Psychology Undergraduate Academic Program Review

(1)

Psychology Undergraduate Academic Program Review

Executive Summary

Contact: Shari Converse Lane; [email protected]

The Department of Psychology is one of the 10 departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the second largest college at North Carolina State University. The Head of the Department is Dr. David Martin. The Department of Psychology has over 550 majors and also offers a Minor in Psychology. There are two major degrees offered by the department, (1) Psychology: General Option; and (2)

Psychology: Human Resource Development Option. Each year, the faculty of the Department of Psychology, in association with the members of the faculty at Meredith College, sponsors the Carolinas Conference, a regional research conference for undergraduate psychology students.

The Department of Psychology has been participating in evaluation of its undergraduate program for at least the last 10 years by obtaining exit surveys from over 90% of our graduating students. However, the Psychology Department began its most recent departmental evaluation (under the UAPR system) in 2000. The mission statement for the department served as the point of departure for the evaluation. In the spring of 2001, several faculty meetings were devoted to the development of a set of program objectives and curricular outcomes that were based on the pedagogical philosophy expressed in the mission statement. To develop objectives and outcomes, the faculty focused on more clearly defining the objectives of the department and considering various curricular outcomes that would occur if our departmental objectives were met. It was determined that multiple measures must be taken to evaluate our success in meeting each objective. The final draft of the objective and desired curricular outcomes was adopted by the full faculty at the last faculty meeting of the 2000 – 2001 academic year.

In the fall of 2001, the UAPR Committee was formed. This committee consisted of seven members of the faculty. Due to scheduling difficulties that were probably due to the large size of the initial committee, the committee was not very active during that first year. As a result, the size of the global UAPR Committee was reduced to three members of the faculty with the intent of involving other faculty members in the completion of specific parts of the UAPR process.

In the 2002 – 2003 academic year, the UAPR Committee accomplished the development of operational measures for two of our objectives, surveyed that faculty regarding course materials they could contribute to the evaluation process, selected course materials to evaluate that academic year (research papers from PSY 242/243), developed a scoring rubric for the research papers, collected research papers to be evaluated, obtained faculty volunteers to rate the research paper, collected of data, and analyzed the data. For the initial evaluation, 12 research papers that were submitted by psychology majors as part of their requirements for the PSY 242/243 series in research methods and statistics were evaluated. Four faculty members volunteered to rate these papers, using the scoring rubric that was created by the UAPR

Committee. Each of the 12 research papers was rated by two faculty members, and inter-reliability analysis was performed. The correlations between the two raters for each paper ranged from r = .72 – r = 84. The original plan was to analyze the rubric scores for all 12 randomly selected research papers. However, due to contamination of the data for six of the papers, it was possible to analyze data from only six of the papers. Thus, the findings of our initial evaluation must be viewed with caution, due to the low sample size. Psychology research papers typically contain four sections: Introduction; Method; Results and Discussion. However, the research papers submitted in the PSY 242/243 classes contain only the last two of these sections. Thus, the initial evaluation was limited to information drawn from the Result and Discussion sections only.

(2)

Overall, the evaluation data indicate that the department was relatively successful in meeting the majority of the curricular outcomes evaluated, but also demonstrated the need to improve our ability to foster some curricular outcomes. Generally speaking, the outcomes pertaining to the Discussion received more positive ratings than those pertaining to the Results. In their Discussions, students achieved relatively high scores on “providing a clear and concise recap of the findings, ” and for “persuasively showing how findings

supported (or failed to support) the research hypothesis.” However, students were less successful in their attempts to offer convincing alternative explanations of their results.For the curricular outcomes evaluated in the Results sections, students scored relatively high for their ability to select an appropriate statistical method. However, the rest of the measures pertaining to the Results were less satisfying. The average student score “good” for the ability to relate the study findings to their research hypotheses. The last two curricular outcomes rated both addressed the ability of students to integrate visual aids (e.g., tables, charts) appropriately into their results. Ratings for these two items were disappointing, falling between “poor” and “fair.” Clearly, a method of further enhancing students’ ability to integrate visual material with the appropriate textual material needs to be identified. While no formal plan has yet been devised, one strategy is to provide more information about this topic in the PSY 242 course, and have students practice these skills in PSY 243 (research laboratory).

By participating in the UAPR, the Department of Psychology has been given the opportunity to review the objectives of our department, the curriculum outcomes that we believe are required to ensure that our graduates are a credit to the department, and to begin to plan to evaluate our success in meeting these objectives. The department is committed to on-going evaluation.

In the 2003 – 2004 academic review the UAPR Committee (and sub-committees) intend

to achieve the following goals:

1. Develop a 7-year plan for evaluation.

2. Create a scoring rubric for the Introduction and Method Sections of the research paper. that every psychology major submits as part of their PSY 242/241 requirements.

3. Form a UAPR sub-committee to rate the research papers. 4. Analyze the data from the research papers.

5. Analyze the senior survey data in more specific form than has been done in the past. 6. Prepare and submit an annual report of our activities.

Program Review Cycles

Initial Program Review Cycle

2000/2001: Develop program objectives and outcomes.

2002/2003: Develop outcome measures and begin assessment of outcomes, and creation of assessment plan.

Spring 2003: Initial assessment of outcomes began.

Summer 2003: Data collection and analysis for first evaluation is completed. Preparation of initial report completed.

(3)

• Executive Summary

• Departmental Overview

• Mission Statement

• Objectives of the Review

• Review process

• List of Objectives

• List of Curricular Outcomes

• UAPR Committee

• Review Process

• Review Procedures

• Analysis of the Data and Research Results

• Incentives

• Lessons Learned

• Compleat Advisor (Appendix A)

• Faculty Survey Instrument (Appendix B)

• Scoring Rubric (Appendix C)

2004: Scheduled SACS accreditation visit

Subsequent seven-year cycles for university program review

Institutional Context: Departmental Overview

The Department of Psychology is one of the 10 departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the second largest college at North Carolina State University. Detailed information about our department is found on our Homepage at http://www.ncsu.edu/psy. The Department Head is Dr. David Martin, the Associate Head is Dr. Donald Mershon, and the Assistant Head and Undergraduate Coordinator is Dr. Shari Converse Lane. The departmental offices are located on the 6th and 7th floor of Poe Hall. The Department of Psychology has over 550 majors and also offers a Minor in Psychology. A copy of the handbook for psychology majors (the “Compleat Advisor”) is attached to this report in Appendix A. There are two major degrees offered by the department, (1) Psychology: General Option; and (2) Psychology: Human Resource Development Option. The second option incorporates a year-long internship into the student’s plan of work. The Psychology Department has 31 faculty members, 24 of which are tenured. Nine have received Outstanding Teacher awards and are members of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers, six have received Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Awards, and one has received the Alumni Distinguished Researcher Award. Members of the faculty teach courses in general, social, developmental, industrial/ organizational, experimental, school, and community psychology, as well as courses in ergonomics/human factors. The Department of Psychology houses the following laboratories: Applied Cognition; Auditory Perception; Ergonomics and Aging; Adult Development; Children’s’ Memory Project; Cognitive Ergonomics; Family Studies; Social-Emotional Development; and Visual Perception. In addition to the research laboratories, the School Psychology Program operates a full-scale School Psychology clinic and houses the on-going School Consultation Research Project. Each year, the faculty of the Department of Psychology, in association with the members of the faculty at Meredith College, sponsor The Carolinas Psychology Conference, a Southeastern regional research conference and meeting of undergraduate students in psychology and related fields.

