I. Introduction

This handbook is provided by the Graduate Training Committee (GTC) to help students succeed in our graduate training areas.

Much of the graduate experience takes place outside the traditional classroom setting, and much of its quality depends upon students’ own initiative and judgment. To help students make good decisions, this handbook describes many of the rules, regulations, requirements, and policies of the Department, College, and the University.

I.A. Special Notes

The WVU Graduate/Professional Catalog is available online through WVU’s Office of Graduate Education and Life. The Graduate/Professional Catalog includes University rules and policies concerning graduate education and information about students’ rights and responsibilities. Students are responsible for abiding by the rules and responsibilities listed in the Graduate/Professional Catalog. These rules and policies apply to all students in the Psychology graduate programs, unless a rule or policy is superseded by a more stringent rule or policy of the Eberly College of Arts or the Department of Psychology (described in this Handbook and Program Training Area Supplements). 

Any deadlines in this Handbook that fall on a weekend or University holiday will be considered to be the next date the University is open.

I.B. Overview of the Graduate Programs

I.B.1. Structure 

The Department of Psychology offers a Doctor of Philosophy degree with concentrations in Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Neuroscience, Clinical Psychology, Clinical Child Psychology, and Life-Span Developmental Psychology (referred to as “Program Areas” below). Currently, enrollment is about 80 graduate students at various levels of training. The clinical program (Clinical and Clinical Child program areas) is accredited by the American Psychological Association, and the Behavior Analysis program is accredited by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. 

For any questions regarding accreditation of clinical programs, please contact the accrediting agency, the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation of the American Psychological Association, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. Phone Number: (202) 336-5979; Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation. 

For any questions regarding accreditation of behavior-analysis programs, please contact the accrediting agency, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, 550 W. Centre Avenue, Portage, MI 49024. Phone number: (269) 492-9310; Website: https://accreditation.abainternational.org/welcome.aspx.

I.B.2. General Requirements

Our program areas place a number of requirements on students during their first year in graduate school. The overall curriculum, however, offers considerable flexibility so that students can tailor their coursework and other experiences to meet individual objectives. Our programs emphasize not only classroom activities, but also basic and applied research and professional activities. Students in the doctoral programs are expected to become involved in research and professional activities during their first year on campus and to continue this involvement throughout their time in the program.

Students in the doctoral programs must demonstrate competencies in statistics and research design. All students in the doctoral programs complete a master’s thesis, either before or after entering their program. In addition to the Departmental course requirements, each program area requires specific courses for students in that area. The remaining hours in each student’s program are selected by the student in consultation with the student’s adviser and Advising Committee. Each student must fulfill doctoral candidacy requirements before beginning a dissertation; these requirements vary among the program areas. Upon admission to candidacy, the student completes a doctoral dissertation and defends it before a dissertation committee. 

I.B.3. Advising and Orientation

New students register for courses and complete a number of online training modules prior to arriving in Morgantown. All first-year students attend orientation meetings during the week before classes begin in the fall. The graduate curriculum and assistantship assignments are discussed and explained by the department chair, director of graduate training, program area coordinators, and administrative staff. Therefore, new students must arrive in Morgantown in time to attend this orientation. 

During orientation, students declare an academic adviser and research adviser (who are often, but not always, the same person). Typically, students determine which faculty member(s) will serve as their academic adviser and research adviser during the admissions process, prior to arriving in Morgantown. 

Students are expected to be advised by one or more faculty members whose supervision facilitates development of the knowledge and skills needed for professional competence in both their Program Area and a specific research area. Continued professional development occurs through attending and participating in national and regional meetings, the Department of Psychology colloquium series, and other professional activities. Area Coordinators are available to students for information regarding Department and Program Area requirements, competencies, Departmental policy, and so forth. 

I.B.3. Communication 

Each graduate student has access to the department letterhead, a university email (MIX) address, and a physical mailbox in the main office of the Psychology Department. Information of concern to graduate students is communicated primarily via e-mail. Graduate students should regularly check their e-mail and department mailbox.

Mail sent to graduate students at the Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6040, Morgantown, WV 26506-6040, will be placed in their mailboxes along with campus mail and Departmental notices.

The general Department of Psychology telephone number is (304) 293-2001, and the fax number is (304) 293-6606.

