Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Requirements for School Counseling Program

The portfolio is an organized, structured exhibit of the competencies students develop through the counseling program at Shippensburg University.  The portfolio provides a history of the progress on the essential learning in the program and it helps students integrate the various component parts of the counseling curriculum.  Upon the completion of the program students may find the portfolio to be particularly useful in job interview situations.  It is recommended that students indicate at the close of their resume that “Portfolio and References are available upon request.”  The portfolio can be a helpful resource to young professionals in their entry year experiences as a new counselor.  The criteria listed below may be helpful as students develop their portfolio that tells who they are as a professional.

The first review of the portfolio will take place at the time of candidacy.  The granting of candidacy will not occur until all of the portfolio requirements as outlined below are met.  The final review of the portfolio will take place during Field II.  A passing grade will not be granted in Field II until all of the portfolio requirements as outlined are met.

I. CONTENTS

College Student Personnel Candidacy Portfolio Requirements

All students admitted in the Fall 1996 or later will be required to create and maintain portfolios and present them at candidacy.  A portfolio is an assessment tool that contains a collection of a student’s work spanning their counseling program at Shippensburg University.  Portfolios should be constantly updated with more recent and advanced work to adequately demonstrate both the academic and practical skills he or she has mastered.

The portfolio as an assessment tool will begin in the Introduction to Personnel course.  At the time of candidacy the portfolio will be assessed.  Lastly the portfolio will be assessed at the completion of the Student Personnel in Higher Education course.  In addition to portfolios being used as an assessment tool by department faculty, students may utilize the portfolio to demonstrate to prospective employers their skills, accomplishments, and foundations that guide their practice.  The purpose is to assess the breadth and depth of knowledge accumulated and the ability to apply knowledge to student affairs practice.

The nature of the portfolio is that it is not completed once and then forgotten.  Portfolios are a “work in progress.”  They may be turned into the advisor or course instructor several times until the portfolio meets the expectations of the evaluator.

Contents and criteria of the portfolio are addressed below:

I. Contents

  1. A. Introduction Course
    1. Updated resume
    2. Personal Point of View (philosophy) Statement
      (see course syllabus for details of these assignments)
  2. Candidacy
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Updated Resume
    3. Personal Point of View (philosophy) Statement
    4. Statement of short, medium, and long range goals.  These statements should be a clear yet concise statement including the student’s plan of work to complete the program, goals for after completing the program and plans to meet those goals, and goals for five to ten years after completion of the program and plans for achieving those goals.
    5. Bibliography or annotated bibliography.  This should be a list of resources, books, and materials of works that have influenced the academic work and practice of the student.
    6. Progress report on Research Project.  Include research topic, proposal if applicable, methodology, and timeline.

    These will be presented to the College Counseling/Student Personnel faculty team.

  3. Student Personnel Work in Higher Education
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Current resume
    3. Personal Point of View Statement
    4. Statement of medium and long range goals
    5. Bibliography or annotated bibliography
    6. Annotated Bibliography of Professional Experiences. This should include a list of conferences, workshops, and other non-classroom activities attended that promoted professional development.  Also list here graduate course work taken during the program.
    7. Include samples of course and field work that demonstrate knowledge, skills, and beliefs of student affairs practice.  This could include corrected, clean copies of class papers and assignments.  Also include completed research project.  More over, consider including favorable unsolicited comments about your work by professors, supervisors, or students.
    8. Overall the portfolio should provide evidence of expected learning outcomes distributed at Orientation.

II.  Criteria

  1. A. Organization and Appearance
    1. Materials for the portfolio must be attractively presented and easily accessible in a binder or case.
    2. Materials should be organized in a logical fashion (i.e., chronologically or by theme).
    3. All materials must be neat, legible, and error free.
    4. All papers should be written according to the APA style manual.
    5. Entries must illustrate unique aspects of the student.

Revised 9/2001

College Counseling Candidacy Portfolio Requirements

A portfolio is an assessment tool which contains a collection of students’ work spanning their counseling program at Shippensburg University.  Portfolios should be constantly updated with more recent and advanced work to adequately demonstrate both the academic and practical skills that have been mastered.

The portfolio as an assessment tool will begin in the Introduction to Student Personnel course.  At the time of candidacy, the portfolio will be assessed again.  In addition to portfolios being used as an assessment tool by department faculty, students may use the portfolio to demonstrate to prospective employers their skills and accomplishments that guide their practice.