(4)

The Department of Psychology strives both to enhance and to disseminate an understanding of the science of psychology, while also contributing to the overall service function of a land-grant university.

1. The department’s primary instructional emphasis is to provide psychology graduate and undergraduate students with a strong foundation in psychological principles, enabling them to advance the discipline of psychology, and address the needs of society. The department also provides an educational foundation for students who will apply psychological principles to other disciplines and activities.

2. The department’s research activities include efforts to discover and disseminate psychological knowledge and theories, to enhance the profession, and to develop new technologies and solutions to practical problems. As a department, we strive to maintain a balance among all these research activities.

3. The department recognizes the value of applying faculty and student research and scholarship to address the needs of the larger community as well as the university. Where appropriate, we integrate these out-reach activities into our teaching and knowledge production.

Review Objectives

The review process was instituted to address the following issues:

• What are the objectives of the Department of Psychology?

• Are we achieving our objectives in all areas, and, if not, in what areas are we deficient?

• What types of data can be collected to answer the above question?

• What techniques can be used to improve any areas in which we may be deficient?

• Have the selected remedies for possible deficiencies actually improved our performance in these areas?

• What areas do we still need to improve?

• Are there new concerns on which we should focus our attention?

Review Process

The review process began during the 2000 – 2001 academic year. The objectives of the Department of Psychology and the required curricular outcomes for graduates of the Department of Psychology were discussed, created, revised, and accepted by the entire faculty at faculty meetings in Spring 2001. The final draft of the objectives and skills was adopted by the full faculty at the last faculty meeting of the 2000 – 2001 academic year.

Objective for the Department of Psychology

(5)

Upon graduation, psychology majors should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic theory and concepts of psychology and the ability to engage in the systematic inquiry into human behavior and experience.

2. Discover, understand, manage, and communicate source materials in psychology.

3. Work effectively within the complexity and ambiguity that characterize the domains of investigation in the human sciences.

4. Generalize theoretical knowledge of psychology to real-world applications.

Curricular Outcomes for the Department of Psychology

Upon completion of the B.A. degree in Psychology, the student will be able to do the following: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of basic theory and concepts of psychology.

a. Ask pertinent and productive questions that lead to an analysis of a problem: the source of the problem, the kinds of data needed to solve the problem, and the criteria that must be met for a solution to the problem.

b. Make sound judgments about solutions to problems based on the data they or others have collected.

Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research proposals, and oral and written laboratory reports.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of scientific methods of research.

a.

Demonstrate an understanding of the data collection process, showing that they know how to collect data for solving problems and how to evaluate those data for their relevance and credibility.

b.

Present data in a way that is accurate and appropriate to the audience.

c.

Make a strong case for their judgments based on data, presenting their point logically and clearly. Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research proposals, research studies, oral and written lab reports.

3. Discover, understand, manage, and communicate source materials in psychology.

a.

Find, evaluate, and arrange potential source materials related to a subject.

b.

Effectively summarize source materials.

c.

Synthesize, analyze, and come to conclusions from multiple source materials.

(6)

Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, summaries, abstracts, literature reviews, research projects, proposals, critical analyses, critiques of proposals, debates, andoral

presentations.

4. Work effectively within the complexity and ambiguity that characterize the domains of investigation in the human sciences.

a. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources.

b. Generate a variety of alternative hypotheses for explaining psychological phenomena. c. Show that they recognize some of the ways in which researchers, participants, and consumers

construct meaning through research paradigms and in psychological settings.

Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, research studies, critical analyses of scholarly articles, and journal entries.

5. Generalize theoretical knowledge of psychology to real-world applications.

a. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources.

b. Apply core concepts and principles to different life situations.

c. Apply theories of developmental processes and theories of behavior change to situations that require evaluation, maintenance, and/or change.

d. Show that they are aware of subjectivity in psychological research and applications and the potential for imposing their own cultural values on subjects and data.

e. Demonstrate awareness that researchers, agents of change, and participants in research and intervention, construct meaning in their world, and that the ways in which individuals construct meaning may well affect the course of research and intervention.

Opportunities to guide learning: exams, class discussion, homework case reports, reading journals, group case reports, internship project reports, and reflective essays or journal entries concerning students' experience with real-world applications.

UAPR Committee

At the beginning of the 2001 – 2002 academic year, the UAPR Committee was formed. The initial committee consisted of the following members of the faculty of the Department of Psychology:

Dr. Sharolyn Converse Lane, Chair Dr. James Kalat

Dr. Katherine Klein Dr. Roger Mitchell Dr. Joan Michael Dr. Samuel B. Pond

Due to scheduling difficulties that were probably due to the large size of the initial committee, the committee was not very active during that first year. As a result, the size of the global UAPR Committee was reduced to three members of the faculty (Dr. Klein, Dr. Mitchell, and Dr. Lane) with the intent of involving other faculty members in the completion of specific parts of the UAPR process. In the 2002 – 2003 the UAPR Committee became much more active. The following projects were completed:

(7)

● Determination of which curricular outcomes were to be evaluated in the 2002 – 2003 academic year. The committee determined that the following curricular outcomes would be evaluated that year: 1. Ask pertinent and productive questions that lead to an analysis of a problem: the source of the

problem, the kinds of data needed to solve the problem, and the criteria that must be met for a solution to the problem.

2. Make sound judgments about solutions to problems based on the data they or others have collected.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the data collection process, showing that they know how to collect data for solving problems and how to evaluate those data for their relevance and credibility.

4. Present data in a way that is accurate and appropriate to the audience.

5. Make a strong case for their judgments based on data, presenting their point logically and clearly

6. Handle a broad range of data, both quantitative and qualitative empirical data as well as data from theoretical and philosophical sources.

