SECTION V. PROGRAM POLICIES

Adjudication Statement Requirement

In 2003, the College of Education determined that it is in the best interests of students to create a mechanism to determine the criminal history, if any, of the persons pursuing degrees in education. In 2015, the Department of Counselor Education determined that additional information related to professional licensure, certification, and standing is also relevant to students pursuing a Masters of Arts in Counseling which also applies to students pursuing a Ph.D. in CES, and that such information may be considered and used by program faculty and officials to (a) make determinations regarding a student’s admission into the program, (b) discontinue students from the program, where necessary and appropriate, (c) determine whether program faculty will endorse students for practicum, internship, and/or any other field-based placement, and other purposes consistent with accreditation, student success, public safety, and program integrity. Furthermore, information regarding professional licensure, certification, and standing may be disclosed by program faculty to potential internship and/or any other field-based placement sites or individual supervisors.

To the Student:

Professional Counselors and Counselor Educators and Supervisors consider the welfare of the client above all else. As Counselor Educators, faculty have a duty to clients, supervisees, and students of Ph.D. CES students. The Department of Counselor Education requires all Ph.D. students to sign and submit the Adjudication Statement a minimum of three times (or once per year):

1. upon acceptance into the program,
2. prior to participating in practicum or any practicum field-placement, and
3. prior to participating in internship.

Students are also required to submit a new adjudication form if there is a change in the information reported from the previously completed adjudication form. Information disclosed or otherwise obtained can determine faculty decisions regarding continuation in the program, supervision of MA students, endorsement by program faculty for students to enroll in practicum and/or internship, endorsement for any field-based placement, and disclosure by program faculty to potential internship and/or other field-based site or individual supervisor.

I understand that before I may work with clients and/or students/minors through the Boise State University Department of Counselor Education, be placed in a practicum, field-based setting, or internship sponsored by Boise State, I must fully complete the provided statement, sign, and submit this document to the Counselor Education Department, and to arrange a follow-up meeting with faculty should it be deemed necessary.

• Have you ever been convicted, forfeited bond, received a withheld judgment or otherwise been adjudicated guilty in a court of law for any criminal offense, whether misdemeanor or felony, other than a minor traffic offense?

If Yes, year of most recent occurrence

If yes, for each such adjudication or occurrence, please provide detailed information, including the charge or offense, the date of adjudication, and the name and location of the court or tribunal in which the case was adjudicated:

• Have you ever had a professional license or certification revoked or not been in good standing with any professional board?

If Yes, year of occurrence [enter year]

If yes, for each such occurrence, please provide detailed information, including the name and location of the board or association that took such action, the basis of the action, and a description of the outcome of such proceeding:

If you answered “Yes” to either question, you must contact your Advisor for an appointment. You may not work with clients or have a field-based placement, as well as teach or supervise M.A. students until you have met with your Advisor and the Department Chair to determine your suitability for this work. If you do not agree with the outcome, you may appeal to the College of Education Professional Standards Committee.

I understand that falsifying information on this and/or any application forms for the Boise State University Counselor Education Program may cause my application for acceptance or for continuance in a counseling degree program to be denied or revoked. Additionally, I understand that what I disclose on this form may impact my admission status, continuation in the program, enrollment in practicum, internship, and/or any other field-based placement. Furthermore, I understand that program faculty may determine it is necessary to disclose information provided on this form or otherwise obtained by faculty and/or staff to potential internship and/or other field-based placement site or individual supervisors, and I expressly consent to such disclosure.

I hereby further agree to promptly notify program officials if, after execution of this form, I am charged with a crime and/or any action is taken against any professional license or certification I possess, and to provide complete and accurate information regarding any such occurrences. I understand and agree that future occurrences may likewise affect my standing in the program, including external placements, and understand that my failure to promptly notify program officials of such may result in my dismissal from the program.

Student Review and Retention Policy

Successful completion of a Ph.D. program in CES is based on the demonstration of effectiveness in academic, professional, and personal areas as they relate to the CES profession. The faculty of the Department of Counselor Education have a professional responsibility to evaluate the academic, professional, and personal development of students in training programs. Evaluation procedures serve two major purposes:

1. To provide students with information related to their progress that will enable them to take advantage of strengths and to remediate weaknesses in their academic, professional, and personal development.
2. To provide faculty with information about student progress which will facilitate decisions that are in the best interests of students and the profession they are preparing to enter.

