About Us
As society has become more complex and the tasks of living more demanding, people in need of assistance have come to rely upon trained specialists who are better able to facilitate the search for self-sufficiency. The complex stresses of today demand that helpers be specialized and highly trained.
The Department of Counseling teaches the skills necessary for the professional practice of counseling and student personnel work. With our emphasis on the personal growth of the trainee, we encourage each student to develop attitudes, values, and beliefs that will enhance and facilitate the helping process. Our program also facilitates the conceptualization of a professional role, which is not only relevant for the present, but also flexible enough to grow as new knowledge and developments occur.
Graduates of our program have successfully obtained positions in elementary and secondary schools as well as in major universities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and other locations throughout the United States. Other graduates work in community mental health agencies, group homes, service agencies, hospitals, and crisis units.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Department of Counseling and College Student Personnel, as an entity of Shippensburg University, its Graduate School, and the College of Education, is to develop students’ academic and personal potential through a comprehensive counselor education program for graduate counseling and college student personnel students and through multi-faceted counseling services for all university students.
The Department’s mission integrates the principles of a meaningful learning environment, professionalism, and individual responsibility. It strives to be a respected leader in the promotion of dignity, acceptance, and collaboration within the Shippensburg University campus environment.
Specifically, it seeks to graduate highly skilled practitioners in counseling and college student personnel by utilizing experiential learning opportunities in an atmosphere of intellectual, investigative, and creative scholarly curiosity. The Department nurtures students to become congruent lifelong learners, noble practitioners, and leaders in their profession. Through authentic relationships with invested faculty who model intentional practice based firmly in theory and cultural advocacy, students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be purposeful, effective practitioners with a strong sense of personal and professional identity. The Department is committed to providing quality counseling, psychological services, outreach, and training in a welcoming environment that embraces diversity and high ethical standards. It strives to facilitate the optimal growth and achievement potential, as well as the emotional and behavioral health, of the students, faculty, and staff members of the campus community.