7. Generate a variety of alternative hypotheses for explaining psychological phenomena. 8. Demonstration of recognition of some ways in which researchers, participants, and consumers

construct meaning through research paradigms and in psychological settings.

●

Collection of information from members of the faculty regarding course materials collected in their courses that could be used in the evaluation effort. A faculty survey (see Appendix B) was created that listed the departmental objectives and ask faculty to record their course number, briefly describe the course content, and identify any course products that could be evaluated.

●

Selection of the course material from which our initial evaluation measures would be taken. The members of the committee determined that the afore mentioned curricular outcomes could be evaluated, in part, by having faculty members evaluate the research papers that all psychology majors must submit as part of the PSY 242/243 course in research methods and statistics.

●

Operational definition and selection of measures of evaluating the research papers. The committee determined that the evaluation of research papers could be achieved by having faculty volunteers use a scoring rubric to evaluate a random sample of the research papers collected.

●

Creation of the research plan. It was determined that a random sample of 12 research papers (six from each of the two PSY 242/243 research classes ongoing during Spring 2003) would be randomly selected from a pool of all the research papers submitted that spring. It was also determined that only faculty members who did not teach the PSY 242/243 course would be eligible to rate the papers. The faculty raters would evaluate only the Results and Discussion sections of a typical research paper since only these components of the research paper are required as part of the PSY 242/243 experience. The Introduction and Method sections would be evaluated by randomly selecting research papers that will be submitted from the PSY 240/241 classes in the fall of 2003. The random selection of research papers would be performed by the Chair of the UAPR Committee, and faculty volunteers would be blind to the specific class from which each sample was drawn. Faculty raters would also be unaware of the specific student who wrote the paper, as well as to the grade each paper earned. Papers would be disseminated to faculty raters at the beginning of May 2003 in order to provide time for the instructor of the PSY 242/243 classes to correct the papers and supply copies for the review process. The faculty ratings would be analyzed by the Chair of the UAPR Committee. The rankings were be analyzed and reported by the Chair of the UAPR Committee.

(8)

Evaluation Procedures

● Creation of study materials. A scoring rubric for the research papers was created by the UAPR Committee to ensure consistent scales of measurement across faculty raters. A copy of this scoring rubric can be found in Appendix C. A copy of the scoring rubric was provided to each faculty member in March 2003.

● Volunteers for rating the research papers were recruited in April 2003. The faculty members who volunteered to evaluate the papers were: Drs. James Kalat; Chris Mayhorn, Mark Wilson, and Ann Schulte.

● Selection of research reports. Six research reports were randomly selected from each of the two PSY 242/243 classes by the Chairman of the UAPR Committee.

● The faculty volunteers rated the research papers during May and June 2003. A due date of June 10, 2003 was given to the evaluators, and all checklists were returned by that date.

● Selection and assignment of research reports. Six research reports were randomly selected from reports submitted by the instructors of the two PSY 242/243 classes on-going during Spring 2003. The 12 research papers were divided according to the class of origin. Two copies of each of the research papers were made, resulting in a set of 24 research papers to be rated by faculty

volunteers. A set of six research papers was created by randomly selecting three papers from each PSY 242/243 class. In this way, four sets of research papers were created. A review was done to ensure that no single paper was represented twice in any of the four paper sets. Each set of papers was randomly assigned to one of the four faculty raters.

● Analysis of the scoring data. The original plan was to analyze the rubric scores for each of the 12 research papers. However, it was discovered that the teaching assistants assigned to one of the PSY 243 laboratories had contaminated the data for one class by requiring students to revise and improve their papers after the teaching assistants learned that some of the research papers were to be evaluated. This disheartening event created a situation in which the six research papers selected from that section of PSY 242/243 had to be omitted from the analysis due to contamination of the data. This reduced the sample size to just six research papers, and raters were able to rate only six research papers. The scores for the remaining six papers were as follows. The rubric data were grouped according to each specific rubric item. A rating of “weak” was assigned 1 point, 3 points were assigned to “fair” responses, and a rating of 5 was assigned for each “excellent” rating. The scores of all faculty for each specific rubric item were then averaged to determine the overall score for each rubric item.

Results of the Review Process

The results of the analysis of the six papers is provided in the Table 1.

Table 1

(9)

Scoring Scheme: Weak = 1 Point; Fair = 3 Points; Excellent = 5 Points

Results

Presents the findings in a way that clearly addresses the hypothesis

_3.0

Presents appropriate statistical analysis

_4.3

Incorporates tables and figures that are clear and comprehensible and

_2.3

Appropriate to the kinds of data involved

Effectively integrates verbal and visual representation of data

_2.0

Discussion

Provides a clear and concise recap of the findings

_5.0

Persuasively shows how the findings support or fail to support the

_4.6

hypothesis

Offers convincing alternative explanations for the results

_4.0

Addresses other pertinent issues related to the study, such as

_3.5

Weakness and future research

The findings findings provided in Table 1 must be interpreted with caution due to the small sample size. However, the inter-rater reliability coefficient across each pair of raters ranged from r = .64 - r = . 86, which is typically considered to be acceptable.

Overall, the ratings indicate that instructors of PSY 242/243 were more successful in meeting the curricular objectives tested in the Discussion section than in meeting the curricular outcomes tested in the Results section of the research reports. In the Discussion section, students did an excellent job of providing a clear and concise recap of the findings, and scored almost as high when attempting to persuasively show how the findings support (or fail to support) the research hypothesis. Students were less successful in their attempts to offer convincing alternative explanations for the results and effectively integrate verbal and visual representation of the data.

For the curricular outcomes evaluated in the Results section, the outcome was much less satisfying. Students scored between average and excellent when selecting an appropriate statistical method. However, student scored only average for their ability to relate the study findings to their research hypotheses. The last two Results-oriented curricular items addressed the ability of students to integrate visual aids (e.g., tables, charts) appropriately into their Results. Ratings for these two items were disappointing, falling between poor and fair ratings.

(10)

The results of the initial analysis indicates that the faculty members of the Department of Psychology are doing a relatively good job and successfully imparting the following curricular outcomes and abilities to students: (1) selection of appropriate statistical analysis; (2) providing findings in a clear and concise manner; (3) demonstrating persuasively how findings support of fail to support hypotheses; and (4) offering convincing alternative explanations for results. Conversely, the department needs to determine methods to enhance students’ ability to incorporate visual aids appropriately into their research papers, address methodological issues that might compromise the validity of the study, and derive logical and practical suggestions for future research. Clearly, a method of enhancing students’ ability to integrate visual material with the appropriate textual material needs to be identified. While no formal plan has yet been devised to strengthened students’ skills in this area, one strategy is to provide more information about this topic in the PSY 242 course, and have students practice these skills in PSY 243 (research laboratory). One instructor of PSY 242/243 has already added this lecture and laboratory practice to the syllabi of the PSY 242/243 courses.

