I.A. Special Notes
The WVU Student Handbook - The Mountie includes information about students’ rights, responsibilities, and opportunities, as well as university rules and regulations. Students are responsible for abiding by the rules and responsibilities listed in the Handbook.
The WVU Graduate Catalog includes University rules and policies concerning graduate education as well as other useful information. These rules and policies apply to all students in the Psychology graduate programs, unless a rule or policy is superseded by a more stringent rule or policy in the Department’s Handbook.
Any deadlines in this Handbook that fall on a weekend or University holiday will be considered to be the next date the University is open.
I.B. Overview of the Graduate Programs
I.B.1. Structure
The Department of Psychology offers a Professional Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Behavior Analysis, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Child Psychology, and Life-Span Developmental Psychology (referred to as “Program Areas” below). Currently, enrollment is about 70 graduate students at various levels of training. The doctoral clinical programs have been accredited by the American Psychological Association, and the doctoral Behavior Analysis program has been accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis. For any questions regarding accreditation of clinical programs, please contact the accrediting agency, the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Phone Number: (202) 336-5979; Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation.
I.B.2. Admissions
The number of students admitted to a program is determined by marketability of graduates, faculty load, the availability of training sites and other facilities, and other resources. Although the current policy is to support all students in good standing throughout the normal period of training, the Department may admit students without support rather than cut the number of admissions if insufficient funding is available. The Department is committed to recruiting protected class and ethnic minority applicants.
I.B.3. Requirements
Our programs place a number of requirements on students during their first year in graduate school. However, the overall curriculum offers considerable flexibility so that as students proceed through the program, they can tailor their course work to meet individual objectives (see Plan of Study, Section II.C). Our programs emphasize not only classroom activities, but also basic and applied research and professional activities. Students in the doctoral programs are expected to become involved in research and professional activities during their first year on campus and to continue this involvement throughout their time in the program.
Students in the doctoral programs must demonstrate competencies in statistics, research design, and historical, philosophical, and theoretical issues in psychology. All students in the doctoral programs complete a master's thesis, either before or after entering their program. Students who receive the master's degree here generally complete the thesis at the end of the second year or the beginning of the third year. In addition to the Departmental course requirements, each Program Area requires specific courses for students specializing in the Program Area. The remaining hours in each student's program are selected by the student in consultation with the student's adviser and Advising Committee. Each student must fulfill candidacy requirements before beginning a dissertation; these requirements vary among the Program Areas. Upon being admitted to candidacy status, the student completes a doctoral dissertation and defends it before a dissertation committee. A foreign language competency is not required.
Ordinarily, completion of the professional master's program in clinical psychology requires two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor's degree. The doctorate usually requires 4 years of full-time study for students entering with a bachelor's degree or 3 years for students entering with an approved master’s thesis (plus an additional year for an internship for Clinical and Clinical Child Program students).
I.B.4. Advising and Orientation
All first-year students attend orientation meetings during the week before classes begin in the fall. The graduate curriculum, registration procedures, and assistantship assignments are discussed and explained. Therefore, new students must arrive in Morgantown in time to attend this orientation.
Students are expected to be advised by one or more faculty members whose supervision facilitates development of the knowledge and skills needed for professional competence in both their Program Area and a specific research area. Further involvement and identification with the profession of psychology results from attending and participating in national and regional meetings, the Department of Psychology colloquium series, and other professional activities.
All new students in the Department are assigned a temporary adviser prior to or during Orientation. The temporary adviser helps students register for their first semester, is available for information regarding Department and Program Area requirements, competencies, Departmental policy, and so forth, and provides consultation when students select a permanent adviser. During the first semester, new students must select a permanent adviser.
