The Case for Comprehensive Counseling Centers at Community Colleges

This article addresses the need for a comprehensive counseling center to be housed on each campus of community colleges. Counseling helps to improve student academic success and retention, transfer, and graduation rates. Current research also illustrates an increase in psychological and emotional disturbances among college students across the nation, which, at times, results in acts of campus violence such as those that have occurred at Virginia Tech, Northern Illinois University, Henry Ford Community College, and the University of Alabama at Huntsville. This paper discusses the needs of the 21st century student body that result in the case for comprehensive college counseling centers. Recent legislation related to counseling at institutions of higher education is examined, recommendations are given, and components of a comprehensive counseling center are described.