Mailing Address
Psychology Department
N218 Elliott Hall
75 East River Road
Minneapolis, MN
55455-0344

Map/Directions

Main Office
Phone: 612-625-2818
Fax: 612-626-2079

 


Department Intranet

Student's Rights and Responsibilities

This section of the online student handbook describes policies and procedures, rights and responsibilities that apply to students in the counseling psychology program and other members of the University community. Students are expected to read and in some cases (where noted below) to formally document their familiarity with the policies, rights, and responsibilities outlined in the following sections. All policies referenced below are available in the Counseling Program Office and in the Counseling Psychology Program Handbook; many (where linked) are also available online.

Personal Conduct

Maintaining high standards for personal conduct is important in students’ professional development as counseling psychologists. This includes personal conduct as students, researchers, instructors, and counselors-in-training. The following documents provide specific guidelines and standards for students’ personal conduct.

  1. In their conduct as students, researchers, instructors, and counselors, students are expected to abide by the Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association and by the “Rules of Conduct” of the Minnesota Board of Psychology.
  2. Students also are held to the standards of conduct set forth in the various conduct codes of the University and the Graduate School. These include the Code of Conduct, which applies to students who are also employees of the University, and the Student Conduct Code, which describes disciplinary offenses by students actionable by the University (e.g., scholastic dishonesty) and the sanctions against them. The University Senate also has approved Classroom Expectations Guidelines that outline expectations of both instructors and students. Finally, the Graduate School has developed principles regarding Mutual Responsibilities in Graduate Education that outline what students should expect from their programs and what programs should expect from their students.
  3. All research projects conducted by students are expected to adhere fully to ethical standards specified in the Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct of the American Psychological Association. Formal instruction in protecting human subjects is required by the Department of Health and Human Services for all investigators and research personnel regardless of the source of funding.
    • Students who plan to be principal investigators on any project must complete and document training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR Core 1 and 2). This training is completed in person and online (some in-person training is required).
    • Counseling students generally also have to complete and document online training in Protecting Human Subjects.
    • Counseling students also frequently must complete and document online training in HIPAA regulations and participant privacy.
    • Students must complete online workshops in the Responsible Conduct of Research (including RCR Part 2, HIPAA and Protecting Human Subjects training) during the Fall semester of their first year in the program, and should submit documentation of this training to their advisors.
    • Students should consult with their advisors about when and if they must complete RCR Part 1 in person workshops.
    • Other University policies related to the responsible conduct of research include the Academic Misconduct Code, which addresses misconduct in research; the Intellectual Property Policy, which addresses ownership of data; and the Code of Conduct, which addresses authorship and data management. All of these policies can be found at http://www1.umn.edu/regents/polindex.html.
  4. Sexual harassment is a serious issue that can occur between faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students. It is defined in the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy and consists in part of unwelcome sexual behaviors that create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or academic environment. It can be difficult to determine if a person’s behavior constitutes harassment. If someone’s (e.g., a faculty member's, another student's, a staff person's) behavior causes a graduate student to feel uncomfortable, the student should consult with individuals who can help resolve the situation. As instructors and teaching assistants, graduate students may also be subject to unwelcome advances from students. If this happens, protect yourself immediately by seeking consultation. Individuals to consider consulting in such a situation include:
    1. the student’s advisor
    2. the Area Director
    3. other Counseling Program faculty
    4. the Psychology Department's Director of Graduate Studies
    5. the Psychology Department Chair
    6. the Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer (see the psychology intranet listing of administrative committees for contact information)
    7. or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, which houses the University's Sexual Harassment Office as well as Equal Opportunity Consultants, 419 Morrill Hall, 612-624-9547.
  1. As researchers, counselors and instructors, students are expected to abide by the APA Guidelines for Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists, which recommend specific professional behaviors to aid in the provision of services for an increasingly diverse society. Students also are expected to foster an environment that actively acknowledges and values diversity and is free from racism, sexism, and other forms of prejudice, intolerance or harassment, as outlined by the University’s Diversity, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Affirmative Action Policy. Students who feel that they have been unfairly discriminated against by a faculty member, staff person, or another student should consult with individuals who can help resolve the situation, such as those described above under "Sexual Harassment."
  2. Students who accept responsibility as teaching assistants and instructors are expected to conduct themselves responsibly by following applicable university and department guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and Classroom Expectations Guidelines. As instructors and teaching assistants, graduate students also need to be aware of the University’s Policy on Nepotism and Consensual Relationships, which prohibits members of the University community from directly influencing the academic progress of someone with whom they have a consensual sexual or romantic relationship. In other words, one cannot have a sexual or romantic relationship with a student and at the same time grade or evaluate that student.