I.C. The Department of Psychology
I.C.1. Offices and Administrators
The Department of Psychology is located in the Life Sciences Building (LSB) on the downtown campus of West Virginia University. The Student Records Office is in Room 1120. The Main Office is in Room 1124. The Department Chair is Dr. Michael Perone, whose office is in Room 1130A (telephone 293-2001, ext. 31604; e-mail Michael.Perone@mail.wvu.edu). The Director of Graduate Training is Dr. Barry Edelstein, whose office is in Room 1214 (telephone 293-2001, ext. 31661; e-mail Barry.Edelstein@mail.wvu.edu), and the Director of Undergraduate Training is Dr. Julie Patrick, whose office is in Room 2226, telephone 293-2001, ext. 31680; e-mail Julie.Patrick@mail.wvu.edu. Normally, questions about the Department can be answered by students’ advisers or Program Area Coordinators. Program Area Coordinators are:
Program Area |
Area Coordinator |
Office |
Phone |
E-mail Address |
Clinical |
Dr. Kevin Larkin |
2220 |
ext. 31668 |
|
Behavior Analysis |
Dr. Andy Lattal |
2132 |
ext. 31608 |
|
Clinical Child |
Dr. Tracy Morris |
2204 |
ext. 31670 |
|
Developmental |
Dr. JoNell Strough |
2212 |
ext. 31648 |
Further assistance or information may be obtained from the Graduate Records Assistant, Mrs. Swinney (Room 1120B, phone 293-2001, ext. 31628; e-mail Debra.Swinney@mail.wvu.edu )or Dr. Karraker.
I.C.2. Access and Communication
Graduate students are provided with access to the outside door of the LSB (which is locked on weekends and late at night), the main office (which houses faculty and graduate student mailboxes), and their office. Offices are shared by three graduate students.
Mail sent to graduate students at the Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, WV 26506-6040, will be placed in their mailboxes along with campus mail and Departmental notices.
The general Department of Psychology telephone number is (304) 293-2001, and the fax number is (304) 293-6606.
I.C.3. Access to E-mail and Voice Mail
All graduate students are provided with both MIX and GroupWise e-mail accounts. MIX is the system made available to all WVU students and instructors; GroupWise is the faculty e-mail system. Graduate students should set their MIX accounts so that mail to MIX will be forwarded to GroupWise. The Department uses GroupWise for graduate student and faculty communication. The GroupWise software, instructions for installing it, and other information about it can be obtained at the Office of Information Technology’s web site: http://oit.wvu.edu/tss/groupwise/. Students may access their e-mail account through any computer with access to the internet, but will find access easier if they install the software on the computer that they use the most. Although graduate students do not have telephones in their offices, several telephones are available for their use in the LSB. Voice mail boxes can be purchased for a charge of $60 per year, payable at the beginning of the year.
I.C.4. Communication
Information of concern to graduate students is communicated primarily via e-mail. Graduate students should become accustomed to regularly checking their e-mail, mailboxes, and the graduate bulletin board outside the Student Records Office.
I.D. Registration and Fees
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Enrollment Requirements
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Tuition Waivers
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Special Fees
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Payroll
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FICA (Social Security Exemption)
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Mountaineer Card (Identification Card)
I.D.1. Enrollment Requirements
All students who receive half-time graduate assistantships from the University (including research and teaching assistantships and paid practicum assignments) are required to be full-time students. This means that they must enroll for at least 9 hours during the Fall and Spring semesters. However, the normal course load for full-time graduate students in the Department of Psychology, with or without an assistantship, is 12-15 hours per semester.
If students have an assistantship during the summer, they must register for at least 6 hours during the summer. These credits may be taken during either or both sessions, although students should register for at least 2 credits during a session in which they are being paid (in order to avoid FICA withholding) and must register for at least one credit of practicum during any session in which they are involved in teaching or practicum work (see Section III.C.1).
I.D.2. Tuition Waivers
For students who have an assistantship, tuition and most fees will be paid by the University, with the exception of some special fees (see Section I.D.3). Tuition waivers for Fall and Spring semesters are processed automatically. To be eligible to receive a tuition waiver for the Summer session(s) without being appointed to a teaching or research assistantship, a student must have been appointed to a teaching or research assistantship the preceding Fall and Spring semesters. Otherwise, students can receive a tuition waiver only for the Summer session(s) in which they are appointed to a teaching or research assistantship. These waivers are processed by request only. A memo and a form are distributed each March to prompt graduate student requests.
