The academic success of undocumented Latino students: School programs,non-profit organizations,and social capital

Based on 29 in-depth interviews with undocumented Latino college students and graduates in Southern California, this study explores how academic high achievers obtain the information, resources, and emotional support they need to achieve college-student status. The study highlights the importance of the programs offered by schools and nonprofit organizations to compensate for undocumented Latino students’ lack of social capital and their parents’ lack of human capital. Forging a trusting relationship with teachers and/or counselors remains crucial for navigating the unique application process for undocumented students and for identifying private funding sources.     

“Where Your Ethnic Kids Go”: How Counselors as First Responders Legitimate Proper Course Placements for Community College Students

ABSTRACT

Previous research on remediation has examined course placement practices, but little is known about first responders and how their beliefs about proper course placements help maintain patterns in course access. This study examined how taken-for-granted racial beliefs were used as legitimate knowledge by community college counselors. Haney López’s (2000) race as commonsense theoretical perspective was used to analyze interview data from 34 counselors in 2 southern California community colleges. Data showed that counselors recreated race categories and racial hierarchy, and they did so by reinforcing beliefs about white students as intelligent and deserving higher placements and Latina/o students as comparatively lower in ability and deserving remediation. The results suggest that counselors begin institutionalizing racial sorting immediately as first-time students begin to enroll. The findings highlight the importance of racial mindfulness in policy, practice, and research.     

The Gap Between Influence and Efficacy: College Readiness Training,Urban School Counselors,and the Promotion of Equity

This phenomenological study presents 11 urban school counselors’ perceptions of their graduate education in school counseling in relation to their engagement in college readiness counseling with low‐income, 1st‐generation college‐bound students. Findings from 2 rounds of interviews suggest that intentional strategies to integrate postsecondary readiness and planning into counselor education curricula is necessary to efficiently prepare school counselors to promote college access and success for at‐risk youth, thereby reducing the inequities that currently exist in postsecondary degree attainment.     

Counselor Education Students’ Exposure to Trauma Cases

In the past two decades there has been an increase in the number of studies that have examined the psychological effects on counselors who provide counseling to clients with trauma experiences. However, little is known about the experiences of counselor trainees who provide counseling to their clients seeking counseling because of trauma. This qualitative study explored the experience of eight doctoral students in a counseling program who completed their master’s-level training in the United States. Three themes emerged from the inductive data analysis process, namely: (1) immediate reactions, (2) information processing, and (3) post-exposure development. Implications for counselors, counselor educators, and clinical supervisors are examined and recommendations to enhance counseling and supervision services are offered.     

TRANSITION COUNSELING IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 44% of students entering American colleges and universities in 1995 were over age 25.As increasing numbers of students make changes to enter community college, it is imperative that counselors address the fundamental dilemmas facing this population. Addressing the transition concerns of these students as they navigate through community college may provide a counseling perspective that effectively enhances overall student development while simultaneously influencing future growth and success. This article outlines counseling considerations, from assessment to intervention, designed to help the community college counselor meet students' transition needs.     

Communication Between College Counselors and Academic Faculty When Supervising Graduate Student Trainees

College counseling centers play an important role in the training and supervision of counselor trainees. This article addresses the importance of communication between college counselors and academic counseling program faculty when college counselors supervise graduate students from academic counseling programs. As the authors discuss, effective communication contributes to positive and productive training experiences for graduate student trainees. Suggestions are offered for successful communication between counseling center staff and program faculty.     

基于学科建设的辅导员队伍专业化探讨

当前高校辅导员队伍专业化建设存在德育观念模糊、岗位基础薄弱、专业标准缺失等问题。要实现高等教育的跨越式发展,必须以建设大学生辅导学的学科专业和职称体系为核心,提升大学生辅导员的专业化、职业化水平,从而形成一支政治强、业务精、德才兼备、乐于奉献的辅导员队伍。     

The Role of Community College Financial Aid Counselors in Helping Students Understand and Utilize Financial Aid

Financial aid counselors are a primary source of information that many students rely upon to understand financial aid and how to pay for college. However, little is known about financial aid counselors at America's community colleges and their interactions with the students they serve. Using original survey data, this study examined the role these counselors play in helping community college students understand and make use of financial aid. The majority of counselors in the sample reported the counselor-to-student ratio at their college was one counselor for every 1,000 students (or higher), suggesting these counselors do not have the time or resources to meet the needs of every student who needs their advice. Counselors also identified common pitfalls their students experience during the financial aid process. These findings serve as the basis for recommendations intended to improve the utilization of financial aid among community college students.     

