Counseling and Human Development Services

College Student Affairs Administration PhD

Academic Information

APA Writing Style
Mailboxes
Email
Ethical Standards
CSAA-D Steering Committee
Guidelines for Publishable Paper
Written Preliminary Examination
Oral Comprehensive Examinations
Admission to Candidacy
Dissertation
Graduation
Library
Computer Access and Copying
Professional Organizations

APA Writing Style
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition) is the required resource manual for preparing papers for both the CSAA programs. It is recommended that students purchase a manual at campus bookstores prior to beginning their program of study.
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Mail Boxes
Each student is assigned a mail box in 341 Ramsey Center. All written communication from the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services with students is through these mail boxes or via your UGA e-mail account.
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E-Mail
All students must have a UGA e-mail account. Students will receive important program information via their UGA e-mail account only. The faculty assumes that students check their e-mail regularly, that is, at least daily.
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Ethical Standards
Students are expected to adhere to the Ethical Principles and Standards published by ACPA (www.myacpa.org/au/ethicsstatement.html) and the NASPA Standards of Professional Practice (http://www.naspa.org/about/standards.cfm ). Serious breaches of ethical standards can lead to termination of enrollment. Students are also expected to abide by the University Academic Integrity guidelines which are summarized and provided in this handbook. All students must also complete the on-line Academic Honesty tutorial (http://www.coe.uga.edu/chds/students/honesty/index.html) and give the certificate of completion to their advisor. Finally, you should also be familiar with and stay in compliance with the UGA Student Code of Conduct (http://www.uga.edu/judicialprograms/code.htm).
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CSAA-D Steering Committee
The Student Affairs Administration Steering Committee is composed of 6 persons: Richard Mullendore (Chair), Pat Daugherty, Merrily Dunn, Tom Burke, Laura Dean, Michelle Espino, and Diane Cooper. The Steering Committee serves as the principal policy-making body for the program. All curricular changes and Program policies and procedures are approved by the Steering Committee. In addition, the Committee screens applicants to the Program and decides who is to be recommended to the Graduate Coordinator for admission.
Each year the academic progress of all students enrolled in the program for two or more semesters is evaluated. The CSAA-D Steering Committee will communicate the results of the evaluation to each student.
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Guidelines for Submission and Approval of Ph.D. Publishable Paper
Students are expected to conduct a data-based research project (following either a qualitative or quantitative paradigm) worthy of publication in a professional journal, prior to taking preliminary exams. This requirement may add additional financial expense (copying, interview tapes, questionnaires, postage, etc.); however, sponsorship may be obtained by students from the programs or services sponsoring their research. Prior to beginning the project and after approval by the publishable paper committee, the proposal also must be approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB--often referred to as "Human Subjects") at The University of Georgia. No exceptions. You must complete the following on-line test in order to submit your IRB application.
Instructions at: http://www.ovpr.uga.edu/hso/irb101.html<
Test at:https://www.citiprogram.org/default.asp

The student will develop a research prospectus (generally 10-15 pages including references) in consultation with his/her program advisor. The rationale and theoretical foundation must be clearly specified; the hypotheses or research questions must be explicitly stated, and the procedures for data collection must be replicable and clearly explained. Strict adherence to style and format as specified in the American Psychological Association Publication Manual (5th ed.) is required. (As a general rule, full-time students should plan to submit their proposals not later than the end of the first year of study; part-time students should plan to complete their proposals by the end of fall semester of the second year of study.)
The prospectus should include the following:

Statement of the problem
Concise literature review
Statement of hypothesis or hypotheses to be tested (or research questions)
Operational definitions
Description of intervention to be used (if appropriate)
Description of target population, sampling procedures, and data collection plan
Description of research design (if appropriate)
Description of instruments or techniques to be used to collect data
Identification of data analysis techniques to be used

