Southern Methodist University

Dispute Resolution

Graduate Certificate

and

Master of Arts

programs

Student Handbook

Please take a few minutes to review this information; it will answer many potential questions regarding procedures and student rights and responsibilities.

Welcome to the Dispute Resolution Program at

Southern Methodist University

This bulletin contains important information for your reference as you begin your career in the Dispute Resolution Program.  You may contact the DR office for additional information or assistance at 972-473-3435 or by emailing disputeresolution@smu.edu.

INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THE BULLETIN:

1.      Student ID

2.      Password and Computer Help Desk

3.      SMU Email Account

4.      Access.SMU

5.       Financial Information: 

a.      Financial Aid

b.      Payment Due Date and Late Fees

c.       SMUPay and Payment Options

6.       Academic Requirements and Procedural Information: 

a.      Course Requirements

b.      Academic Advising

c.       Practicum and Independent Study

d.      Incomplete

e.       Class Availability

f.       Drops and Withdrawals

g.  Class Attendance

h.      Academic Probation

i.      Graduation

7.      Important Websites and Phone Numbers

1.) Student ID

All DR students are issued a student ID number.  Your ID number is mailed to you by the Dispute Resolution office with this bulletin.  You will need your student ID number in order to register and pay for classes, obtain grades, access online student services and apply for graduation.

Optionally, enrolled students may obtain an SMU Photo ID free of charge at the Pony Express Window located in the Expressway Towers building by main campus at Central Expressway and Yale.  They are on the first floor; hours are 8:30 – 5:00 pm, Monday – Friday.  For additional information call the Pony Express Office at 214-768-7275. The Photo ID also serves as a library card and the bar code at the bottom is your student library number.  You must be registered for a course in order to obtain an ID card and use the Library and Online Research facilities.  Library privileges are suspended during terms in which you do not take classes.  Student ID cards are not required for Dispute Resolution students.

2.)    Password and Computer Help

Within approximately two weeks of joining the program, you will be issued a password to use with your SMU email account and Access.SMU (see below).  This password is sent directly to you by the IT department.  The Dispute Resolution office is not given your password, so if you lose it or forget it you will need to go through Access to be assigned a new one.  Additionally, you can contact the Help Desk at 214-768-HELP (4357) or their website is www.smu.edu/help.  There is a Password Reset Request Form located on their website.  You will want to enroll in the “Password Reset Tool” so that you can change your own password.  Passwords expire every six months, notices will be sent to your SMU email address only.

3.)    SMU Email Account

All students at SMU are provided with an SMU email account.  This account serves as the University’s official form of communication.  Dispute Resolution students should check their SMU email often, as class information and important announcements from the University are sent exclusively to this email. 

To log into your email account, visit www.smu.edu/webmail.  You will be required to enter your ID number and your password to log in.

4.)  Access.SMU

Access.SMU is the University’s student information maintenance system.  Log on at http://access.smu.edu and you can:

• Register for classes
• Pay for Dispute Resolution classes
• View grades
• Check registered classes for the term
• Obtain an unofficial transcript
• Maintain address and phone information
• Check financial aid status

5.)     Financial Information

All courses are payable during the formal registration period.  You may pay using a personal check, American Express, Discover or MasterCard.  Detailed directions for payment are located on the back of each registration form.

a)      Financial Aid

Available through www.fafsa.ed.gov.  Give your application several weeks to be processed by the SMU Financial Aid office, your contact will be Stan Eddy, 214-768-3348.  You must be prepared to take two classes in every term in order to stay in compliance.

b)      Payment Due Date and Late Fees

Course payment is due in full at registration.  All accounts with an outstanding balance after registration closes will be assessed a $150.00 late payment fee by the Finance Office. 

For regular classes - not seminars - students may drop or withdraw from classes up to the first night of class for a 100% refund.

All students taking seminars have the option to add or drop without financial penalty up to two weeks prior to the start of the seminar (14 full days, weekends included).  There are NO REFUNDS for drops or withdrawals within two weeks of the seminar start date. 

c)      SMUPay and Payment Options

SMU currently accepts personal checks, American Express, Discover and MasterCard for tuition payments.  Please be advised that Credit Card payments are assessed a 2.75% surcharge by the vendor and this amount is not refundable.   eCheck is the preferred venue since no extra charge is assessed.  If you wish to write a check from a credit union, money market, or business account, those must be handled through the Dispute Resolution office as SMUPay will not accept them.  Detailed instructions for SMUPay are on the back of every registration form.  If you are submitting a check to the Dispute Resolution office, please pay early in the registration period to allow sufficient time for processing.

