September, 2012 TO: Psy.D. Students FROM - Immaculata University

The review addresses progress toward Program Competencies as either acceptable, needing improvement, orin need of remediation. Grades for courses and objectives identified with particular competencies are reviewed.The review also includes a review of several categories of Program Presentation and Professional Behavior.(e.g., Professionalism, Receptivity to Feedback, Self-Reflective Skills, Sensitivity to Diversity, PunctualAttendance).Requests for Classes Outside the PsyD Program Curriculum, But in the Graduate Psychology Dept.If you want to take a class at Immaculata that is not listed as part of the required or elective PsyD curriculum,please put this in a note to Dr. Yalof's attention, noting that the request is for a course(s) outside of the requiredcurriculum, and your request will be reviewed. Please do not register until you have been approved to do so.The request constitutes a request for a catalog exemption and therefore has to be reviewed and approved by theDepartment Chair and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.Practicum LogsStudents are responsible for keeping copies of their practicum logs and evaluations. The department holdscopies of MA and certification evaluations (if earned through Immaculata), and PsyD practicum evaluations,for a required time period after which all material may be shredded. Please keep this in mind when collatingyour material in the event that you need it for internship and post-internship verification.Provisional Program Plans: Each student signs a Provisional Program Plan at the start of their program ofstudy. We use these plans to anticipate enrollment in courses, the need for second course sections, and thenumber of students who are taking practicum, comprehensive examination, dissertation, and internship. Pleasefollow your program sequence. The plans are designed sequentially to include all prerequisites. Should anexigent situation arise in which you need to request a course modification, please discuss it with your advisor,who will discuss it with me. We can then get back to you.Self Care and Psychotherapy as Part of Life-Long LearningNone of us are immune to stresses that come from relationship, family, work, school, and other important partsof our lives. Your experience in the PsyD program trains you for professional service at the highest level. Aspart of this training, it is always helpful to keep watch on your own well-being. We area all very busy, and it iseasy to overlook or absorb high levels of stress into our daily lives. However, our responsibility to ourselves,each other, our profession, and the public requires that we pay special attention to mental health issues thatarise in our lives that may feel situational, but might nonetheless signal the need for personal therapy to helpkeep things in perspective.The department fully endorses a model in which students seek professional help as part of their training if andwhen the need arises, and that they continue to use professional services throughout their careers as part ofself care and life-long learning.A few referral sources that are open to reduced fee therapy offered by licensed mental health professionals are:The Human Services Center of the Philadelphia Society for Clinical Psychologists: 215-885-2562The Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia: 215-2352345You might also wish to ask faculty for referrals, and they might be able to direct you to a fewpractitioners, in addition to the above list.

Borrowing Test Kits: Sr. Donna Kelley is in charge of the Testing Library.Testing Center: New Directions for Use• To borrow testing materials or to use the testing library, students must provide 24 hour notice. Pleasecontact Janet Rowe at jrowe@immaculata.edu or X 3509 and Sister Donna at dkelley@immaculata.edu.• No student may enter the testing Center without a faculty or staff member.• Materials may only be borrowed for a two week time period. If materials are needed for longer periods,please contact Sister Donna at dkelley@immaculata.eduAccess Format For PsyD UpdateClinical Psychology PsyD Students:The PsyD Update can only be accessed online. It is required program reading and is published three times eachyear. The complete PsyD Update can be accessed as follows:Log into myIUClick tab “CGS”Go to Catalogs & Publications ChannelClick GraduateClick Link-PsyD UpdateAccess Format For PsyD HandbookLog into myIUClick tab “CGS’Go to Catalogs & Publications ChannelClick GraduateClick Link-PsyD HandbookAccess Format For Intern and Consortium HandbooksLog into myIUClick tab “CGS’Go to Catalogs & Publications ChannelClick GraduateClick Link-Doctoral Internship Handbook or Consortium HandbookIU Email AccountsAll students should have IU Email accounts and are asked to check them regularly. If you have difficultieswith your email, please contact the helpdesk at x1234. The department will communicate with you throughthese accounts.Time2Track LogFor students on practica that include seminars (695, 767, 780-81, 782-83), count 2.5 hours each week as “groupsupervision,” rather than “peer supervision and case consultation.” Do not count 0.5 hrs for administration. The

