Student Development Plans
Student Development Plans highlight the observed academic, clinical skills, and dispositional concerns the faculty or AAC have regarding a student. Student Development Plans can be created at any point in the semester and are part of the formal SPDR process. A student who is observed to have deficiencies will be invited to discuss the identified deficiencies with his/her faculty advisor and a dean or designee, and a Student Development Plan may be created.
Student Development Plans highlight the specific observable concerns (see earlier Problems of Professional Competence) and specific required actions for remediation and/or development. Examples of actions in a development plan include, but are not limited to: an increase in didactic instruction, a decrease in course load, a decrease, increase or temporary suspension of clinical responsibilities, altered supervision and/or faculty advisement, leave of absence, and individual psychotherapy. Students will be given a deadline by which the development plan must be signed. An intentional delay in signing a remediation plan may result in additional review.
The development process will follow the created and signed Student Development Plan, which must include scheduled review dates and target dates for each issue identified. Students are encouraged to submit to their advisors their own ideas for development which may be considered in revising and finalizing the development plan. The development plan, with student comments and signature, along with the advisor’s and dean’s signatures must be placed in the student’s academic file. If concerns are of a clinical nature, an additional copy should be placed in the student’s clinical file.
The student’s advisor or a designated individual will have regular follow-up meetings to evaluate the student’s progress within the development plan process and recommend potential sources of guidance and assistance when necessary. Progress must be reviewed at least once every semester (fall and spring) at least two weeks before registration. Additional reviews may be scheduled as necessary. After each review, a copy of the current development plan, with student comments and faculty signatures, must be placed in the student’s file.
In the absence of adequate progress on the goals of the Student Development Plan, the student who experiences difficulty in these areas will be subject to dismissal from the Richmont program. An advisor who observes a lack of sufficient progress will report to the AAC. A student may be dismissed from a course and/or the Richmont program if the welfare of the student’s clientele, prospective clientele, or the functioning of the school or agency is, in the judgment of the University’s faculty and administration, in jeopardy as a result of the student’s behavior.
A student always has the right to make a written rebuttal, and/or to appeal AAC decisions for remediation or dismissal. If a student chooses to provide a rebuttal, the AAC will meet again to consider any new evidence presented by the student. The AAC will provide written documentation of their decision within two weeks of the time that the written rebuttal was received. If the student wishes to make an appeal of the faculty’s decision for a development plan or dismissal, the Academic Appeal procedures outlined in the Graduate Catalog may be followed.
Students may register for their next semester (including their next clinical course) during early registration prior to the SPDR review. However, final approval for enrollment in the subsequent semester (including subsequent clinical course) is contingent upon the recommendation of the Academic Affairs Committee as stated in the Student Performance and Dispositions Review process.
Students who are not allowed to advance to the next clinical component will be notified within one week of the SPDR feedback meeting by the Director or Assistant Directors of Clinical Training. If the student is not allowed to proceed to the next clinical training course, any fee collected specific to that course will be credited to the student’s account or reimbursed. Should the student be in the final course of the clinical sequence, the decision regarding the completion of their degree will be based on the outcome of the Academic Affairs Committee’s review and decision.
The semester and cumulative SPDR data for each student is maintained by the School of Counseling to track students’ performance throughout the program. As noted, students (and their advisors) receive feedback about performance concerns each fall and spring semester on their Student Performance Review Feedback Forms. These forms are maintained in the student’s online academic file.
A copy of the Student Performance Review Feedback Form for students who have a documented clinical concern will be kept in the student's clinical file with the Director/Assistant Directors of Clinical Training.
The Student Performance and Dispositions Review process described above is designed to encourage students who would benefit from personalized support, and to minimize graduating students who are not suited for the professional practice of counseling. Richmont acknowledges that there are limitations in identifying every student who may not have the potential to perform effectively in the role of professional counselor.