SECTION I: GENERAL POLICIES

Student Handbook Use And Purpose

The purpose of this Student Handbook is to provide information essential to you as a student who has been accepted into the graduate program in counseling in the College of Education at Boise State University. The materials are presented in an electronic format to accommodate regular updating of forms, policies, and programs. Additional copies of the forms included in the handbook can be found on the Department’s website.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Program is designed to prepare individuals to become Licensed Professional Counselors. Students are required to enroll in one of two cognate areas: School Counseling or Addiction Counseling.

The School Counseling cognate prepares professionals to work with students ranging from kindergarten to high school to promote academic, career, and personal/social development. This cognate area focuses on the design and implementation of comprehensive school counseling programs that include individual and group counseling, classroom guidance, and consultation within the school setting. Graduates of the School Counseling cognate may choose to work in both private and public school systems at the elementary, middle, and high school level. For Idaho Certification as a School Counselor, graduates must complete 700 clock hours of field experience (600 need to be in a K-12 setting). Completion of the School Counseling cognate meets Idaho school counseling certification requirements.

The Addiction Counseling Cognate prepares professionals to work with individuals and families affected by substance abuse and other addictive behaviors in education, prevention and intervention settings. This cognate area focuses on assessment, treatment, and relapse prevention as well as models of prevention and intervention for addiction. Graduates of the Addiction Counseling cognate may choose to work in private practice or in a variety addiction and/or behavioral health of community agencies offering counseling service.

Program faculty in the Counselor Education Department have developed a rigorous applicant screening process which we implement each spring with the assistance of a community-based Advisory Council. The Council is composed of practicing counselors who were instrumental in the original Program design, who often teach as adjunct faculty, are internship supervisors, and who have input into course revisions.

The Program annually receives applications far exceeding the number of available openings. During the interview process every effort is made to provide students a realistic view of the commitment involved to complete a 60 semester-credit professional program. With so many applications not being accepted, it is vital that students joining a cohort understand the selection process, retention policies, and performance standards. Please retain this Student Handbook for future reference, insert new material as provided, and read it thoroughly and often. Information is sequenced to fit with your course work. While you likely will not fully understand each item at your initial reading, it is important that you begin to familiarize yourself with the professional and institutional terminology and that you gain increasing awareness of the academic progression of a graduate student in the Counseling Program.

It is expected that as a graduate student you are an active learner and will assume responsibility for your education. Program faculty are interested in your professional and personal success, but no more so than you. Thus, each student is expected to become completely familiar with the information in the Student Handbook. You will be responsible for:

Being aware and meeting deadlines from the Graduate College and the Counselor Education Department
Being able to locate forms from this Handbook as they become needed (always check online for updated forms, do not rely on copies of the form from previous semesters)
Maintaining regular communication with your Cohort Advisor and Cognate Coordinator and course faculty through formal appointments as well as less formal contacts
Becoming knowledgeable about the professional issues of certification and licensure as they fit with your professional goals
Demonstrating writing skills commensurate with graduate level work and seeking assistance if this becomes an identified problem area
Obtaining clarification whenever you are unclear about policies or procedures
Maintaining personal copies of forms, logs, and all other documents submitted to the department
Exhibiting mature self-awareness and openness to growth and development traits considered by program faculty and supported by research to be essential to effective counseling

General Policies

Counselor Education Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Counselor Education is to prepare ethical professionals who are reflective practitioners and scholars. Graduates from our programs are qualified to practice in a variety of educational and behavioral health settings. We strive for an inclusive learning community encouraging professional growth through a balance of challenge and support.

Operating Philosophy

The purpose of the counseling program is to recruit and graduate students who possess the desire and the skills to meet the challenges of the evolving roles of the counseling profession. As a highly ethical professional team, we are competent, respectful, and responsive counselor educators who maintain an adaptive environment that is educationally challenging and supportive of our students and colleagues. We believe in consensus in a nurturing and collaborative Department that promotes academic rigor, professionalism, and quality student outcomes.