6.)    Academic Requirements and Procedural Information

a.      Course Requirements

To complete your Certificate, you must take a total of 21 credit hours, comprised of seven, 3 credit hour classes.  The required core classes are Psychology of Conflict, Mediation and Dispute Resolution, and Negotiation and Dispute Resolution.  In addition, you may select four other classes within the program to complete the certificate program.  The maximum course-load for any term is 3 classes.

b.      Academic Advising

Feel free to choose your academic advisor from the following list:

Although it is not required, students may also make an appointment for academic advising with Dr. Tony Picchioni at 972-473-3408 to request a meeting time. 

c.       Practicum

This is optional for Certificate students, mandatory for Masters students.  You will be given several opportunities to observe mediations at the SMU Mediation Center.  You must have taken Psychology of Conflict, Mediation, Negotiation, Foundations of American Legal Systems and Research Methods.  Alternatively, Corporate Internships can be taken instead of Practicum. 

d.      Incomplete

If a student has attended at least 50% of a specific class, but is unable to complete the work before the end of the term, the student and the instructor may agree on a grade of “Incomplete”.  The student is responsible for informing the DR office of this decision.  If not removed within one calendar year, the grade of Incomplete becomes an F.  Students are not eligible for graduation until all Incompletes have been cleared.

e.       Class Availability

Class size is set by the course instructor and DR staff.  Small classes are an integral part of the program’s education philosophy.  Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  Waiting lists will be maintained by the DR office and students called as seats open up.  Students should not contact a professor directly to ask permission to be added to a course that is full.

f.        Drops and Withdrawals

Please be aware of the difference between a drop and a withdrawal.  They have separate financial policies.  The deadlines are posted on the Academic Calendar that you received with this bulletin. Withdrawals must be handled by the Dispute Resolution office.

g.      Class Attendance

Regular and punctual attendance is required.  Missed classes will affect a student's participation grade.  Missing more than two regular 4 hour classes may result in an incomplete or significant reduction in a student's grade.  Missing more than 5 hours of a weekend intensive class may require the student to take an Incomplete if they are otherwise passing the class.  Whenever possible, instructors should be notified well in advance of any absence.

h.      Academic Probation

Graduate Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00. If in any semester a student fall below this GPA, the student will be placed on probation for one term. If at the end of the probationary term the cumulative GPA is not up to 3.00 the student will be notified and removed from the program.  It is the student’s responsibility to be cognizant of their status, Academic Probation is automatic once the GPA falls below the standard.

i.      Graduation

Students must successfully complete 21 hours of study in the Dispute Resolution Graduate Certificate Program.  Students must also submit an ‘Application for Candidacy to Graduate’ form (ACG) at the beginning of the term in which their 21 hours are to be completed.  The forms available at the DR office.  Once the form is filled out, please submit to the DR staff for processing.  Graduation occurs three times a year, December, May and August. 

Masters students must successfully complete 42 hours of study and submit an Application for Candidacy to Graduate (ACG) form as well.   Deadlines for this form’s submission are posted and reminders are sent.  Generally, the form must be submitted 4 months in advance of the graduation date.  Masters students wear regalia and hoods, and process on main campus in December and May.

7.  Important Websites

https://access.smu.edu  - Register, check grades, check financials, make tuition payments, print unofficial transcripts, schedule of individual classes

www.smu.edu/help - SMU’s computer help desk website has a number of helpful links, can be used to reset your password, or can assist if you have problems navigating Access.SMU

http://www.smu.edu/bursar/webpay.asp - Another venue to pay tuition online

www.smu.edu/maps - campus maps

Dispute Resolution Students may obtain a DART Transit Pass for only $5.00.  Just present your student ID card at the Pony Express Office to get your ticket to ride DART, TRE and the “T”.  The pass allows you unlimited access to buses, trains and light rail.  For more information on the Mustang Express and other DART services, visit the DART page at www.dart.org

 

Campus Connections

Need a room to study?

SMU-Plano Campus

·         Room 3-126          Complimentary coffee, filtered water and mini fridge

·         Room 3-124          Vending machines and microwave

·         Room 3-206          Student lounge/library filtered water, midsize fridge

1 computer and 1 printer

·         Room 4-109          Library Resource Room 6 computers 2, laser printers

SMU Main Campus        Fondren Library -You can now reserve study rooms online http://smu.edu/cul/services/studyrooms/

Friend us on Facebook at                       DRCM@smu.edu

Follow us on Twitter SMUDRCM

Conflict Resolution Network                              http://www.swcrn.com/

Mediators Beyond Borders                                http://mediatorsbeyondborders.org/

SMU Graduate Women’s Organization http://www.smugradwomen.blogspot.com/

Student Services

Hegi Family Career Development Center         http://smu.edu/career/

SMU Dedman Center for Lifetime Sports       http://smu.edu/recsports/dedman/

Students can take advantage of FREE gym membership. Contact the Dedman Center for more information.

Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Volleyball

Students receive ADMISSION to men's basketball, women's basketball, and volleyball games ON THE DAY OF THE GAME by showing their Student ID at the ticket box office at Moody Coliseum. Students are encouraged to get to the game early, as seats are first come, first served and space is limited.

Men's & Women's Soccer

Students receive ADMISSION to men's and women's soccer games ON THE DAY OF THE GAME by showing their Student ID at the ticket box office at Ford Stadium. Students are encouraged to get to the game early, as seats are first come, first served and space is limited.

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving

Students receive ADMISSION to men's and women's swimming & diving meets ON THE DAY OF THE MEET by showing their Student ID at the main entry of Perkins Natatorium. Students are encouraged to get to the game early, as seats are first come, first served and space is limited.

For more information on student tickets call 214-768-4263.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM