Emily Campbell, Ph.D. candidate, prepares to supervise a live counseling session conducted by a master's counseling student in the Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic.
Last May, a dozen school counseling students from the Department of Counseling and Educational Development
(CED) earned their master’s degrees. By July, all were employed by schools
around the region.
Department chair Dr. J. Scott Young says graduates across all programs in the School of Education’s CED department consistently perform well in the competitive job market. “Employers contact the department directly looking for interns and graduates,” Young says. “They tell us to send them our best people."
Department chair Dr. J. Scott Young says graduates across all programs in the School of Education’s CED department consistently perform well in the competitive job market. “Employers contact the department directly looking for interns and graduates,” Young says. “They tell us to send them our best people."
CED ranks third
in the nation among graduate programs in student counseling and personnel
services, according to U.S. News and World Report. The program has a history of
being one of the best. The department’s success is a legacy of decisions made
25 years ago under the leadership of Dr. Nicholas A. Vacc, who helped shape the
programs and the profession as a whole.
“The department set very high standards for national
exposure and research productivity,” Young says. “Our doctoral students are
research apprentices from day one, and their faculty mentors have a national
and international research reputation.”
Dr. L.
DiAnne Borders, for example, is one of top researchers in the world for
clinical supervision and, along with Dr. Kelly
L. Wester, has a place on the national
stage for developing research standards for the field.
Dr.
Christine Murray is widely known for her community-engaged scholarship on
domestic violence. She is a member on the governor’s Mental Health and Domestic
Violence Task Force Member and has earned numerous awards including the 2014
Chief’s Award from the Greensboro Police Department.
In fact, every faculty researcher is top in his or her
field. Dr.
Jane E. Myers for cross-cultural wellness assessment and counseling. Dr.
Craig S. Cashwell for spirituality in counseling. Dr. Laura
M. Gonzalez for promoting higher education in Latino families.
Dr. A.
Keith Mobley in multicultural training. Mobley also runs the widely
regarded Nicholas A. Vacc Counseling
and Consulting Clinic.
“Our doctoral graduates realize the great legacy of CED and
carry on the tradition,” Borders says.” In addition, the faculty here work
together in ways, through teaching and scholarship, that can be rare in
academe. Relationships throughout the program are a very high priority.”
Last
year, in collaboration with National Board for Certified Counselors, the CED
department offered its first online training for clinical supervision. The
30-hour training meets the educational requirements needed to apply for
the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential offered by the Center for
Credentialing & Education.
Dr. James Benshoff, founding editor of the
Journal of College Counseling, is a compelling spokesperson for what committed
teachers can accomplish online. “It's important to prepare future faculty (like
our doctoral students) to plan for online teaching. I'm committed to
sharing ideas about using technology to accomplish educational goals in ways
that we never imagined just a few years ago.”
The department has seen a growing demand for online options.
According to Matt Fisher, online professional development coordinator, more
than 50 students from all over the country have registered for the online
clinical supervision program since February. Inquiries about the program come
in weekly.
“Now people in more rural areas have access to the
supervisory training they need to achieve a credential in clinical supervision,”
Young says. Faculty plan to evolve the online training by translating it into
more languages and updating the tools and interface for maximum engagement and
ease.
Young credits the support and vision of Dean Karen Wixson.
“Karen understands graduate education and know what it takes to be successful,”
he says. “She makes every effort to provide the funding we need. Her support has
also lead us to entrepreneurial ventures like the online training.”
Every venture and success is tied to preparing students to
make an impact in their careers. “We work very hard and very intentionally, to produce doctoral
students who will be leaders in the field,” Benshoff says.
Doctoral student W. Bradley McKibben agrees. “The CED program is
intricately intentional in all that it does,” he says. “I feel very prepared for a future as a counselor educator.”
