Higher Education

Department of Leadership, Foundations & Policy

Curry School of Education

University of Virginia

Doctoral Student Handbook

2015/16

Bavaro Hall Suite 222 405 Emmet Street S.

Charlottesville, VA 22904(434) 924-7161

CONTENTS

FOREWORD......................................................................................................................................................4

PROGRAM FACULTY……………………………………………………………………………………… 5

I. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE HIGHER EDUCATION PROGRAM...................... 6

A. Purpose and Programs: An Overview............................................................................................... 6

B. Degree Programs................................................................................................................................. 6

C. Non-Degree Programs....................................................................................................................... 8

D. Courses in Higher Education………………………………………………………………….….… 8

II. ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES………………………………………………………………….. …..11

A. Ph.D., Ed.D., and Professional Development…………………………………………….…….… 11

B. Common Procedures for All Degree and Diploma Programs…………………………..………… 11

III. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE……………………………………………………………………….....11

IV. HOUSING INFORMATION………………………………………………………………………... 12

V. REGISTRATION……………………………………………………………………………………...12

A. Academic Term………………………………………………………………………………….….12

B. Summer Session………………………………………………………………………………..…. 13

VI. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS…………………………………………………………………… 13

VII. TRANSFER OF CREDIT………………………………………………………………………….… 13

VIII. STEPS TOWARD THE DOCTORATE………………………………………………………….….14

A. Temporary Advisor……………………………………………………………………………..…..14

B. Appointment of Doctoral Committee……………………………………………………….…..….14

C. Comprehensive Examinations: Policies and Procedures for Doctoral Students………………………………………………………………………………………….….14

D. Dissertation Research……………………………………………………………………………..…..…15

IX. INTERNSHIP POLICIES & PROCEDURES…………………………………………….…...…..... 17

X. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY…………………………........18

XI. APPENDICES……………………………………………………………………………………….......19

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A. Application for Financial Aid for Graduate Students………………………………….................... 20

B. Ph.D. Program of Studies Worksheet……………………………………………………..........….. 23

C. Ph.D. Record of Progress Form.........................................................................................................24

J. Internship Handbook..........................................................................................................................30

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FOREWORD

This Graduate Student Handbook has been prepared to provide general information for

prospective applicants and to serve as a guide for students who are currently enrolled in

programs of graduate study offered by the Higher Education program at the University of

Virginia. This document is intended to supplement, but not supplant, the University catalogue.

The Record for the Graduate Division of the Curry School of Education is available at

http://records.ureg.virginia.edu/. Students should become familiar with both of these documents.

Inquiries regarding the interpretation of policies and procedures should be directed to Brian

Pusser, Program Coordinator, Higher Education (434) 924-7731); Carol Tomlinson, chair,

Department of Leadership, Foundations and Policy (434) 982-2963); and/or Catherine Brighton,

Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Student Affairs (434) 924-1022).

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PROGRAM FACULTY

BRIAN PUSSER, Ph.D., Stanford University, Associate Professor and Coordinator, Higher Education program, (434) 924-7731, bp6n@virginia.edu

CHRISTIAN STEINMETZ, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Instructor and Coordinator of the Higher Education M.Ed. Programs,(434) 924-3180, cls5p@virginia.edu

SARAH TURNER, Ph.D., University of Michigan, University Professor of Economics and Education, (434) 924-7857, set5h@virginia.edu

KAREN KUROTSUCHI INKELAS, Ph.D., University of Michigan, Associate Professor, Research Director of Undergraduate Initiatives, Contemplative Sciences Center, (434) 243-1943, kki5x@virginia.edu

JOSIPA ROKSA, Ph.D., New York University, Associate Professor of Sociology and Education, (434) 243-0909, jroksa@virginia.edu

JUAN GARIBAY, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, Assistant Professor of Higher Education, (434) 243-6461, jcg6m@virginia.edu

JUSTIN THOMPSON, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Associate Dean and Lecturer, (434) 924-1444, justint@virginia.edu

GERALD D. STARSIA, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Associate Professor of Higher Education, (434) 924-6310, gs2t@virginia.edu

Affiliated Faculty

SARAH COLLIE, Ph.D., University of Virginia, Assistant Vice President for Management and Budget (434) 982-2674, slc6h@virginia.edu

MARK HAMPTON, Ph.D., University of Utah, Vice President for Finance & Administration, Washington College (800) 422-1782, ext. 7204, mhampton2@washcoll.edu

PATRICIA LAMPKIN, Ed.D., University of Virginia, Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer, (434) 924-7984, pml@virginia.edu

I. HIGHER EDUCATION

A. Purpose and Programs: An Overview

The Higher Education program, established as part of the Center for the Study of Higher Education in 1969, is an instructional, research, and service unit of the Curry School of

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Education. The instructional program is designed to give graduate instruction and training to those seeking to become scholars and administrative leaders in colleges, universities and related institutions. The program offers the opportunity to explore established and emerging policies and practices in postsecondary education, to analyze current issues and programs, to examine institutional priorities and commitments, and to conduct original research on various areas of higher education policy and practice.

Instructional programs offered by the Higher Education program lead to the Master of Education (M.Ed.), the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The masters programs in Higher Education Administration (HEA) and Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education (SAPHE) are described in the M.Ed. Handbook on the higher education website. Postdoctoral study and research opportunities are provided through the program’s professional development program.

An integrated program of core courses and experiences is provided for all students who are candidates for degrees in higher education. Interdisciplinary study is encouraged, and a high level of initiative is expected. The ability to work independently on complex problems is essential.

While programs of study may be arranged with considerable flexibility, students are expected to master the following skills and understandings:

1. Writing: Program graduates will be able to write critically, analytically, and in a manner appropriate to the variety of writing tasks that they may face as professionals.

2. Research: Graduates will be able to conduct qualitative and quantitative research.

3. Analysis: Graduates will have the capacity to employ relevant disciplinary and theoretical frameworks in doing scholarship.

4. Knowledge: Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of higher education organization and governance, the political and policy contexts of higher education, higher education economics and financing, student development, diversity in higher education, and the effects of college on students, the history and philosophy of higher education, and its possible future directions.

B. Doctoral Degree Programs

1. Doctor of Philosophy-The Ph.D. degree is the highest scholarly degree awarded by the University. The primary purpose of the Ph.D. degree is to develop scholars who are able to conduct original research and interpret and communicate the results of such research through writing, teaching, practice, and other means. The dissertation is characterized by original research that extends the theoretical and empirical knowledge bases of postsecondary education policy and practice.

Ph.D. students in higher education complete a program of study that includes at least 60 hours of coursework (excluding internship courses and dissertation credit). Acceptance of up to 24 hours

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of transfer credit from a student's master's degree program, or from post-master's work completed at another institution, is determined on an individual basis by the student's advisor and the program coordinator. The program director may exempt students from required courses that they have already taken.

In addition to a required set of core courses in higher education (21 credits) and a minor in research methods (18 credits), the Ph.D. student is also required to complete elective coursework in higher education (9 credits). A content minor (12 credits), chosen with the advice and consent of the student’s advisor and organized around a theme or set of questions, is also required for the Ph.D. Courses for the content minor may be taken outside of the program and the Curry School. Typical content minor concentrations include (but are not limited to): higher education policy, economics of higher education, politics of higher education, student affairs in higher education, organization and governance of higher education, and social foundations of higher education.