The required core of theory and professional issue classes blend with practicum/internship to integrate the academic and practical aspects of counselor training. Required learner outcomes are based on the 2016 eight core area standards and specialty area standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and program key performance indicators.

The counselor preparation faculty views effective counselors in any setting as skilled helpers who have a realistic sense of personal identity and professional ethics with a clear commitment to refining their knowledge, attitudes, and skills for the benefit of clients and the profession of counseling. This view of professional counselor education is congruent with Boise State University’s mission statement to prepare students not only for employment and career advancement, but also for participation in society as active, informed citizens.

Inclusive Recruitment Policy

The Counselor Education Department is committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating students from all backgrounds and providing an educational environment that is safe, inviting, and supportive to all.

Code of Ethics

As a program we follow and train students to follow the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics. Violation of the ACA Code of Ethics can result in disciplinary action or termination from the program.

*Note: Mission Statement is reviewed every 2 years.

Guiding Philosophy: The Reflective Practitioner

Reflective practitioners think critically about pedagogy, subject matter, and the needs and backgrounds of the population they serve. Boise State University education programs are guided by the professional understanding of the importance of reflection and the process by which it occurs. Within this context reflective practitioners:

Use research, theory, law, and the wisdom of practice to guide decision making
Create an environment conducive to learning in which students participate in decision-making
Emphasize the importance of students being able to work independently and collaboratively
Teach toward curricular goals, adapting approaches as needed, while maintaining high standards for all students
Use continuous, varied assessments to help all students learn and achieve their potential
Enhance learners’ abilities to communicate in spoken and written language and other media
Work collaboratively and value planning as a collegial activity
Use modern technologies appropriately
Continue their professional development, staying current with best practices
Contribute to the continuous improvement of schools
Commitment to the fundamental principles of a democratic, diverse society
Developing a global perspective, recognizing the interdependence of all people while valuing independence and self-reliance
Accepting responsibility for themselves and acting responsibly toward others
Cultivating aesthetic sensibilities in ourselves and students, encouraging creative and artistic endeavors, and approaching beauty and wonder as ways to interpret and change the world
Appreciating complexity and ambiguity, using dissonance to stimulate learning in students and ourselves, and resisting the urge to charge ahead into sureness or to retreat into perpetual uncertainty and indecision.

Preparing reflective practitioners requires community and collaboration. The Counseling Program at Boise State University is designed and overseen by faculty members with involvement of public school personnel. Coursework includes the study of counseling, content knowledge, and experiences to facilitate effective decisions. Courses are carefully integrated with experiences at partnership sites, providing candidates opportunities to thoughtfully put theory into practice.

Core Values

Academic Excellence – We seek to integrate theory and evidence-based practice, and we remain informed through our own learning and by meaningful assessment.

Innovation and Creativity – we strive to create new and better ways of accomplishing our mission and support student and faculty personal and professional growth to promote creativity and innovation.

Professionalism and Collaboration – We model conduct that we expect from our students, including collegiality, collaboration, and the active appreciation of the value of multiple perspectives.

Service and Advocacy – We actively support our students to maximize their success and see our work as part of the larger system of societal services through training and advocacy.

Accessibility and Diversity – We optimize the opportunities for all to learn and grow through inclusiveness and the respect of student differences and commonalities.

Accountability – we hold ourselves and our students jointly responsible for our choices and for measurable, positive, and professional outcomes, and seek to model this commitment in our work and our interactions with our students.

Ethics – We promote the highest ethical standards among ourselves and our students and model integrity, honesty, and concern for the welfare of others.

Special Note

Counseling is a combination of knowledge, skill, and art in which the uniqueness and personality of the counselor have enormous influences on relationship building and counselor effectiveness. It is imperative that each student progressing through the Program be willing to grow in self‑awareness as well as knowledge and skill, to model behavior and attitudes as expected from clients, to exhibit professional and ethical standards of practice, and to actively contribute to the well‑being of clients and other students. Advisors and faculty have a responsibility to foster integrity in the counseling profession.

