Graduate Studies in Counseling
Program Evaluation Report
2013-2014 Academic Year
Graduate Department of Psychology and Counseling
Lipscomb University
One University Park Drive
Nashville, TN 37024-3951
1-800-333-4358 x5906
615-966-5906
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Table of Contents
Description of Program, Faculty and Curriculum
Mission Statement and Program Goals
Program Goals
Program Objectives
Program Description
Program Faculty
Curriculum
Courses
Systematic Plan for Program Evaluation
Accreditation Standards
Philosophy of Program Evaluation
Eight-Point Student, Faculty and Program Evaluation Plan
Application and Interview
New Student Orientation
First Semester
Pre-Practicum Semesters
Application to Candidacy
Clinical Semesters
Final Semester
Alumni
Meeting Program Goals and Objectives Through the Eight Point Assessment Plan
Program Goals
Program Objectives
Program Evaluation Calendar
Program Evaluation Responsibility Assignments
Internal Evaluation of Students
Description of Data Collection Procedure Pre-Admission
Review of Applicants
Description of Data Collection Procedure
Skills Course Evaluation
Progress Review Committee (PRC) Evaluation
Grades for Each Course
Student Candidacy Review
Clinical End of Semester Reviews
Final Student Review
Remediation and Gatekeeping for the Profession
Internal Program Evaluation of Students Review
Strengths
Areas to Improve
Internal Program Evaluation of Faculty and Program
Description of Data Collection Procedure
New Student Orientation Feedback
Course Evaluations
Mid-Program Evaluation
Practicum Orientation Evaluation
Group Supervisor Evaluation
Student Site and Site Supervisor Evaluations
Exit Interview
Final Program Evaluation
Internal Program Evaluation of Faculty and Program Review
Strengths
Areas to Improve
External Evaluation of Program and Students
Description of Data Collection Procedure
Site Supervisor Mid-Semester and End of Semester Evaluations
Site Supervisor Program Evaluations
CPCE Exam
Alumni Survey
Employer Survey
External Evaluation of Program and Students Review
Strengths
Areas to Improve
Program Modifications based on Review Data
Overall Program Strengths
Internal Evaluation of Students
Internal Evaluation of Program and Faculty
External Evaluation of the Program and Students
Strengths Indicated from All Internal and External Evaluations
Overall Program Areas to Improve
Internal Evaluation of Students
Internal Evaluation of Program and Faculty
External Evaluation of Program and Students
Areas to Improve Indicated by Internal and External Evaluations
Questions to Consider
Plan to Address Challenges
Conclusion
Table of Figures
Figure 1: Graduate Studies in Counseling within the College of Arts and Sciences
Figure 2: Diagram of Program Philosophy
Figure 3: Eight-Point Student, Faculty, and Program Evaluation
Figure 4: Internal and External Program Evaluation Assessments
Figure 5: Matching Assessments with Program Goals and Objectives
Figure 6: Program Evaluation Calendar
Figure 7: Assessment of Students and Philosophy of Program Evaluation
Figure 8: External Evaluations and Philosophy of Program Evaluation
Figure 9: Philosophy of Program Assessment with Strengths and Areas to Improve
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Description of Program, Faculty and Curriculum
Mission Statement and Program Goals
The mission for the Lipscomb University Graduate Studies in Counseling program is to provide an educational environment characterized by academic excellence and Christian faith, where counseling students are prepared to become competent, confidant, committed and caring professional mental health counselors. See Figure 1.
Figure 1: The Four C's of our Mission
Program Goals
The Graduate Studies in Counseling program promotes the following goals:
- To attract and develop a high quality, diverse student body.
- To increase student knowledge in the field of professional counseling.
- To facilitate competence in the practice of professional counseling.
- To serve and improve the quality of life in the local, state, national, and international community.
- To encourage an understanding and commitment to the scientist practitioner model.
- To facilitate an understanding of the individual characteristics that each student brings to the counseling process.
Program Objectives
The Graduate Studies in Counseling program promotes the following objectives:
- To gain knowledge of the counseling profession and other related helping professionals.
- To gain knowledge of and become accountable to the ACA Professional Code of Ethics.