It was deemed necessary to have faculty members who did not teach PSY 240/241 or PSY 242/243 rate the papers to increase objectivity of the ratings. While this practice was necessary, it may have led some raters to overestimate the sophistication of students entering PSY 240/241 and to assume that students entering the course have skills that they do not, in reality, possess. It may be that a third semester of the research and statistical methods class should be added to ensure that instructors have the time to teach students learn about research methods, statistics, and writing in the APA style.

Advantages of Assessment-Based Program Review

By participating in the UAPR, the Department of Psychology has been given the opportunity to review the objectives of our department, determine curriculum outcomes that are required to ensure that our graduates are a credit to the department, and to begin to plan an ongoing evaluation of our success in meeting our objectives and strengthening the probability of desired curricular outcomes. The discussion of objectives and curricular outcomes stimulated new ideas and helped the faculty to reach a consensus about our goals for the undergraduate program, and to consider how we can increase our success in meeting our goals. While the discussion is relatively new and on-going, it has focused increased attention on the quality of the undergraduate program, and upon methods used by faculty members to enhance instruction. These

discussion not only allowed faculty members to share information about successful teaching techniques, but also stimulated ideas about new methods than can be created to enhance instruction in various courses. One of the benefits of serving on the UAPR Committee was to become more fully aware of the practices used by our colleagues to ensure successful instruction. It is now the responsibility of the committee to disseminate this information to the full faculty.

The UAPR process has been beneficial in stimulating discussions between faculty members that have increased awareness of the challenges faced by faculty members who teach specific courses. A good deal of discussion has centered around the methods used by various faculty members to enhance their instruction. These discussions not only allowed faculty members to share information about successful teaching techniques, but also stimulated ideas about new instructional methods that can be created.

The selection of research papers from the PSY 242/243 classes has focused a great deal of attention on the quality of the research papers that are submitted and what measures can be taken to improve these papers. As a result of the initial evaluation, the two faculty members who contributed papers to the original assessment have had on-going “brain storming sessions” about methods of teaching statistics and research methods, and how these can be improved. As we continue our evaluation process, the number of such collaborative efforts is likely to increase, improving the quality of our instruction.

(11)

Challenges and Incentives

The major challenges facing the Department of Psychology in our on-going evaluation process include the following: (1) objectives and curricular outcomes need on-going scrutiny and revision; (2) the list of course products acquired from members of the faculty should be examined to determine relevant items for

evaluation during the 2003 – 2004 academic year; (3) specific measures and operational definitions must be selected; (4) additional data collection and analysis must be collected on a yearly basis; and (5) a multi-year evaluation plan must be devised. In addition to the above activities, UAPR sub-committees should be formed to distribute the burden of the evaluation process across the faculty more evenly.

Lessons Learned

The initial review process conducted by the Department of Psychology resulted in educating the UAPR Committee and the entire faculty to some facts that were not considered in the initial review process. These lessons will be used to enhance our review process during the 2003 – 2004 academic year.

1. The creation of several small committees to perform various tasks is more efficient than creating one large committee that is asked to perform all of the tasks involved in the assessment project. 2. If members of the faculty are asked to contribute by engaging in small, manageable tasks, they are

likely to volunteer to aid in the evaluation process.

3. Communication about the activities of the UAPR Committee to the entire faculty should be increased.

4. More attention should be directed toward teaching students to integrate visual aids appropriately into the Results section.

5. More attention should be focused on teaching students to identify weaknesses in their study design.

6. More attention should be directed toward teaching students to evaluate their research results, compare them to their hypotheses, and identify future research needs.

7. More focus should be placed on informing faculty and teaching assistants that the evaluation is being conducted to evaluate our undergraduate program, rather than the teaching skills on any one person.

8. Teaching assistants must be closely supervised when asked to participate in data collection that may reflect on the quality of their work as teaching assistants.

(12)

Appendix A

(13)

The Compleat Advisor

P R E F A C E

This is the revised ninth edition of the Compleat Advisor, a Department of Psychology publication for its undergraduate students and faculty. Included in this edition of the Compleat Advisor are an expanded section on Restricted Electives, and an updating of entries on faculty and staff. Please note, however, that much valuable information is also contained in the regular University Catalog, the Schedule of Courses and the Advisor's Handbook, information that is not repeated here. You should be sure to consult these sources when planning and executing your program.

All students entering the program, either as freshmen or as transfers, and all students returning to NCSU after a period of absence, will be subject to the rules stated in this handbook.

The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor First Edition, September 1977 Second Edition, June 1979 Donald H. Mershon, Kitty Klein,

Undergraduate Chair Undergraduate Chair The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Third Edition, March 1982 Fourth Edition, August 1984 Revised, August 1983 Revised, December 1984 Jim Cole, Revised, September 1985 Undergraduate Coordinator Revised, April 1986 Revised, August 1987

Jim Cole,

Undergraduate Coordinator

The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Fifth Edition Sixth Edition, May 1990 November 1988 Revised, August 1991 Eighth Edition Revised, November 1991

Revised, June 1997 Jim Cole, Undergraduate Coordinator Bob Pond,

Undergraduate Coordinator Revised June 1999

The Compleat Advisor The Compleat Advisor Seventh Edition, August l992 Ninth Edition, June 1998 Revised, August 1993 Shari Converse,

Eighth Edition, November 1994 Undergraduate Coordinator Revised, June 1996 Revised, June 2000 Jim Luginbuhl, Revised, June 2001 Undergraduate Coordinator

(14)

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Organization of the Department... 4

A Brief History of the Department ... 4

Faculty Directory ... 5 Psychology Club... 9 Psi Chi ...9 The Newsletter...9 Advising ...9 Grievance Procedure...10

Policy on Passing Grades...10

Suspension/Retention Policy ...10

University and College of Education and Psychology Policies and Regulations Pre-registration...11

Late Registration ...11

Adding and Dropping Courses ...12

Incompletes. ...12

Repeating Courses ...12

PE Requirements...12

Interinstitutional Registration...12

Graduation -- Application for Degree. ...13

Other School and University Resources Learning Resources Library ...13

Computer Facility. ...13

Counseling Center...13

Career Planning and Placement...14

Tutorial Services ...14

Volunteer Services ...14

Undergraduate Research Support... ...14

Ethics ...15

PSY 200 Research Requirement. ...15

Report Writing ...18

Basic Reference Sources ...18

D. H. Hill Library...19

Electronic Literature Search...19

Professional Organizations ...19

Graduate School Evaluating Different Schools and Choosing Appropriately ...20

Standardized Tests ...21

What Graduate Schools Want in Applicants ...21

(15)