I.B.4. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities and disability concerns should contact the Office of Accessibility Services . This office functions as a resource service, a support service, a counseling service, and a referral service for students with disabilities and disability concerns. 

I.C. Balancing Multiple Roles

I.C.1. Work-Life Balance 

The Department of Psychology statement on Work-Life Balance can be found in the Department Handbook. Students who need support managing their multiple responsibilities are encouraged to approach their academic or research adviser(s), area coordinator, the Director of Graduate Training, or the Department Chair to discuss possible supports or modifications, including (but not limited to) the possibility of an alternate work assignment (see section below). Students who need assistance, but are uncomfortable approaching someone in the department, may contact the WVU Program Director for Graduate Student Success.

I.C.2. Modification of Duties

West Virginia University offers graduate assistants (GAs) an opportunity to apply for a period of time away from assistantship duties. The request may be made when the GA requires time for the birth/adoption of a child, for illness or injury (including mental health issues), bereavement or to care for an immediate family member with a serious health condition. During the time away, known as a Modification of Duty (MOD), the GA may keep their stipend and associated assistantship benefits.

An MOD applies only to assistantship responsibilities. GAs must also discuss their academic plans with the appropriate advisor(s) for their program. Students who would like to request a Modification of Duties should read the full policy and follow the procedures specified by OGEL to request the modification. 

I.C.3. Leaves of Absence

Students may request a leave of absence for any reason, and need not specify the reason in the request. Common reasons for requesting a leave of absence include those related to mental health, physical health, parental leave or family leave, or other personal reasons.

Students who wish to take a leave of absence must request the leave in writing. The request can occur by email, and must contain the following information: 

• The requested duration of the leave,
• A statement acknowledging that the student must inform the Director of Graduate Training by January 1 if they plan to return to the program in the fall, and that failure to provide this notification will result in the student being terminated from the program, 
• Acknowledgement that the leave will suspend the student’s access to university resources.

The request is submitted to the Coordinator of the student’s Program Area Training Committee for consideration. The Coordinator may consult the Program Area Training Committee for advice on the decision. Before doing so, however, the Coordinator weighs the sensitivity of the request with the need to inform the members of the committee. The Coordinator then submits the request and a recommendation to the Director of Graduate Training, who decides whether to grant the leave. The Director of Graduate Training will notify the student of the outcome of the request, and file documentation about the request in the student’s department file. A student who is not granted a requested leave may appeal the decision to the Department Chair.

A leave of absence may not exceed one calendar year. The student must notify the Director of Graduate Training by January 1 if they plan to return to the program in the fall semester following completion of the leave. Leaves of absence do not change the maximum time limits for graduation. In addition, students may have to revise their Plan of Study upon returning to the program.

I.C.4. Volunteer Teaching

Graduate students are welcome to teach courses on a voluntary basis when such teaching is appropriately supervised and when the teaching activity does not seriously impede the student's academic progress. Plans for volunteer teaching must be made well in advance of the semester in which the course is offered to allow the course to be listed in the Schedule of Courses. In general, information about Fall semester courses must be submitted by the end of the previous fall semester and information about Spring semester courses must be submitted by the end of the previous summer.

Team teaching of courses will be allowed only when each graduate student has sole responsibility for one section of the course. One-credit courses may be taught only by one student; two-credit courses may be taught by one or two students; three-credit courses may be taught by one, two, or three students. If a course is taught by two students, each student is responsible for one half of the course; if a course is taught by three students, each student is responsible for one third of the course. Each independently taught section of the course should be graded separately and students should complete a course and instructor evaluation following each section.

Following are the steps needed to teach a volunteer course. Students teaching a section of a regularly scheduled course only need to complete Step 1 and contact the Associate Chair concerning scheduling.

1. Obtain permission from your advisor for this addition to your workload.
2. Find a faculty member willing to supervise your teaching. The faculty member needs to be willing to perform the activities listed in the department's “Policy for Faculty Supervision of Graduate Student Instructors,” on the S: Department Documentation drive.
3. Submit to the Director of Undergraduate Training a course syllabus for review by the Undergraduate Training Committee. The syllabus must be reviewed by the course supervisor before being submitted. These materials must be submitted by September 15 for Spring semester courses and by February 15 for Fall semester courses. A list of information that should be included in a course syllabus is provided on the shared S: Department Documentation drive.
4. Once approved by UTC, give the Associate Chair the 700 or 800 Student ID number of the person whose name will be listed in the course schedule, the name of the faculty member supervisor, and any preferences or constraints affecting when the course is scheduled.

