Advising

• The Graduate School encourages all UMN faculty who advise graduate students to have a formal advising statement to share with advisees and provides sample statements from UMN faculty.
• Training and support resources for advisors include:
  • Art of Advising video series, UMN Graduate School.
  • Mentor training from the Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Psychology faculty are encouraged to complete the following asynchronous sessions:
    • Optimizing the Practice of Mentoring 101: For Research Mentors of Graduate Students, Fellows, and Early-Career Faculty
    • Enhancing Motivation Using the CARES Mentoring Model 
  • Mental Health Advocate training. 
  • Guide to Advising and Mentoring International Graduate Students.
  • Graduate Student Advising Guide and other resources from the Dignity Project, Student Counseling Services (SCS).
  • Best and Worst Practices in Graduate Advising, SCS Dignity Project.
• Many UMN policies govern graduate education. For assistance with interpreting policy or finding relevant policies for a specific scenario, please contact the Associate Director of Graduate Studies.

• Individual Development Plan - encourage students to set and pursue short and long-term goals.
• Transferrable Skills Checklist - helps students assess current skills and identify areas for development.
• CLA Graduate Career Services - refer students for career exploration and job search support.

Policies

Graduate students are expected to meet the following progress standards to maintain good standing in their program. Faculty concerned about a student’s progress are encouraged to consult with the Area Director, DGS, and/or ADGS, as appropriate to the situation, to identify appropriate next steps. 

• Good Standing Policy, Department of Psychology (full policy statement is in the Graduate Student Handbook)
• Doctoral: Performance Standards and Academic Progress: Policy and FAQ
• Master’s: Performance Standards and Academic Progress: Policy and FAQ

Annual Progress Report (APR)

All UMN master’s and PhD students must be reviewed annually and notified of their progress. Psychology uses the electronic workflow maintained by the Graduate School to meet this requirement. 

• See the Graduate Student Handbook section titled “Satisfactory Progress and Annual Review” for:
  • APR timeline and steps.
  • APR outcomes and follow-up procedures.
• Annual Progress Report (APR): Workflow Mockup & Advice for Students - see the questions students submit answers to and the advice they receive on sharing their draft responses with you.
• Students can use the Annual Progress Report - Draft Answers Template to prepare draft answers to share with you and understand the details they need to include in their answers to the APR questions.
• Instructions and deadlines for Spring 2023 APRs, which were emailed to faculty and students on April 17, 2023.

Access

Advisors can access GPAS via two paths:

• MyU>Advisor Center (Key Links dropdown menu).
• MyU>My Advisees (left navigation bar).

To see the courses from enrollment being applied to degree requirements: After selecting the student's record from your advisee list, select "academic requirements" in the Other Academic Information dropdown menu on the left side of the Student Center tab. Click "expand all" to see fulfilled requirements.

To see the courses from enrollment plus any future coursework the student has planned in GPAS: Click the GPAS link on the left side of the Student Center tab, then click "Plan by My Requirements." Click "expand all" to see fulfilled requirements.

Exceptions

Exceptions are used to modify the requirements and/or the courses meeting specific requirements for an individual student. This creates flexibility within the articulated curriculum (PhD and MA).

In Psychology, advisors, area directors, and the DGS approve exception requests with an email confirmation. Exceptions are currently submitted by the ADGS (preferred) or the student, and applied in the GPAS system by the ADGS. 

Note: Certain courses are always manually applied to requirements. These will be processed by the ADGS without prior approval or notification to align with documented requirements. Example: Requirements to take specific topics in PSY 8960 must be manually processed. 

Planning & Monitoring Coursework Progress

GPAS tracks students’ progress toward coursework requirements but does not automatically support the planning of future courses. Students are expected to review their GPAS each semester to confirm they are on track for timely completion of coursework requirements as communicated by the area and established in consultation with their advisor(s).

Advisors are encouraged to support this process by reviewing advisees’ GPAS and discussing plans for unfulfilled coursework requirements. Step-by-step review instructions are available to support advisors' process.

Planner Review

The primary advisor is responsible for reviewing and approving the student’s coursework in the Graduate Planning and Audit System (GPAS). This is typically done in the spring of a student’s third year in the program. 

• Step-by-step GPAS approval instructions for advisors in Psychology
• Zoom GPAS walkthroughs are also available upon request; email the ADGS to set up an appointment. 
   

Resources for Faculty

• The Red Folder: Identify and respond to signs of distress in your students.
• Learn about the challenges and opportunities for supporting International graduate students’ mental health.
• Missing or Unresponsive Student: Template language for outreach and guidance on procedures from the Office for Student Affairs.

Mental Health Advocates (MHA)

MHAs are trained staff and faculty volunteers who serve as resources to students and colleagues about the mental health resources available on campus. MHAs take active steps each month to make positive changes impacting student mental health within their sphere of influence. 

• Darian Schwietz (schwi232@umn.edu), Program Assistant/Area Support for CSPR & PIB 
• Michael Houlahan (mhoulaha@umn.edu), Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies
• Laura Luepke (luep0007@umn.edu), Associate Director of Graduate Studies
• Liza Meredith (mere0032@umn,edu), Assistant Teaching Professor
• Christina Wiencke (choldvog@umn.edu), Associate Director of Curriculum and Instructior

A full list of MHAs is also available; you may consult with any MHA on the list.