3 minute read
Column: Counseling direction
Regarding “Counselors: here to advise,” Opinion, May 18
We, the counselors of Pierce College, understand the frustration and confusion many students feel when it comes to accessing Counseling services. We would like to take this opportunity to clear up some misconceptions and provide some useful tips to assist students in getting the information and assistance they need. Currently, we have the equivalent of 7 full-time and 4 part-time counselors to assist the 21,000 students of Pierce College with academic, career and personal counseling. We also have specialized counselors in the areas of EOPS, STEM, and International Students. This ratio is certainly not ideal, and we all wish there could be more counselors, but in the current budget environment that is just not possible.
As such, we offer a variety of ways for students to access services and get the information and assistance they need. For quick general questions, we have counselors available to see students on a drop-in basis M-F from 8am – 7:30pm and Friday from 8am – 3:30pm. For students wanting more in-depth counseling about transfer/ graduation requirements, picking a major or dealing with personal issues, the best thing to do is make an appointment so that they can meet with a counselor for a full 30 minutes. Due to staffing shortages, we suspend appointments during the summer break but appointments will be available again beginning September 7th. The best way to make an appointment is to use our online appointment system which can be accessed from our website, but if students are having difficulty using the system, they are welcome to come in to the Counseling Center and request assistance. In addition, we recommend that students speak to a faculty advisor if he/she has a course-specific or major-specific question. Faculty advisors for each discipline are listed in the Schedule of Classes.
In addition to actually meeting with a counselor, we have many resources available to students both online and in the Counseling center, that can assist with many common questions and concerns. As such, we highly encourage students to follow these tips in order to ensure that their needs are met.
• Plan Ahead: Appointments book quickly so don’t wait until the last minute. In addition, we recommend seeing a counselor at least once per semester.
• Visit our Websites: The Counseling Center, Transfer Center and Career Center all have websites that offer a wealth of information and resources. Often, the answer to student questions can be found there.
• Come into the Center: The Counseling and Career & Transfer Center has multiple hand-outs and information sheets available in the center that answer common questions such as “How to Transfer”, “Top Ten Ways to Succeed at Pierce College”, etc
• Attend a Workshop: The Counseling and Career & Transfer Center offers workshops on a variety of topics throughout the Fall & Spring Semesters. Workshop schedules are available on our websites and in the Center.
• Get Connected: Sign-up for the Career & Transfer Center weekly email newsletter, follow us on Twitter or friend us on Facebook.
The Counseling Center is committed to listening to student feedback and input and as such, we have recently launched a Student Advisory Board. This board is comprised solely of Pierce students and assists us in making our programs and services more responsive to student needs. More information about the SAB can be found on the Counseling website. We are dedicated to assisting Pierce students with reaching their educational, career and personal goals and we welcome student engagement as we all try to navigate the challenging times ahead.