Ph.D. students are required to complete ten hours of mentored research per week each semester they are enrolled. An internship is an important (but not required) part of the program for many students (see Appendix D). Internship placements (paid, ten to twenty hours per week) are arranged within the University of Virginia and at cooperating colleges and universities, other postsecondary agencies, or institutes. Research assistantships may also be available.

Appropriate forms and guide sheets—as well as more detailed statements on admissions procedures and policies pertaining to residency, comprehensive examinations, internships, doctoral committees, etc. —may be found in appropriate sections of this Handbook.

2. Doctor of Education-All Ed.D. programs in the Curry School are designed to prepare scholar/practitioners to assume leadership or supervisory roles in their educational fields, or work as faculty members in higher education institutions. The primary purpose of the Ed.D. in Higher Education is to provide experienced and practicing educators with a broad and systematic understanding of higher education, a definitive knowledge of selected aspects of educational theory and practice, and an ability to apply research in an informed and critical manner to educational practice and problems.

Ed.D. students in higher education complete a program of study consisting of at least 57 hours of coursework, including a required higher education core (21 credits), a minor in research methods (15 credits), a content minor organized around a theme or set of questions of the student’s choice (12 credits), and elective courses in higher education (9 credits). Students will choose their content minor with the advice and consent of their advisors. Courses for the content minor may be taken outside of the program and the Curry School. Typical content minor areas include student affairs, higher education policy, the organization and governance of higher education, the economics of higher education, and the social foundations of higher education.

Students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree can apply up to 24 hours of credit to their doctoral program, provided that the program area faculty judges that the courses are sufficiently comparable to substitute for courses offered in the doctoral program. Ed.D. students may participate in an internship. Students may earn 12 internship credits, most likely distributed across 4 semesters in which students could earn 3 credits during each semester. Paid employment in a school or other practice setting, or other arrangements may be substituted for an on-Grounds

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internship, provided that the student receives supervision and training throughout this experience.

While Ed.D. students may study on a part-time basis, high-level professional training and intellectual development require a concentrated experience that is possible only through sustained involvement in the academic and other activities of the Higher Education program and University. Participation in Higher Education program research and service projects, informal work with individual faculty members, and sustained interaction with other students all add substantially to the coursework. In short, to round out an advanced degree program, a student is expected to participate in and contribute to a rich academic community.

C. Non-Degree Program: Professional Development Studies

Professional development opportunities are also provided under the auspices of the Higher Education program. Students are admitted under the category of "professional development student (non-degree)” and are allowed to pursue studies according to their individual objectives. These students are not candidates for a degree.

To be accepted as a professional development student, an applicant must

1. hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university,

And 2. submit to the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the School of Education transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work.

Professional development students will be counseled by an advisor from the Higher Education program. Enrollment in some courses will require the approval of the instructor in addition to that of the advisor.

Professional development students are subject to the graduate academic regulations of the School of Education, as detailed in the current catalogue. Professional development students planning to apply to a degree program are expected to know the various requirements for admission to and completion of that degree.

D. Courses in Higher Education

1. Core Courses (a minimum of 21 credits required)

EDLF 8649 Introduction to Higher Education

EDLF 8651 History of Higher Education

EDLF 8652 College Student Experience

EDLF 8654 Organization and Governance in Higher Education

EDLF 8655 Education and Politics

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EDLF 8662 Politics of Difference

AND

EDLF 8657 Economics and Finance of Higher Education

OR

EDLF 8680 Economics and Education Policy

2. Higher Education Electives (a minimum of 9 credits required)

Students must take as electives an additional 9 credits from the higher education courses listed below. Not all are offered every year, so students should plan well in advance to take them. A core set of these courses should reflect a student’s research interests.

EDLF 5500 Selected Topics

EDLF 8648 College Student Development

EDLF 8653 Curriculum in Higher Education

EDLF 8647 Student Affairs in Colleges and Universities

EDLF 8657 Economics and Finance of Higher Education (if not taken for the core requirement)

EDLF 8658 Management and Planning in Higher Education

EDLF 8659 Legal Aspects of College Administration

EDLF 8664 The Community College

EDLF 8665 Contemporary Issues: Entrepreneurship in Higher Education

EDLF 8663 The American Professoriate

EDLF 8680 Economics and Education Policy (if not taken for the core requirement)

Under some circumstances, students may fulfill a requirement with one independent study course, as long as it is not one of the core requirements. It must be approved by the student’s advisor, the instructor, and the program coordinator. Students can pick up the pink approval form for independent study from the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs.

Research Minor (minimum of 15 credits for Ed.D.; minimum of 18 credits for Ph.D.)

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Students must take EDLF 7310 Educational Statistics: Stat I, EDLF 8300 Experimental Design: Stat II, EDLF 7404 Qualitative Analysis, EDLF 9810 Research Seminar in Higher Education (required for Ph.D. only) and two research electives (including EDLF 7300)

Students who have not had an introduction to educational research course or its equivalent must take EDLF 7300, Foundations of Educational Research, as one of their electives. Ph.D. students planning to do historiographic research may choose to take historiography courses in the Department of History. Because EDLF 9810 is designed to prepare Ph.D. students to write their dissertation proposals, it may be taken only by individuals who have six or fewer course credits to complete.

4. Content Minor (a minimum of 12 credits)

Students may take their content minor courses outside the program and the Curry School, or they may choose courses from other Curry programs. The minor is meant to supply the student with substantive knowledge of and a theoretical grounding in an area that might be the topic of the dissertation. Courses to be taken for minor credit must be negotiated with and approved by the student’s advisor. Options for the content minor include (but are not limited to) the following concentrations: Higher Education Policy, Economics of Higher Education, Politics of Higher Education, Student Affairs in Higher Education, Organization and Governance of Higher Education, and Social Foundations of Higher Education.

5. Internship Courses (3credits/semester; required if doing an internship)

Students completing an internship should enroll in EDLF 9998 Doctoral Research Internship (Ed.D. or Ph.D.)

6. Dissertation/Capstone (12 credits minimum required)

EDLF 9999 Doctoral Dissertation (may be repeated for credit)

EDLF 9991 Ed.D. Research (may be repeated for credit)

II. ADMISSIONS PROCEDURES

A. Ph.D., Ed.D., and Professional Development

To be considered for admission, please submit an application and required supplementary materials to the Curry Office of Admissions and Student Services. For more information or to apply online, please visit curry.edschool.virginia.edu/admissions.

B. Common Procedures for all Degree and Diploma Programs

A non-refundable application fee must accompany the application. Official transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work, Graduate Record Examination scores (except for

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professional development students), a statement of goals, an academic writing sample, and letters of recommendation must be provided as part of the application process. Foreign students whose first language is not English must also submit their TOEFL scores.

Applications for admission and financial aid received prior to December 15, after which most of the available financial aid is distributed, will be given priority in awarding that aid. Students who apply after that date will receive aid only insofar as it continues to be available. After the Curry admissions office has received all of the necessary application materials, the application file is forwarded to the Higher Education program for review by the faculty. A recommendation to grant or deny admission is made by the faculty, and the applicant is then notified of the decision by the admissions office. Students must reapply for financial aid each year.

Upon notification of acceptance, the student must accept the offer in writing and take at least one course within one year of the matriculation date stated on the application or the application materials will be destroyed, requiring a new application for readmission. Readmission is not automatic in such instances and will depend upon a full review of the applicant's file. Students pursuing the doctoral degree are admitted initially to the program at the level of "Advanced Graduate Study," pending the successful completion of 24 credit hours of coursework and a successful review of progress by the faculty of the Higher Education program (see VIII. B., below).

III. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

The Higher Education program, the Curry School of Education, and the University of Virginia offer a range of financial-assistance opportunities to incoming and continuing students. Students who apply for assistantships by or before January 5 receive priority consideration. Graduate students who wish to be considered for assistantships must indicate their interest on the "Application for Financial Aid for Graduate Students" form, which may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the School of Education. A sample of this form is included in Appendix A. The same financial-aid application form also is used to consider students for funded research assistantship opportunities that arise in connection with grants obtained by faculty in the Higher Education program and/or other units of the Curry School.

Students enrolled in the Higher Education program are supported in a variety of ways, including research assistantships, graduate assistantships and paid internships. Enrolled doctoral students who are making satisfactory progress are provided with four years of support, including full tuition remission and stipend, except where otherwise negotiated. Students interested in internships in their first year should contact Brian Pusser, coordinator of the Higher Education program, about their interest as soon as possible, since interviews for these positions may begin in the spring semester prior to students’ arrival on grounds.

The Curry School has a limited number of fellowships available that are funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Educational Sciences. These generous two-year fellowships are targeted at students who want to prepare to be education researchers through research-intensive interdisciplinary doctoral training. These grants are not available to first-year students; third-year students will be most competitive for them, but second-year students may also apply. For more information, go to http://www.curry.edschool.virginia.edu/risk.

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The University offers a limited number of other competitive fellowships for which students enrolled in Ph.D. programs may apply. The Graduate School provides information concerning the nature and availability of and the qualifications for these fellowships. Application forms may be obtained from the Dean’s Office of the Curry School.

All graduate students at the University may use the services of the Office of Financial Aid, which assists students in obtaining loans to defray part of their educational expenses and in finding part-time employment. Students who have financial need and who are not dependents of their parents may qualify for work-study stipends. Applications should be made to the Office of Financial Aid to Students, 1001 N. Emmett Street, Carruthers Hall, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22903.

Information about emergency loans can be found on the University’s financial aid site, at http://www.virginia.edu/financialaid/other.php.

IV. HOUSING AND OTHER LOCAL INFORMATION

The University provides some housing for both single and married graduate students and families. Information about University or off-grounds housing can be obtained from the Office of Housing, Station #1, Emmet House, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22901, (434) 924-3403. Also see the Residence Life page on graduate housing, at http://www.virginia.edu/housing/student/graduate.php, and University Off-Grounds, at http://www.universityoffgrounds.com.

Student-written information about the local community can be found on the Curry Website, at http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/admissions/cville/content/home2002/html/insider/welcome.htm (Home Sweet C’ville).

V. REGISTRATION

A. Academic Term

All admitted students at the University of Virginia register for courses using the SIS online registration system (http://www.virginia.edu/isis). Full-time students normally take 12 credits (four classes) each semester but nine credits also constitutes a full-time course load. Part-time students in the Higher Education programs also register through SIS. Questions regarding registration should be addressed to the Curry School of Education’s Office of Admissions and Student Affairs at (434) 924-0738.

VI. ENROLLMENT AND RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Doctoral Students must be enrolled continuously at the University during the fall and spring semesters. If students are not taking courses or working with a committee, they may maintain enrollment by paying a University non-resident fee through the Office of Admissions in the Curry School. Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will require students to reapply for admission. Students must be enrolled for dissertation hours during any semester in which they are working with their committee.

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VII. TRANSFER OF CREDIT

Work counted for a degree already completed may not be double-counted as part of a degree program in progress. But exceptions to this policy may be granted for coursework taken within the prior three years when, for example, a student has two master's degrees or a second degree beyond the master's in an area deemed appropriate as a supporting area of study in a doctoral program. Also, a request for transfer of credit earned as part of another degree program may be considered where the course of study is applicable to the doctoral program. In those cases, students may, with the approval of their advisors and the program head, include up to twenty-four credit hours completed at another accredited university as part of the work required for a degree. However, all coursework required for a degree, including transfer credit, must have been completed within the seven years preceding the doctorate’s being awarded, unless otherwise negotiated.

VIII. STEPS TOWARD THE DOCTORATE

A. Appointment of Advisor and Development of Program

Letters officially notifying students of admittance to the Curry School include the names of their program advisor. After admittance to the Higher Education program and prior to the first semester of study, each student should contact his or her advisor to plan the first semester’s coursework and research mentorship. Students work with their program advisor on their programs of study until the completion of the first academic year. Students may change advisors at that time, or at the time of the formation of their dissertation committees; those who wish to change advisors may do so with the consent of the old and new advisors and the program coordinator.

Doctoral students and their program advisors record initial plans regarding projected coursework and other program requirements on the record of progress form tailored to the higher education program. Unlike most other programs at Curry, higher education doctoral students do not have to assemble a doctoral (sometimes known as a "program") committee. So, until they are ready to put together a dissertation committee, higher education doctoral students keep the record of progress on their own, with a copy going to their program advisors as they complete each major phase of the program.

B. Permission to Proceed

Doctoral student progress in the Higher Education program is formally reviewed by the program faculty when 24 credit hours have been accumulated (although students’ mentors may issue warnings about the quality of their work before that time). The following will be taken into consideration: grades (a B+ average is a minimum requirement); the quality of the culminating project in the Introduction to Higher Education course; and, if necessary, a review of other student work. Consequent to the review, students will be granted permission to proceed without stipulation, granted permission to proceed with the understanding that they will take additional courses or have other experiences to strengthen their skills or knowledge, or counseled to leave the program.

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C. Qualifying Exercises: Policies and Procedures

Students seeking the Ph.D. must register for EDLF 9810 Research Seminar in Higher Education Research, in their final semester of coursework (a course that is taken pass/fail). Students with one or two courses left to take in the fall may register for this course and write the qualifying paper only with the consent of both their mentor and the instructor of the research seminar. In this course, they develop the tools to write a qualifying paper.

Like a dissertation proposal, the paper should pose a question and say why it is important. This question may or may not be the same as the one the student is planning to pursue in the dissertation.

The paper should then describe where the question fits into the relevant scholarly literature, what theoretical or conceptual paradigm anchors the research, and the contribution it will make to that literature, as well as articulate the challenges to the researcher in addressing it. Unlike a dissertation proposal methods section, the last part of the paper should describe the full range of strategies for answering the question and the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Passing the research seminar does not guarantee that the qualifying paper will be approved. Students will have an opportunity to revise their papers in light of the instructor’s feedback until the end of the exam period in that semester. Students may submit the qualifying paper to the core faculty only after they have completed all coursework or with permission from the program director, at one of the following times: one week after the end of each semester’s exam period or one week before the start of fall classes.

The core higher education faculty will then review the papers; the criteria by which they will be evaluated are given in Appendix C. In doing this review, faculty will be evaluating the quality not only of each student’s work but also of the program’s effectiveness in developing students’ requisite skills and knowledge for dissertation work. The faculty will decide whether or not to grant each student permission to proceed to the dissertation proposal phase of the program. Those who do not receive permission to proceed may revise the paper again and resubmit it no sooner than by the beginning of the following semester.

Successful completion of the qualifying paper is an indication that the student is ready to focus on the dissertation. However, approval of the qualifying paper, even if its topic corresponds to that proposed for the dissertation, does not guarantee approval of the dissertation proposal, which must be vetted and approved by the student’s dissertation advisor and committee (see D., below).