The proposed study must: (a) be of a quality and scope that would be worthy of publication in a scholarly/professional journal, and (b) be data-based. The study may be primarily qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed design. Selection of research methodologyshould be determined by the nature of the research question(s). Replication of previous studies and/or utilization of existing data bases are permissible for the Publishable Paper with approval of the advisor.
Your program advisor will assist you in selecting two additional faculty members to serve as a committee to consider and approve the prospectus and ultimately to evaluate the final manuscript.
Students have the option of approaching this requirement as either a collaboration with the program advisor or as an individual product. As a collaborative project, your program advisor will work closely with you through the entire Publishable Paper process (reviewing literature, assisting with data analysis, discussing results, editing, etc.) in return for 2nd authorship on the final product as it is submitted for publication. As an individual product, the program advisor will take a much less active role, and you will submit your paper as a single author.
The student submits the prospectus to the program advisor and the other committee members and will schedule a meeting of the committee to consider the proposed study.
The committee may: (a) approve the research plan, (b) approve the plan with required changes, (c) approve the plan with recommended changes, or (d) disapprove the plan and require a new prospectus be submitted. After receiving approval of the research proposal (and before collecting data), the student will submit and receive approval of the plan by the Institutional Review Board.
The student will then do the data collection and write the results, discussion, implications for practice, and suggestions for further research.
The final manuscript of the research should conform to APA guidelines for journal articles, typically average 25-30 pages inclusive of tables and references. Students should submit their Publishable Papers to the committee at least 10 week days prior to the date that the committee convenes with the student for his/her defense.
The committee will consider the manuscript and take one of the following actions: (a) approve, (b) require changes and resubmission, or (c) reject with the requirement to conduct a new study. (As a general rule, students should expect to make revisions before receiving final approval of the manuscript.)
Final approval of the manuscript must be obtained at least three weeks before sitting for the Preliminary Examination and being admitted to candidacy.

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Written Preliminary Examination
“A student must pass formal, comprehensive written and oral examinations before being admitted to candidacy for the degree. These examinations are administered by the student’s advisory [doctoral] committee” and the program faculty. The doctoral committee must be comprised of at least three faculty members who hold graduate faculty status. No more than two program faculty will serve on the doctoral committee. A signed program of study must be on file and a final copy of the Publishable Paper must be turned in at least three weeks before preliminary exams. “The written comprehensive examination, although administered by the advisory [doctoral] committee, may be prepared, and/or graded according to the procedures and policies in effect in the student’s department” (Graduate School Bulletin). CSAA-D students are expected to pass a comprehensive exam which is administered after completion of all or most of the course work and after successful completion the Publishable Paper.

In accordance with the policies established by the Graduate School of the University of Georgia, each student’s program faculty will conduct comprehensive examinations for students at least once a year. Successful completion of comprehensive examinations (both written and oral) is a preliminary step required before the student is permitted to submit an application for degree candidacy. While each student’s committee is responsible for the development and evaluation of the written and oral examinations, general policies and guidelines have been set by the program faculty.

Students will be restricted to four hours per day (typically 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM) to respond to that day’s examination question. Generally, examinations will be administered as Day 1 (student development theories), Day 2 (higher education administration, leadership, and student affairs practice), and Day 3 (research and measurement), with Day 4 being a take-home case study related to the specialty area.
Students will use computers to respond to the questions. One of the College computer rooms will be reserved for the duration of the exam. No personal computers will be allowed.

Listed below are the four areas in which College Student Affairs Administration students are examined on written prelims. Representative topics in each of the four areas are provided; the examination, however, is not limited to these specific topics. Effort will be made to devise questions that allow the student to demonstrate his or her breadth and depth of learning.
Student Development & Person-Environment Interaction Theories

Theories of psychosocial, intellectual, moral development

Research findings related to major theories
Critical evaluation of major theories
Critical evaluation of published research
Application of theories to underrepresented student populations
Modifications/new theories related to gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation
Theories of person-environment interaction
Research findings related to major theories
Critical evaluation of major theories
Critical evaluation of published research
Application of theories to underrepresented student populations
Application to various settings, e.g., residence halls, college classes, total campus

Use of student development and person-environment theories in student affairs practice
Effects of college on students