The nature of the portfolio is that it is not completed once and then forgotten.  Portfolios are a “work in progress.”  They may be turned into the advisor or course instructor several times until the portfolio meets the expectations of the evaluator.

Contents and criteria of the portfolio are addressed below:

I. Contents

  1. Introduction to Student Personnel course
    1. Updated resume
    2. Personal Point of View Statement
      (What is your personal philosophy of helping?)
  2. Candidacy
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Updated Resume including goal statement
    3. Personal Point of View Statement
    4. Tape of client to be viewed by the College Counseling/Student Personnel Team.  (See Tape Critique Form.)  You should present a session transcript using a 10 minute section of the tape and the following format.
Client Statement Counselor Statement What was going on that wasn’t said? What would you say now?
       

II. Criteria

  1. Organization and Appearance
    1. Materials for the portfolio must be attractively presented and easily accessible in a binder or case.
    2. Materials should be organized in a logical fashion (i.e., chronologically or by theme).
    3. Materials must be neat, legible, and error free.
    4. Papers should be written according to the APA style manual.

Revised 1/2003

Portfolio Requirements for Community & Mental Health Counseling Programs

The portfolio is an organized, structured exhibit of the clinical competencies students develop through the initial phase of the counseling program at Shippensburg University.  The portfolio provides a way of summarizing the essential learning in the program and it helps students integrate the various component parts of the introductory counseling curriculum.  The criteria listed below may be helpful as students develop their portfolio that tells who they are as a professional.

The review of the portfolio will take place at the time of candidacy during Practicum.  The granting of candidacy will not occur until all of the portfolio requirements as outlined below are met.

The portfolio will include:

I. A Resume (in progress)
Minimally include:
-A statement of professional goal
-A listing of your educational and professional employment
-A listing of professional experiences (e.g., workshops, lectures, conferences presented or attended)
-Membership in professional organizations
-A list of clinical references who can attest to your potential as a community or mental health counselor
The Community/Mental Health faculty members will review your resume and provide feedback and suggestions.  While we are not asking you to list courses you have completed, be prepared to discuss what you learned in each course and particularly, how what you learned might apply to your counseling with clients and/or your growth as a counselor.
II.  A Description of your Practicum Site and Experiences
Provide information about your Practicum site, your supervision, the clientele you have been working with (e.g., diagnoses and issues you have been working with), treatment modalities employed (e.g., inidual, group), and professional activities (e.g., treatment team meetings, consultation, mental health consultation and education).
III.     A statement of Your Philosophy of Helping or Your Theoretical Orientation
This statement is to be a statement that could be given to clients in an agency setting in an Informed Consent document describing how you think about the counseling process and how you work with clients.  Include key concepts, the counseling relationship, goals, techniques, and desired outcome.
The Community/Mental Health faculty members will review this statement for content and consistency with your demonstrated work with clients in your Practicum.

IV.       An Assessment of your Unique Strengths and Vulnerabilities as a Counselor

The Community/Mental Health Counseling faculty members will review these strengths and vulnerabilities and their congruence with our observations and those of your site supervisor.

V. An Audio or Videotape and Critique of an Actual Client Session

Select one of the inidual client sessions from your Practicum and choose approximately 10 minutes of that session to demonstrate your work with a client.  You may choose a section to demonstrate your typical way of working with clients or to demonstrate your theoretical orientation.  Consult the Tape Critique Form, which should accompany the submission of the audioor videotape.
The Community/Mental Health Counseling faculty members will listen to the taped selection with the student during the candidacy interview.  Be prepared to discuss such issues as your clinical impressions of the client, your counseling goals and objectives, and transference and countertransference issues.
VI.     Submission of previously graded work. Students will submit two original graded papers
which challenges them to grow both personally and professionally.

Section I-IV must be provided to the Community/Mental Health Counseling Practicum instructor at least two (2) weeks prior to the candidacy interview for review.We will return your materials to you at the end of the interview.  The faculty members will meet and make a decision regarding your candidacy within two weeks of your interview.  We will make a recommendation to the entire Department of Counseling faculty at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting at which time a vote will be taken on whether or not candidacy should be granted.  At that meeting, faculty members will have input into this decision based on their interactions with you.  The Department will send you a letter informing you of the decision.