A. Graduate Program Advisory Council
Each year the GSU counseling program conducts a meeting of its advisory council. This meeting is designed to enlist the support of community members who serve our program and are a part of the counseling profession to give feedback to the counseling program faculty on how we are doing as a program and how we can improve our training program to better meet the needs of the community and profession.
B. Counseling Program Graduate Survey
Graduates of the counseling program are surveyed after they have successfully defended their portfolios and graduated from the program. The results of this grouping of surveys are incorporated into the program for improvement and feedback.
C. GSU Counseling Program Employer Survey
In academic year 2004-2005, Governors State University’s counseling program began conducting their assessment of the employers who hired our graduates over the past three or more years.The employer surveys returned to the GSU counseling program overwhelmingly rated our graduates satisfactorily. Each sequence was represented in the survey of employers and the results are in. GSU graduates have maintained a favorable impression in the each sequence taught and continue to serve the profession competently while maintaining the reputation of the GSU counseling program.
D. Site Supervisor Training Meeting
Each year the counseling program at GSU hosts a training meeting for our site supervisors. This meeting is designed to provide training to all of our site supervisors that represent each sequence that we have at GSU.
E. Counseling Program Faculty Meetings
Each month during the academic year the counseling program holds a meeting to discuss current and future issues within the counseling program. The meetings that we hold are held to manage the program according to our accreditation needs, student issues and course scheduling.
F. Internship Oral Defense
To graduate from the counseling program at GSU each sequence requires an oral defense of their internship which is reviewed by three tenure or tenure-track faculty members. Each student is tasked to meet with their chair of their internship and determine a date and time to defend their work. Students are asked to complete a portfolio inclusive of their internship experiences. Appendix F holds the requirements for internship portfolios for all sequences. The evidence room will hold examples of graduate portfolios completed by our graduates.
G. National Counselor Examinations (NCE)
In Illinois graduates are required to take the National Counselor Exam as part of their licensing. NCE is used to examine our course content and our overall ability to determine if our pedagological methods are in league with national standards. The NCE serves as our litmus test for our teaching and program requirements.
H. Course Curriculum Surveys
Each semester students are asked to evaluate the faculty member responsible for their courses. GSU uses a one page evaluation form of standard questions that also allow for the professor to add additional questions. Surveys are used by the Chair of the Division to assist professors with their retention packets as well as supervision and feedback. Each professor receives their feedback from the students confidentially from the University. Professors maintain their own record of evaluations for their personal growth and development.