(16)

General Option (PSY)

Sample Curriculum ...24

Checklist... 25Human Resource Development Option (HRD) Sample Curriculum ...27

Checklist...28

Notes on the Program Curriculum Requirements ...30

Frequent Questions Asked About the Human Resource Development Option ...32

Restricted Elective Groups. ...33

Honors Program (PSY & HRD) Goals...41 Admission... ... ...41 Course Requirements. ...41 PSY Honors Checklist...42 HRD Honors Checklist...44 Minors ...46

(17)

Organization of the Department

The Department of Psychology is located primarily in the top two floors of Poe Hall, although some faculty and graduate students have offices elsewhere. The main departmental office is in Poe 640, and all faculty in psychology have mailboxes there. Graduate student mailboxes are in Poe 631. If you cannot locate someone you need, you can always leave a message for her/him in the appropriate mailbox.

The main departmental phone number is 515-2251. To reach individual faculty in Poe Hall, you should consult the faculty directory on the next few pages of this handbook to obtain the best number to use. The "best" number will usually reach the faculty member directly or her/his answering machine/voicemail. Often, faculty are most easily contacted through e-mail (see the faculty listing for addresses).

Some information about departmental organization and administration will be useful to help you to understand how decisions are made in the department and whom you should see about various kinds of problems.

The Department of Psychology is now a unit within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. As of July 1, 2001, the Dean of the College is Dr. Linda Brady, and the Assistant Dean and Director of Undergraduate Programs is Dr. Randal Thomson. Many matters of importance to students, such as curriculum changes, late drops, waiver of PE requirements, etc., must receive approval from the Office of the Dean.

The Head of the Department of Psychology is Dr. David W. Martin. Dr. Shari Converse is the

Undergraduate Coordinator andis responsible for decisions regarding such issues as restricted electives and course requirements. Transfers into Psychology are handled by Ms. Darnell Johnson. Ms. Johnson is the Psychology Department Student Services Supervisor. Most of the procedures relevant to students are begun by contacting Ms. Johnson.

The Department of Psychology meets once a month on a Monday at 3:30 P.M. The voting members of the department consist of all regular faculty, an undergraduate representative, and a graduate student representative. The Department actively encourages student participation in the actions and decisions of the Department. The

undergraduate representatives to the Psychology Department and its various committees are elected by the Psychology Club. The student representatives are regarded as full members of the committees and are expected to participate in all committee discussions and decisions. Through your representatives, you do have an important voice in determining how the Department will grow and develop.

A Brief History of the Department

The early history of psychology at North Carolina State University reflects the intensely practical orientation of the land-grant college. The first psychology course (Educational Psychology) appeared in 1915. It was "designed primarily for students who intend to teach in the rural high schools," and it was taught by an assistant professor of modern languages. For the next 12 years psychology continued to be taught by professors who were not primarily psychologists, while the department maintained its service orientation toward education. The number of courses offered in psychology rose to four during this period, though they were regarded as education courses rather than as psychology courses. All of them were undergraduate courses.

In 1927, the first psychologist, Dr. Karl Claude Garrison, joined the University faculty. Two years later he was teaching eleven different psychology courses in addition to two or three education courses. In 1931, Dr. Garrison was joined by Mr. Joseph Ernest Moore, who was appointed "Instructor in Psychology." Together, they taught 13 different psychology courses, although during the next two years the number dropped to seven. By 1934 the university was granting the M.S. degree in education, and the number of psychology courses had risen to 13 again, but there were still only two faculty members. In 1935 Dr. William McGehee replaced Mr. Moore, and he and Dr. Garrison continued to teach about 13 psychology courses until 1940. In 1938 the college catalog refers to a Department of Psychology, but Garrison and McGehee are listed under the Division of Teacher Training in the School of Textiles.

During the depression years of the mid-1930's the legislature of North Carolina consolidated the large state-supported universities, and, as an economy measure, allocated different functions to the different campuses.

(18)

The fact that the function represented by psychology was not allocated to North Carolina State University tended to retard the growth of the department and to limit its degree-granting powers.

By 1940 the Division of Teacher Training had become an independent entity, Dr. Garrison had resigned to take a position in another university, and Dr. McGehee, now an associate professor, was joined by a new instructor, Dr. Dannie Joseph Moffie. The department continued to be a two-man department until 1947, when it suddenly grew to six members: two full professors, two assistant professors and two part-time instructors. By this time, Dr. Moffie had become a full professor and head of the department. The offerings consisted of 21 courses including six at the graduate level; all six were in the areas of applied or industrial psychology.

Prior to World War II the Department of Psychology was exclusively a service department, offering no degrees of its own. In 1948, the department offered its first degree: a master's degree in industrial psychology. This continued to be the only specialty until 1961, when the department began offering a master's degree with options in industrial psychology, experimental psychology, and school psychology.

In 1956 Dr. Howard G. Miller succeeded Dr. Moffie as Department Head. By 1957 the department had ten faculty members and offered 33 courses, 21 of them at the graduate level. By 1966, when Ph.D. programs in school psychology and experimental psychology were introduced, there were 15 faculty members (including adjunct faculty) and they taught 15 undergraduate courses and 25 graduate courses.

The Department of Psychology experienced a very rapid growth in the number of undergraduate psychology majors after 1964, the first year in which an undergraduate degree was offered. Dr. Paul W. Thayer was appointed Department Head in July, 1977. The number of undergraduate psychology majors has increased from 21 in 1964 to approximately 475 in 2000. There are now two undergraduate program options: the General Option (PSY) and the Human Resource Development Option (HRD).

The faculty grew from 18 to 27 with additional adjunct faculty who occasionally participate in undergraduate programs. There are more than 50 different courses available to undergraduates. The Psychology Department also offers graduate programs with specialization in the fields of developmental psychology, ergonomics and experimental psychology, industrial/organizational and vocational psychology, school psychology and

psychology in the public interest. Each of these graduate programs leads to the Ph.D. Advanced undergraduates may derive important benefits from working with graduate students in many of these areas. Dr. David W. Martin was appointed Department Head in August, 1992.

As of 2001, the Department of Psychology moved its "administrative home" from the College of Education and Psychology to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS). (Its former home has been renamed the College of Education.) Some of the changes associated with this move took effect on January 1, 2001; others became effective as of July 1, 2001. The physical location of the Department is expected to remain in Poe Hall for several more years.