- To gain knowledge and competence in serving and advocating for culturally diverse populations, including assessment, treatment planning, treatment, and outcome evaluation.
- To gain knowledge of eight core knowledge areas: professional orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, helping relationships, group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation.
- To gain knowledge of a wellness model of mental health.
- To gain knowledge in the foundations of research and inquiry.
Program Description
The Graduate Studies in Counseling program is housed in the College of Arts and Sciences. The department of Psychology and Counseling is part of the School of Communications and Social Sciences within that college. Our department includes programs in Undergraduate Psychology, Graduate Studies in Psychology, Graduate Studies in Counseling and Marriage and Family. See Figure 2.
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Figure 2: Graduate Studies in Counseling within the College of Arts and Sciences
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Program Faculty
Faculty
Our departmental faculty consists of full-time and part-time professors representing the areas of professional counseling, marriage and family therapy, and the fields of clinical, experimental, neuroscience, developmental and cognitive psychology. We supplement this group with excellent part-time faculty members who are experts in their fields. For further information about each faculty member, visit our website.
Core Faculty
Jake Morris, B.A., M.Ed., Ph.D. (University of Mississippi), LPC, Director of Graduate Studies in Psychology and Counseling, Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Melanie H. Morris. B.S. (Lipscomb University), M.S., Ph.D. (University of Mississippi), Licensed Psychologist, HSP, Clinical Director of Graduate Studies in Professional Counseling, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Shanna D. Ray, B.S. (Lipscomb University), M.S. (Middle Tennessee State University), M.S., Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University), Department Chair of Graduate Studies in Psychology and Counseling, Thesis Coordinator, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Paul E. Turner, A.A. (Faulkner University), B.S. (Auburn University), M.A. (Southern Christian University), M.S. (University of Western Kentucky), M.A. (University of Southern Mississippi), Ph.D. (University of Southern Mississippi), Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Roy W. Hamley, B.S. (Tennessee State University), M.S. (Middle Tennessee State University), Ed.D. (Tennessee State University), LPC, Professor of Psychology and Counseling
J. Dale Alden III, B.S. (Freed Hardeman University), M.S. (Abilene Christian University), Ph.D. (Virginia Polytechnic University), Internship/Residency, (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine), Licensed Psychologist, HSP, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Christopher J. Gonzalez, B.A. (Harding University), M.M.F.T. (Abilene Christian University), Ph.D. (University of Minnesota), LMFT, Associate Professor of Psychology and Counseling
Douglas Ribeiro, B.S., M.S. (Freed Hardeman University), Ph.D. (Georgia State University), Assistant Professor ofPsychology and Counseling
Denis’ Thomas, B.A. (Abilene Christian University), M.Ed. (Middle Tennessee State University), Ph.D. (University of Tennessee),NCC,Coordinator of Play Therapy Specialization, Assistant Professor ofPsychology and Counseling
Curriculum
The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling offers a 61-hour curriculum designed to meet the academic and graduate clinical experiences required for licensure as a Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC-MHSP) in the State of Tennessee (TN). This credential allows students to provide counseling services in a variety of settings as outlined by the State Board of Certification for Professional Counselors and Marital and Family Therapists and Clinical Pastoral Therapists. For detailed information about this licensure, see the rules of the State Board of Certification for Professional Counselors and Marital and Family Therapists and Clinical Pastoral Therapists. Our program’s emphasis on faith integration is especially helpful for those who wish to practice in faith-related settings (although students are not limited to only these settings). Graduation from the Counseling Program requires the following completed steps:
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Successful completion of Plan of Study (POS)
- Successful completion of the Progress Review process
- Approval for Candidacy
- Successful completion of Clinical Experiences
- Successful completion of Coursework including Capstone and comprehensive exam
- Completion of Application for Graduation and completing all required paperwork
- Recommendation of the Graduate Studies in Counseling faculty
Courses
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Core Courses (46 Hours)
COUN 5103Theories of Counseling and Personality
COUN 5113Introduction to Clinical Mental Health
COUN 5203Introduction to Psychopathology and Adaptive Behavior
COUN 5303Lifespan Development
COUN 5603Research Methods and Statistics