D. Dissertation/Capstone Research

1. Ph.D. Dissertation Research

During the last semester of coursework, each Ph.D. candidate should consult with his or her program advisor about the choice of a dissertation advisor. The dissertation advisor may (but need not) be the same as the student’s advisor to this point. The chair or at least one of the co-chairs of the committee must be a member of the core higher education faculty (see the list at the front of this handbook) and should be someone who is knowledgeable about the topic and is willing and able to direct research on it. It may be necessary to have co-advisors if the topic is

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such that no single faculty member has the requisite expertise or if a junior faculty member needs the assistance of a senior faculty member.

Once that person has agreed to serve, he or she becomes the student’s mentor and will help the candidate choose the rest of the dissertation committee, whom the candidate should ask to serve. The committee must be comprised of at least two higher education faculty members, including the chair, unless an exception is approved by the program head. Dissertation committees must also include a dean’s representative (see the Curry School’s Ph.D. Dissertation Manual for the procedures for selecting the dean’s representative). The student assembles the signatures of committee members on a form found on the Curry webpage under "student forms and documents," which must also be signed by the program head.

Once the qualifying paper has been approved by the faculty, students move to the next phase, the development and defense of a dissertation proposal. In this phase, the candidate works with his or her dissertation advisor until the advisor considers the dissertation proposal sufficiently developed to be presented to the other members of the committee. The proposal, approved by the dissertation chair, must be distributed to committee members and to the admissions office at least 14 days prior to the defense. A list of committee members, the location and time of the defense, and an abstract of the proposal must accompany the submission to the admissions office, which will make a general announcement that the defense is scheduled to take place. The defense is open to all faculty and students. At this meeting, the candidate formally presents the proposal (equivalent to a presentation at a scholarly conference), and committee members make suggestions and ask questions about it. Once the doctoral committee members have unanimously approved the proposal, they sign the student's record of progress.

Doctoral candidates who are writing their dissertations should consult the Curry School’s Guidelines for Doctoral Dissertations, available on the Curry Website. Students enroll for EDLF 9999 Doctoral Dissertation Research with their dissertation advisors each semester throughout the writing phase for the number of credit hours specified by the advisors (but for at least 12 hours in total).

When, in the opinion of the student's dissertation advisor, the dissertation is in satisfactory form, the candidate schedules a final defense. The dissertation must be distributed to committee members at least 14 days prior to the defense. At the same time, the student should notify the associate dean and the admissions office of the Curry School of Education of the title of the dissertation and the date, time, and place scheduled for the defense in order that public announcement of the examination can be made. Any interested member of the University community is invited to attend the defense of a doctoral dissertation. But the examination itself is conducted by the committee, and it is the committee that must unanimously approve the dissertation before the degree can be awarded.

Once the dissertation has been approved, the student submits to the admissions office the final copy of his or her record of progress. In addition to signatures required on the record of progress, other forms must be processed for purposes of graduation. These forms may be obtained in the Curry School Office of Admissions and Student Affairs. Students at the dissertation stage are especially advised to consult the Graduate Record regarding proper graduation procedures. Students should also monitor the Curry School’s Academic Calendar for deadline information.

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2. Ed.D. Capstone Research

The goal of Curry Ed.D. programs is to prepare practitioner-scholars, individuals with a set of expectations distinct from those of scholars, on the one hand, and practitioners on the other. Practitioners are expected to improve practice by drawing on field experience. Scholars are expected to develop and disseminate knowledge. Practitioner-scholars are expected to improve practice by drawing on both experience and systematic inquiry. Given this distinctive role, the purpose of the capstone project is to provide prospective practitioner-scholars with a supervised opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and understandings that they have acquired in their Ed.D. course of study. In order to demonstrate what they have learned, Ed.D. students are expected to identify a problem of importance to practitioners and apply what they have learned in order to address the problem. Use-inspired disciplined inquiry for improved practice is the ultimate aim of the Ed.D. capstone project. The format of the written work should reflect the fact that a capstone project is intended to benefit practitioners and, ultimately, the public.

Capstone projects should aim to improve practice by solving a problem and contributing to improved organizational or professional performance. As a problem-solving study it inquires into and analyzes the nature and dimensions of a problem and establishes that there is a difference between the present and the ideal state, and then builds a case for improvements and makes recommendations for action. It is pragmatic in nature, not theoretical, and seeks to make a case for recommended action. Overall, a capstone project addresses the questions of what is the problem, and what should we do about it? One or more guiding questions for inquiry will in turn flow from these.

Ed.D. students who have completed coursework and all other program requirements should enroll for EDLF 9991 Ed.D. Research (12 hours total required) and work with their mentors to design an appropriate capstone project. While the capstone project should demonstrate mastery of key theoretical frameworks, content areas, and practices in higher education, it may draw upon qualitative and/or quantitative research techniques and may take a number of forms, which include (but are not limited to) needs analysis, program evaluation or process analysis, program development and design, organizational diagnosis, organizational development, policy analysis, impact evaluation and cost-benefit analysis. The capstone project must be approved by the student’s mentor and the program director. For further information regarding capstone project requirements, students should consult the Ed.D. Capstone Guidelines document found on the Curry website.

IX. INTERNSHIP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

The Higher Education faculty consider the internship experience to be an important component of the doctoral program for many students. The internship provides the prospective college faculty member, administrator, or policy-maker with the opportunity to put theory into practice in the institutional milieu and to develop the competencies required for successful professional performance. Students should seek internships that best match their career orientation, fill gaps in their understanding, and/or promise to help them develop important skills. Offices choose interns based on the students’ possession of professional knowledge and skills that can contribute to the office, as revealed in their resumes and the internship interviews.

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The Higher Education program has been fortunate in placing students in a variety of institutional settings for internships, such as the Office of the President, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Vice President and Provost, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, the Nursing School Dean’s Office, the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Institutional Assessment and Studies, the Curry School Dean’s Office, the University Development Office, the University Relations Office, the Office of the Dean of Students, University Library Administration, Newcomb Hall Student Union, Student Financial Services, etc. Current or past off-grounds sites include the Federal Executive Institute (FEI), the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), the National Education Association (NEA), and local community colleges, colleges, and universities. While the program director and other members of the Higher Education faculty are alert to the possibility of new internships, students with special interests should notify the internship director of their desire to develop one.

Guidelines detailing the specific objectives, expectations, and evaluation procedures that govern internships are included in Appendix D, the Internship Handbook.

X. UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY

The University does not discriminate in any of its programs, procedures, or practices against any person on the basis of age, citizenship, color, handicap, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam era. The University operates equal opportunity and affirmative action programs for faculty, staff, and students. The University of Virginia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

The Equal Opportunity Programs Office (EOP Office) is responsible for the enforcement of the University’s non-discrimination obligations. An applicant for admission or employment or any student or employee may file a discrimination complaint with the EOP Officer, Equal Opportunity Programs Office, Washington Hall, East Range, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904, (434) 924-3200. Complaints are to be submitted in accordance with and are subject to the standards of the “University of Virginia Discrimination Complaint Procedures.”

The Section 504 Coordinator is Melvin Mallory, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Washington Hall, East Range, P.O. Box 400219, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, (434) 924-3295. The Title IX Coordinator is Kelley B. Hodge, Office of Equal Opportunity Programs, Washington Hall, East Range, P.O. Box 400219 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, (434) 297-7643.