document Time2Track and Guidelines for Logging Practicum Hours can be accessed on the Psy.D.Practicum Information Moodle website.Dissertations Filed Since Last PsyD UpdateKristin CupoEffects of Maternal Bond on an Internationally Adopted Child’s AttachmentSecurityChair: Maria Cuddy-Casey, PhDAnn FrankelSensory Processing Abnormalities and the Development of Attachment inChildren Diagnosed with PDD: Theoretical Foundation and Review.Chair, Jed Yalof, PsyDAmanda R. Chastain-GrahamTreatment and Rehabilitation of Violent Sexual Offenders:Professional Providers’ Perceptions of Risk Factors, TreatmentModels and Their Contribution to RecidivismChair: Julie Guay, PsyD, MBAStudent and Alumni/Alumnae Recent UpdatesCongratulations to Christine Etzrodt and Jill Hersh, both recipients of the Gradeaute Student ScholarshipAward.Faculty UpdatesDr. Pam Abraham is visiting Consortium internship sites to collect CoA domain information for theAPA self-study. She is also preparing information for our APPIC renewal status.Dr. Francien Chenoweth Dorliae served as a guest speaker at the Bong Mines Bridge Elderly Programin April. The Bong Mines Bridge Elderly program is a non-profit organization that assists elderlyimmigrants with acculturating to the United States. The organization is involved with arranging medicalappointments, language interpretation, and housing and family conflict resolutions. Dr. ChenowethDorliae spoke on “Honoring Thy Mother and Father.” She emphasized the values of the elders in society.Dr. Francien Chenoweth Dorliae attended the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Conference inHarrisburg, Pa in June. She presented a paper poster on behalf of the Diversity Forum. The DiversityForum is a graduate psychology organization that meets at least quarterly to research and discuss concernsof the culturally diverse. The paper poster presented was entitled, “The experience of culturally diversefaculty teaching at predominantly White Universities.” Dr. Dorliae also attended the AmericanPsychological Association Conference in Washington, DC in August where she, along with herImmaculata colleagues (Dr. Guay, Dr. McGrath, and Dr. Jenny) presented a paper poster entitled,“Experiences of ethnically diverse early career psychologists in U.S. postsecondary academic settings.”Dr. Janet Etzi wrote a review of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM) which will be includedin the upcoming September issue of the Pennsylvania Psychologist.Dr. Etzi will be part of a presentationin November on the PDM for PPA this November with Robert Gordon, PhD.

Dr. Julie Guay accepted a clinical position at Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital. She also presented:Guay, J. (2012). Neuroscience of the Teenage Brain. Presentation at Valley Forge MilitaryAcademy,July, 2012; Radnor Township, PA.Guay, J. (2012). Neuroscience of the Teenage Brain. Presentation during At Risk BehaviorsConference, Chester County Intermediate Unit; May, 2012; Downingtown, PA.Guay, J. (2012). Ethical Decision-Making: Competence, Boundaries, and Resolution of Ethical Issues.Presentation at Devereux Mapleton; April, 2012; Malvern, PA.Vojtko, K., Irani, F., Guay, J., Calkins, M., Gur, R. (2012). List-learning performance in families withschizophrenia (PAARTNERS Project). Poster presentation at Immaculata University (April 2012)Guay, J. (2012). Concussion: Myths and Facts. Presentation at Parisi Speed School; February, 2012;Downingtown, PA.Dr. Farzin Irani has several recent publications:Da Silva, F.N., Irani, F., Richard, J., Brensinger, C.M., Bilker, W.B., Gur, R.E. & Gur, R.C. (2012).More than just tapping: Index finger-tapping measures procedural learning in schizophrenia.Schizophrenia Research, in press [e-pub ahead of print].Irani, F., Seligman, S., Kamath, V., Kohler C. & Gur, R.C. (2012). A meta-analysis of emotionperception and functional outcomes in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, in press [e-pubahead of print].Accepted peer-reviewed articles:Gur, R.C., Irani, F., Seligman, S., Calkins, M.E., Richard, J. & Gur RE. (2011). Challenges andopportunities for genomic developmental neuropsychology: examples from the Penn-Drexelcollaborative battery. Clinical Neuropsychologist, 25, 1029-41. Epub 2011 Sep 9.Irani, F., Kalkstein, S., Moberg, E.A. & Moberg, P.J. (2011). Neuropsychological performance in olderpatients with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.Schizophrenia Bulletin, 37, 1318-26. Epub 2010 Jun 14.Dr. Irani also received a $1,000 grant from the Graduate Professional Development Award Fund.Dr. Ned Jenny is completing an online CE course in modern statistical techniques through APA andworking on an article outlining modern psychoanalytic techniques in parent consultation.Sr. Donna Kelley, IHM, PsyD. Sister Donna had an article published based on her dissertationresearch: Kelley, D. (2012). Coping with loss: Experiences of women religious. Human Development,33(2), 18-23. She also co-chaired the Congregational Level Committee for the IHM Chapter of Affairs.Sister Donna will be studying and using the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) duringthe Fall semester. If any student would like to join her in learning this new system for administering andinterpreting the Rorschach, please contact Sister Donna at dkelley@immaculata.edu.