Beginning with the application for admission to the Program, each student will be involved in a structured screening process. Screening interviews may also occur prior to the student enrolling in Group Counseling, Counseling Practicum, and Advanced Counseling Internship. Students are evaluated by all Program faculty several times a year. Areas of evaluation include GPA, attainment of satisfactory scores on student learning outcomes, professional, personal, and academic development, performance in counseling courses (Counseling Skills, Practicum, and Internship), standardized tests (CPCE), and capstone activities. If life events appear to interfere with a student’s ability to work with clients effectively, the student may be requested to withdraw from the Program temporarily. When ready, the student may apply for readmission. In summary, because of the nature of the counseling profession, academic, professional, and personal qualifications are included for evaluating, retaining, and graduating students per our national accrediting body (CACREP).

Program Objectives

The program objectives are consistent with the mission and guiding philosophy of the program. The program objectives are designed to be measurable. Core program objectives are tied to the CACREP 8 curriculum areas as well as program key performance indicators (KPIs). Specialty area objectives are tied to CACREP competencies and KPIs in the areas of school counseling and addiction counseling.

Students will develop a strong identity as professional counselors who embrace ethical practice, advocacy, and reflection within the context of a multicultural and pluralistic society.
Students engage in self-reflection while learning theories and models that facilitate effectively working with a diversity of clients. Students consider elements of power and privilege as they adapt their counseling practice to meet the needs of their clients.
Students will learn how biopsychosocial factors influence development and functioning across the lifespan and integrate a developmental perspective in their counseling practice.
Students learn the significance of career development across the lifespan. Students will learn strategies (e.g., assessment, resource identification, and advocacy) to help individuals develop a career plan and address career-related challenges.
Students will learn theories and skills that promote a personalized approach grounded in evidence-based practice for working with clients. Students will learn common factors underlying ethical and effective counseling practice.
Students will learn theories and processes related to group formation and facilitation in a variety of settings.
Students will gain the knowledge needed to administer, interpret, and/or utilize assessment tools in an ethical and culturally appropriate manner to guide clinical and educational decisions.
Students will acquire knowledge and skills related to research methodology, statistical methods, and the use of qualitative and quantitative findings to guide data-informed decision making and evaluation of counseling practice. Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice

School Cognate Objectives

Students will acquire knowledge and skills for competent practice in their counseling specialty area.

Addiction Cognate Objectives

Students will acquire knowledge and skills for competent practice in their counseling specialty area.

Academic Policies

The following section addresses Boise State University policies and procedures governing:

Academic Integrity
Acceptable Academic Performance
Course Repeat Policy
Transferring Credits
Challenging Required Courses
Incomplete Grade

Many other academic policies and procedures are described or defined elsewhere in the Graduate Catalog, most notably in sections on General Policies, Graduate Degree Program General Requirements, Registration, and Grades. Please refer to the current catalog often.

Academic Integrity

Student work must align with university core standards of academic integrity. All submitted materials, whether in individual or group projects, should be the original work of the submitting person(s), excluding information and materials which are sourced and cited appropriately. Failure to uphold this standard, either with intent or by negligence, may be classified as academic misconduct, which is a violation of the student code of conduct and may be subject to discipline that could result in suspension or expulsion from the program and/or university.

Additional information on Academic misconduct can be found on the Dean of Students website.

Acceptable Academic Performance

Boise State University expects all graduate students to strive toward—and attain—academic excellence. If your academic performance is unsatisfactory, you may be withdrawn from the degree program by the Dean of the Graduate College, acting on the recommendation of your department.

Graduate students that are enrolled in a degree or certificate program must meet the following academic performance requirements at the end of the semester that they intend to graduate: I) cumulative GPA requirement, 2) program GPA requirement, and 3) individual course requirements.

Cumulative GPA Requirement

Graduate students with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above are eligible for graduation at the end of the semester that they intend to graduate. Graduate students with cumulative GPAs below 3.00 are ineligible for graduation and are placed (or will remain) on academic probation until their cumulative GPA is 3.00 or above. Students should consult their advisor or the Graduate Program Coordinator for advice and possible options.

