The Counselor Education program is mandated by the standards of our accrediting body, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), as well as other groups (see below) governing the profession of counseling to ensure the suitability of our students for the counseling profession.
Code of Ethics for the American Counseling Association
Ethical Guidelines for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Ethical Standards of the American School Counseling Association
Virginia Laws and Regulations Governing Professional Counselors (Word doc)
Toward this end, formative and summative student evaluations are systematically conducted by faculty to determine each student’s academic, professional, and personal development. These expectations are introduced in the curriculum, and assessments occur in several formats. When appropriate, students who demonstrate academic deficiencies or emotional concerns are encouraged to pursue remedial activities. If remedial activities will not address the concern or remediation is not appropriate, students are encouraged to seek other M.Ed. programs within the School of Education and Human Development or are dismissed from the Counselor Education Program.
Academic and Applied Skills. Course syllabi assign a variety of learning activities designed to assess each student's skills in the areas of writing, oral presentation, counseling skills, case conceptualization, ethical reason, multicultural sensitivity, treatment planning, research and scientific acumen, and many others. Students who demonstrate the need for remedial academic assistance may be required to work one-on-one with the course instructor until a basic level of competence is gained or may be referred to on-campus resources to work one-on-one with staff experts (e.g., College Writing Center) until remedial activities are no longer required. When campus resources are utilized, the course instructor receives confidential e-mails about the student's progress.
Practicum and Internship. In conjunction with the adoption of the student status review, formal approval from the faculty must be granted to each student prior to enrollment in either of the clinical experiences. All students must complete Intent to Register forms for these classes and submit them to Dr. Booth, the program’s clinical coordinator. Twice each year, she presents the list of students seeking admission to the clinical courses to the entire program faculty at one of the monthly meetings. Each student’s progress in academics and professional and personal development is discussed and reviewed. Faculty then determine each student’s placement within one of three categories: fully endorsed, conditionally endorsed, or in need of remediation. Students receive official notification in writing from the program coordinator regarding their status. Students who are progressing satisfactorily receive full endorsement to move ahead in their studies. Students who are conditionally endorsed must meet first with the program coordinator and their advisor to discuss concerns. These students may then enroll in the appropriate clinical experience, but they agree to additional supervision and/or academic activities to address their weaknesses. Students deemed to be in need of remediation are required to meet with faculty to review the areas of concern to develop a formal plan for addressing the concerns (i.e., repeating a course, obtaining personal counseling) before being allowed to enroll in a clinical course. At the discretion of the faculty, students may also be directed toward another course of study.
The counseling skills of practicum students are evaluated at the mid-point and conclusion of their applied activities by their on-site school or agency supervisor. Practicum instructors also evaluate progress utilizing student video tapes and counseling activities in the practicum lab, and these findings are discussed during supervision with each student.
Students enrolled in Internship receive formal feedback from their on-site supervisor and their internship instructor twice during the internship experience. The midway meeting is utilized by the on-site supervisor and the internship instructor to identify the intern’s areas of competence and areas for further growth. Expectations for professional development are established in this meeting and strategies are developed with the on-site supervisor to ensure that the student will be afforded opportunities for growth. The faculty supervisor also identifies classroom activities and research activities that will encourage growth in the areas where further professional development is warranted. At the conclusion of the internship experience, once again, the on-site supervisor, the intern, and the internship site supervisor meet to discuss the student’s professional development. The evaluation instrument is reviewed by all of the participants, and the areas noted in the mid-term review as needing further development are discussed. This meeting is also utilized to assist the intern in identifying areas of excellence. Options for additional training to assist the student in developing these areas of professional specialization are also discussed.
Academic Suitability and Emotional Fitness. As standard operating procedure, the monthly meeting of the counselor education faculty includes an agenda item devoted to the discussion of students who demonstrate poor adjustment or achievement in the pursuit of their degree. Options for remediation are discussed, and the student's advisor meets to discuss these issues with individual students as appropriate.
During the 2003-2004 academic year, a review plan was developed by the Graduate Studies Council for the systematic review of all students in graduate programs at the institution. In this policy, specific language pertains to the "emotional fitness" of counselor education students. This language establishes the mechanism for the review of student suitability for, and satisfactory progress in, the program.
Candidacy. Students who successfully complete the courses in Human Development (EDHD 602), Counseling Theories and Techniques (COUN 605), Professional Identity Function, and Ethics (COUN 601), Group Counseling Processes (COUN 620), and Counseling Practicum (COUN 615) make a formal request for candidacy as outlined in the Graduate Catalogue.
The requirements for students relative to application for candidacy, retention in the program (academic standards), graduation (including the time frame for degree completion), transfer credit, and withdrawal are provided in the section on Academic Regulations. Student progress to degree completion is tracked with the candidacy form which students initially submit through their advisor after completion of twelve hours or, for counseling students, after completion of COUN 615 or 616.
The Candidacy Form must be reviewed and signed by the student's advisor, who then submits the document to the Dean of the School and the Dean of Graduate studies who must also sign it indicating their approval of admission to candidacy.
Comprehensive Exams. Students complete their comprehensive exams during their final semester in the M.Ed. program. The comprehensive is a four-hour exam testing six specific competencies: Counseling Ethics, Human Development, Group Counseling, and Counseling Theories, as well as two other areas of study the student may select. Faculty grade the exams according to pre-established rubrics. Students who fail the comprehensive exam are provided remedial instruction.
Further information about the comprehensive exams is available in the Graduate Catalog (http://www.lynchburg.edu/gradcatalog) including clarification as to the number of times students may take the comprehensive examination if they are unsuccessful in the initial administration.
Counseling students should work closely with their advisor in selecting the specific areas of emphasis for the exam. As noted above, there are four areas that are required for all students and two areas that students may select. Upon choosing the two areas that are elective, students should indicate those areas on the comprehensive examination application form, available in the Graduate Studies Office. Students are encouraged to give careful consideration to the selection of these two areas so subsequent changes are not needed prior to examination administration.
Other College policies governing student behavior, academic performance, and academic appeals are available in the Graduate Studies Catalog and the student handbook, The Hornet.