Research: Students' Perceptions of Need for Personal Counseling Services in Community Colleges

Although the need for personal counseling services is on the rise across college campuses in the United States, many community colleges do not offer personal counseling services on campus. Instead, community college counseling services focus primarily on academic and career advising. The purpose of this study was to survey community college students in North Carolina to determine their interest in and need for a personal counseling center on campus. Participants were 134 men and 202 women, 18–68 years of age. Of the participants, 70% indicated that having a personal counseling center on campus would be “very helpful” or “helpful.” Results are discussed, and recommendations are made for college counselors working in community college settings.     

Neophyte Counselor Attire and College Student Perceptions of Expertness,Trustworthiness, and Attractiveness

Strong (1968) proposed that counseling can be viewed as a two-phase process. During the first phase, counselors use various techniques to enhance client perceptions of counselor expertness, trustworthiness, and attractiveness. These perceptions result in influence-power and have an effect on outcome. According to Strong, clients use reputational, behavioral, and evidential cues to assess counselor credibility and attractiveness. Previous research has indicated, however, that counselor attire is not used as an evidential cue when counselors display expert verbal and nonverbal behavior. It was hypothesized that counselor attire is an evidential cue for expertness, trustworthiness, and attractiveness of the inexperienced neophyte counselor-in-training. To test this hypothesis college students participated in group counseling sessions with either a formally or informally attired neophyte counselor. It was found that the informally attired counselor was perceived as more expert, trustworthy, and helpful.     

The Role of Community College First-Year Experience Programs in Promoting Transfer Among Latino Male Students

ABSTRACT

A qualitative case study approach was used to examine Latino male students and First-Year Experience (FYE) programs aimed at promoting student transfer. Two FYE programs at two community colleges in California were studied: Bridgetown Community College and Portlake Community College (pseudonyms). Study participants included four groups: Latino male FYE students, Latino male FYE alumni, FYE counselors, and FYE coordinators. Data collection strategies included semi-structured interviews, site observations, and document analysis. Analysis of data involved both deductive and inductive approaches, and resulted in identification of four findings critical to the success of FYE programs and their work with Latino males: (a) the need to support help-seeking behaviors, (b) the need to address the “long journey” to transfer, (c) the need to support students’ work burden and financial constraints, and (d) the need to incorporate approachable and culturally responsive practices. Overall, the study offers insights into how community colleges might strengthen transfer support for Latino males through FYE programs.     

AN INVESTIGATION OF CRITICAL MASS: The Role of Latino Representation in the Success of Urban Community College Students

The community college has historically functioned as a primary access point to postsecondary education for Latino students. This study, an investigation conducted through an analysis of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project, focuses on Latino students enrolled in urban “minority-majority” community colleges, where Latino students have a high representation. The specific interest of this research is the role and effect of the level of representation of Latino community college students on their academic outcomes. The relationship between the level of representation of Latinos, and the levels of academic success are analyzed in concert with other variables, such as, the level of representation of Latino faculty on campus, student age, attitude, academic integration, English ability and aspiration. Findings indicate a relationship between academic success of Latino community college students and the proportion of Latino students and faculty on campus. The findings thus suggest that a critical mass of Latinos may be a positive influence encouraging “minority” students to higher academic performance.     

Jordanian School Counselor Involvement in School-Family-Community Partnerships

The purpose of this study was to identify the level of partnership between the school counselor, families and the local community in Jordan, as well as highlighting the factors that affect this partnership. A “School Counselor Involvement in School-Family-Community Partnerships Scale” was developed and administered to a sample of 152 school counselors in order to measure the level of such partnerships. The results indicated that the school counselors’ involvement was more prominent in providing services and information for students and parents, and coordinating efforts to raise the academic level of students. The results revealed that counselors’ attitudes, self-esteem, and school climate represented the most salient factors that affected school-family-community partnerships. Findings also recognized barriers to counselors’ involvement, including communication with parents and lacking the necessary skills. Based on the findings, it seems that Jordanian school counselors need training and efforts to overcome barriers related to partnership behaviors.     