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APPENDICES

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APPENDIX A

CURRY SCHOOL APPLICATION FOR DEPARTMENTAL FINANCIAL AID FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

EACH YEAR THERE ARE DEPARTMENTAL MONIES AVAILABLE TO GRADUATE STUDENTS ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS. IF YOU WISH TO APPLY FOR SUPPORT, YOU MUST SUBMIT THIS FORM WITH YOUR APPLICATION BY DECEMBER 15 (NOTE: IF YOU ARE APPLYING ONLY TO THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT, THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE APPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL FUNDS WILL BE CONSIDERED.

Name: ______________________________________________________________

Program Area (major) __________________________________________________

GRE Verbal ______________ GRE Quantitative ______________ GPA _______

Number of Years in Curry program_____________________________________________

Number of Years prior funding was received ________________________________

Skills and Qualifications to Perform Graduate Assistantship Tasks

Please check the areas(s) for which you believe you are best suited. Use text boxes below to elaborate on skills and experiences. Please be specific--do not use “See Attached Resume.”

Research

[ ] Data Entry[ ] Library Research[ ] Interviewing & Transcription[ ] Writing Abstracts & Literature Syntheses[ ] Classroom / School Observations[ ] Qualitative Data Analysis[ ] Quantitative Data Analysis (Indicate descriptive, ANOVA, multivariate, regression

analysis, factor analysis, statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, etc.[ ] Other Research Skills (e.g., questionnaire development)

Note: If funding was received in prior years, please list responsibilities and level of funding for each academic year:

Explain:

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Instruction

[ ] Teaching (describe areas / qualifications)[ ] Curriculum Development[ ] Development of Online Learning Materials[ ] Digital Video Editing[ ] Programming Skills (list)

Supervision [ ] Student Teachers

Office Productivity Tools

[ ] Word Processing[ ] Spreadsheets[ ] Web Page Development

Background and Experience Related to Curry Areas of Strategic Emphasis

[ ] Teacher Education: the preparation of teachers for K-12 schools, including methods courses, supervision of student teachers, special project experiences.

[ ] Educational Technology: the diffusion and integration of instructional and communication technologies, including learning technologies, into the research and teaching mission of the Curry School.

[ ] At Risk Students: contributions to research, teaching, and community outreach that relate to students who are at risk.

Explain:

Explain:

Explain:

Explain:

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Grants & Program Development

Grant Funding: In addition to items listed above, describe any prior experience or special skills that may contribute to acquisition or administration of external grants and development support and funding.

[ ] Grant Writing [ ] Budget Management [ ] Other

Program Development: Also describe any skills or aspects of your background that may contribute to the teaching, research, and service missions of the academic program in Instructional Technology.

Explain:

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APPENDIX B

PH.D. RECORD OF PROGRESSCurry School of Education

Higher EducationUniversity of Virginia

This record of progress, completed to date, must be maintained by the student, with a copy given to the advisor.

PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT APPROPRIATE INFORMATION

DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

NAME: DATE:

LOCAL ADDRESS: PHONE#:

EMAIL:

PERMANENT ADDRESS: CELL PHONE#:

PROGRAM AREA: CIP CODE:_____________

ADVISOR:____________________________________ DATE ADMITTED TO PHD:______________

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES (List schools attended, location, major, degree conferred, date conferred)

GRADUATE STUDIES (List schools attended, location, major, degree conferred, date conferred)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS (You may use extra space)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES (Dates, position held, title of institution or firm, location)

GRADUATE RECORD EXAM SCORES

Verbal __________Quantitative___________Analytical/Writing________Other_________

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STEP 1: FIRST-YEAR COURSEWORK

The first action a student should take upon arriving on grounds is to schedule an interview with his or her advisor to plan the first year of coursework. During the first year, students begin to complete the research requirement and take (mostly) core courses (see Step 3 below). Among them is Introduction to Higher Education (EDLF 8649), in which they write a final paper that serves as the basis for the faculty review of their work at the end of the first year.

STEP 2: PERMISSION TO PROCEED (attach a copy of the letter received from the Higher Education program coordinator).

Permission to proceed granted ________________________ Date

Stipulations, if any:

STEP 3: PROGRAM OF STUDY (A minimum of 36 hours must be taken on grounds)

CORE REQUIREMENTS: _______________________________________________

A minimum of 21 hours of coursework

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EDLF 8662 Education and Politics 3EDLF 8649 Introduction to Higher Education 3EDLF 8651 History of Higher Education 3EDLF 8652 College Student Experience 3EDLF 8654 Organization and Governance in Higher Education 3EDLF 8655 Politics of Difference 3andEDLF 8657 Economics and Finance of Higher Education 3orEDLF 8680 Economics and Education Policy 3

ELECTIVES:

A minimum of 9 hours of coursework, carefully selected to supplement, support, and enrich the student’s knowledge of higher education. This coursework should focus on an area of interest and must be approved by the student’s advisor.

COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________MINOR AREA: _____________________________________________

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A minimum of 12 hours of coursework, which may include up to two higher education program courses, as long as they are not also used to fulfill higher education core or elective requirements. This coursework should be organized around a theme or set of questions and must be approved by the student’s advisor. Students may take their content minor courses outside the program and the Curry School, or they may choose courses from other Curry programs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INTERNSHIP CREDIT:

Students must take 3 credits of EDLF 8985 or EDLF 9998 for credit each semester they have an internship. EDLF 8985 is for students who are still taking coursework, EDLF 9998 for those only registered for dissertation credits.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDLF 8985 3 EDLF 9998 3

RESEARCH SEMINAR:

A required three-hour research seminar designed to prepare students to write their qualifying papers.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDLF 9810 Research Seminar in Higher Education 3

RESEARCH COMPETENCY: All research competency requirements must be completed long before the dissertation proposal may be defended. Students must take 18 hours of research courses. Students who have not had an equivalent course must take EDLF 7300, Foundations of Educational Research, as one of their electives. Research electives should be selected based upon each student's professional needs and goals and are not limited to standard research/statistical courses or to EDLF courses. For example, electives in historical research may be from specialized colloquia offered in the History Department. In addition, courses in policy analysis, another EDLF program area, may be appropriate for students seeking additional qualitative coursework. In any case, the student’s advisor must approve these selections on a case-by-case basis.

COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EDLF 7300 Foundations of Educational Research, if necessary 3

EDLF 7310 Educational Statistics: Stat I 3

EDLF 8300 Experimental Design: Stat II 3

EDLF 7404 Qualitative Analysis 3

Research Elective

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Research Elective

DISSERTATION CREDIT: A minimum 12 hours of earned credit (the student must be enrolled for dissertation credit whenever resources are used – e.g., committee meetings, exams, defenses, faculty conferences).

