Welcome to HICCUP!
HICCUP was created to help students in psychology navigate the Hidden Curriculum, or the things we’re expected to know but aren’t explicitly taught, in graduate school.
This hub is a place where graduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups (e.g., first-generation, LGBTQ+, people of color, and disabled folx), can support each other in navigating the challenges of graduate school and beyond.
What is the “Hidden Curriculum”?
The Hidden Curriculum refers to the unspoken or implicit values, behaviors, and norms that exist in educational settings to promote student success (Jerald, 2006). These can include any topics that can affect a student’s progress in their academic career, such as proper guidance on research.
Our goal in forming HICCUP is to put graduate students at the center of these discussions. While many great resources have already been created (we recommend starting with Calarco’s A Field Guide to Graduate School), some things are still missing – like discussions about the factors outside of academia that impact how we perform in graduate school (e.g., the psychological impact of racial and civic unrest on one’s academic experience). We hope to shed light on more of these experiences.
Our Mission
Shed light on the Hidden Curriculum in Psychology, which often serves to reproduce inequality in academia
Promote an informal space where graduate students can share existing resources and knowledge with each other
Build a network of support for graduate students, especially those from underrepresented groups (e.g., first-generation, LGBTQ+, people of color, and disabled folx)
Create a more diverse, equitable, and accessible field
Approach
Our community is organized and led by graduate students in psychology. Each month, we invite students, especially those from underrepresented groups, to share their experiences and advice for navigating the Hidden Curriculum. In inviting students to share their experiences, we hope to cultivate a network of support for graduate students.