COUN 5703Ethics and Professional Issues in Counseling
COUN 5803Integration of Psychology and Christianity Seminar
COUN 5903Introduction to Counseling Skills
COUN 6053Multicultural Issues in Counseling
COUN 6103Group Dynamics and Group Counseling
COUN 6253Career Counseling
COUN 6303 Substance Abuse Counseling
COUN 6603Advanced Psychopathology
COUN 6653Assessment Techniques
COUN 6703Effective Counseling and Treatment Planning
COUN 6951Capstone Seminar in Counseling
Clinical Experience Courses (9 Hours)
COUN 6803Practicum
COUN 6853Internship I
COUN 6903Internship II
COUN 6910Internship Continuation (if needed)
Elective Courses (select 9 Hours)
COUN 5003Surveyof Psychology (for students who did not major in psychology)
COUN 6003Grief and Crisis Counseling
COUN 6153Marriage and Family Counseling
COUN 6203Child and Adolescent Counseling
COUN 6353Addictive Disorders
COUN 6403Psychopharmacology
COUN 6453Gerontology
COUN 6503Human Sexuality
PSG 6553Psychology of Religion and Spirituality
COUN 675VPsychological/Counseling Topics
COUN 675VIntroduction to Play Therapy
COUN 675VAdvanced Play Therapy and Expressive Arts
PSG 6933Thesis I
PSG 6943Thesis II
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Systematic Plan for Program Evaluation
Accreditation Standards
The primary accrediting body for the counseling programs is the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The 2009 CACREP standards and policies are guidelines for the plan for program evaluation for the Graduate Studies in Counseling program at Lipscomb University. The following sections are excerpted from these standards, which can be found in their entirety here,and guided our comprehensive program evaluation plan, including internal evaluation of students, internal evaluation of the program and faculty, and external evaluation of students and program.
Section I: THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: STRUCTURE AND EVALUATION
THE ACADEMIC UNIT(CACREP, 2009, p. 5).
P. The program faculty conducts a systematic developmental assessment of each student’s progress throughout the program, including consideration of the student’s academic performance, professional development, and personal development. Consistent with established institutional due process policy and the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) code of ethics and other relevant codes of ethics and standards of practice, if evaluations indicate that a student is not appropriate for the program, faculty members help facilitate the student’s transition out of the program and, if possible, into a more appropriate area of study.
EVALUATION (CACREP, 2009, p. 8)
AA. Program faculty members engage in continuous systematic program evaluation indicating how the mission, objectives, and student learning outcomes are measured and met. The plan includes the following:
- A review by program faculty of programs, curricular offerings, and characteristics of program applicants.
- Formal follow-up studies of program graduates to assess graduate perceptions and evaluations of major aspects of the program.
- Formal studies of site supervisors and program graduate employers that assess their perceptions and evaluations of major aspects of the program.
- Assessment of student learning and performance on professional identity, professional practice, and program area standards.
- Evidence of the use of findings to inform program modifications.
- Distribution of an official report that documents outcomes of the systematic program evaluation, with descriptions of any program modifications, to students currently in the program, program faculty, institutional administrators, personnel in cooperating agencies (e.g., employers, site supervisors), and the public.
BB. Students have regular and systematic opportunities to formally evaluate faculty who provide curricular experiences and supervisors of clinical experiences.
CC. Annual results of student course evaluations are provided to faculty.
DD. Written faculty evaluation procedures are presented to program faculty and supervisors at the beginning of each evaluation period and whenever changes are made in the procedures.
Philosophy of Program Evaluation
The philosophical approach that guided our plan for program evaluation was to integrate three areas to create a comprehensive plan to uphold 1) the standards of the profession, 2) Lipscomb University’s ideals, and 3) student growth. The mission for the Lipscomb University Graduate Studies in Counseling is to provide an educational environment characterized by academic excellence and Christian faith. Counseling students are prepared to become competent, confident, committed and caring (the 4 C’s) professional mental health counselors in eight core areas of knowledge: professional orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, helping relationships, group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation. This takes place both inside and outside of the classroom and is characterized by academic, professional, and personal growth. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: Diagram of Program Philosophy
Student Learning Objectives
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Lipscomb University used our program philosophy to develop 15 student learning outcomes.