Faculty Directory

The following list includes all regular, adjunct, and emeritus members of the Psychology Faculty, along with some indication of their major areas of interest within Psychology. Regular faculty have a regular university appointment, teach courses each semester, and are generally available to advise students. Adjunct faculty do not have university appointments, but make some of their time available to teach special courses or advise students on special research problems. Emeritus faculty are retired regular faculty members who are often available for teaching special courses or advising students on special projects.

Regular Faculty:

BAKER-WARD, Lynne, Professor, Ph.D., 1985, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Developmental

Psychology, Cognitive Development, Social Policy.

(Office: Poe 760) Telephone: 515-1731 E-mail: [email protected])

Bauer, Dan. Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 2002. Developmental Psychology.

(19)

BROOKINS, Craig C., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1990, Michigan State University, Ecological/Community

Psychology and Human Resource Development, and African Psychology.

(Office: 726 Poe) Telephone: 515-1725 E-mail: [email protected])

CONVERSE LANE, Sharolyn, Assistant Department Head, Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1988, Old Dominion

University, Human Information Processing, Visual Displays.

(Office: 713) Telephone: 515-1722 E-mail: [email protected])

DREWES, Donald W., (Half-time) Professor, Ph.D., 1959, Purdue University, Human Resource Development,

Policy Planning, Social Indicators.

(Office: 640 Telephone: 515-2251 E-mail: [email protected])

ERCHUL, William P., Professor, Ph.D., 1984, University of Texas at Austin, School Psychology, Psychological

consultation, Interpersonal communication.

(Office: 628-A Telephone: 515-1709 E-mail: [email protected])

GRAY, Denis O., Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Michigan State University, Human Resource Development, Community

Psychology.

HALBERSTADT, AMY G., Associate Professor, Ph.D.,1981, Johns Hopkins University, Developmental-Social.

HASKETT, Mary E., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1988, Florida State University, School Psychology, Cognitive-

Behavioral Interventions, Family Violence.

(Office:622 Telephone: 515-1710 E-mail: [email protected])

HESS, Thomas M., Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Southern Illinois University, Developmental Psychology, Adult

Development and Aging.

HORAN, Patricia F., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1980, University of Arizona, School Psychology, Cognitive

Development.

KALAT, James W., Professor, Ph.D., 1971, University of Pennsylvania, Physiological and Comparative Psychology,

Animal Models of Hyperkinesis, Taste Aversion Learning and Introductory Psychology.

KLEIN, Katherine W., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1976, Wayne State University, Social Psychology, Consequences

of Environmental Stressors.

LEVERE, Thomas E., Professor, Ph.D., 1965, Ohio State University, Physiological Psychology, Discrimination

Learning, Electrical Correlates of Behavior.

(Office: 762-B Telephone: 515-1734 E-mail: [email protected])

LUGINBUHL, James E., Professor, Ph.D., 1970, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Social Psychology,

Attribution Theory, Psychology and Law.

MARTIN, David W., Professor and Head, Ph.D., 1969, Ohio State University, Engineering Psychology, Cognitive

Psychology.

(Office: 640-D) Telephone: 515-2251 E-mail: [email protected])

MAHORN, Christopher., Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 2001, University of Georgia, Engineering Psychology,

Ergonomics – Aging.

(20)

MEAD, Adam., Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 2002. Industrial/Organizational Psychology. (Office: 725)

Telephone: 515-2251 E-mail: [email protected]) MERSHON, Donald H., Professor and Associate Head, Ph.D., 1970, University of California, Santa Barbara, Sensory and Perceptual Processes, Visual and Auditory Space Perception.

(Office: 640-C Telephone: 515-1724 E-mail: [email protected]) MICHAEL, Joan J., Professor, Ph.D., 1967, University of Southern California, Test and Measurements.

(Office: 640-E Telephone: 513-4072 E-mail: [email protected])

MITCHELL, Roger, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, Community-Based Health

Promotion.

(Office: 714-B Telephone: 513-2546 E-mail: [email protected])

NACOSTE, Rupert W., Professor and Vice Provost, Diversity and African American Affairs, Ph.D., 1982,

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Social Psychology, Procedural Justice.

POND, III, Samuel B. Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1980, Auburn University, Industrial/Organizational Psychology,

Employee Attitudes and Work Behavior.

SCHULTE, Ann C., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1983, University of Texas at Austin, School Psychology, Learning

Disabilities, School Consultation, School Reform.

(Office: 626 Telephone: 515- 1708 E-mail: [email protected])

SMITH, Frank J., Professor, Ph.D., 1972, Michigan State University, Social Psychology, Human Resource

Development.

SNYDER, Samuel S., Associate Professor and COE Associate Dean for Research and External Affiars, Ph.D., 1975,

Yale University, Developmental Psychology, Psychosocial Development, Adolescence.

WESTBROOK, Bert W., Professor, Ed.D., 1964, Florida State University, Psychometrics, Educational Research and

Evaluation, Vocational Behavior.

WILSON, Mark A., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1983, Ohio State University, Industrial/Organizational and

Vocational Psychology, models of job performance, executive pay.

WOGALTER, Michael S., Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1987, Rice University, Ergonomics, effectiveness of

warnings, perception of risk and hazard.

Associate Faculty:

KORTE, Charles D., Professor of Multidisciplinary Studies and Associate Member of the Faculty of the Department

of Psychology, Ph.D. in Social Psychology, 1969, Harvard University, Effects of urban environment on social

behavior, mutual aid, and support of the elderly.

(Office: 2806 Hillsborough St. Telephone: 515-7965 E-mail: [email protected])

WASIK, John L. Professor of Statistics and Associate Member of the Department of Psychology, Ph.D, Florida State

University. Statistics, Analysis procedures for evaluation research designs.

(Office: 612-A Cox Telephone: 515-2532 E-mail: [email protected])

(21)

BEITH, Barry H., Adjunct Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1988, North Carolina State University. Ergonomics.

(HumanCentric Technologies, 111 James Jackson Ave., Cary, NC 27513 Telephone: 481-0565)

BURRUS, Barri A. Braddy, Adjunct Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1984, North Carolina State University, Research

Psychologist, Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park. Social Support, Self-Help Groups, Employment

for Older-Workers, and Technological Implications for Work Related Roles.

(Office: Research Triangle Institute , Center for Population and Policy Studies, RTP, NC 27709 Telephone: 541

5905)

FLEENOR, John W., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1988, North Carolina State University,

Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

(Office: Center of Creative Leadership, One Leadership Place, P. O. Box 26300, Greensboro, NC 27438)

HALL, Anthony D., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., 1982, North Carolina State University, Human memory, Cognitive

processing, and Statistics.

