July, 2001

 

WELCOME to the 2001-02 academic year!  We (the faculty) are glad to have the new graduate students who have been admitted to the program join us.  Those of you who have been here, we hope that you had a good summer and return refreshed and renewed.  We are looking forward to another terrific year.

 

CNSA LISTSERV INFORMATION

 

The Counseling and Student Affairs (CNSA) Listserv is an e-mail listserv that allows CNSA students and faculty to send messages to everyone on the listserv using one command.  This is a very efficient and quick way to communicate. Information that is sent on the listserv includes items related to the CNSA program such as announcements, faculty meeting minutes, newsletters, conference information, and job and internship opportunities. If you are not already on the listserv, please join it as soon as possible. The instructions for joining the listserv are as follows:

 

If you get e-mail at home, you can join from there.  If you do not get e-mail at home, you can get it here on campus.  You will need an e-mail account, which you can get by filling out an application and dropping it off at the Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) computer center.  The application is available at the computer center or on-line from the MSUM webpage (from the MSUM webpage http://www.mnstate.edu/home/ click on Student Life, then click on Computer/E-mail/Labs, then click on E-mail Account On-line Application).  Once you get the e-mail account, you can send an e-mail message from your home computer or from any computer on campus.

 

Send the message to:  majordomo@mnstate.edu

In the message area type the following message:

subscribe cnsa_students (make sure there is a space after subscribe and an underline between cnsa and students)              

 

After a while you will get a message from the mail server (a computer, not a person) on your e-mail that says you have been added to the listserv.  We cannot stress enough the importance of getting on this listserv.  Students in CNSA 600 will be aided in this process.  If you need additional help, please see your advisor.

 

You might also want to visit our CNSA website: http://www.mnstate.edu/cnsa/

 

ADVISING TIPS

 

Classes begin Monday, August 27, 2001.  You don’t need to do anything in advance.  Just show up and register in your first class.

 

If you are taking only “one course”, it should be the CNSA 600, Introduction to Counseling Research (1 credit) and CNSA 610 Foundations (2 credits) package of courses.  If you are taking two courses, they should be the CNSA 600 and 610 package and CNSA 611, Counseling Theories.  If you are taking three courses, they should be the CNSA 600 and 610 package, CNSA 611, and CNSA 620 Counseling Skills I.  Only fully admitted majors can take CNSA 620 Fall Semester.

 

All students in Counseling Skills I are required to participate in the Growth Group attached to Skills I because it is a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation requirement.  Growth Group will take place each week of the fall semester from 3:00-4:30p.m. on Monday or Wednesday.  Please keep both times open until a specific day has been confirmed.  The group facilitator, Kandy Hartson, will contact students in the fall, interview them individually and assign them to a Monday or Wednesday time slot. 

 

CNSA 620 is the first of a multi-course sequence of skill courses (practicum and internships are the others) and must be completed before a practicum or internship is taken.  If CNSA 620 is not taken this fall, you must wait until next year for the sequence.  CNSA 620 is also a prerequisite for the Group Counseling course offered in the spring.  It is expected, in order to register for CNSA 620, that you will have had CNSA 610 and CNSA 611 or are concurrently registered for them.

 

For all students CNSA 621, Counseling Skills II has been dropped.  Counseling students will have a Practicum in Nemzek House in the spring in its place.  Student Affairs students will have an elective or a college student development theory class instead of Skills II.  Counseling students will have a year long internship in one site after practicum.  Student affairs students will have their practicum at the beginning of their first internship site and are encouraged to have internships in two sites.  See your advisor for clarification if you need it.

 

Given all these scheduling constraints, you may want to talk with one of the faculty members to plan the courses that are most appropriate for you this year.

 

FALL GRADUATE STUDENT MEETING

 

There will be a meeting of all CNSA prospective students, admitted students, and faculty from 6:00 - 7:30p.m. on Monday, August 27 in room 210 Lommen Hall.  This orientation meeting is an important meeting for everyone.  It is a chance for us all to get together, to meet the new students and the students who have been here before, and to see and meet the faculty.  It has some orientation aspects and provides information about the program.  Most of all it is a chance to make new friends to help you through the program.  All students are encouraged to attend this meeting and GSO student representatives will be elected.