Students who do not have an assistantship (e.g., are supported by an external grant, are on internship, declined an assistantship) may be eligible for a Meritorious Student Waiver. Recipients may not be employed as regular, full-time employees or graduate assistants. These waivers are awarded in the form of scholarships for meritorious students, and therefore, no employment is expected as a condition of these waivers. The Department of Psychology has a limited number of waivers available to be used for this purpose. An individual can receive support in the form of a tuition waiver from only one academic units. The recipient must be enrolled in a degree-granting program in the Department. Enrollment must be for at least the total number of credit hours waived. Meritorious tuition waivers may be awarded for part-time or full-time enrollment. Recipients must pay the University's Special Fee A and any lab or other special fees incurred. Recipients are required to notify the Office of Institutional Analysis and Planning in writing if they will not be using any portion of the credit hours awarded to them for the semester. This notification must be received no later than the last day to pay an invoice for the semester. Failure to make this written notification will result in the loss of eligibility for one academic year.
Following is the Department of Psychology policy on nominating students for Meritorious Student Waivers:
Nominations for graduate student meritorious tuition waivers in the Department of Psychology are processed by the Graduate Records Assistant and the Director of Graduate Training. Only students who are admitted to a degree program in the Department are considered for these waivers. Requests for consideration for waivers must be initiated by the student or by the student's Program Area Coordinator.
Students in the following prioritized categories will be considered for nomination:
-Students who are eligible for Department funding who receive funding from an approved source that does not cover tuition and fees. The maximum number of credits to be waived is 13 per semester (full-time tuition and fees).
-Students engaged in an approved internship (limited to one year). The maximum number of credits to be waived is 5 per semester.
-Advanced students who are no longer supported by a graduate assistantship but who are making acceptable progress toward their degree (limited to one year). The maximum number of credits to be waived is 3 per semester.
As needed, prioritization within categories will be based on timely progress through the degree program, graduate grades received, and West Virginia residency. Prioritization will be done by the Director of Graduate Training, with difficult cases referred to the GTC. The Director of Graduate Training may distribute any additional credits available after the above priorities have been met.
I.D.3. Special Fees
Students receiving tuition waivers with assistantships or Meritorious Tuition Waivers are required to pay the Library Fee ($35 per semester), the Technology Fee ($40 per semester), and Special Fees A, which are currently $236 (subject to change) for Fall and Spring sessions and a $34 per credit hour fee for Summer sessions. Special Fees A includes the Mountainlair, Daily Athenaeum, Radio Station, Health Service, and Recreation Center fees. Fellowship and Traineeship recipients have this fee paid--if they inadvertently pay it at registration, it can be reclaimed. There may also be lab or special fees associated with particular courses that must be paid by all students.
Special Fees B ($246 per semester) which includes Counseling Service and Programs, Transportation (PRT), Student Affairs, and the Athletic (game tickets) fees, is optional. Some of these services can be purchased individually. For example, football tickets cost $35 each, basketball tickets cost $20 each, and rides on the PRT cost 75 cents each.
The Health Service Fee included in Special Fees A allows you to be seen at University Health Service (http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/shs/) and pay only the $10.00 co-payment for each visit. There may be additional fees for other services (vaccinations, physicals, and some lab tests). If you need to be seen in a specialty clinic or the Emergency Room, you will need to use Health Insurance for these visits. The Health Service Fee does not cover any visits outside University Health Service. Graduate assistants are provided with an Injury and Sickness Insurance Plan at no cost.