The Student Review and Retention policy for the Ph.D. in CES describes the process for faculty sharing of information about student progress. Student review is ongoing and continuous. The faculty is concerned about the suitability of a student entering a profession with evidence of unsatisfactory performance in practical skills, behaviors which are unethical, illegal, or unprofessional, and/or dispositions deemed inappropriate for a Counselor Educator and Supervisor. Any faculty member may raise questions about a particular student’s performance and progress at any time. Discussions of student performance and progress will be held in “executive session.” Note that all students are reviewed by all program faculty several times a year.

If, in the professional judgment of the program faculty, a student’s behavior is deemed substandard, unethical, illegal, and/or professionally unbecoming during the course of training (including course work, supervision, practicum, research activities, and internships), the following steps are taken:

1. Within ten (10) academic days, the student’s advisor will inform the student in writing of the identified problem areas noted by the faculty, requesting an appointment to receive feedback and to identify appropriate and/or remedial procedures expected of the student.
2. The student will set an appointment with the advisor and will review a written plan for remediation of the student’s behavior which
   • a) Behaviorally defines the student’s problems
   • b) Identifies the expected behavior patterns or goals
   • c) Specifies possible methods to reach the goals, which could include:
   • i.) Personal counseling
   • ii.) Group growth experiences
   • iii.) Self-structured behavioral change
   • iv.) Additional academic course work or practicum, field experience, etc.
   • d.) Specifies possible resources available to assist the student in achieving satisfactory performance and/or behavior change
   • e.) Designates a way in which the goal attainments will be demonstrated
   • f.) Sets a date for re-evaluation and/or goal attainment
3. The plan will be submitted by the student for faculty review, possible modification, and approval.
4. If the plan has been modified by the faculty, the advisor and the student will meet to review the modified plan.
5. A copy of the approved plan (#3) will be provided to the student and a copy will be retained in the student’s file in the Department of Counselor Education. Both copies of the plan will be signed and dated.
6. At or near the date set for re-evaluation, the student’s progress will be reviewed by the faculty, with four options of recommendation:
   1. a.) Continuation in the program: the specified concerns no longer present a significant problem and the student is allowed to continue in the program.
   2. b.) Probation and remediation: progress is documented on the first evaluation, an updated behavioral plan is prepared, and a date is set for another re-evaluation.
   3. c.) Voluntary resignation: progress is documented as insufficient with the recommendation that the student resign from the program.
   4. d.) Dismissal from the program: the student has failed to attain the behavioral goals and there is no expectation that he or she can reasonably attain them in the near future.
7. The student will be immediately notified in writing by the advisor of the reevaluation decision, requesting the student make an appointment with the advisor, and specifying if the student is on conduct or professional probation within the Program. If dismissal from the program is recommended by the faculty, the notice will include the specific reasons for the potential termination. Note: Academic Probation is governed by Graduate College Regulations.
8. Depending upon the re-evaluation decision (as outlined in 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d) by the faculty, the student and the cohort advisor will review the options available to the student.
9. If d. Dismissal from the program is the decision, the student will be given thirty (30) days from the meeting with the cohort advisor in which to, if the student chooses, a. Prepare and present to the program faculty a written response to the decision and b. Request, in writing, a full counseling faculty review of the decision.
10. Upon receipt of a written request from the student, a faculty meeting will be held within twenty (20) academic days to provide the student with the opportunity to present his or her case to the faculty.
11. Following the student’s presentation, the program faculty will meet to:
    1. a.) Review the student’s progress in the program
    2. b.) Review the student’s behaviors as related to expected professional and/or personal dispositions and behavior
    3. c.) Review the student’s remediation progress
    4. d.) Render a decision as to whether the dismissal recommendation is upheld.
12. Immediate notification of the decision will be provided to the student by the Chair of the Counselor Education Department with a copy to the Dean of the Graduate College and the Dean of the College of Education.
13. If the dismissal decision is upheld, the chair of the Counselor Education Department will submit a formal recommendation for an administrative withdrawal.
14. If a student’s unacceptable professional and/or personal behaviors are deemed severe enough by the program faculty, a recommendation for immediate dismissal from the program will be made. Steps 1 through 8 of this policy will not be employed in this circumstance. The student will be informed of the recommendation by letter from the Chair of the Counselor Education Department, with copies to the Dean of the College of Education and the Dean of the Graduate College. Steps 9-13 will then be implemented.
15. If the student is not satisfied with the decision reached by program faculty, the appeals procedure is outlined in the Boise State University Student Code of Conduct