Dr,. David Martinson presented at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) –National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 30, 2011. His topic was Developing an Identity asa Researcher. On December 5-13, 2011 Dr. Martinson travelled to Hagen Behandlingsenhet, SykehusetInnlandet in Veldre, Norway to complete the final interviews of multicultural study on Therapist Use ofFeedback.While in Norway, Dr. Martinson met with Morten Anker, Ph.D. regarding future Norwegian-Americanstudies and international collaboration on feedback and consulted with trainers of a collaborativecounseling feedback group – Huggins, Ødegård, Sundet – in Southern Norway.Dr. Martinson successfully defended his dissertation on March 26, 2012 at the University of SouthCarolina, Columbia, South Carolina. His dissertation topic was titled Therapist's use of ContinuousClient Feedback to Influence Therapy. The committee members included Dr. Kathy Evans (Chair) -USC, Dr. John McFadden - USC, Dr. Michelle Jay - USC, and Dr. Debbie Sturm, James MadisonUniversity. His degree was conferred on May 5, 2012.Dr. Martinson submitted the required materials for Licensure in Pennsylvania as a Licensed ProfessionalCounselor in May 2012 to PA Department of State Health Licensing Division State Board of SocialWorkers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.An article manuscript was submitted for review by Dr. Martinson to the Journal of Counselor Preparationand Supervision, Journal of North Atlantic Region Association for Counselor Education and Supervisionon July 30, 2012. The manuscript is titled Why aren’t Counselors using Continuous Client Feedback?Dr. Marie McGrath was chosen as this year's recipient of Immaculata University's LindbackDistinguished Teaching Award. In June 2012, she copresented convention sessions and posters withseveral PsyD students and colleagues at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association's Annual Conventionin Harrisburg, PA. Dr. McGrath continues her work as a member of PPA's Board of Directors and chairof the PPA School Psychology Board; as a conference proposal reviewer for the National Association ofSchool Psychologists; as a certification reviewer for the National School Psychology Certification Board;and as a manuscript reviewer for the journals Trainers' Forum and Psychology in the Schools. Dr.McGrath will be on sabbatical until Spring 2013.Sr. Jeannine O'Kane, PhD On December 29 th Sister Jeannine held a morning workshop for theHandmaids of the Sacred Heart (an international community of women religious) at Ancilla AssumptaAcademy in Wyncote, PA. The topic was Understanding Eriksoninan Stages of Development in theLight of Aging. In February, as a member of the Governance Committee, Sister will present a portion ofthe Educational Program for Guest House Board of Directors on Best Board Practices in Fort Myers,Florida on February 11 and 12. On February 14, Sister will present a one day workshop with MichaelMorton for the NOCERCC Convention (National Organization for Continuing Education for RomanCatholic Clergy) in Savanna, Georgia. The morning will focus on the impact of development on catholicpriests and religious as individuals, while the afternoon will examine the effects of developmental realitieson ministry in the context of culture, church, and cohort. In May, Sister Jeannine will direct a spiritualretreat for Lourdes Academy Alumnae in Miami, Florida.Dr. Tracy Stinchfield Professional leadership:NARACES (North Atlantic Region of the Association forCounselor Educators and Supervisors ) Membership ChairPeer-reviewed publications:Minor, A., Pimpleton, A.,Stinchfield, T. A., Asma, N., & Stevens, H. (2012). Peer support in negotiatingmultiple relationships within supervision among counselor education doctoral students. The InternationalJournal for the Advancement of Counselling and Supervision. DOI: 10.1007/s10447-012-9161-9