I.D.4. Payroll
Graduate students awarded assistantships are placed on University payroll. The official title for those holding teaching appointments is Graduate Teaching Assistant. For those holding practicum or research appointments, the official title is Graduate Research Assistant. As a University employee, students receive two paychecks per month as listed below:
| # of Days in Month | Scheduled Paydays |
28 |
14th & 28th |
29 |
15th & 29th |
30 |
15th & 30th |
31 |
16th & 31st |
If a scheduled payday falls on a weekend or holiday, paychecks will be available on the last working day before the break. All new employees are paid under a payment-in-arrears system. Employees are paid for a prior work period, meaning their paychecks are always at least one pay period behind.
I.D.5. FICA (Social Security Exemption)
According to IRS policy, graduate students will not have FICA withheld from their paycheck if they are enrolled for at least 5 credit hours in the Fall semester and 5 credit hours in the Spring semester and at least 2 credit hours in each Summer session. Note that a graduate student needs to enroll in both Summer sessions to avoid having FICA withheld.
The determination of whether or not a graduate assistant is exempt from FICA withholding is an automated process made on a pay cycle by pay cycle basis each semester. If a graduate assistant does not meet the above credit hour requirements each pay cycle, each semester, FICA will be withheld from his or her paycheck. FICA will continue to be withheld until the credit hour requirements are met. To ensure that FICA is not withheld from their paycheck, graduate assistants must be registered for classes by the appropriate payroll processing date.
I.D.6. Mountaineer Card (Identification Card)
The Mountaineer Card serves a number of functions in addition to photo identification. It also can be used to access library privileges, Student Health Services, the Student Recreation Center, and other services (some of which require special fees). It can be used as a debit card for the Mounty Bounty program. The card also provides access to the Life Sciences Building and some of its rooms and offices when they are locked. For or more information on your Mountaineer Card, visit the Mountaineer Card Services web page at http://www.wvu.edu/~wvucard.
I.E. University Services
The University provides a variety of services for students. The most comprehensive resource for learning about these services (as well as a great deal of other useful information) is the A to Z index on the WVU home page. University policies that apply to students are included in The Mountie, the WVU student handbook.
Miscellaneous useful links and numbers:
Numbers to add funds to your Mountaineer card (using Visa, MasterCard, or Discover): 293-4006 or 293-3621
Order software at a student discount (including SPSS, Microsoft Office, etc.): http://oit.wvu.edu/oit/software-links.php
Free antivirus: http://oit.wvu.edu/tsc/antivirus/index.php
Discounts on computer purchases and repairs: http://oit.wvu.edu/tsc/services.php
I.F. Counseling and Psychological Services
The Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is located on the third floor of the Student Services Building beside the Mountainlair. The Carruth Center is staffed by psychologists and other behavioral health professionals who can assist students with such problems as stress, depression, eating disorders, and career choices. The services are free and confidential for students who have paid Special Fees B. Students who have not paid the fee can use the services free for one visit. The Carruth Center staff also is available to students after hours via a 24-hour crisis phone (293-4431).
The Student Assistance Program is a counseling, education, and information program for students concerned about their drinking or drug use or about alcohol or drug use in their family. It is housed in the Student Health Service on the ground floor of the Health Sciences Center. Services available include consultations, individual alcohol/drug counseling, and alcohol/drug awareness groups for students who want to learn more about the nature of alcohol and drug abuse. Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) groups and support groups for students with drinking or drug problems meet regularly. For more information, call 293-6584.
In addition, a number of private clinicians are available in the Morgantown area. Their names, addresses, and phone numbers are listed in the Yellow Pages under “Counselors,” “Marriage, Family, Child, and Individual Counselors,” “Mental Health Services,” “Psychiatrists,” “Psychologists,” and “Social Workers.”
I.G. Living in Morgantown
I.G.1. Housing
Students can do some or all of the following to find housing:
Access the web sites for the University newspaper, the Daily Athenaeum http://www.da.wvu.edu/ and the Morgantown newspaper, the Dominion Post http://dominionpost.com/ and search the classified ads for houses or apartments for rent. The WVU Off-Campus Housing Office also maintains current listings of housing available in Morgantown. Visit them at the front desk of Elizabeth Moore Hall or at their web site: http://www.wvu.edu/~studlife/.