Program GPA Requirement

Graduate students are required to list on their Application for Admission to Candidacy form the specific courses to be applied to meet all of the credit requirements defined for the program or certificate. The program grade point average (program GPA) is the grade point average computed for this set of courses. Graduate students with a program GPA less than 3.00 are ineligible for the degree or certificate and should consult their advisor or graduate program coordinator for advice and possible options.

Individual Course Requirements

Graduate students cannot list a course on an Application for Admission to Candidacy form if the course is graded lower than C or P. An undergraduate course, G-designated course, or transfer course cannot be listed if it is graded lower than B. If the grade for a specific course that is required by the graduate program is too low to be listed on the Application for Admission to Candidacy form, and if that grade cannot be improved under the course repetition policy, the graduate student is ineligible for the degree or certificate and will be dismissed from the graduate program and Boise State. In this case, the graduate student should consult their advisor or graduate program coordinator for advice and possible options.

Boise State University Graduate Students may be eligible for grade exclusions and thus may petition to have certain grades excluded from their GPA calculations in certain situations. Please refer to University Policy 3160 for additional information and procedures.

Course Repeat Policy

If you have completed a graduate course for credit, you may attempt to repeat that course to improve the grade, but only once and only with the written approval of the graduate program coordinator using the Request to Repeat a Graduate Course form. If the course is offered by a department or program that is different from the department or program that offers the graduate degree, then the written approval of the Chair, Head, or Director of the Department or Program that offers the course should also be included. The latter approval is the written approval that is required on the Request to Repeat a Graduate Course form, available via the Boise State University Registrar’s Office website. Certain graduate courses cannot be repeated to improve a grade.

Transfer Credits

You can transfer up to nine graduate semester credits taken at other institutions and apply those credits toward a graduate degree. However, the courses must be consistent with the program of study planned by you and your Advisor. In addition and per Graduate College standards, any transfer credit must satisfy the following restrictions:

Transfer credit must be graduate academic credit representing a grade of B or better, awarded by a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or by a non-U.S. institution of higher education that is approved for transfer purposes by the International Admissions Office. Continuing education units (CEU) and non-academic credits are ineligible as transfer credit.
Culminating activity courses, courses where the grade is based only on attendance, and courses representing experiential learning, regardless of the level (undergraduate or graduate), are ineligible as transfer credit.
Application of transfer credit must be approved by the graduate program.

Challenge Courses

If a graduate student requests the opportunity to challenge a course in a graduate degree program, the department offering the course will decide whether to grant that opportunity. For interdisciplinary courses, the decision will be made by the coordinator in charge of the graduate degree program to which the course applies. Refer to the appropriate Graduate Catalog for further information.

Incomplete Grade

Instructors can enter a grade of I—for incomplete—if both of the following conditions are present:

Your work has been satisfactory for 80% of the semester.
Extenuating circumstances make it impossible for you to complete the course before the end of the semester.

To receive an incomplete, you and your instructor must agree to a contract stipulating the work you must do and the time in which it must be completed for you to receive a grade in the class. The terms of this contract are viewable on my.BoiseState.edu under your Student Center To Do List. The contract time varies as set by the instructor, but may not exceed one year. If no grade other than incomplete has been assigned one year after the original incomplete, a grade of F will automatically be assigned. The grade of F may not be changed without approval of the University Academic Appeals Committee. As long as you have an incomplete in a class, you may not re-enroll in the class during another semester. A grade of incomplete is excluded from GPA calculations until you receive a final grade in the course. You cannot graduate with a grade of I (incomplete) on your record. You may not remove the incomplete from your transcript by re-enrolling in the class during another semester.

Courses repeated prior to Fall 1995 use a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade was used in calculating the cumulative GPA.
Courses repeated Fall 1995 through Summer 2001 used a grade averaging policy. Courses repeated during this time period will be averaged, using both grades in the calculation of the GPA.
Beginning Fall 2001 and on, courses repeated will use a grade replacement policy. Only the most recent grade will be used in calculation of the cumulative GPA.

Additional information available through the Office of the Registrar

edu/registrar