|
Article Excerpt
To move diversity from the periphery of counselor preparation to its core requires effort beyond the 1 or 2 "special" courses that have been the mainstay of multicultural counselor education (T. E. Midgette & S. S. Meggert, 1991). The authors describe the processes and outcomes of a systemic reimagining of Auburn University's counselor education doctoral program, as well as community agency and school counseling master's-degree programs that incorporate diversity as a core value. The development of diversity-supportive department policies and procedures, curricular and cocurricular changes, and environmental considerations are discussed and evaluated.
**********
The last 2 decades of the 20th century have seen a significant paradigm shift in the orientation of counselors to serve a diverse population (Pedersen, 1991). This shift has been reflected in counselor education through calls for the preparation of multiculturally competent counselors. In addition, national accreditation of counselor education programs (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs [CACREP], 2001) has moved in the direction of supporting the need for multicultural competence. Despite the inalterable paradigm shift that has taken place in counseling, many counselor education programs have yet to embrace the broad-ranging changes in curriculum policies and cocurricular activities essential to making diversity a core value (Midgette & Meggert, 1991) in the preparation of counselors. In 1994, Ridley, Mendoza, and Kanitz wrote that multicultural counseling is an emerging curriculum. A decade later, multicultural counselor education remains in an emerging state; there has been no report yet of a comprehensive and systemic model that has been implemented and fully integrated into a counseling program (Midgette & Meggert, 1991; Ponterotto & Alexander, 1995; Ridley et al., 1994).
To move diversity from the periphery to the core of counselor preparation requires effort that extends beyond the one or two "special" courses that have been the mainstay of current multicultural counselor education (Midgette & Meggert, 1991). It is time for counselor educators to actualize their commitment to diversity by reimagining counselor education through a "programmatic approach involving a concerted faculty and student effort to become culturally aware, knowledgeable and skilled" (Hartung, 1996, p. 11). Programs that do not actualize this commitment risk irrelevance and court potential harm to counseling's diverse client base.
Various authors have described the elements of what might be entailed in a reimagining process for academic programs. However, to date, we have not found a template for the comprehensive and systemic overhaul of an entire academic department such that diversity is a core value in all policies and practices. D'Andrea and Daniels (1991) presented four stages in the process of moving counselor training programs from cultural encapsulation to a conscientious level. The final stage of development, which describes the goal of the Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and School Psychology at Auburn University, is typified by the infusion of diversity competence through all aspects of the program. When we began our systemic reimagining, neither Ponterotto and Alexander's (1995) checklist to guide comprehensive multicultural counseling program development; Rogers, Hoffman, and Wade's (1998) characteristics of notable multicultural training programs; nor Green's (1998) guidelines for multicultural transformation were available. All of these systems, however, are clearly reflected in our efforts. In particular, the characteristics of notable programs (Rogers et al., 1998; e.g., critical mass of minority faculty, incorporation of multicultural perspectives in the curriculum, strong institutional support for multicultural initiatives, and recruitment and retention of racial and ethnic minority students) are in keeping with the goals of the department's change processes. We also addressed issues found in the Ponterotto and Alexander checklist, for example, research considerations, evaluation of student and faculty competency, and the physical environment of the department.
Beginning in 1995, the faculty, students, and staff of Auburn University's Department of Counselor Education, Counseling Psychology and School Psychology began the process of moving beyond statements of valuing diversity and the one course, one instructor approach to diversity education to operationalize a commitment to diversity as a core value in all of department programs and related activities. The plan was to emerge from this process with a comprehensive and systemic reimagining of all aspects of the department. Rogers et al.'s (1998) definition of multicultural competency as "translating knowledge and self-awareness of multicultural issues into practice" (p. 224) describes the organizing principle for this reimagining.
A central tenet of our process of reimagining was that the efforts be inclusive. Faculty were involved with decisions that called for faculty insight. When information and guidance from students was needed, we conducted a needs assessment survey and student-led needs assessment focus groups. Staff participated in the efforts to create a diversity-sensitive environment. An ongoing faculty-student diversity committee gathered information that contributed to change efforts and recommended several policies and procedures. It was also important for the reimagining processes to be transparent. Students, faculty, and staff of the department were kept apprised of the efforts of those who were more centrally involved. The dean, provost, director of multicultural affairs, and president were all informed as we engaged in this process and when certain outcomes (e.g., curricular realignment) had been achieved. No additional financial resources were requested to support this effort. Because this process of reimagining was an important goal for the counselor education department, internal resources were reallocated strategically to support the work. All faculty were involved and supportive of the effort.
In this article, we describe the processes and outcomes of reimagining that affected 11 faculty and 75 students in our counselor education doctoral program and community agency and school counseling master's-degree programs. (Reimagining of our counseling psychology and school psychology programs was...
|
