Academic Counseling
The counseling staff is experienced in working with students who
face academic difficulty and offers students a personal,
informal evaluation of their study skills. After this evaluation
the counselors work with the students to amend their current,
nonproductive study skills and implement more efficient skills,
therefore, becoming better students. The focus of academic
counseling is to aid in providing a learning centered
environment that assesses student needs; to encourage, guide,
and coach learners; to provide technical assistance; to nurture
learners’ commitments to their academic goals; and to clarify
learners’ options with regard to their intended academic
outcomes. For the Counseling Center to aid in the facilitation
of learning, we rely on students to voluntarily seek assistance.
Faculty members can play a vital role in helping students who
are experiencing academic difficulty by referring these students
to the Counseling Center for academic support.
Workshops
Each semester the Counseling Center provides workshops for
students on various topics, including study skills, test taking
skills, stress management, time management, resume writing, and
learning styles. These workshops are open to all students.
Individual departments may arrange for workshops to be delivered
to their students for the department’s specific needs, (e.g.,
study skills for nursing students). Please contact the
Counseling Center to schedule a workshop.
Commitment to Learning
The Counseling Center supports learners in their educational
journey. Placing learning first, the counseling staff is
committed to the following principles:
Facilitating substantive change in individual learners
Engaging learners as full partners in the learning
process, with learners assuming primary responsibility for
their own choices
Creating and offering as many options for learning as
possible
Assisting learners to form and participate in
collaborative learning activities
Being flexible in responding to the needs of learners
—taken from A Learning College for the 21st Century,
O’Banion, 1997
Because of this commitment to learning, the counseling staff
facilitates goal-planning activities with learners and is
supportive of individual strategies to achieve those realistic
goals.
Counseling Services
Although many people refer to their college years as the most
carefree years of their lives, the truth is that the college
years can be the most stressful, especially for non-traditional
students, under-prepared students, and working students. These
factors and others can impede a student’s academic progress and
undermine the student’s ability to succeed. Many students
experience setbacks that cause them to question themselves and
whether or not they should be in post-secondary education at
all. The Counseling Center provides students with direction and
guidance to travel through these confusing times and arrive at a
point where learning can occur.
Personal Counseling
Counselors are available to help students who may be
struggling with personal problems. The staff also provides
referrals for individuals who need more in-depth counseling. We
adhere to the highest standards of confidentiality to ensure
that the students are protected at all times. Faculty members
who are concerned about a student’s behavior should encourage
the student to set up an appointment with a counselor or to stop
by the Counseling Center; walk-ins are welcomed. |