(Office: IBM, RTP, NC)

HALL, Vernon C., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., 1964, The Ohio State University, School Psychology.

(Office: Department of Psychology, Box 7802, Raleigh, NC 27695-7801 Telephone:919-515-2251)

HOWARD, James L., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., 1968, Tulane University, Department of Pharmacology, Behavioral

Physiology.

(Office: Howard Associates, MCB-HLB Complex, P. O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Telephone: 919-541-2162)

KRONBERG, Charles L., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1975, Duke University, Project Enlightenment,

Clinical Psychology.

(Office: Wake County Public School Systems, 501 S. Boylan Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603 Telephone 856-7774)

LORENZ, Carol E., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1986, North Carolina State University, Human Resource

Development.

(Office: 1812 Ram’s Way, Hillsborough, NC 27278 Telephone: 644-0517)

PALMER, Susan N., Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1981, North Carolina State University,

Industrial/Organizational and Vocational.

(Office: Director of Corporate Relations for Kenan-Flagler Business School, UNC-Chapel Hill

Telephone: 919-962-3561)

ROGERS, Brenda, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Ph.D., 1983, North Carolina State University, Human Resource

Development, Career Development.

(Office: North Carolina Community College System, 200 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27603-1379

Telephone: 733-7051)

SANDERS, Michael G., Adjunct Associate Professor, Ph.D., 1973, Texas Tech University, Human Factors.

(Office: Director, SOFT, Psychology Section, P. O. box 70660, Fort Bragg, NC 28307-0660

Telephone: 910-396-0874/432-6833)

SCHLENGER, William E., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., 1974, North Carolina State University, Human Resource

Development.

(Office: Research Triangle Institute, Health and Social Policy Division, P. O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park,

NC 27709-2194 Telephone: 919-541-6448)

TORNATZKY, Louis G., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., 1969, Stanford University, Community Psychology.

(Office: Southern Technology Council, Southern Growth Policies Board, 5001 S. Miami Blvd., P. O. Box 12293,

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 Telephone: 919-941-5145)

TORNOW, Walter W., Adjunct Professor, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1970, Industrial and Organizational

Psychology.

(Office: Vice President, Research and Publication, Center for Creative Leadership, 5000 Laurinda Drive, P. O. Box

(22)

Emeritus Faculty:

BARKLEY, Key L., Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., 1930, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Attitude

Measurement.

(Telephone: 834-7098)

COLE, James L., Associate Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., 1964, Duke University, Behavior Theory, the History of

Psychology, and Use of Microprocessors.

CUNNINGHAM, Joseph W., Professor, Ph.D, 1964, Purdue University, Ergometrics (Psychometrically-based work

analysis), Psychological Measurement, Work Motivation.

JOHNSON, J. Clyde, Professor Emeritus, Ed.D., 1956 Peabody College, Applications of Psychology to Instruction.

MILLER, Howard G., Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., 1951, Pennsylvania State University, Social Problems, Educational

Psychology, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Development.

NEWMAN, Slater E., Professor, Ph.D., 1951, Northwestern University, Memory and Cognition, Braille Learning.

PEARSON, Richard C., Professor of Industrial Engineering and Associate Member of the Faculty of the Department

of Psychology, Ph.D., 1961, Carnegie-Mellon University, Psychology and Industrial Engineering, Ergonomics,

Skilled Performance. (Telephone: 828-2443)

THAYER, Paul W., Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., 1954, Ohio State University, Industrial/Organizational and

(23)

Psychology Club

The Psychology Department has an undergraduate student organization called the Psychology Club. All undergraduate majors in Psychology (either option) are automatically members. No dues are required. Participation is voluntary, but the club does serve important functions. It is responsible for spending money from student fees for a variety of purposes intended to enrich both the social and educational life of psychology majors. Its members are responsible for the election of the student representatives to the psychology faculty and its various committees. It hosts panel discussions on graduate school and on careers in psychology. It elects representatives to the Education and Psychology Council (a student group within the College of Education and Psychology which plans college-wide activities). It arranges faculty/student parties. The Psychology Club, together with Psi Chi, has responsibility for major events such as the Carolinas Psychology Conference which is held annually in Raleigh. For further information contact its officers or its faculty advisor, Dr. Kitty Klein, 708 Poe.

Psi Chi

A chapter of Psi Chi, a national honor society for undergraduate and graduate students in psychology, was reactivated in 1976. Admission to the society requires that an undergraduate have a 3.25 GPA overall with a 3.50 average in psychology courses; a graduate student must have a 3.75 GPA overall with at least 12 credit hours earned at NCSU. Psi Chi undertakes a variety of projects intended to improve the programs of the department, such as the development of a questionnaire for evaluating teaching. Benefits of membership include: special sessions and often special housing facilities at national psychological conventions such as APA; opportunities to subscribe to

psychological journals (see also section on APA's "Student in Psychology"); and regional meetings with other Psi Chi chapters. Dues are currently a one-time fee of $30.00 ($25 for the National Organization fee and $5 for the local chapter) upon acceptance into membership. If a person has been a member of Psi Chi at another institution he/she may join the NCSU Chapter by paying the local chapter fee of $5. Contact Dr. Slater Newman (750 Poe, 515-1728) for further information.

The Newsletter

This is a publication of the Department of Psychology and appears 2-3 times each semester. It is intended to communicate important new information, comments and guidance to all students and faculty in the department. In addition, it contains a variety of stories and notes about what is happening or has happened within the department: who has taken a trip, published a report, resigned, graduated, been appointed Undergraduate Coordinator, etc. New departmental policies on courses, curriculum, and grading are published in the Psychology Newsletter to supplement this handbook between editions. In addition to its serious tasks, the Psychology Newsletter also includes a certain amount of nifty nonsense about psychologists and their roles which sometimes helps to restore a perspective on things.

Anyone interested in working on the Psychology Newsletter is urged to contact Dr. Slater Newman (750) Roving Reporter. Contributions may be delivered to 640 Poe Hall or given directly to Dr. Newman.

Advising

All regular Psychology faculty members advise undergraduates. During registration each semester, you must do two things. First: make a tentative schedule for the coming semester. Second : make an appointment with your advisor, who will verify that your class schedule is appropriate and will give you your PIN (Personal

Identification Number). You cannot register without your PIN, and you can get your PIN only after meeting with your advisor. Your advisor is also a good resource to talk with about career goals, additional courses, graduate school, and so forth. If your advisor's posted office hours conflict with your schedule, you should feel free to call (or e-mail) and make an appointment. A new PIN is issued for each semester.