Higher Education Administration, Leadership, and Student Affairs Practice

Professional ethics
History of higher education and student affairs
Philosophies of higher education and student affairs practice
Theories and practices of organizing in student affairs
Legal issues in higher education
Student and environmental characteristics and responses to special needs
Professional practice standards
Accreditation processes
Theories of administration and management (applied to higher education)
Planned change models, processes, and strategies
Organization development theories, techniques, and practices
Professional, paraprofessional, allied professional, and support staffing (recruitment, selection, orientation, supervision, staff development, and performance appraisal)
Theories of leadership (applied in higher education)
Consultation theory and practices in higher education
Policy analysis and formulation

Research & Measurement

Qualitative and quantitative research paradigms
Qualitative research designs and analyses
Quantitative research designs and analyses
Instrument construction theory and techniques (including determination of validity and reliability)
Assessment of learning outcomes, developmental domains and collegiate environments
Program evaluation and outcomes assessment

Specialty Area

The student’s specialty area is approved by the advisory committee. Unless a compelling reason can be given related to career plans, students will declare a specialty in (a) administration and management, (b) teaching and pedagogy, or (c) research and evaluation (outcomes assessment, program evaluation, and student needs assessment). The case study is given to you when you turn in your written response to the Day 3 exam. The case study response is due by noon on Day 4. Specific information regarding how this is turned in will be provided to you when the case is distributed.

The comprehensive exam is designed to give students an opportunity to organize and synthesize their learning while in the program. Students are expected to cite sources or authorities to support their answers. Evaluation is based on four criteria:
(a) content/knowledge of the literature and ability to bring it into focus, (b) organization and clarity of written response, (c) integration of theory and practice, and (d) documentation of information included in the responses. Each student’s advisory committee, along with the program faculty, is responsible for constructing the questions and for evaluating the responses. The written examination is designed to ensure that a student possesses the knowledge that the profession and the public expect from a person holding a doctorate in College Student Affairs Administration. Each question will be marked as either Pass or Fail. A Pass is defined as a majority of readers rating a response as Pass.

Students who fail one question will have to remediate that question (typically a writing project) and have the content specifically and extensively examined during the orals. If a student fails the remediation of a single question, the student may be required to complete a non-credit directed study, a writing project, and an oral defense. A student who fails two questions will be required to retake the entire examination.Students who do not pass three or four questions will write comprehensives again at the next semester they are offered. Students may take comprehensive examinations a maximum of three times. Failure to pass on the third attempt means automatic dismissal from the program.
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Oral Preliminary Examinations
The oral comprehensive examination will be an inclusive examination within the student’s field of study. The oral comprehensive examination is open to all members of the faculty and shall be announced by the Graduate School. Students must inform the Graduate Coordinator (Dr. Georgia Calhoun) and Academic Advisor 1 (Ms. Pam LaSalle) of the time/date/place of the oral exam at least two weeks before the exam. The Graduate Coordinator and Academic Advisor 1 must notify the Graduate School of the time and place of this examination at least two weeks before the date of the examination. This notice must be in writing. Following each examination, written and oral, each member of the advisory [doctoral] committee will cast a written vote of ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ on the examination. The results of both examinations will be reported to the Graduate School. The oral comprehensive examination will be scheduled within four weeks of receiving the results from the written preliminary examinations. The oral examination will cover the totality of the student’s doctoral program coursework. The oral examination will consist of two parts: First, the committee will ask any follow-up questions pertaining to the student’s written exam. Secondly, the committee will ask the student additional questions covering the content of his/her program of study.
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Admission to Candidacy

Students are considered to be doctoral candidates only upon completion of written and oral preliminary examinations and acceptance by the Graduate School of the application for admission to candidacy.

