- Department Mission Statement
- Our Missions
- Counseling Program Mission Statement
- School Counseling (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
- Community Counseling (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
- College Student Affairs (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
- Professional Couseling and Supervision (Educational Specialist Ed.S.) Mission Statement
- Professional Counseling and Supervision (Doctorate Ed.D.) Mission Statement
Department Mission Statement
The Process
The Counseling and Educational Psychology Department seeks to provide educational excellence in a personal and professional environment by challenging and supporting individual and professional development; teaching from a knowledge base grounded in counseling research; affirming diversity of ideas, values and persons; upholding the highest of ethical principles in professional conduct; and maintaining a partnership with institutions and communities within the region. We will maintain accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and will continue our service through providing educational psychology instruction in the areas of human development, psychological and educational assessment, learning theories, and application of psychological principles to education.
The Product
Graduates will be competent, proactive professional counselors; knowledgeable, ethical, and skilled in their selected fields; flexible and comprehensive in their approach; adaptable to the needs of the people they serve; and effective in meeting those needs. They will be leaders and advocates for human development and effective living within their families, schools, institutions, and communities.
The Impact
We serve and our graduates will have an impact on the residents of the West Georgia region, the State of Georgia, and beyond. Those served by the graduates will become more effective contributors to the whole of society by increasing their educational competencies, progressing in their career development, developing skills for resolving personal problems and improvement in their family interpersonal relationships.
Our Missions
We offer 3 tracks in our Master’s (M.Ed.) degree program in Professional CounselingWe also offer an Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) in Professional Counseling and Supervision and a doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in Professional Counseling and Supervision. All of our programs adhere to our general mission statement and each program has a mission statement specific to that program.
- school counseling (48 hours, CACREP accredited)
- community counseling (48 hours, CACREP accredited)
- college student affairs (42 hours, CAS standards)
Counseling Program Mission Statement
The Counseling Program provides educational excellence in a personal environment through:We are committed to the education of exemplary practitioners through adherence to the highest professional preparation standards.
- challenging and supporting personal and professional development of students and faculty;
- promoting evidence based practice;
- teaching from a knowledge base grounded in research;
- affirming diversity of ideas, values and persons;
- upholding the highest ethical principles in professional conduct;
- communicating new knowledge and ideas through applied research; and
- engaging in collaborative relationships with colleagues, institutions and communities.
School Counseling (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
The mission of the School Counseling program is to educate Professional School Counselors. Through leadership, advocacy, collaboration, use of data, and action, our graduates will be competent at identifying and removing barriers that impede equal access to educational and career opportunities for all students. We are committed to educating Professional School Counselors skilled in needs assessment who are effective counselors and advocates for providing equal resources and support for all students. We believe in and are dedicated to high academic achievement, career success, and personal/social development of all students.
Community Counseling (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
The mission of the Community Counseling program is to prepare skilled and knowledgeable professional counselors for work in a variety of community and agency settings. Our program is designed to meet educational requirements for Georgia licensure as well as the standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Our graduates will be ethical, reflective practitioners competent in serving a diverse population. We are committed to the delivery of excellent client services, to understanding and respecting human diversity, to ethical and social responsibility, and to leadership in the counseling profession.
College Student Affairs (M.Ed.) Program Mission Statement
The mission of the College Student Affairs program is to provide graduate students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to work with college students in a variety of settings within higher education organizations. This program emphasizes a counseling foundation for preparing college student affairs personnel to foster student development. The program adheres to the professional standards set forth in the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) and requires coursework in basic counseling skills, foundational studies, professional studies, and supervised practice. The program is designed to provide students with the following:practical experiences in the various student affairs settings.
- entry-level counseling skills;
- an understanding of young adult and nontraditional student;
- an understanding of the social milieu of the individual in higher education;
- an understanding of student affairs professionals in higher education; and,
Professional Couseling and Supervision (Educational Specialist Ed.S.) Mission Statement
The mission of the Ed.S. in Professional Counseling and Supervision program is to provide professional counselors with advanced skills and knowledge to be exemplary practitioners and supervisors.
Professional Counseling and Supervision (Doctorate Ed.D.) Mission Statement
The mission of the Professional Counseling and Supervision Program (Ed.D) is to prepare School and Community Counselors to be proficient in professional counseling and supervision and in program evaluation. In addition, they will be leaders committed to helping marginalized and underserved populations in the communities, schools and agencies they serve.