 

ETHICS COURSE TO REPLACE CONSULTATION

 

A one-credit ethics course will replace the one credit consultation course. The ethics course will be offered for the first time this fall.  The course information is CNSA 681, Advanced Issues: Ethics (Course ID# 002402). This class is taught by Pat Neuman and meets from 7:40-8:30 Mondays in Lommen 210.

 

APPRAISAL COURSE CHANGES

 

The time and the instructor have changed for the Appraisal (CNSA 612) course. The new time is 6:00 – 8:30p.m. and the instructor is Dr. John Achter, Counseling Psychologist, Concordia College.

 

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

 

There are faculty graduate assistantships available.  See Bill Packwood about them.  There are also other graduate assistantships.  The faculty graduate assistantships include one that is for someone who is work-study eligible and others are for those who are not work-study eligible.  Both pay about $2000 for eight hours per week for two semesters or $9.00 per hour.  Please see Bill Packwood soon once classes start, if you are interested in these jobs. 

 

HANDBOOKS

 

The 2001 Graduate Student Handbook will be on the Web before the Graduate Student Meeting on August 27, 2001.  Every student needs to have read the handbook, as it is a summary of all of the program’s policies and procedures.  You can access the 2001 handbook via the CNSA webpage: http://www.mnstate.edu/cnsa/

In order to download the handbook you will need to download a free application of Adobe Acrobat Reader from the following website:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

 

 

 

RESEARCH SEMINAR

 

The CNSA research seminar will continue to be held in the fall.  This is a voluntary meeting to support students with their thesis work.  Everyone is invited to attend no matter where they are at in the thesis process. 

 

Stay tuned to the listserv for a meeting day, time, and location.

 

ADMISSIONS INTERVIEWS

 

All prospective students who have not had their admissions interviews will have them in September.  If Bill Packwood has not called you or sent you a letter to schedule an admissions interview before August 27, call him and let him know.  For those of you with completed files this summer, your interview should occur in September.  If you have not been called by Packwood, check with him to see if you folder is complete.

 

PRACTICUM LAB

 

The Nemzek House at 515 11th Street was used during the spring semester for the first in-house counseling practicum.  The practicum students saw clients who were students from the education department and conducted individual and group sessions.  The practicum was very successful. Students who received services rated highly all aspects of the practicum. 

 

GRADUATE STUDENT ORGANIZATION (GSO)

 

The GSO is an organization for graduate students in CNSA.  It needs your time and input.  It is also a source for friends, information, and involvement.  Learn more about the GSO during the fall orientation meeting.

 

ETHICAL REMINDER

 

All graduate students in Counseling and Student Affairs are bound by the ACA professional code of ethics called the Ethical Standards.  If you do not have one, download one from the ACA website at www.counseling.org

They are also in the CNSA 610 text.  Similarly, all courses in counseling are covered by the confidentiality rule.  That means nothing of a personal nature learned by you in a counseling course can be revealed by you outside of the course.  Failure to maintain professional ethical behavior is a cause for dismissal from the program.  Check with the Standards, or the faculty, if you have questions about these ethical standards.

 

PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR NEW ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER

 

Make sure you call or send an e-mail to give Bill Packwood your new local address and telephone number.  Please leave a note with the secretary if he is not in when you call.

 

MAXIMUM YEARS TO COMPLETE DEGREE

 

Please take note of the five-year limit for finishing your degree. To meet the deadline you must graduate before your first course is over 5 years old.  Otherwise, you must retake courses as they go over the 5-year limit.  For instance, if you took your first course in the fall of one year, you need to graduate by the summer 5 years later.

        First Course                    Graduate By

 

           Fall, 1997                      Summer, 2002

           Fall, 1998                      Summer, 2003

        Fall, 1999           Summer, 2004

        Fall, 2000           Summer, 2005

        Fall, 2001           Summer, 2006

 

The same is true for spring (and previous winter quarter) starts.  If your first course is in the spring (or winter), you must be through by the fall semester 5 years later.  Please check your transcript to check on these dates.  Add 5 to the year of your first course.

 

FALL 2001 CNSA COURSE OFFERINGS

 

Please note that rooms may change from those listed below.  We will announce changes on the listserv.

 

Course

Number      Title                 Crs.  Instructor      Time/Days        Room   

 

CNSA 600  Intro Counsel Research  1  Packwood     5:00-5:50  M  LO 210

CNSA 610    Found of Counseling     2   Packwood         5:50-7:30  M    LO 210

CNSA 611    Counseling Theories       3   Erwin            5:00-7:30  H    LO 210

CNSA 612    Individual Appraisal    3   Achter       6:00-8:30  T    LO 210

CNSA 681    Advanced Issues: Ethics 1   Neuman          7:40-8:30  M    LO 210

CNSA 620*    Couns Skills I       3   Erwin            5:00-7:30  W    LO 210

  *Also a 3-4:30p.m. M or W Growth Group with Kandy Hartson

CNSA 670    Comm Counseling        3 Erwin            5:00-7:30  M    LO 085

CNSA 691B*  Prac: Stu Affairs        2   Neuman           4:30-6:30  W  LO 078                ARR

CNSA 691D*  Prac: Comm Couns          2   Neuman          2:00-4:00  W    LO 206

CNSA 692A*  Intern: School Couns      1 Neuman           2:00-4:00  W    LO 206

CNSA 692B*  Intern: Stu Affairs        1   Neuman           4:30-6:30  W  LO 078                ARR

CNSA 692D*  Intern: Comm Couns  1 or 3 Neuman             2:00-4:00  W    LO 206

CNSA 698    Continuing Regist         1   Packwood         ARR            ARR

CNSA 699 *  Masters Thesis      1-2   Packwood         ARR            ARR

 

         

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

 

The following dates and times have been set up for administering the comprehensive exam for Master of Science degree students.

 

Graduate students in Counseling and Student Affairs should contact their advisor to let them know if they will be ready to write the exam, as the advisors will be the ones writing the questions.  Please secure application forms from your advisor or copy the one in your Handbook.  These application forms should be turned in to Bill Packwood by the first week of the semester in which you plan to write.

 

There is a two-page list of study areas for the comps as well as a sample of the rating form used by faculty when reading these.  They are in the CNSA handbook.

FALL SEMESTER 2001 Wed., Nov. 7, 2001      Thurs., Nov. 8, 2001

                     10:00-12:00 noon and        10:00-12:00 noon and

                     1:00-3:00 pm              1:00-3:00 pm

                     LO 101 Computer Lab       LO 101 Computer Lab

 

 

SPRING SEMESTER 2001 Wed., March 20, 2002      Thurs., March 21, 2002

10:00-12:00 noon and          10:00-12:00 noon and

.     1:00-3:00 pm               1:00-3:00 pm

     LO 101 Computer Lab          LO 101 Computer Lab

 

SUMMER SESSION 2001 Wed., June 12, 2002      Thurs., June 13, 2002                     

                     10:00-12:00 noon and        10:00-12:00 noon and

                     1:00-3:00 pm              1:00-3:00 pm

                     LO 101 Computer Lab       LO 101 Computer Lab

 

 

 

DEADLINES FOR MASTER’S DEGREE STUDENTS

 

                                      Fall           Spring

                                      Semester       Semester

 

Last day to apply for Oral

Examination for degree in term      Nov. 15        April 4

 

Last day for Oral Examination         Nov. 29        April 18

 

Last day to submit Thesis/Project

To Office of Dean of Academic

Services in Library for degree in

Term                                  Dec. 13        May 2

 

Commencement                         Dec. 21        May 10

 

NOTE: Form 4, Recommendation for Graduate Degree, serves as the application for graduation from graduate programs.  Students need only to apply to graduate in absentia if they do not plan to attend Commencement ceremonies.  The Form 4, final instructions checklist, and an evaluation form are part of the packet sent to the student’s advisor at the time of the Final Oral Examination.  The Form 4, with all signatures, must be submitted to the Graduate Studies Office for final approval at least one week prior to May or August Commencement for the student’s transcript to show degree completed in term.  All “I/X/IP” grades need to be cleared by appropriate faculty members with change of grade slips sent to the Registrar’s Office by the deadline for degree in term.

 

Academic garb should be ordered from the MSUM Bookstore not less than eight weeks prior to Commencement.  Hoods should be delivered to the Graduate Studies Office one week before Commencement.