cpsylist: Student Problem Solving Advice

[Benedict McWhirter]

Greetings everyone!

I know we are in a national holding pattern with the election stress still lingering over all of us. Keep breathing!!

During my visit with SALA on Monday some of you requested that I send around again the description of best-practices for problem-solving within our training program.  This is also in everyone's Handbook- a little updated each year, but the content and processes are the same.  Please review your handbooks for any further information about representation, communication, and problem-solving.

For new faculty, I hope this is helpful as well.

Feedback welcome!

Stay well and keep sending each other air-hugs!!
Benedict


Effective Problem Solving
Students may encounter concerning or problematic interpersonal situations during their graduate study. For example, students may become concerned about a peer’s well-being and competence, experience difficulties with their advisors, or be the target of discrimination from a peer, supervisor, or faculty member. There are numerous actions students may take to address such concerns and problems.

Most problems encountered by students can be adequately addressed through interactions with faculty, staff or supervisors.  Students are expected to pursue the following options prior to engaging in any kind of formal grievance proceedings outlined in the next section:

  *   Talk with the individual(s) causing the problem or with whom you have a concern. This is always the first course of action; feeling “uncomfortable” or “nervous” does not absolve you of this professional responsibility. You might seek support from your advisor and/or other faculty members as you prepare to do this. If this does not resolve your concern, then:
  *   Talk with the individual’s advisor or direct supervisor about your experiences and concerns.  For example:

  *   If you have a concern about a peer, and you believe that your direct conversation did not end in a satisfactory manner, talk with his/her direct clinical supervisor, advisor, or the Program director to seek consultation on what to do.
  *   If you have a concern about a faculty member and you believe that your direct conversation about the concern with that faculty member did not end in a satisfactory manner, you should consult with your advisor or your program’s Program Director about your concerns.
  *   If you have a concern with your Program Director that you have already tried to address directly with the Program Director and believe it did not end in a satisfactory manner, you would consult with your advisor, and/or the Department Head of Counseling Psychology and Human Services.
  *   If you have a concern with the Department Head that you have already tried to address directly with the Department Head and believe it did not end in a satisfactory manner, talk with another faculty member, your advisor, and/or with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Education to ask for advice on the best way to resolve a concern you have.

  *   If all of the above are not successful, you have the option of requesting advice from an Ombuds-person, which can be an informal, non-recorded request for advice. Similarly you may decide to request an informal mediation through an available campus mediation program, that is different than a formal mediation, below. Consult with the Graduate School and, if GE related, through the GTFF Union to assist in resolving a concern in this way.
  *   Use the process established within the academic unit within which the complaint arose.
  *   Always refrain from gossip or other unprofessional conversations about your concerns.

Student Grievance
On occasion, we recognize that students may feel the need for further action or more formal action. Students are encouraged to seek a third party to act as a formal mediator. The Program and College of Education also recognize the right of students to seek remedy for grievances.  A student grievance is described as any disagreement concerning a course, a course of study, grades, comprehensive examination, thesis, dissertation defense, GE employment, or other matter substantively affecting a student's relationship to the College of Education.

A full description of the COE Student Grievance Procedures is available at:
COE Student Grievance Procedures: See COE Policies and Procedures A10.

A full description of the Oregon University System Grievance Procedures is available at:
OUS/University of Oregon, Division 3 Student Grievance Procedures: http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/rules/oars_500/oar_571/571_003.html

ENGAGEMENT and FEEDBACK
Using the mechanisms available to you for providing regular feedback about your experiences in the program is an important responsibility and an essential aspect of professionalism. We expect that students will provide feedback on an ongoing basis in the context of doctoral seminars, meetings with your advisor and/or program director, supervisors, and instructors, and via student representatives to faculty meetings. CPSY students select a first year and a second-year-or-beyond student representative who attend all counseling psychology faculty meetings during non-executive sessions. The Student Advocacy and Leadership Association (SALA) may also serve as a forum for generating feedback, suggestions, and engaging in problem solving along with its other student-designated functions (e.g., mentoring, mutual support, networking, etc.). Course evaluations and periodic surveys offer additional and very important opportunities for you to provide constructive feedback and suggestions for program improvement. We strongly encourage the provision of course feedback early in the term so that problems can be addressed as they emerge. We expect all feedback to be offered in a respectful and constructive manner.




__________________________________________________________
Benedict T. McWhirter, Ph.D.
Professor, Counseling Psychology and Prevention Science
Program Director, Counseling Psychology Program
College of Education
University of Oregon
Eugene, OR  97403-5251

benmcw at uoregon.edu
541-346-2410

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