MA Program Changes:
The MA in Counseling program implemented student success plans to address student retention, remediation, and potential dismissal from the program. Student success plans are consistent with institutional due process policies and with the counseling profession’s ethical codes and standards of practice.
The MA program has hired a full-time Clinical Coordinator to assist students in the candidacy, practicum, and internship processes.
CMHC Curriculum Changes
- The CMHC track removed the Group Practicum (COUN 8856) course and incorporated group practicum requirements into Internship I and Internship II.
- COUN 8633 – Advanced Seminar in CMH Counseling was a new course created to address specific issues related to the Clinical Mental Health counselor, and is designed to address professional issues in counseling. Advanced seminar covers professional identity, terminal degree requirements, private practice, 501 (c) (3) programs, program evaluation and licensure.
- The psychopharmacology course is now taught by Addictions Studies (ADDS 6100). This change was made to more efficiently utilize college funding.
- COUN 7855 no longer needs candidacy approval as a pre-requisite.
- COUN 8859 can be taken in CMHC internship 2 if necessary.
Marriage, Couple, and Family Curriculum Changes
1. The marriage and family program name was changed to Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling (MCFC) to be consistent with CACREP standards.
2. The MCF track removed Group Practicum (COUN 8856) and incorporated group practicum requirements into Internship I and Internship II.
3. Added ADDS 6100 Psychopharmacology and COUN 6625 Sex Therapy as required courses.
School Counseling Curriculum Changes
1. Deleted COUN 8853: Parent education: Prevention & intervention: This course is dated, and not relevant to the current rationale and focus of comprehensive developmental school counseling.
2. Replaced the parent education with PSYC 7650 Crisis and Intervention Strategies for Schools as a required course. This course includes microlevel crisis interventions as well as the structural and organization macro level understanding of handling crisis interventions in the school.
3. Deleted Teaching Competency Classes for Non-Licensed School Counseling Students (12 credit hours), COUN 7620 Lifespan Developmental Issues (3), COUN 6622 Applied Learning Theory for School Personnel (3), EDAD 7801 Organizational Leadership (3), and SPED 6101 Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3). We are integrating them into newly developed classes and pre-existing classes so that everyone gets these topics and not just non-licensed school counseling students. COUN 7620 is already a required class for all students. The applied learning theory, working with students with exceptionalities, and organizational leadership is added to the classes described below.
4. Created COUN 6622 Applied School Counseling with Diverse Students (3) to focus on diversity of Illinois students, and the laws and programs that have been designed to meet their unique needs, for example working with students with exceptionalities, undocumented students, etc.
5. Created COUN - 8866 Evidence-Based Strategies for Student Success (3) which can be
offered for a certificate in College Counseling entitled, Evidence-Based Strategies for
Student Success. This course was created in response to HB5729, the Postsecondary and
Workforce Readiness (PWR) Act (2016).
6. COUN 6638 Introduction to School Counseling previously covered the ASCA model and
a broad overview of diversity of Illinois students and the laws. With the space available
in the new class we will cover the structure, organization, and operation of the
educational system, with an emphasis on P-12 schools, growth and development of
children and youth.
7. These proposed changes resulted in the program changing from a 57 credit hour program
to a 60 credit hour program which is in line with the CACREP standards
Ed.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision Curriculum Changes
1. PSYC - 6229 Graduate Seminar in Human Development was replaced with COUN 9370:
Qualitative Research Methods. This change was made because students were wanting to
complete qualitative dissertation projects, but they did not have adequate training on the
methodology.
2. Change in written and oral comprehensive exam: In Spring 2018 we changed the written and
oral comprehensive exam process. Prior to this, students were required to write 3 ten page
papers over a 10-day period. Now, students are required to write one 15-20 page paper. Instead
of writing on 3 topics in three different papers, we structure the questions to include three topics
in one paper. Looking at the purpose of comprehensive exam, which is to evaluate the students’
ability to synthesize their learning from the coursework, the doctoral faculty decided this could
be achieved with one essay rather than three.