“The student is responsible for initiating an application for admission to candidacy so that it is filed with the Dean of the Graduate School at least one full semester before the date of graduation” (Graduate School Bulletin). This application is a certification by the student’s department that the student has demonstrated ability to do acceptable graduate work in the field of study and that:

all prerequisites set as a condition to program admission and final approval of publishable paper have both been satisfactorily completed;
research skills requirements have been met (i.e., completion of ERSH 8310, ERSH 8320, and QUAL 8400 with grades of B or better);
the final program of study has been approved by the student’s committee, the Graduate Coordinator, and the Dean of the Graduate School;
an average of 3.0 (B) has been maintained on all graduate courses taken and on all completed graduate courses on the program of study [no course with a grade below C (2.0) may be placed on the final program of study];
written and oral comprehensive [preliminary] examinations have been passed and reported to the Graduate School;
the student’s committee, including any necessary changes in the membership, is confirmed and all its members have been notified of their appointment; and
The residence requirement has been met. [Minimum residency is defined as enrollment for a minimum of 30 semester hours of consecutive course work included on the program of study.]

Dissertation
(standard information from the Graduate School amended per CSAA-D program)

Dissertation
The final process of a doctoral program is completion of the dissertation. The dissertation must present originality in research, independent thinking, scholarly ability, and technical mastery of the field of study. Its conclusion must be logical, its literary form acceptable, and its contribution to knowledge should merit publication. Students can only undertake a qualitative study if they have completed the 9 hour core (www.coe.uga.edu/leap/qual/certificate/index.html) of the Qualitative Certificate.

The Major Professor and Advisory Committee shall guide the student in planning the dissertation. It is most important that the persons who serve on the Advisory Committee at the time the dissertation research is undertaken be faculty members knowledgeable in the areas of the student's research. They should be selected irrespective of their departmental affiliation. Sometimes it will be appropriate for the membership of the Advisory Committee to remain unchanged during the student's entire doctoral program, while at other times changes in the original Advisory Committee will be necessary when a dissertation is undertaken. Any change in the Advisory Committee requires that the student file a revised Advisory Committee form. The Advisory Committee must be comprised of at least three faculty members who hold graduate faculty status. No more than two program faculty will serve on the Advisory Committee.

Dissertation Prospectus
The student is required to prepare a dissertation prospectus, which is a detailed description of the specific dissertation project to be undertaken, including a thorough review of the appropriate literature, the specific research questions to be addressed, and the data to be collected and analysis to be performed if appropriate (typically this includes chapters 1-3 of the dissertation). When the Major Professor certifies that the dissertation prospectus is satisfactory, it must be formally considered by the advisory committee in a meeting with the student. The student is responsible for reserving a room and setting up a convenient time for the prospectus defense. Approval of the dissertation prospectus signifies that the members of the committee believe that it proposes a feasible dissertation project, which, if completed as proposed, would satisfy the requirements of a Ph.D. dissertation.

Dissertation Approval and Defense
The final oral examination should be scheduled when the student's Advisory Committee is satisfied with the completed dissertation submitted to them, The Graduate School must receive the Announcement of the Time and Place of the Ph.D. Final Oral Examination and Dissertation Defense form at least two weeks in advance. The department will fax the announcement form to the Graduate School. The student must be enrolled the semester that the dissertation is defended. Results of the final oral defense and approval of the dissertation is indicated on the Approval Form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination. This form should be read carefully for detailed instructions. This form also requires the signatures of all committee members. Once a dissertation has been approved by the Advisory Committee, and the final oral examination has been passed, the dissertation, along with the Approval Form for Doctoral Dissertation and Final Oral Examination form, must be submitted to the Graduate School for final approval no later than the date specified that semester by the Graduate School in order for the student to graduate that semester.
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Graduation

Application For Graduation
An application for graduation must be filed with the Graduate School no later than Friday of the second full week (the first full week for summer) of classes in the semester of the anticipated graduation date. Application forms may be obtained at http://www.gradsch.uga.edu:5080/forms/newgradms.htm.

Late Filing Of Graduation Forms
A graduate student who misses a graduation deadline by failing to file the Application for Graduation, Advisory Committee Form, and/or completed Program of Study Form will have the option of paying a single fee of $50 (check or money order in U.S. dollars) for late processing of all required forms. A completed Late Filing for Graduation Form, all required graduation forms, and the late fee payment must be submitted to the Graduate School Office of Enrolled Student Services within 45 calendar days of the original deadline. After the 45 day late period, no students will be added to the commencement roster for the current semester.

