Procedures for Selection & Termination of Students

PROCEDURES FOR SELECTION OF STUDENTS

Entry requirements

Students who wish to gain entry to be eligible to receive the academic awards of the Graduate Certificate in Gestalt Therapy and the Master of Gestalt Therapy, need to have Undergraduate qualifications (Bachelor level) or post graduate qualifications in fields such as Social Work, Psychology, Counselling, or other allied fields. Other TAFE qualifications together with relevant employment experience may be considered.

The Institute will consider people for admission into the course without an approved 3 or 4 year Bachelor Degree if they have an Advanced Diploma, Diploma or higher-level vocational Certificate in a relevant area of study, together with extensive relevant work experience. Applicants must also demonstrate through a presentation of past assessment work and/or referee inclusion the potential to undertake work at Master level. People will be assessed individually by the Directors on these criteria. 

                                                                                                                                Refer to FEE-HELP Policy.

For people without formal qualifications, the training is available as a GANZ accredited program.

The first twelve months of the course are offered as an introduction to personal and professional development within a gestalt framework.

The Directors of Gestalt Therapy Brisbane are responsible for making decisions about a person's eligibility to enrol in the programme.

All applicants are expected to fulfil the following occupational and personal requirements.

Occupational requirements:  Employment in or an intention to work in the fields of counselling, psychotherapy, mental health, teaching, nursing, human resource management or human services.

Personal requirements:   A commitment to developing awareness of own and others’ processes of communicating and making contact. An ability to give and receive personal feedback. An ability to relate to others in a receptive and reflective way. Applicants must also have a capacity to understand and practise ethical behaviour and be prepared to follow a code of practice. Applicants must also demonstrate an ability to commit to the training programme for the period for which they enrol and have a capacity to cope with the academic rigour of graduate study.

Entry requirements for later years will be considered on a case by case basis, on receipt of an application form. Credit for prior learning will be granted for other GANZ accredited Gestalt training programmess.

Enrolment Procedure

Prospective students are invited to enter into the application process. 

1.    Prospective students are to complete the application form found in the back of the Course Outline.

2.    When GTB has received a prospective student’s enrolment, this will be acknowledged.

3.    An interview will then be arranged at a time convenient for both the prospective student and one or both of the Directors of GTB. The interview will take place at  GTB.  A cpy of the enrolment procedure will be given to students at the interview.

4.    At the interview the prospective student will be given an introduction to the Training Programme and given an opportunity to ask questions about the programme.   

Applicants may choose to exit the programme after first year or continue and complete their four years of study.  

At the interview the prospective student also will be asked about aspects of his or her application, including:

·      Any previous Gestalt training in order that Credit can be arranged;

·      The applicant’s motivation to engage in Gestalt training;

·      The applicant’s ability to commit to growth in self awareness;

·      The applicant’s ability to relate to others in a receptive and reflective way;

·      The applicant’s capacity to understand and practice ethical behaviour and preparedness to follow a code of practice;

·      The applicant’s experience of counselling or dealing with mental health issues;

·      The applicant’s ability to commit to the training programme and capacity to cope with the academic rigour of graduate study; and,

·      The applicant’s expectations of the course and his or her goals after completing the training.

5.    The applicant is asked to present two written references from personal and/or professional associates. This request was made by GTB on the prospective student’s application form. In the case of students who are transferring from another Gestalt Institute an “Inter-Institute Transfer Form” will be requested from the prospective student.

6.    The prospective student will then be notified of his or her acceptance or non acceptance into the programme. Successful applicants will also receive at this time information about training dates and hours and other helpful details.

Termination of enrolment

Gestalt Therapy Brisbane acknowledges that at times the enrolment of students needs to be terminated. Due process will be accorded to all students in the termination process and students will be informed of the reasons for such termination. Termination of enrolment of a student may be made in any of the following circumstances:

a)    Where the student has outstanding tuition fees for a period of more than 2 months and has not entered a payment plan with the Directors of Gestalt Therapy Brisbane or has breached the terms of an existing agreement. Please refer to Procedures No 15: Administrative Arrangements, Managing Student Payment of Fees and Dealing with Bad and Doubtful Debts in this Policy and Procedures Handbook;

b)   Where the Directors or their representative deem that the student does not possess suitable qualities to remain in the programme or that their academic work is not at pass level.  Movement from one year to another is not an automatic process and students may be asked to terminate at this or any other stage of the programme.  Students who are assessed by Directors and trainers to lack the suitable qualities to remain in the programme will be given written warning that they are not meeting the necessary requirements. The Directors will respect the following process:

        i)     Students who are at risk of not successfully engaging in the programme will be identified by the Directors in consultation with GTB trainers at Directors and Staff meetings that address student issues;

        ii)    Students who have not succeeded in their academic writing or practical application will be offered the opportunity to recycle their work and will be offered tutorial assistance to achieve a pass result;

        iii)    A student who is judged to be unsuitable to the programme will be given written feedback that outlines the detail of his or her unsuitability. This written feedback will be given at an appropriate time within the programme e.g. at the end of a semester period and it will be followed up within no more than two weeks by a face to face interview with both or one of the Directors. This feedback will be accompanied by a warning that because of the issues raised the student is in danger of having his or her enrolment terminated. The student will also be given the most likely termination time e.g. at the end of the year. A warning of the termination of enrolment will be at least 3 months prior to termination and will provide an opportunity for the student to address the issues raised;

        iv)   A warning of impending termination will not automatically result in termination if a student has made some movement towards addressing the issues that have initiated the termination warning. Students will be offered support in order to maintain his or her enrolment within the programme; and,

        v)   A student termination will occur by the Directors of Training informing a student of his or her termination in both written and oral communication. The termination will be done in a way that is most likely to support a student to move beyond Gestalt training in a positive and life enhancing way. The Directors do acknowledge that it may not always be possible to terminate a student’s enrolment in a way that pleases the student.

c)    Where the student’s behaviour in relation to other students or staff or to the premises constitutes a criminal or unlawful act e.g. assault, harassment, stalking, wilful damage, theft etc;

d)   Where the student’s behaviour, in the opinion of the Directors, or their representatives, harms the good name or reputation of Gestalt Therapy Brisbane or is deemed to be inappropriate or unethical behaviour for a student;

In circumstances b) and c) above students will be given a warning that their behavior is inappropriate and threatens their enrolment within the programme. Students will be given the rationale as to why the Institute will take the action of terminating their enrolment. The Directors hold the right in certain to terminate a student’s enrolment when behaviour is extreme and unsafe. Students will be given the rationale as to why the Institute has taken the action it has.

Students are entitled to justice and due process in all their interactions with Gestalt Therapy Brisbane. If students believe they are unfairly treated when asked to terminate their enrolment they will be invited to follow the grievance procedures that are established by Gestalt Therapy Brisbane.

Ratified by Directors of GTB

13 October 2008