Policies and Procedures Manual s2

Department of Special Education

Policies and Procedures Manual

MAE PROGRAM

Admission Requirements

Post-BA students seeking certification are to be accepted into the Department’s certification-only or MAE graduate program. (This applies to students who do not have a teaching degree; previously they were advised to enter as a 2nd BA undergraduate student.)

Application Procedures for MAE Program

1. Completion of the “Application for Graduate Study” form found online at:

http://www.uni.edu/admissions/apply

2. Formal letter of application to be used as a writing sample. Application letters should address: (a) interest in program, (b) career goals, and (c) a personal statement of interest in special education. The letter of application must be emailed to: .

3. Official transcripts from each college or university from which student has received a degree, if the degree was obtained from an institution other than UNI. Degree status applicants who have attended other colleges or universities after earning the bachelor’s degree must file an official transcript of each record. Only transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to the UNI Office of the Registrar are considered official. Unofficial or personal transcripts are not acceptable.

4. The GRE or GMAT is not required for admission.

5. If student’s undergraduate degree is not from UNI, an application fee of $50.00 must be sent to the Office of the Registrar (this is collected when completing the online application). If student’s undergraduate degree is from UNI, there is no fee.

6. Minimum grade point average of 3.00 from an accredited undergraduate program.

7. Three letters of recommendation. Recommendation letters should address the candidate’s: (a) ability to handle graduate level work, (b) past work with individuals with special needs, and/or (c) interest in the field of education. It is required that at least one (1) of the letters of reference addresses the applicant’s academic abilities (i.e., from a former professor or instructor at an institute of higher education, including community colleges; does not include student teaching supervisors).

8. A personal or telephone interview may be requested.

9. Students with coursework that is 10 years or older and who cannot obtain an academic letter could be eligible for provisional admission if they meet the other requirements.

MAE Application Deadlines

Spring semester – November 1; Fall semester – April 1

Faculty Reference Letters

Faculty may write MAE application reference letters but will not be allowed to participate in the vote to admit the student.

Conditional Admission

If a student is admitted provisionally (or conditionally), the student will have To-Do items related to that (GPA, prerequisite courses, English proficiency, etc.) Student will have a registration hold each semester until all provisions are met and department sends form to Admissions. Graduate coordinators and some graduate secretaries can release this hold for the student to register. It will go back on each semester there are still To-Do items. Departments mush send an Authorization to Remove Graduate Post-Admission To-Do Items form to Admissions to indicate when each provision is met.

Comprehensive Exams

Questions from the 220:289 Seminar and 220:290 Advance Practicum courses are to be added to the comprehensive exams at the advisor’s discretion. Single readers will be used on comprehensive exams unless a student’s response to a question is questionable and the advisor wants another faculty member’s input.

Students must pass all questions in the exam; students will be required to repeat any question on which they receive less than a 6.0 score; the method used for the student to demonstrate competency on that question will be determined by the advisor in conjunction with the person who wrote the question.

Alternative Comps Procedure

The Department has 2 alternative options for the comprehensive exam:

1. Two-phase process for the research paper (phase 1 - develop the proposal literature review; phase 2 - execution of the proposal). MAE candidates will meet with their academic advisor to determine a selection of readings related to the topic of their proposed research. To complete the requirement of the comprehensive examination, the students must submit a written report summarizing the selected readings, in a format determined by the advisor. Upon receipt of the final paper, the advisor will submit the Report on Comprehensive Exam (GF-2) to the Office of the Registrar.

2. thesis option with no comprehensive exam.

The faculty, in cooperation with the student, will choose which option they will pursue. (3/5/03)

Graduate GPA

The Department will follow the Graduate College policy on graduate GPA (January 18, 2000):

If a student does not maintain a 3.0 GPA, the Graduate College places the student on probation for 1 year. If the GPA is not raised within this one-year time period, the student is put on permanent expulsion. (1/18/2000)

If a student’s undergraduate GPA is below 2.75 and over 15 years old, the student could be eligible for provisional admission. (5/25/05)

Waiver of Residency

The decision of requesting a waiver of the 6 hour residency requirement will be determined by the advisor. (Graduate Faculty, May 7, 2002)

Research Paper

Notify Marilyn Busch when student has completed the comprehensive exam and research paper. She will notify the Registrar so it can be noted in their files for graduation purposes.

GRADUATE COURSES

Rotation of MAE Courses

Fall

SPED 6260 – Special Education Law & Policy

SPED 6293 – Qualitative Research in Special Education

Spring

SPED 6289 – Seminar in Special Education

SPED 6256 – Best Practices in Inclusion

SPED 6295 – Single Subject Research

Summer

SPED 6295 – Single Subject Research (ICN)

SPED 6256 – Best Practices in Inclusion (ICN)

SPED 6293 – Qualitative Research in Special Education

Only courses numbered 5000 and above can be used on a graduate degree. SIS will be set up so graduate students will not be able to register for undergraduate courses. Departments can override. The student must submit an online student request. The Registrar’s office will do the enrollment. The request must state the reason for taking the undergraduate course.

Students should not take an UG course under a Studies number to make it graduate level.

For an entire semester (or more) of UG courses, student may be able to change to post-bac UG status and pay UG tuition. One switch to UG between degrees. No exceptions! Cannot earn graduate credit or graduate with graduate degree. No exceptions!

Applying non-degree Graduate Credits to MAE or EdD

Students can apply any departmentally approved non-degree graduate credits to their programs (MAE & EdD). The Graduate Council removed the 12 hour limit on non-degree hours applied to a degree program. This was in response to a question on whether a student could take EdD courses before actually being admitted.

MAE Non-Thesis

Non-Thesis students cannot take more than 3 hours of SPED 6299 Research.

