin with open communication. If resolution is not achieved, the student may meet with the department's chairperson. Any grievance involving grade appeals must be submitted in writing to the chairperson. If a satisfactory agreement is not reached, then the student may apply to the department chair who will forward the letter to the dean of the School of Education who forwards the appeal to the School of Education Grade Appeal Board.
The School of Education Grade Appeal Board serves to review formal petitions from students appealing their final grades. Such petitions will be considered after the student has exhausted all existing levels of appeal, (i.e., the instructor, the department chair,) and petitioned the school dean. It is the responsibility of the Board to make a recommendation to the Dean of the School of Education.
Specific grade appeal procedures including the grade petition form are available in Room 212 Hodgin Hall, the Department of Human Development and Services, and Room 105 Hodgin Hall, the office of the Dean of the School of Education.
Orientation
A student orientation will be held in the fall and spring semesters of each academic year. Contact the department office or graduate school for details.
Financial Aid Information
Students must have completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the file in the Student Financial Aid Office in order to receive consideration for federal or state financial assistance. Our priority deadline for receipt of the FAFSA is March 15. To ensure processing of a financial aid award prior to registration, processed FAFSA forms must be on file in the Student Financial Aid Office (SEAO) by August 1. Applicants must reapply each year. Financial Aid in not an automatic process. Full time enrollment requires 9 credit hours.
A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to qualified individuals. The student is assigned to assist a professor or a department twenty hours per week for the duration of the assistantship. Some graduate assistants are assigned to teach freshman classes. The assistantship offers a stipend that will assist a student to pay required tuition, fees, books, board, and lodging. Application for an assistantship must be made to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies (120 Gibbs Hall) at least five months before fall registration. Only full-time graduate students are eligible. Requests for other sources of financial assistance should be directed to the School of Graduate Studies, telephone: 334-7920.
A graduate student entering the University should apply for financial aid at the same time he/she applies for admission. A financial aid award will not be made until a student is admitted to the University. A graduate student who applies for financial aid is eligible to be considered only for loan assistance and for campus employment. All applicants must re-apply for financial assistance each academic year and separately for a summer session. For additional questions regarding financial aid, students may also phone (336) 334-7973 or go to 102 Dowdy building, the Financial Aid office.
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