Students looking for a roommate to help keep costs down might contact people on the list of incoming graduate students and make arrangements to have one or both of you come to Morgantown early to find housing.
In any case, it is advisable to begin looking for an apartment at least two months before registration begins because at that time a fair number of places are still available.
Fraternity and sorority houses often will provide inexpensive rooms for short periods during the summer if students need a place to stay while looking for housing. Also, current graduate students often offer temporary housing.
Students with pets will find locating housing more difficult.
I.G.2. Utilities
The following utility companies provide service in Morgantown:
Utility |
Company |
Phone Number |
Telephone |
Verizon |
(304) 954-6200 |
Water |
Morgantown Utility Board |
(304) 292-8443 |
Electric |
Allegheny Power Company |
(800) 255-3443 |
Gas |
Dominion Hope |
(800) 688-4673 |
Cable television |
* Comcast |
(800) 577-3592 |
* (Note that an inexpensive basic broadcast cable package is available, as well as more extensive packages.)
I.G.3. Campus Parking
Parking on or near campus is very difficult. Some private parking spaces are listed for rental every so often in the newspaper. See the following website and the list below for a list of private parking: http://www.studentlife.wvu.edu/offcampushousing/parking.htm. Most students do not drive their cars to class. Rather, they walk, ride bikes, use the PRT, or use buses. Morgantown buses are free for students. Remember this problem when looking for an apartment. The Mountainlair has a parking garage and there are two pay lots near the Life Sciences Building, but early arrival (usually before 8:00 a.m.) is needed to get a space, and parking in these places is moderately expensive.
| The Augusta Parking (Falling Run Road) | 296-2787 |
| Chico Enterprises (Beechhurst, Willey) | 292-9433 |
| Morgantown Parking Authority (city lots and garages) | 284-7435 |
| Hymark Properties (College Ave.) | 319-1243 |
| First Presbyterian Church (456 Spruce Street) | 296-8236 |
| Halls' (College Ave.) | 296-5050 |
| McCoy 6 (Downtown) | 291-2548 |
| Bel-Cross Properties (Sunnyside areas) | 296-7920 |
| Estate Electronics (Downtown) | 292-1641 |
| Mountain Line Transit Authority (Bus service) | 291-7433 |
| VFW (High and Willey) | 292-3927 |
I.G.4. Budgeting
Information on the costs of living in Morgantown and attending graduate school, based on a survey of current graduate students, is distributed to incoming students. Estimates of selected costs reported in spring 2005 follow:
| Rent | $417/month |
| Utilities | $190/month |
| Food | $217/month |
| Car insurance/gas | $151/month |
| Parking (optional) | $50/month |
| Clothing/personal | $94/month |
| University fees | $311/semester |
| Books/supplies | $295/semester |
| Copies/printing | $104/semester |
| Research costs | $294/semester |
I.H. Guidelines Concerning the Junior Colleague Model and Faculty-Graduate Student Relations in the Department of Psychology
The Department of Psychology at WVU uses a "Junior Colleague" training model. Many of the following activities, conditions, or arrangements are components of the Junior Colleague Model. Others may not be exclusive to the Junior Colleague Model, but represent goals for positive and productive relations between faculty and graduate students.
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Department Participation
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Research Activities
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Authorship Guidelines
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Faculty/Graduate Student Relations
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Limitations on the Junior Colleague Model
I.H.1. Department Participation
Graduate students serve as voting representatives on all standing Department committees. Graduate student representatives are encouraged to participate freely in all meetings.
Graduate students are encouraged to participate in all Departmental activities, and appropriate university and community activities. For example, graduate students are involved in planning and conducting Departmental conferences and social events, and in selecting graduate applicants and new faculty members.
Graduate student input is considered whenever possible when faculty members make decisions that affect graduate student training (such as making changes in requirements, assigning office or research space, implementing new policies, making teaching and practicum assignments).
