The California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) is candidly profiled by students from their experiences at this school. Included here are surveys, letters, reports and other valuable information for prospective students to CSPP and other graduate schools in psychology. We also provide links to web sites for most US graduate schools of psychology and possible sources for scholarship funding.
CSPPROFILE
Phone/Fax: 510-352-0463
E-mail: Rayveronda@aol.com
This Spring/Summer 2002 web site is dedicated to students' rights and their struggles to attain them.
Our premiere information center for prospective graduate students in the fields of Clinical and Organizational (Management) Psychology, California's Schools of Psychology Profile (CSPPROFILE), provides candid information from students who have attended the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP). Because this web site is not endorsed or affiliated with the California School of Professional Psychology, we are able to bring to prospective students information on the CSPP that would otherwise not be made available to the public. Included here you will find survey information, student concerns, letters and other personal experiences from present and former students of the California School of Professional Psychology to help you make an informed decision on your choice of a graduate school.
At the California School of Professional Psychology there have been serious ongoing violations of students' rights and concerns from students about the CSPP not providing the services it claims it should. There are many frustrated students who would like to see an end to the ongoing abuse and problems that the California School of Professional Psychology is experiencing. Students would also like to inform prospective students of some of the problems at the California School of Professional Psychology before they commit themselves to a graduate school that may end up costing them $70,000 to $150,000 and five or more extremely trying years of their lives, with no guarantee of receiving a degree from the California School of Professional Psychology. For more information, you may link here or go to the bottom of this page for other pages. Be sure to see or link to "Important Student Information Including Links to Graduate Schools" , and information on a new 1998 APA publication "Graduate Study in Psychology" that includes extensive information on US graduate schools. Because numerous students have also asked about scholarship information, we have just added a link to help students locate possible funding.
SOME INFORMATION PROVIDED AT THIS SITE INCLUDES:
1) The California School of Professional Psychology Clinical and Organizational (Management) Psychology student survey results professionally gathered by the CSPP-Alameda Student Association (Student Senate). This comprehensive survey covers a wide area of student interests and concerns, ranging from services provided by California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda, to personal and candid observations of the school, faculty, and administration. All the information comes from the students' perspective of the California School of Professional Psychology. (Link here for more information.)
2) A student letter from the California School of Professional Psychology Asian Forum addressing censorship and diversity issues. This letter was prompted because a number of students were kicked out of a class for wanting to discuss racial/cultural issues in a clinical setting. Students feel that California School of Professional-Alameda has not been meeting its commitment to diversity and falsely promotes itself as doing so. Racial tension has been present for numerous years. Recent 1998 visits to three of the California School of Professional Psychology campuses to talk to students support the ongoing problems in this and the other areas. (Link here for more information.)
3) Key points from an emergency California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda Organizational Psychology meeting compiled by students frustrated with the lack of services at the school, and angered because the OP Program at the California School of Professional Psychology is not meeting their needs. (Link here for more information.)
4) Helpful tips and information to help you ask the right questions before committing yourself to the California School of Professional Psychology, or any graduate school. (Link here for more information.)
5) An editorial printed in numerous California newspapers, including those of some colleges. This editorial addresses concerns over student treatment at the California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda, and the lack of laws and protection in place to ensure students' rights, and justice when their rights are compromised. (Link here for more information.)
6) A letter to students, faculty, staff and the public expressing concerns over harassment of students, grade tampering, denying students due process, misuse of financial aid, retaliation, and other violations of laws, policies and educational standards at the California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda. The chancellor of the California School of Professional Psychology in Alameda resigned as of June 1998. (Link here for more information.)
7) Because students have been asking about possible scholarship funding, we have provided a link to a web site specializing in this information. Information on this site address was taken from an article written by the San Francisco Chronicle in the November 15, 1998 issue. The site publisher is Mark Kantrowitz and he offers a range of possible sources for aid and also alerts consumers to dishonest scholarship schemes and fraud. You may link here to the site located at http://www.finaid.org.
IMPORTANT STUDENT INFORMATION INCLUDING LINKS TO GRADUATE SCHOOLS
In a comprehensive listing of 185 psychology PhD programs across the United States by the National Research Council, schools of psychology were rank-ordered in quality. This report was published by the American Psychological Society Observer (APS Observer) in January of 1996. The report showed the California School of Professional Psychology-Alameda as scoring well towards the bottom of this list in quality at 171 out of the 185. In a close grouping the other three schools in the California School of Professional Psychology system ranked even lower in quality. (CSPP-LA at 176, CSPP-San Diego at 177 and CSPP-Fresno at 178 out of a total of 185.)
In the 1997 APS Observer a list of U.S. and Canadian clinical psychology PhD/PsyD programs were rank ordered by how well their graduate students performed on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) between the years of 1988-1995. The EPPP, according to the APS Observer, is one of the most important national standard tests in clinical psychology and therefore constitutes on objective criterion "by which the adequacy of clinical training programs may be evaluated." Out of a total of 183 schools measured, the four campuses of the California School of Professional Psychology ranked towards the bottom here also. (CSPP-San Diego at 136.0, CSPP-Alameda at 139.0, CSPP-Fresno at 166.0 and CSPP-LA at 169.0 out of a total of 183.) Because the schools are so closely ranked and all scored towards the bottom in quality of their programs, it appears indicative of a larger systemic problem within the California School of Professional Psychology. For more information on these statistics, links to other schools, and "Notes to Students," you may link here to http://www.wesleyan.edu/spn/ranking.htm.
A representative from CSPPROFILE has made recent visits to three of the California School of Professional Psychology campuses in 1998, and along with talking to numerous students from CSPP at the August 1998 APA Convention in San Francisco, has learned that most of the problems continue on all four campuses. The California School of Professional Psychology has also not yet addressed the issues of making amends for past violations against students' rights, respect and dignity, despite the installation of a new CSPP president over a year ago. There are established universal standards for respecting others' rights and dignity, and should be practiced by all without regard. Never should this be left solely to the discretion of those in power, yet at CSPP it is. The California School of Professional Psychology will continue to be monitored throughout 1998-99 by a California's Schools of Psychology Profile representative, including more campus visits during the Spring 1999 semester.
It will be of interest to see if these injustices and violations of students' rights continue to be ignored by the California School of Professional Psychology, and allowed to go unchecked by the accrediting agencies of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the American Psychological Association (APA). It is hopeful that the California School of Professional Psychology will come to terms with their ethical and legal responsibilities to students, including making amends to those harmed. It is also hoped that WASC and APA do not continue to close their eyes to these injustices at CSPP and other schools. (Link here for more information.)
"Three elements in the internationally recognized right of effective remedy for human rights violations: truth, justice and compensation." - From an Amnesty International publication.
APA GRADUATE STUDY IN PSYCHOLOGY
For those prospective graduate students to the field of psychology in the United States, the APA publishes a fairly comprehensive book on individual graduate schools called the "Graduate Study in Psychology." This 1998 publication can be extremely helpful for learning more about graduate schools in the US, including applying, contact addresses and phone numbers, and the services and programs each school provides. Copies can be ordered from: American Psychological Association, P.O. Box 92984, Washington, DC 20090-2984, or telephone APA Books at 1-800-374-2721.The cost for the 1998 version is around $21.95. These reference books may also be found in some schools and public libraries.
CSPPROFILE is not affiliated with the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) but works as an independent information source to aid students in making the important decision of selecting the appropriate graduate school. For this reason we are able to provide you this information that was obtained from present and former students of the California School of Professional Psychology.
| Services | Clients/References | Related Information | Contact Us! |
| What's New | About |