I.D. Registration and Financial Considerations

I.D.1. Enrollment Requirements

Students should generally expect to enroll in at least one credit in each fall or spring term from their first semester until the semester in which their dissertation ETD has been accepted by the library, in accordance with the University continuous enrollment policy. Additionally, students who utilize federal financial aid should make themselves aware of the requirements regarding registration, and should contact the Mountaineer HUB (304-293-1988) for questions about aid eligibility.

Students receiving assistantships must meet University enrollment requirements, which require full-time student enrollment (9 credits) in fall and spring and at least 1 credit in summer. When a student receives an assistantship, at least part of the university tuition is waived, in accordance with the university assistantship tuition waiver policy. 

Graduate students typically enroll in 9-15 credits per semester. Students who are teaching or engaged in clinical work must register for at least one credit of teaching or clinical practicum (respectively) during each semester that they are engaged in the work.

In addition to the information above, international students should be aware of any enrollment requirements that may impact their visas; information about this is available from the International Students and Scholars Services Office.

I.D.2. University Tuition Waivers

There are two types of tuition charged to student accounts every semester: (a) University tuition, which is the amount charged to graduate students for attending WVU as either an in-state resident or out-of-state resident, and (b) College tuition, which reflects the cost of graduate education for trainees in programs within a given college (e.g., Eberly College of Arts and Sciences has a different college tuition than the School of Law or School of Medicine). 

For students who have an assistantship in the Fall or Spring semesters, University tuition will be paid by the University. Pending the availability of funds, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences graduate and professional tuition will be paid by the Department (see College Tuition section for details). University tuition waivers for Fall and Spring semesters are processed automatically for students who have an assistantship. 

To be eligible to receive a University tuition waiver for the summer session, a student must have been appointed to a graduate assistantship during the preceding Fall and Spring semesters. Otherwise, students can receive a University tuition waiver only for the summer if they are appointed to a summer assistantship (research, teaching, or service). Students must request a waiver of summer tuition. A memo and a form are distributed each March to prompt graduate student requests for these waivers. Students who do not return the form by the indicated due date are responsible for paying University and College tuition during the summer. Students who have questions about the summer waivers should contact the department Administrative Associate.

Students who do not have an assistantship (e.g., are on internship, declined an assistantship) may be eligible for a meritorious student waiver of University tuition. The Department of Psychology has a limited number of merit waivers. Consequently, students should only request the number of hours needed in a given semester, and should be prepared to pay for some number of credits, should the number of requested credits exceed the number of merit waivers that are available. Generally, requests for more than 9 credit hours (6 for advanced students who are ineligible for funding) will not be approved. Recipients are required to email notification to the department Administrative Associate if they will not be using any portion of the merit waiver awarded to them for the semester. This notification must be received no later than the last day to pay an invoice for the semester. 

Students in the following prioritized categories will be considered for merit waivers:

1. Students who are eligible for Department funding who receive funding from an approved source that does not cover University tuition and fees. 
2. Students engaged in an approved internship (limited to one year). 
3. Advanced students who are no longer supported by a graduate assistantship but who are making acceptable progress toward their degree (limited to one year). 

As needed, prioritization within categories will be based on timely progress through the degree program, graduate grades received, and West Virginia residency. Prioritization will be done by the Director of Graduate Training, with difficult cases referred to the GTC. The Director of Graduate Training may distribute any additional credits available after the above priorities have been met.

I.D.3. College Tuition

The Psychology Department will pay Eberly College of Arts and Sciences tuition for students who have an assistantship or merit waiver in the Fall or Spring semesters, pending the availability of funds. Students may be responsible for College tuition if they enroll in courses outside the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences; college graduate and professional tuition is often higher in other colleges. College graduate and professional tuition can be found here.

College tuition payments for Fall and Spring semesters are processed automatically for students who have an assistantship. 

Students must request payment of summer college tuition, and such payments are limited to courses listed on the student’s academic plan of study. Students request payment of college tuition at the same time and using the same procedure as summer University tuition waivers.

