Professional Development Committee

MCCD

COUNSELOR ORIENTATION PROGRAM

Revised February, 1997

 

As a result of a counselor retreat in 1994, MCCD counselors requested an orientation program be developed for newly hired counselors (counselors new to MCCD, part-time counselors, and other MCCD personnel retrenched to counseling).

The Counseling Instructional Council (CIC) directed the Professional Development Committee (PDC) to develop a comprehensive orientation program. A draft proposal was prepared and presented to CIC in December of 1994. The proposal was based on the Graduate Student Supervised Practice Program at Scottsdale Community College. After reviewing the draft, the CIC requested revisions based on current orientation procedures in place at various MCCD colleges and centers. Revisions were made and the proposal was resubmitted. The CIC accepted it in the Spring semester, 1995. Furthermore, the PDC recommended it be adopted as a pilot program for 1995-96. Recommended revisions from individual counselors and/or counseling departments were to be made in writing to the CIC prior to the close of the 1995-96 academic year.

Several changes were recommended by CIC in February, 1997. They have been incorporated in the document.

The MCCD Counselor Orientation Program document was designed to be a guide for each counseling department in order to develop its own, specific, written program. However, the document was meant to represent the minimum counseling department program.

The responsibility for the implementation/coordination of orientation programs/procedures at MCCD colleges/centers rests with the District Counseling Instructional Council. Any further changes to the approved document will be done by PDC in response to recommendations forwarded from CIC.

 

Orientation

1. MCCD and pertinent college/center: students, facilities, programs and personnel

2. MCCD and pertinent college/center organizational structure

3. Student Services: who, what and where

4. Counseling Center personnel and office procedures

5. Counselors' job duties and responsibilities. Similarities and differences between service faculty and Instructional faculty

6. MCCD hiring requirements for counselors and selection process

7. Printed materials: catalog, class schedule, campus map, employee bulletin, employee handbook, student bulletin, campus newspaper, student handbook, faculty governance plan(campus), etc.

8. Technological equipment/uses: Personal computer, SIS, INTERNET, APOLLO, SIS, software available for student use, etc.

9. Year-long schedule of visits to other colleges/centers within MCCD. Meet one day (or part of day) with counselors at each site. Coordinate with respective counseling chairs

10. Professional organizations (college, District, State, national, international, etc.)

11. Historical perspectives/issues (e.g. district vocabulary, acronyms, etc.)

12. Other (specify)

 

Individual Counseling Sessions

1. Student traffic demographics of Counseling Center and college community

2. Mechanics of scheduling appointments

3. Counseling processes, issues, concerns

4. Test/Inventories administration and interpretation

5. Observation

6. Practice

7. Feedback

8. Confidentiality issues, duty-to-warn, etc.

9. Other (specify)

 

Counseling Groups

1. Develop an understanding of range of CPD groups offered in course bank and in particular, those offered at college location. Consider differences between small group procedures (most CPD courses), seminar formats (CPD105's), and did actic/process formats (CPD150)

2. If new to MCCD group courses, co-facilitate one (or more) CPD groups. If "seasoned", may facilitate one or more groups (with evaluation)

a. Purpose and objectives of group/course

b. Methods and procedures for implementation

c. Feedback

d. Evaluation

3. Observe other counselors facilitate CPD groups

4. Test/Inventories administration and interpretation

5. Course syllabus preparation

6. Course/facilitator evaluation (by students and faculty evaluator)

7. Special populations

8. Other (specify)

 

Educational Planning

1. Incorporate advisement (program/course information, transcript evaluation, ASSET score interpretation, etc.) along with appropriate counseling (career information/exploration, testing, referral, etc.)

2. Utilize relevant computer systems (SIS, GIS, career software, psychological software, etc.)

3. Other (specify)

 

Advisement

1. Campus advisor training sessions. Understand varied approaches to advisement at colleges/centers within MCCD

2. Placement testing

3. New Student Groups, Orientations, etc.

4. Advising students

a. Observation

b. Practice

c. Feedback

5. Attend university sponsored counselor and advisor workshop(s)

6. Other (specify)

 

District/College Committees

1. Attend all departmental meetings

2. Attend meetings of at least two other district/college committees

a. Student Services Division

b. Curriculum Committee

c. Faculty Senate (or relevant faculty governance committee)

d. Division/department Chairs

e. MCCD Governing Board

f. Admissions & Standards

g. Counseling Instructional Council (CIC)

h. Student Government meetings

i. Student activities and campus associations

j. Special populations

k. Etc.

3. Other (specify)

 

Consultation, Training and Special Projects

1. Overview of any liaison assignments with other departments or programs, special projects, specific activities and, special populations

2. Observation

3. Participation in one project or activity (e.g. workshop)

4. Other (specify)

 

Suggested Schedule

Week One: Become acquainted with college facilities, programs, personnel and procedures, review printed materials, participate in advisor training, prepare for CPD group experience(s), and establish schedule of activities.

Weeks Two and Three: Continue orientation, observe (or begin) CPD groups, participate in advisement, review printed materials, attend meetings, select special projects and liaison activities.

Weeks Four, Five, and Six: Co-facilitate (or facilitate)CPD group(s), continue to observe other CPD groups, administer and interpret tests/inventories, individual counseling sessions and begin counseling students in supervisor's presence, advisement, meetings, special projects and liaison activities.

Weeks Seven and Eight: Co-facilitate CPD group(s), conduct individual counseling sessions, advisement, meetings, special projects and liaison activities, consultation and training.

Mid-Semester: Progress-to-date feedback session with Counseling Chairperson

Weeks Eight through Fourteen: Continuation of program outline through remainder of semester. Discuss college/center visits with mentor.

Weeks Fifteen through Sixteen: Year-long feedback and evaluation. Review the daily log of his/her experiences. Log should include a brief objective description of the day's activities and the personal reactions (feelings and opinions) to those experiences. Log is to be reviewed by new counselor and mentoring departmental personnel and/or chairperson

Evaluation Summary: New counselor to summarize in writing his/her experiences at the college and evaluate those experiences with respect to his/her own professional growth and development. Utilization of any additional evaluation information(e.g. course/faculty evaluations). The information to be shared in session with mentoring personnel and chairperson.

 

Revised - BB 2/26/97

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