Pender, R., & Stinchfield, T.A. (2012). A reflective look at reflective teams. The Family Journal, 20 (2),117-122.Trepal, H., & Stinchfield, T.A. (2012). Experiences of motherhood in counselor education. CounselorEducation and Supervision, 51(2), 112-126.Accepted peer-reviewed articles:Pender, R., & Stinchfield, T.A. A reflective look at reflective teams. The FamilyJournal. (accepted 11-1-11).Trepal, H., & Stinchfield, T.A. Experiences of motherhood in counselor education.Counselor Education and Supervision. (accepted 9/25/11; print date June 2012)In November, Dr. Stinchfield presented:. Supervision and Ethics: Creating a Culture of Competence.CORA Services. Philadelphia, PA. November, 2011.In October, Dr. Stinchfield was a conference presenter:Murray, K., Desmond, K., & Stinchfield, T.A. Actions Speak Louder Than Words: MulticulturalExperiences for the Classroom. Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors NationalConference. Nashville, TN. October, 2011.Dr. Jed Yalof will be attending the National Council of Schools and Programs of ProfessionalPsychology conference in January, 2013.Dr. Yalof was invited to present at the Quaker School at Horsham on January 12, 2013. The title of thepresentation is: “Nonverbal Learning Disabilities: A Primer.”Dr. Yalof will be involved in a a discussion group titled, “Assessment and the Analytic Identity” withDrs.James Kleiger and Anthony Bram at the winter meeting of the American Psychoanalytic Association,January 16, 2013, in New York, NY.Dr. Yalof was invited to present at a Roundtable, chaired by Dr. Marilyn Charles of the Austen RiggsFoundation, at the Annual Spring Meeting of the American Psychological Association Division ofPsychoanalysis, April, 2013, Boston, MA. The roundtable is titled: “Psychodynamic Clinical Training:Endangered? A Roundtable Conversation.” Dr. Yalof’s presentation is titled: “Compromise Formation:Integrating Psychoanalytic Ideas into a Graduate Curriculum.”Dr. Yalof was invited to review a manuscript as a peer reviewer for the Journal of PersonalityAssessment.Continued success in your work.

Public Comment About the PsyD ProgramPublic comment about the department, its programs, and/or its faculty has bearing on the university, and isexpected to be conveyed in a manner that is in keeping with standards for professional conduct.Mentor ProgramDr. Janet Etzi is the faculty member in charge of the Mentoring Program. If you would like to providementorship (e.g., phone contact, meet for coffee, etc), please contact Dr. Etzi (minimum requirement isenrollment in PSYC 780). A form is available in the revised PsyD Handbook.Bulletin BoardInformation of interest to PsyD students (e.g., membership applications, job notices) is posted on the bulletinboard in the Graduate Psychology Department reception area.Policy on Accruing Postdoctoral HoursStudents can not identify themselves as postdoctoral until they complete the last section of predoctoralinternship, receive a final internship grade, and are approved for graduation. Please note the followingexamples of how this policy is enacted for students who are completing internship in summer and are scheduledto earn their degrees in August.Internship Completed at the end of Summer 1: Students who complete predoctoral internship at the end ofsummer session I (and are no longer on site), and who have received their final internship grade, and who areapproved by the university to receive their degrees in August, may begin to accrue postdoctoral hours uponreceipt of their final grade. At that point, they are no longer earning academic credits toward their degree.Internship Completed at the end of Summer II: Students who complete predoctoral internship at the end ofsummer session II may begin to accrue postdoctoral hours when all of the above criteria are met. Should astudent complete an internship at a time other than Summer I or Summer II, the same policy holds. That is, thestudent must receive a final grade, be off site, and be approved by the university to graduate at the next degreegranting period (January or May) as a pre-requisite to accruing postdoctoral hours.Accrual of postdoctoral hours is contingent upon the postdoctoral site’s approval to grant these hours. Nostudent may use the title “Doctor of Psychology” until they are awarded their PsyD degreeFaculty Research InterestsThese are the research interests of faculty as published in the Dissertation Handbook. Students are encouragedto identify interest areas that conform to the interests of faculty and develop these areas through independentproject electives. This information will appear in the next revision of the PsyD Handbook (Spring 2007) and onthe department’s updated webpage.Dr. Abraham: Clinical Supervision & Training; Professional issues and ethics; Multiculturalism & Diversity;Children, Adolescent and Family therapy; Psychology & Religion; Treatment outcome and programevaluation; Internship trainingDr. Dorliae: Person-centered; Multi-cultural; Psychological problems and diagnosis related to inner citychildren