I.D.4. Fees

Students receiving waivers of any type are responsible for paying fees. 

I.D.5. Payroll and Health Insurance

Graduate students awarded assistantships are placed on University payroll, with official titles of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Graduate Research Assistant (GRA), or Graduate Service Assistant (GSA), depending on the funding type. Graduate teaching assistants are paid in arrears, on the same schedule as all other WVU employees (see the Department Handbook for details). GRA or GSA appointments may have special provisions; students should refer to their letters of hire for details.

Graduate Assistants (all types) are automatically enrolled in student health insurance through payroll, but can opt out of health insurance under some circumstances. Details about the coverage provided by this insurance is available by WVU Talent and Culture. 

I.D.6. Regular Academic Year Support

Graduate assistantships or fellowships normally are provided for all students in good standing throughout the normal graduate training period. Continued funding requires progress according to the guidelines for timely progress as well as satisfactory performance of the duties associated with prior assistantships. The following guidelines apply to all students in the program.

Students may be supported by fellowships (such as the Swiger or Dubois Fellowships), teaching assistantships, research assistantships, practicum placements, or other positions. Students also may apply for or accept University assistantships outside the Department. The particular form of University support a student receives must be approved by their Program Area Training Committee and the Director of Graduate Training, regardless of the source of funding (i.e., Department of Psychology funds, individual grant funds, funds from other departments, etc.).

Typically, the Associate Chairperson of the Department solicits information from students concerning their preferred source of funding for the following academic year in March or April of each year. The Associate Chairperson drafts assignments and consults with the Program Area Training Committee regarding the appropriateness of the drafted funding assignment in relation to each student’s strengths and training goals. 

Assignment of students to specific assistantships, opportunities for assistantships, and practica takes into consideration students’ availability, standing in the program, interests, competencies, and preferences to the extent possible. Based on the Departmental needs, the Associate Chairperson will inform students of the source of their funding for the following year. When students request funds that are not controlled by the Department of Psychology (i.e., research assistantships funded by grants, teaching assistantships funded by other departments, etc.), students must obtain approval from the Program Area Training Committee before seeking or accepting such support. Faculty members seeking or obtaining grant funds to support students are advised to check with the appropriate Program Area Training Committee before assuming that a particular student will be available for that support.

I.D.7. Employment Beyond Assistantship

Per University policy, students may not hold more than the total equivalent of one assistantship (see the Office of Graduate Education and Life website for details). Students on assistantships are allowed to work up to 100 additional hours per semester for a unit within the University with permission from their Program Area Training Committee and the Director of Graduate Training (international students should also check with the International Students and Scholars Services for visa implications). Working more than 100 hours per semester for a unit within the University in addition to the assistantship requires permission from the Office of Graduate Education and Life. 

The student is strongly encouraged to inform in writing his or her Adviser and Program Area Coordinator of any employment outside the University. Other opportunities for brief employment can at times contribute to a student’s training. Work for pay without substantial benefits directly related to the student’s career goals, however, generally is undesirable. To ensure timely completion of the degree, students may be offered advice about the potential adverse consequences of such employment.

Students must adhere to APA Ethical Standards (and, for Behavior Analysis students, the BACB Ethics Code) when representing their affiliation and credentials to outside employers. Note that only a licensed psychologist can use the title “psychologist.” Students must also be aware that when they are engaged in outside employment or professional activities that are not part of their training program, they are not insured against claims of malpractice.

In addition to the information above, international students should be aware that any employment is subject first and foremost to the conditions of their visa. International students should consult with International Students & Scholars Services if they are interested in any employment beyond their assistantship, or if they have questions about their visa requirements.

To seek employment beyond the assistantship for any unit within WVU, students must:

1. Obtain approval of the faculty advisor. The faculty advisor then routes the request to the program area training committee for approval. Once approved by the training committee, the area coordinator routes the request to the Graduate Training Committee for approval. If the student is a fellow, or the request exceeds 100 hours in a single semester, the Director of Graduate Training seeks approval from the Office of Graduate Education and Life.
2. Once appropriate approvals have been granted, the funding source is responsible for placing the student on payroll. The student should seek clarification from the funding source about who will submit the necessary documentation.
3. Once the EBO accepts the payroll form, the student may start the extra work for pay. No work done prior to EBO approval can be paid. That is, the payroll form must be approved prior to the work being completed.
4. The student is responsible for seeking input about how hours must be documented. In most cases, the student will clock in and out using MyTime.
5. Approvals for work beyond the assistantship cannot extend past the term of the current assistantship (typically, a 9-month period). If the student wishes to seek additional work in a subsequent term, new approvals must be obtained.