COURSE NO. TITLE SEM/YR GRADE CREDITS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Signature of Advisor_______________________________ Date: _____________

Note: Time limit. All requirements for the degree must be completed within four years after passing the qualifying paper and within seven years of admission to the Ph.D. program. Other more stringent timelines may be specified by the committee and should be listed here:

_________________________________________________________________

STEP 4: DISSERTATION COMMITTEE After the successful completion of coursework, the student may request a core Higher Education faculty member to be the dissertation advisor (or one core higher education faculty member to serve as chair and another University of Virginia faculty member to serve as co-chair) and ask others to serve on the dissertation committee. The committee must be comprised of a minimum of four University of Virginia faculty, including at least two (including the chair) from the Higher Education faculty (the second may be an affiliated faculty member) and one or two from outside it, one to provide expertise on the kind of research the candidate proposes to conduct and one who has expertise in the subject area. Changes in committee assignments can be made with permission of the dissertation advisor (committee chair) and program head.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Program

_______________________________________ ______________________

Chair

______________________________________ _______________________

Co-chair (if relevant)

______________________________________ _______________________

Dean’s Representative

______________________________________ ________________________

______________________________________ ________________________

______________________________________ _______________________

SIGNATURE OF PROGRAM HEAD:__________________________________

DATE:_________________

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STEP 5: QUALIFYING PAPER: Students must write a qualifying paper developed, administered and evaluated by the Higher Education faculty (attach a copy of the letter received from the program coordinator).

OUTCOME: ____________________________________DATE:_______________________

STIPULATIONS, IF ANY:

STEP 6: DISSERTATION PROPOSAL After the successful completion of the qualifying paper and all coursework, an oral presentation of a written dissertation proposal must be heard and approved by all members of the dissertation committee. Once it is approved by the dissertation chair, the proposal must be distributed to committee members and to the admissions office at least 14 days prior to the defense. A list of committee members, the location and time of the defense, and an abstract of the proposal must accompany the submission to the admissions office, which will make a general announcement that the defense is scheduled to take place. The defense is open to all faculty and students.

TITLE OF PROPOSAL: _______________________________________________________________ OUTCOME OF PROPOSAL DEFENSE: __________________DATE:________

SIGNATURES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Program:

Chair

_________________________________________ ______________________

Co-chair (if relevant)

_________________________________________ _______________________

Outside Member

_________________________________________ ______________________ _________________________________________ ________________________ _________________________________________ _______________________

ADVANCEMENT TO CANDIDACY: A copy of the approved proposal should be attached to this record of progress.

HUMAN SUBJECTS REVIEW: All research involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved (or declared exempt) by the University Human Subjects Committee. Students must attach a copy of the protocol and the University response.

Verifying Human Subjects Clearance DATE

STEP 7: ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISSERTATION DEFENSE The defense must be announced 14 days in advance, including the list of committee members, date, location, time, and abstract. The final copy of the

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dissertation must be distributed to committee members 14 days before the defense. The defense is open to all faculty and students. This defense serves as the student’s final examination.

Submitted to Admissions Office: _____________ (Date)

Signature of Secretary ______________________________________________

STEP 8: DISSERTATION DEFENSE All other requirements must be satisfied before the defense. All members of the dissertation committee should be present at the defense; in no case will a defense be held without at least four members, including the chair and outside member. All committee members must verify successful defense on the record of progress.

TITLE OF DISSERTATION: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

OUTCOME: _____________________________________________ DATE:____________________

SIGNATURES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Program

_________________________________________ ______________________

Chair ____________________________________ ______________________

Outside Member

_________________________________________ ______________________

_________________________________________ ______________________

_________________________________________ ______________________

STEP 9: PERIOD OF FULL-TIME RESIDENCE: Three years; minimum two consecutive full-time semesters beyond the master’s, plus a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation work.

DATES WHEN IN RESIDENCE: _______________to____________________

STEP 10: APPLICATION FOR DEGREE Submitted to Curry School of Education

DATE SUBMITTED: _______ANTICIPATED GRADUATION DATE:_______

NOTE: You must be registered for credit, on Grounds, during the semester in which you hope to graduate.

STEP 11: APPROVAL AND INSPECTION OF TWO COPIES OF DISSERTATION IN ROOM 104 RUFFNER

DATE:____________________SIGNATURE____________________________

STEP 13: FINAL REVIEW OF RECORD OF PROGRESS BY THE OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

DATE:__________________SIGNATURE______________________________ ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

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APPENDIX C

Scoring Sheet for Qualifying Paper

Papers will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Introduction

Includes a problem statement

Makes clear the research question to be addressed

Describes the motivation for the study

Describes the context in which the question arises

Provides a roadmap for readers

Literature Review

Is comprehensive and current

Shows a command of the literature

Contextualizes the problem

The discussion of the literature is selective, synthetic, analytical, and thematic

Theory/Conceptual Framework

Is appropriate

Is logically interpreted

Is well understood

Aligns with the question at hand

In addition, the author shows comprehension of its strengths and limitations

Possible Methods to Address the Issue

Are appropriate

Are described in adequate detail

Are valid and reliable (any threats to validity and reliability should be articulated)

Align with the question(s) addressed and the theory used

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In addition, the author demonstrates an understanding of their advantages and disadvantages.

Overall Writing Quality

APPENDIX D

Internship Handbook(Graduate Assistant)

Higher Education2015/16

I. GETTING READY

Definition and Description of the Internship--Objectives and Goals

The internship is a planned and supervised experience in a particular area of higher education administration. To the degree possible, each internship is designed to meet the needs of an individual student, with the activities specifically structured around the student's career orientation, professional preparation, prior professional experience, and the availability of positions. The internship gives students an opportunity to synthesize and apply the theoretical aspects of their area of specialization in practical administrative settings and in turn to enrich, complicate, and complement their theoretical understanding. Additionally, internships permit students to relate past experience and academic preparation to new areas and to develop competencies required of administrators in higher education.

Each internship involves cooperative planning among the Higher Education program (which authorizes and monitors the experience), the intern applicant, and the office sponsoring the internship. The internship experience is structured to provide students with opportunities to develop and demonstrate their capabilities in the following areas:

1. Institutional management

2. Creative problem-solving

3. Higher education planning

4. Personnel management in the context of college administration

The intern should also come to better understand the function and role of higher education in contemporary society.

The general objectives for the internship experience are listed under the “Objectives” section on the “Internship Agreement Form” at the end of this document. Also, on the “Internship Agreement Form,” in the “Scope and Activities of the Internship” section (V-C), there is a general statement that describes the broad objectives and activities that pertain to all internships. In working out the internship agreement with his or her supervisor, each intern must formulate a personal statement to replace the general one in the “Scope and Activities of the Internship” section. The activities listed should apply specifically to the office in which the intern is assigned. Thus, activities appropriate for an intern in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs would differ from those of an intern assigned to the Office of the Vice President for Management and Budget, for example.

How Are Interns Selected for Particular Positions?

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The internship coordinator arranges for internship interviews each spring. Intern applicants must submit to the internship coordinator an application form, a resume, and a rank-ordered list of positions in which the applicant is most interested. Applicants should not directly contact the office in which they are interested.

The internship coordinator submits applications and resumes to the offices offering internship positions. To the degree possible, applicants' credentials are sent to the offices as prioritized by the applicant, the supervisors decide which applicants they are interested in, and they contact the applicants to arrange the interviews. After interviews have been completed, the office sponsoring an internship offers the position to one of the candidates and notifies the internship coordinator once the placement is agreed to. Obviously, not all applicants are able to secure an internship in their "first-choice" office.

The dates for each of the above activities are as follows:

By 1/30: Students submit the application form, a resume, and their internship preferences to the internship coordinator.

By 2/15: Supervisors schedule interviews for prospective interns.

By 3/15: Supervisors complete selection, if possible.

By 9/15: Students submit the Internship Agreement to the internship coordinator.

