WHAT
‘COUNSELLING
IS

ALL ABOUT...

The diversified functions of the Counsel-
ling Department stem from the nature and
the philosophy of Douglas College itself:
its "open-door" admission policy, its
flexible curricular offerings, its compre-
hensive educational and vocational oppor-
tunities.

Like every other department, Counselling
is committed to maximizing the success of
students, however each student defines it:
as satisfactory academic achievement; as
clarification of vocational goals; or as
increased skill in inter-personal rela-
tions. To remove barriers to these
successes, the department offers a number
of well-defined counselling services.

The department's philosophy toward
students is a developmental one that aims
to provide them with a facilitative
growth environment in the College. The

basic assumption is that students are able,

 

coping individuals who, when faced with.’
the need to make a decision, can often
benefit from a counselling relationship
with peers, educational planners, or
counsellors.

The department's philosophy toward its
faculty members and staff also could be
termed a developmental one, since profes-
sional development for staff, student
aides, and faculty receives priority.

To this end, several social-professional
development programs are scheduled each
year to increase both friendships and
professional skills, and to facilitate
the department's strong team concept.

Two retreats a year and a number of work-
shops are also made available to all
department members, and staff and faculty
are involved in making policy decisions
at twice-monthly department meetings.
These are chaired in rotation by each
member, who also is responsible for
preparing the agenda.

The department's ‘'management-by-objectives"
system, established in 1972, provides a
clear view of the direction in which
collective energies are being used, by
deliberately setting objectives for the
next year, and by developing a system of
accountability and evaluation for these
activities.

The policy of staff differentiation --
the use of skills where they exist rather
than the assignment of tasks in terms of
role definition -- is being developed as
the result of a job analysis made by the
counsellors last year. This has resulted
in the shifting of some tasks, particu-
larly information-giving roles, from
counsellors to educational planners or to
student aides trained for this function.
This policy aims to utilize available
skills to the maximum, providing each
member the opportunity for involvement
not only in the department but also in
the College as a whole.

In summary, the Counselling Department
strives to become a part of the humanizing,
individualizing effort throughout the
College, using specialized skills to
facilitate the growth and development of
all concerned in Douglas, be they student,
staff, faculty, or administration.