Grievance Procedures

During the course of graduate study, a disagreement or conflict may arise between a student and another member of the university community (e.g., another student, one’s adviser, a course instructor, a practicum supervisor, or a civil service employee), or students may wish to dispute an action (e.g., disciplinary action) taken against them.

According to the APA’s 2002 Ethics Code, when psychologists (including students and trainees) believe that there may have been an ethical violation by another psychologist, they attempt to resolve the issue by bringing it to the attention of that individual, if an informal resolution appears appropriate and the intervention does not violate any confidentiality rights that may be involved. In addition, we encourage students to recognize that as psychologists, they will frequently be in situations where they will engage in uncomfortable discussions. Thus, if possible, students are encouraged to discuss problems, conflicts, or ethical concerns they may be having directly with those involved, preferably in a face-to-face meeting with the other party or parties. Students are encouraged to bring a written bulleted list of concerns and possible remedies for presentation and discussion at this meeting. Electronic or phone communications directly with the parties involved are also available as options to the student to communicate concerns; however, these should only be used if a face-to-face meeting is not possible under the circumstances.

It is the desire of the faculty that students feel supported and respected as a student in the program, and we recognize that because of the power dynamics involved, students often find resolving interpersonal and ethical conflicts with others to be very difficult and frightening. In situations where direct communication is not feasible, either because of the seriousness of the difficulty, the power differential between parties or fears of retaliation, or because a direct discussion failed to resolve the problem, students have several additional options for informally resolving the problem, including discussing the matter with their advisor, the Area Director, the Practice Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Studies in Psychology, the Psychology Department Chair, the Psychology department Equal Opportunity Officer, or other program or department faculty. Students may also contact the Office of Conflict Resolution in 662 Heller Hall, 624-1030, for advice regarding workplace disputes or the Student Dispute Resolution Center in 107 Eddy Hall, 625-5900.

Should informal discussions fail to resolve the problem or should students elect not to attempt to resolve their concerns informally, a formal grievance can be filed according to the Conflict Resolution Process for Student Academic Complaints. The Conflict Resolution Process for Student Academic Complaints addresses complaints brought by students regarding the University’s provision of education and academic services affecting their roles as students. Students who wish to use this process should contact the Student Dispute Resolution Center for guidance.

The Conflict Resolution Process for Employees addresses employment grievances filed by employees of the University, including student employees. The University provides step-by-step guidelines for implementing the Conflict Resolution Process for Employees, and student employees who plan to use this process may also wish to consult with the Office of Conflict Resolution.

Students who believe they have been the victims of discrimination or sexual harassment may contact the any of the following:

  1. the student’s advisor
  2. the Area Director
  3. other Counseling Program faculty
  4. the Psychology Department's Director of Graduate Studies
  5. the Psychology Department Chair
  6. the Departmental Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer (see the psychology intranet listing of administrative committees for contact information)
  7. or the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, which houses the University's Sexual Harassment Office as well as Equal Opportunity Consultants, 419 Morrill Hall, 612-624-9547.

As mentioned, the Student Dispute Resolution Center and the Office of Conflict Resolution also offer additional information and ombudsman services for formal grievance procedures to students (SDRC) and student employees (OCR).

Student Feedback

The faculty are always interested in student feedback regarding issues students identify that the faculty can address. This feedback can be expressed:

  • informally through e-mail to the Area Director or other counseling program faculty or
  • formally through opportunities students have to serve on Department and Program committees that deal with the structure and administration of the Program.

In their annual evaluation meeting with their advisors, faculty are encouraged to ask about, and students are encourage to discuss, issues and problems that interfere with their development as counselors, whether personal, interpersonal, academic, or otherwise. Students are encouraged to be proactive in asking for assistance from the counseling area faculty as needs arise.