Dr. Etzi: Human Development; Gender Psychology; Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy; PsychotherapyProcess; PlayDr. Guay: Neuropsychology; Assessment of childhood disorders (ADHD, dyslexia, nonverbal learningdisability, high functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder; Sports concussion in middle and highschool athletes; Brain Imaging/Near Infrared Spectroscopy; Neuropsychological and psychologicalassessment of childhood disorders (ADHD, dyslexia, nonverbal learning disability, high functioningautism and Asperger’s disorder); Sports concussion in middle and high school athletes; BrainImaging/Near Infrared SpectroscopyDr. Irani: Neuropsychology, Brain Imaging, Social Cognition, Self-Processing, Aging,Schizophrenia/Psychosis, DementiaDr. Jenny: Adolescence; Oppositional-defiant Disorders; Rorschach; Psychoanalytic/psychodynamicTheory and Therapy; Group; EthicsSr. Donna Kelley, Psy.D.: Grief and bereavement issues; psychology and spirituality, Rorschach, women’sissues, personality, DBT, psychological assessments of adults, developmental issues related toclergy/religious lifeDr. McGrath: Cognitive Assessment Methods, specifically CHC theory and cross-battery assessment;applicability and acceptability of neuropsychological assessment methods in nontraditionalsettings; neuroimaging of brain activity and cognitive functions; social skills and functioning ofgifted children and adolescents; school- and community-based intervention with at-risk youth;beliefs, attitudes, and theoretical orientations of school psychologistsSr. Jeannine O’Kane, Ph.D.: Gerontology; Geriatric Counseling; Counseling with Adolescents; Faith andMoral DevelopmentDr. Stinchfield: Motherhood and Academia Specific to Doctoral Students, Reflective Model of Triadic Supervision,Distance Supervision, Rural Supervision, and Reflecting TeamsDr. Yalof: Professional Issues in Psychology; Rorschach; School Psychology; Psychoanalytic Psychology;NeuropsychologyDissertation-Internship Timeline: Effective as of Summer 2005This is the timeline and process that the department will be following, effective Summer 2005. Complete PSYC 790- Dissertation Seminar (spring) Complete PSYC 798- Dissertation I (summer) Dissertation proposal must be defended by the end of the summer Students register at the end of the summer session for PSYC 799- Dissertation II (fall) Students who are unable to defend the dissertation proposal by the end of the summer will be given upuntil three weeks into the fall semester to defend the proposal. If the proposal is not defended by three weeks into the fall semester, the student will be withdrawn fromPSYC 799 and re-registered in PSYC 798. The student will then have until November 1 to defend the proposal. Copies to committee membersmust be submitted no later than October 15 (or 2 weeks before the Proposal Hearing date). If the proposal is not defended by November 1, then the student can not do an internship of any type thefollowing year.

You also need to pass comprehensive examination to be eligible to apply to internship. Theexamination is offered in the summer. This means that the department will:1.not permit the student to participate in the APPIC Match2.not permit the student to participate in the APPIC Clearinghouse3.not permit the student to do a non-APPIC internship, beginning the following year4.not permit the student to do a half-time internship, beginning the following year If the dissertation proposal is defended prior to November 1, the student may proceed with the internshipprocess. Students register for PSYC 799 or PSYC 800-Dissertation III in the spring semester, depending onwhether or not they were withdrawn from PSYC 799 in the fall semester. Students, who were withdrawn from PSYC 799 in the fall semester and re-registered for PSYC 798, willregister for PSYC 799 in the spring semester only if they complete PSYC 798. Students who complete the dissertation in 6 credits will need 3 additional credits for the 117 credit total.These credits can be identified in consultation with the department chair. If the dissertation is not defended within PSYC 799, the student registers for PSYC 800 in the summersemester. Students are expected to hand in a bound copy of the dissertation prior to beginning internship. Boundcopies go the dissertation chair, two other committee members, Dean of the College of GraduateStudies, and Chair of the Department of Graduate Psychology. Please note that the department chair must approve all dissertation committee members.Please note that the goal of the department’s dissertation model and timeline is for students to completedissertation prior to internship in order to maximize time devoted to internship training. Dissertations should becompleted or near completion by the start of internship, barring an unusual or unforeseen circumstance. Facultymembers who recommend students for internship do so under the assumption that dissertation will becompleted, or near completion, by the start of internship. It is very important that you work closely with yourchair to ensure timely completion of the dissertation. In developing a model for completing the dissertation in atimely way, it is very important to respect deadline dates, hand-in well written copy, and set sufficient timeaside to devote to the dissertation. Reviewing dissertations that have been completed and filed in the library is agood way to begin to organize ideas about what the completed project looks like. .Students will have their transcripts reviewed at the time of Dissertation Seminar so that their official transcriptsfor internship application will reflect both their courses taken at Immaculata University and courses that wereaccepted into the program at the time of admission.Students who are asked to begin internship on July 1 who are relocating geographically and still need PSYC741 may be unable to take PSYC 741 during the summer at Immaculata because of a July internship start date.Many students take this class over summer sessions I and II prior to beginning internship in the fall. If you fallinto the July start-date category for internships (rare, but it happens) and can not take PSYC 741 during thesummer, even though the catalog asks that you take it right around the time of your practica, you areresponsible for taking an equivalent class at another school if you want to graduate the following August.\Practicum ApplicationsPlease check your plan of study to see when you are scheduled to complete your practicum courses and yourelectives (which may be completed as practica). Remember that applications for placements are completed theyear prior to placement, so students planning to complete placements in summer of 2013 should attend apracticum presentation in the fall (several dates for this will be announced in late August). The Psy.D.Practicum Information website will be updated in September; the new application procedures will be availablein September and applications will be submitted in January. However, students who are seeking a placement in

