Psychology Program Code of Professional Conduct

Psychology Majors and Minors

Our goals in the Undergraduate Psychology Department at Texas Woman’s University include not only providing our students with a quality education in the behavioral sciences, but defining, promoting, and enforcing appropriate professional behavior. Whether you continue your academic careers in graduate school, or you accept a position in the workforce, we feel that every student leaving our program should represent TWU in a positive light. We are interested in your holistic development as a student and as a person. We expect our students to behave in a professional manner in the classroom as well as the community. This would include, but is not limited to, behavior that reduces distraction, promotes respectful and productive discussion, civility, and provides an environment of acceptance, openness and tolerance toward others. As a result, we ask that you please become familiar with the following undergraduate psychology guidelines and policies for professional conduct:

Be respectful of the learning environment and the educational experiences of others. If you arrive after the class or meeting has started, enter in as non-disruptive and quiet manner as possible. Do not leave the class or professional presentation/meeting once seated unless necessary so as not to disrupt the instructor or your classmates. Wait until the instructor indicates that the class meeting is over before starting to pack your books and other materials.

Arrive on time for class, professional meetings, workshops, etc. Submit class assignments (homework, papers, take-home assignments, etc.) on time. If due to unforeseen circumstances you will be late attending class or submitting an assignment, or will miss a class altogether, notify all relevant parties as soon as possible.

Be mindful and respectful of the privacy and feelings of others (e.g., do not make light of personal information disclosed by another during a class or to others after class).

Be judicious when disclosing information about yourself or others in a public domain (e.g., posting information on social networking websites). In addition, refrain from posting unprofessional statements or pictures that may be viewed by supervisors, instructors, other students, etc. In essence, we expect that students in our program will be mindful and respectful of the privacy and feelings of others.

While every student has made a financial commitment to the university, that financial commitment does not supersede the authority of the instructor. Whether the instructor is a graduate student or a professor, they have earned, and deserve respect from students in their classroom. In turn, argumentative and derogatory verbal discourse will not be tolerated. Derogatory inappropriate pre/post-class discussions about faculty, staff, other students, and/or the university are also not appropriate. Our campus should be a safe haven from poor conduct, and we expect professional behavior when interacting with all faculty, staff and other students. Polite and respectful behavior is expected from everyone both in and out of the classroom.

Electronic mail has made it very easy for students to complain about an instructor and/or course-related issue without requiring a face-to-face interaction. When a concern does arise, students should speak directly to the instructor after class to schedule a meeting. Complaining about a grade, assignment, or test question during class is not acceptable. If the issue is not resolved effectively following a face-to-face meeting with the instructor, then the student is encouraged to schedule a meeting with the Undergraduate Program Director. The Undergraduate Program Director will determine the appropriate course of action ONLY after the student-instructor meeting.

We realize that you may need to accept phone calls in cases of emergencies. However, you should alert your instructor of any known potential situations requiring the use of your cell phone prior to the beginning of each class. In any event, cell phones should be on silent mode during class and TEXT MESSAGING DURING CLASS IS NOT PERMITTED AT ANY TIME. Texting during class can be distracting and inconsiderate to those around you…including your instructor. If texting occurs in the classroom, the instructor reserves the right to prohibit the use of the cell phone.

While each instructor has the option of enforcing his/her own classroom policies, laptops or electronic tablets (e.g. iPads) should be used only for class-related assignments. If it comes to the instructor’s attention that such devices are being used for non-class related activities such as checking email, surfing the web, or interacting on social networks such as Facebook, the instructor reserves the right to prohibit the use of the electronic device.

Voice recording devices are acceptable in some classrooms, but prior approval from the instructor is required. All students wishing to become a psychology major or minor must complete the Psychology & Philosophy Code of Conduct online modules and submit an application to the departmental advisor.

Please note that violations of these guidelines and policies may result in disciplinary action at the discretion of the psychology department faculty and other university officials. Actions may include, but are not limited to, dismissal from the class, the course, and the psychology major. Extreme and/or repeated violations may also result in dismissal from the university. In addition, the Undergraduate Psychology Committee reserves the right to deny applicants with a history of violations as described in the policies above.

Page last updated 12:19 PM, October 30, 2018