The Pink Flamingo

Welcome to the October issue of The Pink Flamingo! It’s a big week here in Green Bay: our new Chancellor is being inaugurated on Friday, Halloween is just around the corner, and we’re all waiting to find out if Packer fans will be in for tricks or treats when you-know-who returns to Lambeau Field on Sunday. Meanwhile, this week is also special because it brings you the Registration Issue of our little blog. In it you’ll find must-have information to prepare for course scheduling, including new course offerings for the Spring; TA, RA, and Internship want ads; and breaking news about revisions to the Human Development curriculum. That will be followed by our regular features, such as P/HD Club news and Career and Grad School tips. Enjoy! 

• Breaking News: Human Development REVAMPS Curriculum
• This Just in…New PSYCH Classes for Spring 2010
• Membership Has Its Benefits: Human Development Major/Minor Priority Registration
• “I’ve already registered for the next 4 years!”: My Planner on SIS
• New Mental Health Advocacy Internship
• Developmental Research Methods (HUM DEV 302) Replaces/Substitutes for COMM SCI 301
• One More Time: Research Methods Pre-Requisite Waiver Process
• Don’t Forget About Summer Classes
• Recycling Registration Resources
• P/HD Club Update from President Wilhelm: Events and Officer Info
• Psi Chi Update from President Degeneffe: Three great events in November
• Your 2^nd Hint: New Pink Flamingo Editor
• Careers of the Month: October 2009 Edition
• Career Tip of the Month: Polish that Resume
• Grad School Tip of the Month: Attend the Graduate School Series
• Help with Graduate School Applications and Finding a Good Match
• Pink Flamingo Mailbox
• Want Ads: RAs, TAs, and Internships

Our top-notch crew of investigative reporters has this item hot off the presses: After two years of discussion Human Development has revised its curriculum for the major! Some key problems addressed include: insufficient interdisciplinarity and structure, ambiguity, a laundry list of courses without organization, and confusion in the role played by different disciplines. Starting NEXT academic year (Fall 2010) NEW majors will have a brand-new set of major requirements that tell a tighter story. All current majors have the option to switch to the new and improved catalog if they so choose. Some of the changes include:

1.     New Biology, Anthropology/Sociology, and Psychology requirements and options

2.     Electives Grouped by Key Areas of the Study of Human Development

3.     Removal of Cultural Diversity requirement BUT more Diversity Options Added Throughout

You can view the full new major requirements at: http://www.uwgb.edu/Humdev/10-11humdevcat.pdf. Consult with your advisor if you think you might be interested in changing catalog years and taking advantage of this new and improved curriculum.

Dr. Radosevich will be offering PSYCH 483F: Clinical Child Psychology as a new course in the spring.  Students will need to have completed either Abnormal Psychology OR Counseling Across the Lifespan as a prerequisite.  This class will focus on developmental psychopathology, specifically disorders in childhood and adolescence and their treatment options. This class will count as an upper-level elective in Psychology.

Dr. Burns will be offering PSYCH 305: Psychology of Stereotyping and Prejudice as a new course in the spring.  Introduction to Psychology is the only prerequisite for this course. This class will provide an overview of the causes and effects of stereotyping and prejudice, including how they can be reduced. It is also a triple threat – it will count as an upper-level writing emphasis course, as an Ethnic Studies course for General Education, AND as an upper-level elective for Psychology. 

In order to help majors and minors get courses in Human Development, there will be a system of priority registration. Only HUM DEV senior and junior majors and minors will be allowed to register in HUM DEV upper-level elective courses (i.e., course numbers 302 and higher) during the first few days of registration. Upper-class-folk from other majors/minors may add our classes once sophomores start registering if space permits. Exceptions: Psychology majors/minors also have this priority for the lifespan courses (Infancy, Middle, Adulthood), as these courses also count for Psychology. Senior Social Work Majors also have priority for Family Development.