January 2013 and have not yet been placed should contact Dr. Guay and begin submitting applications overthe Fall 2012 semester.Students are reminded to (1) review practicum procedures and paperwork; (2) submit insurance facesheets, renewals, or insurance waiver forms to Dr. Guay; and (3) to log hours on Time2Track.Guidelines for completing logs are provided on the PSY.D. Practicum Information website.Use of Time2Track Service to Log Hours: All students completing required practicum training are required totrack practicum hours on a weekly basis on the Time2Track Service on the Web.Job Postings for Interns and Graduates: The Department of Graduate Psychology receives employmentpostings on a regular basis (mostly for teaching positions in NCSPP affiliate schools, but other opportunities foremployment as well) and lists these postings. The site is accessible from the Graduate Psychology page onImmaculata’s website.PsyD Electives: ReminderPsyD students in the clinical psychology program may register only for the clinical psychology elective coursesthat are listed in the catalog.CommunicationsImmaculata Account: Students are encouraged to regularly check their Immaculata email accounts. This is anew format: First Initial of FirstName+LastName@mail.immaculate.edu Example:Jsmith@mail.immaculata.eduClinical Training: All students should retain their own copies of all practicum paperwork, including insuranceface sheets, signed logs, and signed evaluations. You will need these again the future. However, any studentwho needs additional information about a practicum or internship experience forwarded to an agency and/orindividual (e.g., internship verification form for the State Psychology Licensing Board) should request thisinformation directly from The Predoctoral Internship Coordinator via email. The student should not copyanyone else on the e-mail request. If there is a question, the Predoctoral Internship Coordinator will consultinternally and communicate directly with you.Program Questions: Please communicate only with your advisor. There is no need to copy anyone else on anemail. If there are questions, your advisor will consult internally, forward the e-mail if necessary, andcommunicate directly with you.Graduate Student Advisory Committee: Dr. Janet Etzi serves as chair of this committee and the department hasstudent representatives. If you have matters that you would like placed on the committee’s agenda, please directthem to Dr. Etzi’s attention.Leave of AbsenceStudents request a formal request for leave of absence as stated in the Graduate Student Handbook and Catalog.The department requests formal request for a leave for fall, spring or summer semester be placed in writing(hard copy, dated, and signed) and sent to Dr. Yalof with as much advance notification as possible. The requestis reviewed, recommendations are made, and a letter is forwarded to the student by the Assistant Dean of theCollege of Graduate Studies.

program; for example, a student scheduled to take Group Process in the fall is unable to do so and musttherefore take it in the spring. However, you must follow the catalog requirements when scheduling classes.The PsyD program was developed to be responsive to the needs of students who can only take evening classes.The department realizes that personal life events as well as work situations can arise during any given semesterand influence a student’s initial plan of study. Modifications in the initial plan are commonplace andmanageable, but need to be directed through an academic advisor. Academic advisors, should they havequestions about core sequencing, consult with the department chair and efforts are made to be supported aspossible to individual needs of students within the context of the department's course sequencing. Coursescheduling is complicated, but predictable.If students act independent of advisement and take classes that they were not scheduled to take based upon theprovisional outline, the student bears full responsibility for any such change that affects their anticipatedgraduation date.It is strongly recommended that students have contact with their advisor prior to registering for each semester.This contact can be accomplished easily through a brief e-mail exchange, phone call, or, if needed, a meeting.Professional MembershipIf you are not yet a student member of the American Psychological Association, we encourage you to join assoon as possible. The membership is required once you initiate a practicum. We would also encourage you tojoin the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. There may be other professional organizations that are ofspecial interest to you, and we encourage you to check out the organization's website and review the studentmember benefits that these organizations often provide.