I.D.8. Summer Support

The Department of Psychology does its best to provide some funding for all students who lack any summer funding from the institution and who request it. Funded positions can include teaching on-campus or online summer school courses, summer research assistantships, course support positions (e.g., PSYC 491: Field Experience), course development assistantships, and other work needed by the department (e.g., installing computers in offices and labs). Typically, there are more requests for summer funding than we have funded positions, so the following factors are used in assigning these positions to students:

1. Students who are not receiving support of any kind from the department over the summer have a higher priority than students already receiving some summer support (e.g., practicum or grant that ends mid-summer).
2. Students who have been enrolled for more than one year and have never received summer funds from the department or institution have a higher priority for summer funding over students who have received summer funding in the past. 
3. Graduate students in good standing have a higher priority for summer employment than those on probation.
4. Students enrolled in the doctoral program of the Department of Psychology have a higher priority over students enrolled in other academic programs. Students from other academic units should not expect summer funding from the department, but can be hired if no graduate student in the department is interested or available for a designated position.
5. Because faculty supervision of teaching is limited over the summer, first-time instructors do not receive the amount of supervision we normally provide. Therefore, for teaching positions of both on-campus and online summer courses, students who have taught a class offered in summer school before and were evaluated positively by their teaching supervisors are given preference over students who have yet to teach a class. Students who have taught a class before and were evaluated positively by their teaching supervisors are also eligible for teaching a different class over the summer based on their teaching experience; they are given a higher priority over students who have yet to teach a class.

Students do not need to obtain approval to accept summer support, but should consult with their adviser before accepting summer support outside the Department. Students who request summer funding from the Department must inform the Associate Chairperson about any other sources of support. Departmental summer funding consists of teaching assistantships, practicum assignments, research stipends, and occasionally other forms of funding. 

The Director of Clinical Training solicits applications for clinical practicum placements that begin in the summer and the Associate Chairperson solicits applications for other forms of Departmental summer funding in March. Students are assigned to these sources of funding based primarily on their qualifications, and secondarily on their rank, history of prior funding, and progress and standing in their program. To the extent possible, students are not assigned to more than one source of Departmental summer funding.

I.D.9. Number of Years of Funding

Students entering the doctoral program in Psychology after completing a bachelor’s degree can expect to receive a stipend and University tuition waiver for 4 years. Students entering the doctoral program after completing a Master’s degree elsewhere can expect funding for 3 years if their request for a thesis waiver is approved, and for 4 years if they are required to complete a thesis as part of their program (see Section III.D.2). Eberly College of Arts and Sciences fees are non-waivable and thus are the responsibility of the student. The current fee schedule is available on the WVU website. 

Students who are not on probation may request an additional year of funding (often colloquially called a “fifth year”). Requests are due between August 15th and April 1st of the student’s 3rd year (if tracked for 4 years) or 2nd year (if tracked for 3 years). This allows sufficient time for the student to establish a performance record for the training area to consider in its deliberations about whether to grant the funding request.

To request an additional year of funding, students submit a short (one page or less) rationale for remaining at WVU for an additional year and a copy of their curriculum vita to their area coordinator. The area training committee reviews the requests and decides whether or not to grant the request, taking into consideration the student’s professional development, training area needs for admitting new students during the next admissions cycle, and criteria outlined in the training area supplement to this Handbook. If the request is granted, it is understood that this constrains the availability of resources that might be offered to an incoming student. It is also understood that the student will refrain from entering the job market, and that faculty will refrain from writing letters of recommendation in support of such efforts. The additional year of funding is conditional on the student remaining in good standing, including but not limited to proposing the dissertation by Dec 15 of the following academic year (year 4 if the student enters the graduate program with a bachelor’s degree). 