The Wish List feature on SIS has been replaced by the My Planner feature. Since this is the registration issue, we should remind you that planning is great, but simply entering future courses in My Planner does not mean that you have actually registered for those classes! In addition, the My Planner feature doesn’t help you if the classes you hope to take in a certain semester are closed before your registration appointment, or if there end up being time conflicts with your planned classes. In addition, the semester offerings (fall vs. spring) may not always be accurate in the My Planner feature.  It can’t hurt to use, but use it as a rough guide only. The schedule of classes will still be your best bet in terms of what classes will be offered and when, including any new courses.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Brown County is looking for an intern who would assist in their advocacy, education, and support initiatives.  Responsibilities would include the following:

• Assist with the organizing of major events (e.g., fundraisers, conventions)
• Attend and assist with set-up of monthly educational meetings and board meetings (held on the 2^nd and 3^rd Monday of every month)
• Support the communication director by writing press releases and E-mail alerts, contacting media outlets, etc.
• Plan and carry out one major activity, event, or project that you take full responsibility for.  For example, you could put together a mental health listening session or panel discussion for the public, organize a fundraiser for the organization, put together a public service announcement for the website, or various other sorts of projects. 

The time commitment would include 100 hours over the course of the semester for a 3 credit internship.  This is not a paid position but a great opportunity to gain valuable experience as a mental health advocate.  NAMI is the largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the country.  Founded right here in Wisconsin, NAMI works to increase awareness of mental illness, offer support to those affected by mental illness, and educate the public regarding mental health concerns.  To learn more about NAMI, visit www.nami.org and to learn more about NAMI-Brown County, the local affiliate you would be working for, visit www.nami.org/sites/namibrowncounty.

If you are interested or have questions about the experience, contact Professor Ryan Martin by E-mail (martinr@uwgb.edu) to receive an application.  Applications are due to him by Wednesday, November 4^th, and a short list of applicants will be interviewed the week of November 9^th. Please note that you must meet the qualifications for a Psychology or Human Development Internship which can be found here: http://www.uwgb.edu/Psychology/internships/index.htm. 

Human Development will be offering its own research methods course starting in Spring 2010. This course can substitute for COMM SCI 301 Foundations of Social Research for students who need that course for their Human Development major. It’s a great course to take to learn about research methods specific to Human Development. We also intend for it to be one of the potential research methods pre-requisites for many upper-level Psychology courses (see story below), but SIS won’t recognize that yet. So…at this point you’ll need a waiver from instructors to enroll in Psychology classes with a research methods requirement if you take HUM DEV 302.

As most of you know, either Experimental Psychology (PSYCH 300), Foundations for Social Research (COMM SCI 301), or Developmental Research Methods (HUM DEV 302) is required as a prerequisite for most upper-level psychology courses (it seems like this is becoming a monthly feature in The Pink Flamingo).

As you also likely know, we don’t want this relatively new requirement to delay or disrupt anyone’s graduation plans so, like last year, faculty will be considering pre-requisite waiver requests from majors or minors whose graduation plans would otherwise be delayed and/or for those who are concurrently enrolled in one of the research methods courses (e.g., PSYCH 300). If you wish to request a pre-requisite waiver for the Spring, please email the instructor of the course with: a) your name; b) your student ID#; c) your class standing (e.g., junior, senior); and d) your rationale for needing a waiver. Note that making a request doesn’t guarantee it will be granted, and we expect this is the last semester for which we will be granting waivers. Finally, for those students who have not yet taken their research methods course, please work to get enrolled right away.  The Psychology Department is once again offering three sections of PSYCH 300 during the Spring semester.

As you plan your classes for Spring, don’t forget about Summer! Human Development and Psychology offer many options during the summer – both on-line and in person. In addition, courses required for these majors, but taught in different units (e.g., Social Science Statistics), are often available. Priority registration for summer classes begins on December 1, 2009. Consult with your advisor about course options.

Recycling – it’s good for the environment, as well as for your tired newsletter editors, who can only write so many new stories each month. As you prepare for registration, please refresh your memory about these classic stories that should help make the process even smoother for you.

FAQs about Registration and Advising

This Just In…New Procedure for Declaring a HUM DEV or PSYCH Major or Minor

Questions or Concerns about Registration: See Your Advisor

Research Assistantships: A Student Perspective

Teaching Assistantships: A Student Perspective

Internships: A Student Perspective

Please contact Tiffany Wilhelm (wilhtm31@uwgb.edu) with any questions about the Psychology and Human Development Club. 