List of Possible Internships

Internship openings vary from year to year. Among potential internship sites are the Office of the President, Office of the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Vice President and Provost, Office of the Vice President for Management and Budget, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office, Nursing School Dean’s Office, McIntire School of Commerce Dean’s Office, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Summer Session Office, Center for the Study of American English Language and Culture, Institutional Assessment and Studies, Alumni Affairs, Curry School Dean’s Office, Curry School Foundation, Darden School Office of Student Affairs, University Development Office, University Relations Office, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of the Associate Dean for Fraternities and Sororities, University Library Administration, and Newcomb Hall Student Union. Current or past off-Grounds sites include the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), the National Education Association (NEA) Higher Education Office, Federal Executive Institute (FEI) and various positions within neighboring institutions such as Piedmont Virginia Community College, Blue Ridge Community College, James Madison University, Mary Baldwin College, and Sweet Briar College.

Developing Your Own Internship

A list of available internships is compiled each spring prior to the start of the internship application/interview process. If a student is interested in a particular internship not included on the list, he or she should follow these initial steps:

1. Consult with the internship coordinator regarding appropriateness of the intended site;

2. Make contact with the prospective internship site via personal initiative and/or through the internship coordinator.

Other hints in developing an alternative internship:

Follow your own interests. Just because we have not had an intern in a particular office in the past does not mean that we cannot create one for this year.

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Take the advice of the internship coordinator and other program faculty, as there may be a reason for not having a current internship at the proposed site.

Ask other Higher Education students about desirable placements.

In conjunction with the internship coordinator, establish the financial and academic parameters of the proposed internship.

II. ON THE JOB

Duties and Responsibilities of Interns

The primary responsibility of interns is to participate fully in all internship activities as employees of the offices in which they work. This responsibility includes adapting to all policies and procedures of the office and completing assigned tasks. Interns are expected to arrive on time for 20 scheduled hours per week and to adjust hours as necessary to meet the needs of the office. Although supervisors are expected to give priority to the interns’ academic schedules, it is the responsibility of interns to work hours as needed during university holidays such as Christmas break and fall and spring reading days.

Maintaining communication and a positive working relationship with the on-site supervisor is an additional responsibility of interns. Interns will provide their supervisors with timely information regarding their academic schedules and will communicate openly and frequently with their supervisors regarding work activities. Additionally, interns will maintain communication with the internship coordinator by reporting on internship activities and what they have learned from them at least once a semester, will participate in monthly “administrative rounds” (the schedule for which will be established at the beginning of each semester), and will meet with their supervisors to complete an annual evaluation.

Above all, the intern’s responsibility is to represent the Higher Education program in a positive manner. Consistent, professional, and diligent performance will create a satisfying experience for the intern and the office, securing positions for future interns and promoting a positive image for the program and the Curry School of Education.

Confidentiality

There may be times that the on-site supervisor or another person in an office shares confidential information with an intern. This individual should indicate when information is confidential, and he or she should be able to depend on the intern to respect that confidentiality. Not only is the intern's reputation contingent on this responsibility, but so is that of the Higher Education program and the Curry School of Education. Interns should take this responsibility very seriously.

Duties and Responsibilities of the On-Site Supervisor

It is the responsibility of the on-site supervisor to direct the activities of the intern in the internship placement. This responsibility includes providing the intern with assignments and instructions necessary to complete those assignments. Additionally, the on-site supervisor will maintain open communication with the intern, providing feedback on job performance and obligations. Although the intern is expected to be as flexible as possible, it is the responsibility of the supervisor to give priority to the intern’s class schedule when setting hours so that the intern will not be expected to work during scheduled class times.

Additionally, on-site supervisors are encouraged to utilize the internship coordinator as a resource throughout the intern’s placement. Providing periodic evaluations of the intern’s performance and informing the internship coordinator of any issues arising during the internship experience will promote a positive experience for both the intern and the supervisor.

Duties and Responsibilities of the Internship Provider

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The primary responsibility of the office or agency engaging an intern is to follow both University and Curry School policies throughout the process. This includes conducting a fair and professional interview process. Ideally, all interested candidates will be interviewed before a selected candidate is offered the position. Internship providers are expected to make their final selection by mid-March if at all possible, and intern applicants who are not offered the position should be notified in a timely manner so they may seek another position.

Additional responsibilities include providing wages to the intern according to University and Curry School policies.

If the internship provider and the intern wish to begin or continue the internship during the summer months, the office should treat the position as summer employment. That is, customarily the student receives no course credit and pays no fees, and the student is entered on the payroll as a part- or full-time employee. The intern and the internship provider collaborate to establish the policies governing this relationship as well as the pay rate, which is usually higher than that paid during the academic year.

The internship provider is asked to inform the intern and the internship coordinator in a timely manner of any changes desired in the internship placement.

Hours of Work and Scheduling

Interns are expected to work 20 hours a week. It is possible to work with the on-site supervisor to develop a flexible schedule if the work in an office ebbs and flows. It is important for the intern to work closely with the on-site supervisor to develop a schedule that accommodates class times as well as the on-site supervisor’s work needs. Clearly an intern cannot work during class time, but it may be necessary to work odd hours in order to get the work done, as well as to satisfy the 20-hours-a week commitment.

In addition to working 20 hours a week, the intern may need to work at times that do not correspond to the academic calendar. Many administrative offices operate on a 12-month schedule rather than a semester schedule, which may require an intern to work during weeks that classes are not in session. Again, this is an issue the intern must work out with the on-site supervisor. If an intern has special scheduling needs, he or she should let the on-site supervisor know in advance so that accommodations can be made.

Professional Dress

As student and an employee in an office at the University or at an off-site location, the intern is a representative of the Higher Education program, the Curry School of Education, and the University of Virginia. An intern needs to dress appropriately for the position. There is not a specific dress code for interns to follow. Rather, it is important to match the custom of the office in which the intern is working and to check with the on-site supervisor to ensure that dress is appropriate.

Making the Most of the Internship

The internship experience is a valuable and integral part of the doctoral program in higher education. In addition to the information learned in classes, the internship provides learning opportunities that create a more comprehensive experience. The internship site is the laboratory in which a student can apply and test his or her academic and theoretical knowledge.

In order to make the most of an internship, it is very important to understand what one hopes to gain from the experience. The intern should make some preliminary decisions about the type of experience desired and should focus on seeking internships that pose the best match with those goals. Once on the job, it is important that an intern recognize that the level of involvement within the office structure will largely depend on the intern's own initiative and enthusiasm.

Handling Problems on the Job

Conflict is a normal part of organizational and interpersonal dynamics, since individuals have different goals,

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objectives, and styles of communicating. The type of work a student is assigned, the amount of work given or hours expected to work beyond the 20 hours, and the student's work schedule are examples of issues that could arise.

If an intern encounters a problem during the internship, he or she should take some time to reflect on the issue, identify the problem from the perspective of everyone involved, and attempt to determine what is necessary to resolve the problem. There may be times when an intern might choose to seek the advice or counsel of the internship coordinator or the on-site supervisor, if that person is not involved in the situation. But in most instances, it is a good idea to start with the person with whom the problem has arisen. The intern should communicate clearly and be willing to compromise. If an intern is not able to resolve the problem through this initial step, he or she should speak with the internship coordinator. The coordinator is available to help develop strategies for solving problems or determining if intervention is needed.

III. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Once a student is accepted for an internship, the following tasks should be performed:

a)  The intern will need to complete a copy of the internship agreement. This agreement is located at the end of this document and on the Higher Education program’s web page, and Section V C. needs to be edited to fit each internship. The intern should check to be sure that the correct dollar amounts are included in the agreement.

b)  Once the agreement has been tailored to describe the specific responsibilities and learning opportunities associated with the internship, the intern should schedule a meeting with his or her supervisor in order to review the document. Modifications that result from the meeting should be incorporated into the agreement, which should be submitted to the internship coordinator by no later than September 15.

c)  After receiving the Wage Authorization Policy for the year, which contains the year’s start date, interns will go to the appropriate people in the offices in which they are working and complete the payroll, income-tax, and direct-deposit forms.

d)  If the intern is going to start the internship earlier than the school year or work into the following summer, he or she will need to discuss the logistics of payment with the departmental personnel person. Generally, interns working outside the academic year (September-May) are paid wages directly by the sponsoring agency for any additional weeks worked.

e)  On a schedule to be determined at the start of each semester (about once a month), the intern will attend meetings (“administrative rounds”) with the other higher education interns and the internship coordinators, normally on Friday mornings from 8 or 8:30-9:30 a.m. Each meeting will take place in an internship office and focus on the scope of work of that office. The intern(s) working in the office will be responsible for the class session and solicit the participation of the supervisor(s) in the session. These meetings will also provide an opportunity to discuss how each intern’s experience is going and any administrative issues that have arisen.

h)  Each intern is responsible for scheduling at least one meeting with the internship coordinator each semester to discuss how the ongoing and completed key responsibilities of the internship have enriched, complicated, and complemented the understanding of higher education gained from coursework. This is also an opportunity to express any concerns regarding the internship.

i)  At the end of the first semester, both the intern and the on-site supervisor will be responsible for evaluating the intern's performance. The intern and on-site supervisor will review their initial evaluations together and come to some agreement regarding the intern’s performance and the next semester’s goals. At the end of that semester, the supervisor provides the internship coordinator with a written evaluation of the intern that addresses the following issues:

1. The intern's general knowledge of administrative and organizational theory and the functional operation of the administrative area in which the internship took place.

2. The intern's thoroughness in carrying out assigned responsibilities, including the ability to work independently.

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3. The intern's interpersonal skills and relations with administrators and faculty in fulfilling internship responsibilities.

4. The intern's general strengths and weaknesses as a prospective administrator.

At the end of the academic year, intern supervisors should inform the internship coordinator of any modifications to their winter evaluation. Final evaluation of the student's performance in the internship rests with the internship coordinator, who will base the assessment on the supervisor’s written and oral comments; the intern’s self-report; and any consultation with the on-site supervisor during the course of the internship, meetings with the intern, or observations of the intern.

GRADUATE ASSISTANT (INTERNSHIP) AGREEMENT

Higher Education Program, University of Virginia and (the name of the sponsoring office)

I. Number, Title, and Credits

EDLF 8985 or 9998

Internship in Higher Education Administration 3 hours credit

II. Prerequisites for Selection

Approval by the coordinator of the internship program and official of the agency/office providing the internship.

III. Catalogue Description

Supervised experience in higher education administration. The internship is designed to meet the needs of individual students wherein the experience will require the intern to synthesize the theoretical and applied aspects of his/her area of involvement and specialization in a practical administrative setting.

IV. Objectives

The internship experience is structured to provide students with opportunities to develop and demonstrate their capabilities in the following areas: 1. Institutional management 2. Creative problem-solving 3. Higher education planning 4. Personnel management in the context of college administration. The intern should also come to better understand the function and role of higher education in contemporary society.

V. Course Outline

While meeting the objectives set forth above, the internship will be specifically structured around the student's career orientation, professional preparation, prior professional experience, and the availability of positions.

A. Significance of the Internship

The internship provides the prospective administrator with the opportunity to experience theory in practice in an administrative environment. It permits the student to relate past experience and academic preparation to new areas and to develop competencies required of an administrator in the field of higher education.

B. Cooperative Nature of the Experience

The internship represents cooperative planning among the Higher Education program at the University of Virginia,

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which authorizes and monitors the experience; the higher education institution or agency that provides and supervises the internship; and the graduate assistant, who is responsible for implementing the internship experiences.

C. Scope and Activities of the Internship

(This section should be rewritten to reflect specific responsibilities determined by mutual agreement between the supervisor and intern. The internship should be systematic rather than ad hoc in nature and provide a reasonable breadth of experience for the student.)

The internship experience requires participation in a broad variety of activities. The intern should assist the supervisor in a variety of routine activities, but he or she should also assume authority and responsibility in specific areas as delegated by the supervisor. As one phase of the internship, the student should be given responsibility for researching at least one major problem or issue with which the supervisor must deal in the conduct of his or her responsibilities. This project should be assigned in such a fashion that it is commensurate with the intern's competencies and time commitments.

D. Supervision

The intern supervisor at the institution or agency providing the experience carries out primary supervision of the intern. The internship coordinator in the Higher Education program will also provide counsel and direction to the intern and will meet periodically with the intern and, if necessary, the intern’s supervisor to review progress in meeting the internship responsibilities.

VI. Evaluation

Final evaluation for purposes of rating the student's performance in the internship rests with the internship coordinator. In arriving at the final evaluation the coordinator will utilize the following input:

A. The Intern Supervisor

A written evaluation of the intern, in response to the following questions, at the midpoint the internship experience (i.e., at the end of the fall semester):

1. The intern's general knowledge of administrative and organizational theory and operation as demonstrated in meeting the internship responsibilities. This must include an evaluation of his or her degree of understanding of the functional operation of the administrative area in which the internship took place.

2. The intern's thoroughness in carrying out assigned responsibilities, including the ability to work independently.

3. The intern's interpersonal skills and relations with administrative and faculty personnel in fulfilling internship responsibilities.

4. The intern's general strengths and weaknesses as a prospective administrator. At the end of the academic year, intern supervisors should inform the internship coordinator of any modifications to their winter evaluation.

B. The Internship Coordinator

In addition to the input from the supervisor in terms of the areas cited above under A, the coordinator will assess the intern in the same general areas based upon consultation with the supervisor during the course of the internship, as well as meetings with (including the meeting described in C below) and observation of the intern.

C. Intern Requirements

Each semester, each intern will meet at least once with the internship coordinator to describe how the internship has

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enriched, complicated, and complemented the understanding of higher education gained from coursework. Interns should discuss any problems that have arisen during the internship with the coordinator as they occur.

VII. Internship Termination or Reassignment

In the event conditions arise that indicate that the intern is not progressing satisfactorily, the intern may be withdrawn from the assignment after consultation between the intern coordinator, intern supervisor, and intern. Change in or termination of an intern assignment may be initiated by any of the parties involved, but the higher education internship coordinator shall be the initial contact for such actions.

VIII. Financial Arrangements

The student selected for the internship will be employed on a part-time basis for a nine-month period. The intern will be expected to devote 20 hours a week during the academic session to administrative responsibilities. For the nine-month academic session, the intern will be provided with a stipend of $_________ per month. Summer employment of interns is encouraged, but wages, hours, and payroll responsibilities related to summer employment are the sole responsibility of the employing unit.

____________________________________________ ____________________

Supervisor date

Name:

__________________________________ ___________ _________________

Professor and Internship Coordinator date

Name:

___________________________________ ___________ _____________

Graduate Assistant (Intern) date

Name:

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