Announcements

from the computer of Diane:

Fall 2006

    Please remember to check the Graduate Newsletter portion of the department web site frequently for recent updates, as well as answers to your questions as they arise (the most asked questions are addressed there).  Listed there is information about going through the Commencement ceremony, Advancement to Candidacy (important notice regarding program changes!), GS 700, and thesis.

    Also, please remember to check the department web site regarding my office hours and availability - I will be taking vacation time during the summer, which will be posted as scheduled.

    The Psychology Department has hired four new professors: Hannah Hahn Nguyen (IO), Guido Urizar (Health Psych), Bianca Wilson (Health Psych), and Christopher Warren (IO).  If you don't have a class with them this semester, please do take the time to welcome them.
   
    Several faculty members are continuing to participate in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP). These include Virginia Binder, Keith Colman, Michael Connor, Joellen Hartley, John Jung, Robert Kapche and Sara Smith.  While FERPing, these professors will be teaching part-time (either one full semester on, one off, or part-time during both fall and spring semesters).  Faculty may FERP up to five years, but also may choose to fully retire earlier.  (Please keep in mind that once a professor fully retires, he or she may no longer serve as your thesis chair or second committee member.)  Alexander "Lynn" Beckman has retired. 

    The MA Thesis Abstracts continue to be updated:
        MAIO - http://www.csulb.edu/~psych/gradprgm/alumni/thesesio/thesesio.html
        MAR - http://www.csulb.edu/~psych/gradprgm/alumni/thesesmar/thesesmar.html

Thesis

The University Thesis Office is now accepting theses printed on 20 lb paper - the special Southworth business paper is no longer a requirement!

Financial Aid
   
There have been two links added to the Current Students' web menu: the Boeing Company's Human Factors Scholarship and the California Pre-Doctoral Program (AKA Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Scholars).  The Graduate Equity Fellowship (GEF) has been replaced by the Graduate Research Fellowship.  Don't forget to file your 2007/2008 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning January 1, 2007.

Registration
    A reminder that the Enrollment Services office sends notices via email.  The system will use the email address you have listed on your MyCSULB account.  If you have not already received your registration notice, please check to make sure that the email account you're most likely to check your mail through is listed correctly on MyCSULB.
    Please remember that if you wish to sign up for thesis or Directed Research units you must have me place a permit on the registration system.  Don't use any code numbers that might be printed in the Schedule of Classes or on the MyCSULB system -- you'll wind up in the wrong section.  This is extremely important, as faculty now put grades on the system through their account, rather than through the paper grade sheets.  Therefore, grades can only be posted by the professor with whom you are registered.  If you register using the default code, you'll wind up taking your thesis units through the Department Chair or possibly another faculty member -- this could result in disenrollment or a failing grade.
    The registration system no longer allows me to designate the number of units you are signing up for with either PSY 697 (Directed Research) or 698 (Thesis).  Therefore, you will need to make sure that when you do sign up for the units, after I've placed the permit on the registration system, that you put in the correct number of units.  MA-R students who wish to use one semester of Directed Research for their 30-unit program must take 3 units of PSY 697 during that semester for it to count.
    Please be sure to refer to the Registration Concerns portion of the Graduate Newsletter.  This includes links to the program coursework charts.

See also:
    Department and University Awards

PhD Programs
    If you have applied to any PhD programs, please complete our PhD program inquiry questionnaire, available from the Graduate Office or on-line.  Please do let me know if you have applied and more importantly when you are accepted into a program.  I won't release your name if you'd prefer.  But potential applicants will ask me for the percentage of students from our program that go on to PhD programs -- I can't provide this information if you don't let me know (it's rather embarrassing when I have to admit that I don't have the data).  And of course I'm personally interested in you -- I'd like to know what you're doing post-Master's.  (Even if you don't go on for a PhD -- do let me know from time to time what you're doing.  You've got my email address.)

General Announcements

    The decisions for our new master's programs' students have been made.  The numbers were as follows (number of applicants, number given an offer, number accepted the offer and how many of these enrolled Fall 06):
    MAIO:    58 - 25 - 12 - 12
    MAR:      57 - 32  - 18 - 15
    MSHF:    14 - 6 - 2 - 1

    Reoccurring nag: please update your address, phone numbers, and especially email addresses whenever they change, with the Graduate Advisor.  She will gratefully appreciate it!  Make sure that you update your MyCSULB account as well, particularly your email address.  University announcements, including your registration information, is sent via email.

    As always, please let me know if there's anything you need, whether that be in the area of information, resources or tools (such as the on-line Orals Announcement template).  If it's not within my ability to deliver it myself, I'll pass it on to your MA/MS program faculty committee, the department chair, or other "Powers That Be."

Have a holiday!  GO DUCKS!

-Diane

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