Students who plan to enter the job market in their final year of graduate training (4th yr for students entering with a bachelor’s degree; 3rd yr for students entering with an approved master’s degree) should not request an additional year of funding. However, if the student’s job search is unsuccessful, and funding is available, they are able to receive funding if assistantships are available. Similarly, if a student does not request an additional year of funding or requests an additional year of funding and the request is disapproved, the student is still eligible to receive funding, when funding is available. 

I.D.10. FICA—Federal Insurance Contributions Act (Social Security Exemption)

Information about the student exemption for FICA tax can be found on the IRS website. The determination of whether or not a graduate assistant is exempt from FICA withholding is an automated process made on a pay-cycle-by-pay-cycle basis each semester. If a graduate assistant does not meet credit hour requirements each pay cycle, each semester, FICA will be withheld from the paycheck. FICA will continue to be withheld until the credit hour requirements are met. To ensure that FICA is not withheld from their paycheck, graduate assistants must be registered for classes by the appropriate payroll processing date.

When students receive summer funding, there are special considerations for enrollment during the summer term because the number of credits impacts FICA withholding as well as the student’s responsibility for fees. Students should carefully read the university’s guidance on summer enrollment. 

I.E. Graduate Student Role within Junior Colleague Model

The Department of Psychology at WVU uses a “Junior Colleague” training model, which emphasizes positive and productive professional relationships between faculty and graduate students. This section outlines the specific role of graduate students within the Junior Colleague Mode. For more information about the Junior Colleague Model, please refer to the Department Handbook.

I.E.1. Department Participation

Graduate students serve as voting representatives on all standing Department committees. Graduate student representatives are encouraged to participate freely in all meetings. When matters of student business are discussed, graduate student representatives are dismissed from committee meetings to maintain student privacy.

Graduate students are encouraged to participate in all Departmental activities and appropriate university and community activities. For example, graduate students are involved in planning and conducting Departmental conferences and social events and in selecting graduate applicants and new faculty members.

Graduate student input is considered whenever possible when faculty members make decisions that affect graduate student training (such as making changes in requirements, assigning office or research space, implementing new policies, making teaching and practicum assignments).

Graduate students are involved in faculty evaluations at several levels, including evaluating individual and classroom faculty performance and serving, if elected, as full voting members of the Faculty Evaluation Committee.

I.E.2. Graduate Student Relationships with Faculty

Contact among faculty members and graduate students outside of the classroom is frequent and informal. Graduate students typically address faculty members on a first-name basis.

Graduate students and faculty members should set clear expectations for communication and professional interactions at the start of their relationship. This may include topics such as expected response times for emails, turn-around times for edits to drafted documents, acceptable methods for communication (e.g., email, text, phone calls), and other personal/professional boundaries. Such expectations can be set informally or formally (e.g., using a checklist).

Graduate students share joint responsibility with their advisers for their timely progress in the program. Thus, faculty members show a professional interest in graduate students’ general well-being, progress, and accomplishments. To that end, graduate students should expect appropriate reinforcement and constructive criticism of their research ideas, papers, teaching activities, and so forth from faculty members. Graduate students can also expect that faculty members will assist them in obtaining resources to support their work and in solving work-related problems, at least as much as the faculty member would assist any other colleague.

Faculty members and graduate students seek one another’s input and advice when appropriate. Both parties are respectful of one another’s time, opinions, professional questions, suggestions, and so forth, and are courteous toward each other at all times. Both parties minimize interruptions and distractions during meetings. Faculty members strive to be as accessible to graduate students for consultations as they would be for their faculty colleagues. 

Graduate students are free to select faculty members to serve as advisers and on thesis, prelim, and dissertation committees. These selections are, of course, also with the faculty members’ consent and within the constraints of University and Department guidelines.

Faculty members treat graduate students as colleagues in social situations. For example, faculty members introduce students to colleagues and interact with students at social functions.

Student-faculty relationships sometimes can be disrupted by personality clashes or other considerations. If such disruptions occur, the parties should first seek resolution through discussion. If resolution is not achieved, the student may seek advice from the Area Coordinator or the Director of Graduate Training (or the Department Chair in cases where the Director of Graduate Training is perceived to have a conflict of interest). As an alternative, or in addition to seeking advice from faculty within the Department, students may seek advice outside of the Department (e.g., from the Program Director for Graduate Student Success in the Office of Graduate Education and Life).