NON-DEGREE GRADUATE PROGRAM

Students with MAE Wanting Certification

Students who already have an MAE and want coursework for additional endorsement(s) are required to go through the same application process as nondegree certification-only students (submit application, letter of application, and transcripts). (Graduate Faculty, November 7, 2001)

Application Procedure

1. Completion of the “Application for Graduate Study” form found online at:

http://www.uni.edu/admissions/apply

3. Official transcripts from each college or university from which you have received a degree, if the degree was obtained from an institution other than UNI. Degree status applicants who have attended other colleges or universities after earning the bachelor’s degree must file an official transcript of each record. Only transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to the UNI Office of the Registrar are considered official. Unofficial or personal transcripts are not acceptable.

4. The GRE or GMAT is not required for admission into the Department of Special Education

5. If student’s undergraduate degree is not from UNI, an application fee of $50.00 must be sent to the Office of the Registrar (this is collected when completing the online application). If your undergraduate degree is from UNI, there is no fee.

6. Minimum grade point average of 3.0 for full admission, 2.75 for provisional admission, from an accredited undergraduate program.

7. All post-BA certification/endorsement coursework will be at the graduate level, with tuition fees based on graduate credit hours.

2. Admittance into the UNI Department of Special Education’s endorsement or certification-only program does not guarantee admittance into the Master’s program. Coursework taken in the endorsement or certification program may or may not be accepted into the Master’s program.

Non-degree GPA

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for full admission and 2.75 for provision admission is required. (3/5/2003)

ADJUNCTS

Adjunct Selection

In most cases where faculty opt for a course release, they identify their own adjunct replacement. In other cases, the Department Head identifies viable candidates to teach a given course. Potential candidates are selected from a pool of adjuncts who have taught for our department in the past or by asking faculty to recommend names of potential candidates. Once potential candidates are identified, they are asked to send their resume and a statement of interest to the Department Head. Policy requires that first time adjuncts be approved by faculty. Once adjuncts have been approved for one teaching assignment, the Department Head can assign them to teach the same course(s) in subsequent semesters without faculty approval. Faculty approval is required for them to teach different courses.

Once an adjunct is approved, they meet with the Department Head to receive an overview of expectations (turn in syllabus, maintain regular office hours, cancellation of classes due to weather, requirement for student evaluations, etc.). The adjunct then meets with a faculty member who has taught the course to receive further direction and support.

Applying non-degree Graduate Credits to MAE

GPA REQUIREMENTS

Graduate GPA

The Department will follow the Graduate College policy on graduate GPA (January 18, 2000):

Nondegree Graduate Student GPA

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for full admission and 2.75 for provision admission is required. (3/5/2003)

All students taking graduate coursework must meet the Graduate College GPA requirements. if a student does not maintain a 3.0 GPA, he/she is placed on probation for 1 year. If the GPA is not raised within this one-year time period, the student is put on permanent expulsion.

Undergraduate GPA

A minimum GPA of 3.0 for full admission and 2.75 for provision admission is required. (3/5/2003)

The policy adopted by the Teacher Education Council states that if an undergraduate student’s GPA drops below the minimum 2.5 required, they will be allowed to continue in their coursework for one (1) semester in order to give them an opportunity to bring their academic standing up. If they fail to do so, they will not be allowed to continue in their teacher education coursework until they have attained the minimum requirement. (1/23/96)

A 2.75 GPA is required by undergraduates to be admitted into the Special Education program.

(2/20/96)

Students admitted into the Special Education program must maintain a 2.5 GPA. (3/30/99)

GRADES

Endorsement Recommendation Grades

All coursework and practice must be completed with a grade of C or better (not C-) to be recommended for endorsement.

GA Funding

Incompletes (Grade will change to F on these dates)

UG:

Fall – complete by July 1

Spring – complete by Dec 1

Summer – complete by Feb 1

Graduate:

Fall – complete by June 1

Spring – complete by Jan 1

Summer – complete by Jan 1

GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

Registration

The Graduate College will fund only those GAs who are enrolled for 9 hours of coursework that is listed on their advising report. If any of their current courswork is listed in the “Not Used” section of the report, the student must complete a student request to move it to another section.

A tuition scholarship cannot pay for coruses offered through Continuing Ed. Continuing Ed courses cannot be part of the 9 hours required for scholarship elibility.

Summer tuition scholarships will no longer be available for Continuing Ed courses.

STUDENT REQUESTS

1. Log into MyUNIverse

2. On the left column under “Personal Records”, click on “Student Requests.”

3. Click on “Create New Request.”

4. Select from the drop down box the type of request you wish to create and click “Continue.”

5. Fill in the information requested, along with typing your request and justification for the request and click “Submit.” If you make an error or at any time you choose to not complete the request process, click “Cancel.”

TOEFL/IELTS SCORES

Minimum TOEFL scores for unconditional admission is 550 (paper) or 79-80 (internet). Minimum IELTS score is 6.5. If an applicant’s score is below these designations, the Graduate Board may consider provisional acceptance.

An applicant considered for provisional admission must have a minimum of 500 (paper) or 78 (internet) for the TOEFL. For the IELTS, the applicant must have a minimum score of 6.0.

The requirement to submit these scores may be waived only by the Graduate College through a direct request from a graduate program (not from a prospective student).

GRADUATION

Students must apply to graduate through their Student Center.

Graduation application deadlines:

November 1 – spring

April 1 – fall

PRACTICUM CONTACT HOURS

Phase I – 40 hours

Phase II – 105 hours

VI – 1st experience 40 hours; 2nd experience 96 hours

ECSE – 120 hours

ECSE – Endorsement 100, 15-24 hours

COURSE NUMBERS