Students are assigned an advisor by Ms. Darnell Johnson (Poe 640B, 515-1703). It is the student's responsibility to see Ms. Johnson and be assigned an advisor during the first few weeks of the first semester. Once assigned an advisor, you will probably continue with the same person throughout your undergraduate program. If, for some sufficient reason, you wish to change your advisor, you may do so by seeing Ms. Johnson. The only restriction upon changing advisors is a desire to keep the advising load equally distributed among the faculty. An

(24)

overloaded advisor will not have time to deal with your problem in detail. If in an emergency you absolutely cannot find your regular advisor, you should see Ms. Johnson in 640B Poe Hall.

Students have access to “Advising Central” at NC State which is designed to provide web and Internet based advising to undergraduate students. The goals of Advising Central are to make academic policies clear and meaningful for students, to help students navigate through NC State's human resources to locate and secure advice from the most knowledgeable person in a particular field or college, and to help students identify sources that will aid them in clarifying their academic direction and strengthening their academic skills. Advising Central may be found at http://www.ncsu.edu/advising_central/.

Grievance Procedure

Both majors and non-majors may bring complaints about psychology courses or psychology faculty. Grievances concerning other departments must be taken to the department involved. A complaint may concern problems like the following: perception of an unfair grade given in a course, course requirements which seem inconsistent, perceived harassment by a faculty member, or perceived unethical conduct by a faculty member. The purpose of the grievance procedure is to provide a mechanism to resolve such issues.

To initiate a complaint, the student should first see Dr. Martin, who will attempt to resolve the issue. If the student is dissatisfied with that solution, he/she should appeal the decision to the Grievance Committee of the College of Education and Psychology by writing to the Chairperson of that Committee. The name of the current chairperson may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the College. For detailed information regarding the University-wide procedure for a student to file grievance against faculty/staff is available on-line at

http://ncsu.edu/provost/academic_regulations/grieve/.

Policy on Passing Grades

Generally, passing grades for credit include A+/-, B+/-, C+/-, S, and Cr. D+/- grades will be accepted as credit toward graduation up to a maximum of D grades in two (2) courses. There is no restriction upon the courses or categories of courses for which such D grades may be counted, except that a grade of C- or better is required for passing ENG 111 and ENG 112. The total credit hours involved in two D grades counted as credit towards graduation must not exceed eight(8). The rule for D grades does not apply to PE courses.

If a student receives more than two D grades in courses required for graduation, these courses may be repeated to obtain a more satisfactory grade, or (where possible) substitute courses may be taken and counted towards graduation. Example: A General Option (PSY) student had D grades in PSY 200, PSY 376, and ANT 251. The student may repeat any of these courses or may replace PSY 376 with another psychology elective to fulfill the same requirement or replace ANT 251 with another social science course. If ANT 251 were being counted only as a free elective, it could be replaced by taking any other elective and receiving a grade of C- or better.

Please note that if a course is taken twice, and the First Year Course Repeat rule does not apply, the university will count both times the course is taken in computing total hours taken. However, credit towards hours required for graduation will not be given for the excess D hours.

The University policy on passing grades is as follows: All undergraduate students will be required to have at least a 2.0 GPA in order to graduate.

All undergraduate students will be subject to the following graduated GPA suspension policies: 1. All undergraduate students in any classification must maintain a grade point average which will

assure that they are making progress toward the 2.0 grade point average minimum requirement for graduation. Students will be suspended at the end of any regular semester in which they do not meet or exceed the minimum required cumulative grade point average on all courses taken at NCSU according to the following graduated schedule:

Total of Hours Attempted at

NCSU Plus Transferred Hours

1 - 35

Minimum Required Cumulative GPA on All Courses at NCS

(25)

36 - 47 1.60 48 - 59 1.70 60 - 71 1.80 72 - 83 1.90 84 or more 2.00

2. Students whose hours attempted at NCSU plus transferred hours total 160 or more will not be permitted to register for courses in a subsequent regular semester until their academic record has been reviewed by their College Dean in consultation with their major Department or Program. Students who in the judgment of their College Dean are making appropriate progress toward the fulfillment of their degree requirements may be authorized to continue for an additional semester without conditions or with conditions specified in writing. Authorization for these students to continue to register in subsequent semesters may be made by the College Dean following similar reviews.

3. The preceding statements notwithstanding, students in academic difficulty shall not be suspended at the end of their first regular semester at NCSU.

4. Important note: Any semester that you are on Academic Warning or Academic Probation, you are required by the University to meet with your advisor during the first four weeks of that semester to go over your plan of study. Failure to do this may result in termination of your registration . This policy is explained in more detail in the Handbook for Advising and Teaching. All advisors have a copy. Important University Web sites:

Advising Central: http://www.ncsu.edu/advising_central/

Grievance Procedure: http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/academic_regulations/grieve/ Handbook for Advising and Teaching: http://www.ncsu.edu/provost/hat/current/ NCSU: http://www.ncsu.edu

Psychology Department: http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/cep/Psychology/Psychology.html Registration on the World Wide Web: http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/reg_records/ TRACS & Registration Information: http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/reg_records/tracs.html Transfer Course Equivalency Information: http://www.fis.ncsu.edu/UGA/course.htm Tutorial Services: http://www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/misc/tutorial/tutorial_list.html

University and College of Education and Psychology Policies and Regulations

TRACS (Telephonic Registration Access to Computerized Scheduling) simplifies the registration process and offers you a convenient way to register for your courses. By using a touch-tone telephone or the world wide web, the system will allow you to pre-register, late register, drop, add, audit or cancel, and check your grades.

Steps to pre-register

1. Trial Schedule. Before reporting to your adviser, pick up a copy of the Schedule of Courses from the NCSU Bookstore, Student Center, or D. H. Hill Library. Tentatively select courses and prepare a trial schedule for the term or terms for which you plan to register.

2. Make an appointment with your adviser. Discuss your choices with your adviser. At that time, your adviser will give you a Personal ID Number (PIN) which must be kept confidential in order to ensure the security of your registration.

3. Complete Registration. Check the Schedule of Courses to determine what dates you will be allowed to access the system.

(26)

Access to the system will be based upon the student's current classification. Students will not be able to register before their designated time, but they may use TRACS anytime and as often as they want after that designated time.

Late Registration

Any student who is late registering will be required to pay tuition, fees, and all other debts owed to the University and clear any "Holds" on your record, as well as pay a $25 NON-REFUNDABLE LATE REGISTRATION FEE IN PERSON AT THE STUDENT BANK before you will be given access to TRACS.