The P/HD Club is hosting its annual Graduate School Series this month (see Grad School Tip of the Month below). These sessions are scheduled for the first three Mondays of November at 5:00 p.m., and all are being held in MAC 210. November 2nd will be the graduate school information night. November 9th is about writing personal statements, and November 16th is resume writing with a special guest from Career Services. We hope to see all of you there!

Please don’t forget to look us up on Facebook and join our group. Search UWGB’s Psychology and Human Development Club or visit the link for updates, seeing photos, and discussing study sessions and topics that will affect you! (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?filter=app_2361831622#/group.php?gid=27414713506)

Finally, please keep in mind that all of your lovely P/HD Club officers will be graduating either in May or the Fall of 2010, so we will need new officers. Please contact Tiffany Wilhelm at wilhtm31@uwgb.edu if you are interested. We look forward to seeing all of you soon!

Please contact Amanda Degeneffe (degeal15@uwgb.edu) with any questions about Psi Chi.

Psi Chi is proud to present three exciting events for the month of November! During our chapter meeting on Monday, November 2nd at 4:00pm in MAC 206 we will have guest speaker Brad Bordini from Bellin Psychiatric discuss his experience being a Lead Therapist working as a clinical social worker. On Monday, November 23rd at 4:00pm we are hosting guest speaker Jeff Laurent, from Western Illinois University in MAC 206.  Dr. Laurent’s presentation is about School Psychology and how this career can truly make a difference. On Monday, November 30th at 4:00pm Psi Chi is hosting a presentation by Dr. Martin and Dr. Gurung titled, “How to Become a Rockstar Student” in MAC 206. This presentation serves in place of our regular chapter meeting. Please Note: Psi Chi will not be meeting on Monday, November 16th for our regularly scheduled chapter meeting.

Finally, stay tuned for information on our upcoming bake sale in November, and be sure to keep a look out for future events, including the Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis on Saturday, December 5th at UWGB, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Please contact Amanda Degeneffe at degeal15@uwgb.edu to become a member of our Run/Walk team or for more details!!!

We were the first and only campus publication to break the news about a new Pink Flamingo editor joining the dynamic duo of Dr. Martin and Dr. Vespia. Your previous hint about this new editor’s identity centered around his/her illicit behavior in driving without a license. Here’s another car-related hint: This person has only owned blue cars. That flamingo you saw around campus was just a summer ride – it had to fly south for the winter.

We have many students who tell us they are interested in counseling careers. This month we bring you information about two types of “counseling” professionals you may have overlooked.

Financial Aid Counselor: We all know the importance of financial aid in higher education. Ever consider becoming a professional who can help students through that stressful process? Learn more at: http://www.occupationalinfo.org/16/169267018.html

Academic Counselor/Advisor: Another common source of stress for college students comes in the form of academic pressures and decisions. Professionals with graduate degrees in counseling, higher education, and related fields can help students with course selection, future planning, and coping with the stresses of academic life. Find additional information at: http://www.occupationalinfo.org/04/045107010.html

Whether you are looking for a job right now or dreaming of a graduation still several semesters away, it is never too early to create a polished, professional resume. Where to begin? Try the on-line “Creating a Resume Guide” on the Career Services webpage (http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/Creating_Resume_Guide.htm). You can also check out sample resumes (http://www.uwgb.edu/careers/Sample_Resumes.htm). Don’t just use those as templates, though – or rely on other professionally produced templates. Employers will recognize many of those, and they will have received many resumes that look just like them! You want your resume to be a fresh, professional document that is a unique reflection of your abilities and experiences. Don’t forget, by the way, that Career Services offers great resume review services, and they will also be the special guest at the P/HD Club resume writing session for our students on Monday, November 16^th at 5:00 p.m. in MAC 210. You want this document to be perfect, so proofread, proofread, proofread, and get as many other perspectives on it as possible.

The Psychology and Human Development Club is again hosting the Graduate School series, which includes three events on the first three Mondays of November (the 2nd, 9th, and 16th) from 5:00 to 6:00 – all in MAC 210.  We encourage you to attend any or all of these meetings to learn more about the graduate school process, get answers to important questions and start thinking about what you can do to make yourself competitive for graduate school. 

