We’re pleased to release ESSENTIAL: The Roles and Impacts of the University and College Counseling Center—a position paper that clarifies the roles counseling centers play across the campus ecosystem and offers practical direction as well as aspirational visioning for the future of our profession.
AUCCCD Member, James Geisler, PhD, NCC, LPC, published an article titled, Breaking the Isolation: How the 'Lonely at the Top' Myth Hurts Higher Ed Leaders for Higher Ed Risk magazine.
AUCCCD member, Serena Butler-Johnson, is quoted in the Inside Higher Ed Article, Students at HBCUs Have Better Mental Health Than Other College Students
Counseling services are a key element of student retention in higher education due to elevated numbers of students reporting mental health
conditions, but creating a sustainable practice that addresses students and staff needs remains a challenge, according to survey data from the
Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD).
A lot has happened in our world since I first used these lyrics four months ago in my first message to you all. We seem way past hoping for the weather to hold, and instead are trying to figure out how to navigate the ever crashing waves and keep our boat afloat. We have many members of our campus communities experiencing greatly increased stress and fear due to the many state laws, executive orders, and other declarations that have occurred for the past few years, and especially in the past several weeks.
We’re excited to share an update on AUCCCD’s newly finalized Strategic Plan! This roadmap will guide our organization as we strengthen professional development opportunities, enhance advocacy efforts, and expand our support for college counseling centers across the country.
The Board met for its mid-year in person meeting on February 12-13 at our next conference location, the Hyatt Regency Orange County, in Garden Grove, CA. The Board made a decision almost two years ago that it would be beneficial to have our mid-year meeting at our upcoming conference location to allow us to preview the space and think through any logistical issues that might not be apparent if we didn’t spend physical time in the space prior to the conference. We’ve also been able to write the meeting into our conference contract, which allows us to have some cost savings as well.
The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) has released the results of its 2023-2024 Annual Survey, offering key insights into the current landscape of college counseling centers. With 381 directors responding, the survey provides the most comprehensive look at the evolving challenges, service models, and impact of counseling centers across higher education institutions.
AUCCCD Board Member, Eric Wood (TCU) is interviewed in the Spectrum News article, How are changes to college DEI programs affecting students’ mental health?
Read AUCCCD Member, James Geisler's, Inside Higher Ed article, What is Higher Education Missing for Mental Health?
Thank you to the 383 directors who completed the 2023-2024 Directors Survey. The survey team is working to organize, clean, and analyze the data set. Be on the lookout for emails clarifying your data in November and December. Also, coming in December: the launch of the Salary Survey!
Many AUCCCD members attended the Annual Conference, held this year in Phoenix, Arizona. The Annual Conference provides the unique opportunity to interact with folks who have the same mix of clinical work and administrative work that makes up the director role. The casual discussions, formal educational sessions, meals, and activities all provide information and support for members. While every director cannot attend the annual conference, there are ways to connect and benefit from the wisdom of your AUCCCD colleagues all year.
I want to take a moment to recognize and thank Marcus Hotaling for his leadership and his service to AUCCCD. I don’t think you can ever truly imagine what it will mean to step into a role like the presidency of this organization until you’re in it - and I know that Marcus wasn’t imagining that he would be called on to extend his term for a third year. I don’t know what thoughts or conversations happened with himself or his family as he made his decision - but from the outside - it looked like when presented with the leadership gap - he, without hesitation, stepped in to fill it for another year, which says a lot about who he is as a person.
I was given the opportunity during our recent conference to speak to attendees as I began my term of President of this amazing organization. I wanted to share this message with the entire membership so you can understand the ways in which I think about our work and my leadership role.
The Chronicle, by Graham Vyse | November 4,2024
The Effects of DEI Office Bans on Mental Health of College Students
With the upcoming presidential elections and ongoing world crises, college counseling centers are experiencing increased pressure from students and administrators to provide support for students. In most cases, support can mean offering students workshops on distress tolerance or emotional regulation, providing spaces for mindfulness and relaxation activities, and facilitating other broad forms of psychological wellness. Implicit in these offerings is the fact that the counseling center supports all students along the political spectrum.
10 Practices to Leave Work at Work
This month we are highlighting an international member of AUCCCD!
Please meet Stephanie Bonner, MSW, LICSW
Director, Personal Development and Counseling Services
Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar) Doha, Qatar
Branch campus of Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA, USA