Graduate students are involved in faculty evaluations at several levels, including evaluating individual and classroom faculty performance and serving, if elected, as full voting members of the Faculty Evaluation Committee.
I.H.2. Research Activities
Students are selected for admission to the graduate program on the basis of both academic excellence and their general fit with a Program Area. Students are not apprenticed to individual faculty members; instead, students may pursue research and other scholarly interests in collaboration with any faculty member in the Department and some faculty members in other departments. Such collaboration is constrained, of course, by resources such as lab space, subject availability, and faculty time, expertise, and interests, as well as appropriate institutional approval.
Active collaboration between faculty and graduate students is encouraged during all steps of the research process, including data analysis and writing. Although graduate students initially will require much guidance in these areas, faculty members encourage development of students' skills with the goal of full collaboration in all aspects of the research process.
Faculty members encourage graduate students to publish and present their research, and provide opportunities for participation in faculty research projects that will lead to joint publications and presentations.
I.H.3. Authorship Guidelines
Graduate students and faculty members share publication and presentation credits whenever appropriate. Faculty members are encouraged to discuss their authorship practices regularly with graduate student collaborators. Faculty and students in the Department are expected to adhere to Principle 8.12 of the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (APA, 2002) when determining authorship of written works and presentations. The components of Principle 8.12 are reprinted below:
Psychologists take responsibility and credit, including authorship credit, only for work they have actually performed or to which they have substantially contributed.
Principal authorship and other publication credits accurately reflect the relative scientific or professional contributions of the individuals involved, regardless of their relative status. Mere possession of an institutional position, such as department chair, does not justify authorship credit. Minor contributions to the research or to the writing for publications are acknowledged appropriately, such as in footnotes or in an introductory statement.
Except under exceptional circumstances, a student is listed as principal author on any multiple-authored article that is substantially based on the student's doctoral dissertation. Faculty advisers discuss publication credit with students as early as feasible and throughout the research and publication process as appropriate.
Further guidelines concerning authorship are provided in the APA Publication Manual (pp. 350-351 of the 5th edition) and in:
Fine, M. A., & Kurdek, L. A. (1993). Reflections on determining authorship credit and authorship order on faculty-student collaborations. American Psychologist, 48, 1141-1147.
I.H.4. Faculty/Graduate Student Relations
Contact among faculty members and graduate students outside the classroom is frequent and casual. Faculty members and graduate students typically address one another on a first-name basis.
Graduate students share joint responsibility with their advisers for the student's timely progress in the program. Thus, faculty members show a professional interest in graduate students' general well-being, progress, and accomplishments. To that end, faculty members provide appropriate reinforcement and constructive criticism of students' research ideas, papers, teaching activities, and so forth. Faculty members also assist graduate students in obtaining resources to support their work and in solving work-related problems at least as much as they would assist any other colleague.
Faculty members and graduate students seek one another's input and advice when appropriate. Faculty members and graduate students are respectful of one another's time, opinions, professional questions, suggestions, and so forth, and are courteous toward each other at all times. Faculty members strive to be as accessible to graduate students for consultations as they would be for their faculty colleagues. Faculty members strive to minimize interruptions during meetings with students.
Within the limits of time and other resources, graduate students are free to select faculty members to serve as advisers and on thesis, prelim, and dissertation committees. These selections are, of course, also with the faculty members' consent and within the constraints of University and Department guidelines.
Faculty members treat graduate students as colleagues in social situations. For example, faculty members introduce students to colleagues and interact with students at social functions.
I.H.5. Limitations on the Junior Colleague Model
Graduate students receive advice and direction from their adviser and other faculty members concerning courses, research and teaching experiences, and service opportunities.
Graduate students and faculty members need not be "friends" in order to be colleagues. Faculty members also are not expected to serve as personal counselors to graduate students.
Although graduate students are junior colleagues, they also are students, and therefore faculty members are responsible for evaluating and making decisions about graduate student performance.