General Information Session: On November 2nd, the presentation will feature Drs. Burns and Martin and focus on providing general information about graduate school and the application process. This will be helpful for all students, from first-year to super-senior, thinking about graduate school.

Writing Your Personal Statement: Drs. Bartell and Vespia will be featured at the November 9th meeting and will be presenting on writing a great personal statement that will help you get noticed (in a good way) by the graduate school admissions committee.  Again, this is open to all but will be most valuable to those who are in the midst of putting together their applications and writing that pesky personal statement. 

Resume/Vita Writing: Finally, the November 16th presentation will be on resume/vita writing and will feature a speaker from Career Services.  Whether planning on going to graduate school or entering the workforce, this should help you learn how best to showcase your experiences and get noticed.

From Robin Howard at the Council of Undergraduate Research: “The Council on Undergraduate Research hosts a Registry of Undergraduate Researchers which helps matchmaking between undergraduates who have research experience with graduate schools seeking high quality students who are well-prepared for research.  Any undergraduate may go to www.cur.org/ugreg/ to fill out a simple curriculum vitae form.  There is no charge to the student and records will be made available to Graduate Schools that contract with CUR for this service. Graduate School representatives may contact students to invite applications or visits to the campus and laboratory, or to share information about their research programs and financial support opportunities. CUR believes that this service will be a great benefit for both students and graduate schools by narrowing the search for the right match. So if you are interested in graduate school, please take a moment to register now.  Be sure to include a statement of your research interests, as this will be important for making the match.”

Dear Pink Flamingo,

I was simply thrilled to read that you had hired a new writer.  I admit, I was starting to find your work a little dry… as though you had lost your fervor for departmental newsletter writing.  However, your new scribe offers a moving departure from the stale and passionless prose you offered us last year.  The graduate school tip last month made me weep, and I found the article on SIS to be informative and poignant.  I simply must know this new author’s name.  What can I do to find out?

Sincerely,

Needy in Neenah

Dear Needy,

We’re so glad you are happy with our new addition but are sorry to tell you that we can’t reveal our new author’s name.  To do so would pose a safety risk and serve as a breach of this person’s contract which stipulated that his/her real name could not be revealed until such time as his/her death or the end of the 2009-2010 academic year. 

I can tell you a little bit about how our new author was chosen, however.  Every summer, we hold the Pink Flamingo National Invitational Camp (commonly called the PF Combine), to which the best college-level departmental newsletter editors are invited.  At this weeklong event (held in Honolulu last year), potential PF editors are put to the test with a series of grueling mental and physical tasks (e.g., typing tests, newsletter IQ assessments).  Based on their results, we invite the best of this impressive group of young newsletter editors to Green Bay for a three-day interview on campus.  Here, they meet with the Chancellor, the Provost, faculty and students of the Human Development and Psychology programs, and prominent members of the community. They undergo an exhaustive background check, and, finally, they must demonstrate their skills with a timed newsletter writing task.

Following the interviews, “The Pink Flamingo Committee for the Assessment and Hiring of New Editors with the Hopes that They will Soon Replace the Old Editors Who Don’t Want to Do it Anymore” meets at a cabin in Door County to discuss the finalists and make a decision about whom to hire.  In the end, however, we usually don’t hire any of these young stars because, let’s be honest, anyone can write this dribble. 

Sincerely,

The Pink Flamingo Committee for Responding to Fictional Mail

Looking for some great experience and the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member or with a great internship site? Here are our “want ads” for the Spring 2010 semester. Please note that you should act quickly to express interest by contacting the appropriate faculty person and/or internship supervisor. You should also be aware that there are many more internship opportunities for our students than are listed here. You can consult our website for more information (http://www.uwgb.edu/humdev/).

Research Assistantships for Spring 2010

Teaching Assistantships for Spring 2010

Internships for Spring 2010

Important Note: There are academic pre-requisites (e.g., overall GPA of 3.0 or higher) for completing an internship. Make sure to review these before expressing interest in an internship (see: http://www.uwgb.edu/humdev/internships/policy.asp)