Final Registration Requirement
Students must be registered at the University of Georgia for a minimum of three hours of credit the semester in which they complete all degree requirements. Once degree requirements have been completed, no further registration is required, even if the official graduation date is in a following semester.
Students will not be approved for graduation if they have a grade of I or ER which, when changed to a recorded grade, could cause the graduate grade point average to fall below the minimum required for graduation.

Graduation Ceremonies
Formal commencement exercises are held in May, August and December. Candidates for degrees are urged to participate in graduation exercises, but they are not required to attend.
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Library
The Counseling and Human Development Services Department maintains small libraries in both buildings. They are located in room 207-B Ramsey and 415 Aderhold. Material should not be removed from these rooms without permission of the faculty or a staff member. Most material can also be found in the UGA Main Library. Students are encouraged to tour the libraries and become familiar with their services.
Many resources in the UGA libraries can be accessed through two on-line programs. The first is GIL which allows you to search the library catalog for materials in libraries. And the second is GALILEO which incorporates a growing list of electronic databases, some of which have on-line abstracts or full text of articles. Other useful references available on the internet are indexed at the references library home page, www.libs.uga.edu. GIL and GALILEO can be accessed from the computer labs, computers in the libraries, or the internet (some of the GALILEO databases are restricted to on-campus use only).
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Computer Access and Copying
Students do not have access to department resources such as the copy machine, microwave, refrigerator, or other office supplies unless directly related to teaching an assignment or if they are assisting faculty. Likewise, the staff offices are not to be entered or used without permission and staff computers cannot be used for student purposes.
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Professional Organizations
The purpose of this academic program is to prepare professionals for work in college or university student affairs or student services. Learning in this program is achieved not only through the classroom, but through actual practice in and exposure to the multitude of facets of the profession as well. One of the key elements of the profession is involvement in professional organizations. All doctoral students are expected to be actively involved in at least one professional organization during their course of study.
The following are several of the organizations that students may want to consider:

ACPA: College Student Educators International is a national professional organization. It fosters student development in higher education in areas of services, advocacy, and standards by offering professional programs for educators committed to the over-all development of post-secondary students. Annual dues for students are approximately $30.00 (or $50 including a hard copy of The Journal of College Student Development). The ACPA conference is typically held annually in the spring.

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education is a national professional organization which seeks to develop leadership and improve practices in student affairs administration. Annual dues for students are approximately $37.00. The NASPA conference is typically held annually in the spring.

Southern Association for College Student Affairs (SACSA) is a regional organization that focuses on current practices and research that have implications and applicability for practitioners. Annual dues for students are approximately $25.00. The SACSA conference is typically held annually in the fall.

Georgia College Personnel Association (GCPA) provides leadership in student personnel work within the framework of the goals of higher education. Each spring, GCPA holds its annual conference on the Georgia coast. Students are encouraged to join this organization and submit program proposals for the annual conference to acquire an understanding of state-wide professional organizations and to gain experience in making professional presentations. Annual dues for students are approximately $10.00.

University of Georgia Student Personnel Association (UGASPA) is a student-led organization which serves as a social and educational group for students, staff, and faculty. Social and educational events (such as brown bag lunches with speakers from the student affairs professional staff) will be promoted, sponsored, and coordinated by UGASPA throughout the year. In addition, The Georgia Journal of College Student Affairs, a joint publication of GCPA and UGASPA provides an excellent opportunity for the possible publication of student papers.
Membership and active involvement in UGASPA carries with it the following benefits:

Opportunity to acquire leadership and other professionally valuable experiences directly applicable to future careers
Opportunity to help build and enrich the student-faculty community within the Program
Demonstration of a commitment to the field and professional colleagues
Opportunity to develop meaningful social and personal relationships with fellow students, especially those who do not share classes, and faculty
Opportunity to network with student affairs practitioners.

UGASPA provides a unique opportunity for doctoral students to assist in the education and professional development of master’s level students and to further their own education. Because doctoral students have the advantage of more experience in the field and are generally somewhat older, they can make valuable contributions to enhancing the quality and depth of the learning environment in the student affairs programs.