Standard 3 Aspect F

Standard 3f: Preparation programs ensure that candidates, upon completion, are ready to engage in professional practice, to adapt to a variety of professional settings, and to grow throughout their careers. Effective program practices include: consistent offering of coherent curricula; high-quality quality, diverse clinical experiences; dynamic, mutually beneficial partnerships with stakeholders; and comprehensive and transparent quality assurance processes informed by trustworthy evidence. Each aspect of the program is appropriate to its context and to the credential or degree sought.

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Faculty Resources to Support Program (See Appendix C):

While the Counselor Education and Rehabilitation department has 18 faculty members, three of them are full-time in the School Counseling program, including the program coordinator. Equipped with solid professional expertise and rich experience, the faculty members are uniquely qualified to contribute to the goal of educating our students to become highly qualified, caring and competent school counselors. Included in the faculty are leaders in school counseling in the state, including two board members of San Joaquin Counseling Association, as shown in Appendix C. 

The program faculty bring a variety of professional experience and a wide range of educational backgrounds. Because school counselors provide support for dealing with issues of mental health, learning styles, and disabilities for K-12 administrators, teachers, students, and parents, program faculty have a significant representation of mental health professionals. In addition, our faculty include trained professionals in the field of education to support the academic achievement of all students. In some cases, faculty members are trained in both clinical counseling and education. 

It is imperative that we mention the part-time faculty working in our department. They are integral to serving our students and outside of teaching serve as true assets to the program. The part-time faculty all have a PPS credential, and they are alumni of our program. They have worked in the local school districts, and continue to serve in the districts, as school counselors or administrators. They bring a wealth of knowledge to the courses, practical information for the students, and they often serve as site supervisors for our interns. They have been integral in developing course content and part of the assessment process. They have all assisted with the development and revamping of the comprehensive exam to reflect the pertinent issues in school counseling. 

Staffing Resources to Support Program: 
As documented in Appendix C, the Counselor Education and Rehabilitation Department has one full-time administrative assistant whose total assignment is to work with the Department. Clerical assistance is available to the department and is commensurate with other university graduate programs. This staff person provides support to program functions, serves as a point of contact, and handles administrative duties. In addition, this staff person helps with enrollment, scheduling, student concerns, and coordinates faculty efforts in providing educational opportunities to all students. 

Other clerical support is provided in the form of student work study and on an as-needed basis. Technical equipment and support, software, and training are provided to staff through both the University and the College. The KSOEHD Instructional Technology Resource Center is the main source of technical support and training for program staff.

Institutional Support for Program (See Appendix C):
Department and School-Level Support
The school counselor program is housed in the Kremen School of Education as an integral part of the preparation of future K-12 professionals. The program receives support from the Dean’s office with funds for professional development, professional engagement opportunities, and leadership. In addition, the program is invested in training future professionals that can serve the needs of students in the San Joaquin Valley. 

Description of Institutional Support:
The University provides the following facilities for the School Counseling program (See Appendix C):

• The Library
• The Graduate Writing Studio
• Services for Students with Disabilities
• The Center for Faculty Excellence
• University Technology Services
• Canvas
• Smart, DISCOVERe, Labs, and Other Classrooms
• Desktop Computing and Other Technology Support
• Email, Wifi (including Eduroam), My Fresno State, People Soft, telephone, Interesc

See Appendix C for further details about these items. 

Description of Mechanisms to Collect Student Feedback and How Data are Used (See Appendix C):

Students provide feedback to program faculty in order to identify ways to improve program delivery and preparation of students. Students complete a class evaluation at the end of each semester that is evaluated to improve training and curricula. Students also complete an Advising Google Form after each advising session. These post-advisement forms help students in providing feedback on advising related issues. Additionally, in Spring 2020 the program began holding group advising and town hall sessions to gain deeper understanding about students’ concerns, help them build a sense of community, and provide them an open space to share any feedback for program’s improvement. Please see the link below to review the survey we send to students before group sessions.

One of the concerns that students mentioned in response to experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic during the academic year 2020-2021 was a deep sense of isolation. Even if they felt their connections with faculty were strong due to consistent advising sessions, they missed peer to peer interactions. Hence, in Fall 2021, we started a peer mentoring program. The peer mentoring program also helps us to strengthen the mechanisms to understand students’ concerns and make programmatic changes to resolve those concerns. Please see below the link for peer mentoring survey.

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