Educational Environment of Academic Excellence and Christian Faith
A.1.Students are prepared to become competent professional mental health counselors.
A.2. Students are prepared to become confidantprofessional mental health counselors.
A.3.Students are prepared to become committedprofessional mental health counselors.
A.4.Students are prepared to become caring professional mental health counselors.
Core Areas of Knowledge
B.1.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in professional orientation and ethical practice.
B.2. Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in social and cultural diversity.
B.3.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in human growth and development.
B.4.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in career development.
B.5.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in helping relationships.
B.6.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in group work.
B.7.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in assessment.
B.8.Students gain academic and practitioner knowledge in research and program evaluation.
Student Growth
C.1.Students grow in academic knowledge of the counseling profession.
C.2.Students develop a professional counseling identity through involvement in local, state and national professional organizations.
C.3.Students experience personal growth including awareness of personal issues, potential biases, identification of a personal counseling theory, and strengths.
In order to monitor our effectiveness as a training program, we have implemented a comprehensive plan to provide continuous and systematic data that we review, consider, and evaluate to determine our areas of strength and address areas that could be improved. We believe this on-going process is critical in improving our program to meet the needs of a changing culture and profession.
The program is based on data collected at eight key points, structured around a student’s progress through the program: the application stage, orientation to the program, first semester, each pre-practicum semester, application to candidacy, each clinical semester, the last semester, and as alumni. Our system for program evaluation contains 26 different assessments, around 90 assessments during a typical student’s program cycle, and thousands of data points. We sought data from faculty, students, clinical site supervisors,alumni, employersof graduates, and an outside standardized test. See Figure 4.
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Systematic Student, Faculty and Program Evaluation
Figure 4: Eight-Point Student, Faculty, and Program Evaluation
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Eight-Point Student, Faculty and Program Evaluation Plan
The program evaluation plan for the Graduate Studies in Counseling Program revolved around three areas: eight evaluations of students within the program, twelveevaluations of the program within the program, and six evaluations of students and the program from external sources. See Figure 5. Some assessments were used multiple times during the program cycle. See Figure 4.
Figure 5: Internal and External Program Evaluation Assessments
Application and Interview
The first point of data collection for evaluating the program comes from information provided by potential students from applications to the program as well as assessment data from the interview process. This includes self-reported information on ethnicity, faith and gender, undergraduate GPA, and GRE scores. Also, during the summer semester we conductthe annual stakeholderreview of the program and each faculty member is evaluated.Since this conceptually gives us a starting point for the next academic year, we have placed those here.
New Student Orientation
For each new cohort admitted to the program, we hold an orientation early in the first semester. During the orientation, we distribute the counseling handbook and other materials, give an overview of the curriculum, and outline the clinical experiences and expectations. Students are asked to provide feedback on the orientation to help us make it more beneficial as the final agenda item for the orientation meeting.
First Semester
During the first semester, we conduct three internal evaluations of students and one student evaluation of faculty and facilities. The first semester in the program provides an important time for faculty to begin evaluating student skills, character, and grades and address any areas of deficiency that are identified. Since all first semester students are required to take the Introduction to Counseling Skills course, we conduct a skills evaluation for students in that course. The Progress Review Committee meets at the conclusion of eachsemester to review student dispositions, grades and any faculty concerns for each pre-candidacy student. Students provide feedback about faculty and facilities through course evaluations.
Pre-Practicum Semesters
For each semester between the first semester and Practicum, students are evaluated through grades. As with every semester, any concerns with student behavior, grades, or dispositions are discussed by the Progress Review Committee. Many students opt to go on an international service trip before clinical work begins, so we have added that opportunity for feedback here although students may opt to go during their clinical semesters as well. Students provide feedback through course evaluations.
Application to Candidacy
All students formally apply for candidacy. The candidacy application form verifies that students have: rectified any undergraduate deficiencies; completed at least 12 hours of graduate work, including a minimum of four core classes; maintained a 3.0 GPA; received successful reviews by the departmental Performance Review Committee; and earned successful evaluations on the Professional Performance Review forms during the first two semesters. Students also complete a mid-program evaluation at the practicum orientation meeting, which falls at about this time in the program cycle.