Role of the Student Counselor
Student counselors are an essential component of the Exploring Transfer Program. Their role as academic tutors, counselors and allies to the faculty and staff is vital to the program's success. The counselors contribute to this success in two ways: by enriching the quality of the students' lives outside the classroom through a variety of facilitating and advisory tasks, and by acting as a reliable liaison linking students with the faculty and staff.
Both tasks are important and interdependent. The first involves the exercise of responsibilities devoted primarily to facilitating the students' successful passage through the program, while the second requires active and regular communication and feedback between faculty and staff, as well as the students in the program. As persons in closest contact with the students, the counselors are, as it were, the eyes and ears of the program. From their vantage points (in the classroom, dormitory and dining hall), the counselors have a unique perspective on the program, and are therefore occupy the best position from which to monitor and assess the quality of the students' experience.
Counseling in the Exploring Transfer Program is a demanding, but rewarding experience. As they respond to the various needs specific to community college students, the counselors will be required to demonstrate strong leadership and organizational skills. In their advisory capacity, counselors will often face student-generated problems for which a prompt and creative solution is required. Typically these problems are performance related and stem from difficulties the students face as they navigate the various intellectual, cultural and emotional challenges of the program. The counselors must therefore posses intellectual as well as emotional maturity.