The Influence of a Career Pathways Model and Career Counseling on Students' Career and Academic Self-Efficacy

This qualitative study examines the effects of career pathways programming and targeted career counseling services on 71 high school seniors across seven schools engaged in school reforms funded through South Carolina's Education and Economic Development Act (EEDA). EEDA is a statewide, multipronged effort to improve academic achievement, graduation rates, and students' chances at success in both careers and college. One component of EEDA is the requirement that all students complete an individual graduation plan, and in order to build capacity to execute this new requirement, additional counselors and/or counselor aides were added to every high school in the state. We found that the combination of a career pathways model along with targeted career counseling services enhanced students' sense of career and academic self-efficacy by increasing their motivation to complete school, willingness and interest to take more challenging courses, and sense of preparedness for college and work. We examine these themes through the social cognitive career theory's triadic model of causality (Bandura, 1997) connecting study findings with the central constructs of self-efficacy beliefs, outcome expectations, and personal goal development.     

Practicing in the 21st Century College Counseling Center

Although college and university counseling centers often struggle with misperceptions of their work and their role in the campus community, limited research has addressed this issue. In this article, common campus misperceptions are explored. Among the issues that often increase the misperception of counselors and counseling services include misunderstandings by campus departments about the role of counseling for students, the perception that counseling is often a solution to any emotional or behavioral issue, and the difficulty of avoiding dual relationships with students on many campuses. Implications for campus counseling centers, including strategies for combating misperceptions, are discussed.     

College Counseling Center Clients' Expectations About Counseling: How They Relate to Depression,Hopelessness, and Actual‐Ideal Self‐Discrepancies

Clients' expectations affect many aspects of counseling. This study examined relationships between depression, hopelessness, actual‐ideal self‐discrepancies (AISDs), and clients' expectations about counseling among 80 college students. Less hopeless participants expected more improvement from and more commitment to counseling. No significant relationships were found between depression or AISDs and expectations among the original sample. Among graduate students, AISDs related to counselor nurturance expectations. Implications for college counselors are discussed.     

Urban High School Students’ Experiences in an Afterschool College Readiness Program

This transcendental phenomenological investigation examined urban students’ experiences in Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), an afterschool college readiness program. The federally funded program provides low-income and minority students information and access to services that lead to increased opportunities for post-secondary education. Interviews with 10 participants revealed that (a) navigating the college system; (b) expansion of career options; (c) counseling relationship; (d) personal insight; and (e) future orientation were major themes. Implications for school counselor preparation and practice are discussed.     

Counselor Training in a School Center

This article describes the creation of a partnership between a local school district and a university counselor education department to train counselors while providing counseling services using counselor trainees. The partnership resulted in a counseling center located in the school, which serves the school and community and is staffed by the university. The concept of a training center constructed by a school district and staffed by trainees and university faculty to serve students and people in the community is unique. This article explores the rationale for the community school-based, training-service center and the steps leading to its establishment. Also discussed are the physical structure and the operation of the center and the advantages and problems.     

高校心理咨询现状调查与对策分析

采用问卷调查法对900名大学生进行测量并访谈。结果表明,大学生在寻求专业性心理帮助的态度总分和各维度上,均存在显著民族差异;在寻求专业性心理帮助的态度总分和需要维度上存在性别差异;长期处于心理困惑、内心冲突的人是咨询首选对象;面对心理困难时,大学生倾向选择好友、父母进行求助,部分自己承受;对心理咨询师的首要要求是思想品德好,希望咨询室放松、安静、舒适、温馨;大学生会根据不同的咨询内容选择不同性别、年龄的咨询师,且面谈咨询成为首选咨询方式;大部分人希望高校心理咨询免费,但认为测量和治疗可适当收费。研究初步结论认为,大学生对高校心理咨询的态度与要求将为西北地区高校更优质地开展心理咨询服务提供一定的理论支持与实践基础。