Commitment to Established Principles and Guidelines Regarding Use of Paraprofessionals

Spring
2010
Resolution Number
08.01
 
Assigned to
President
Category
Counseling
Status
Completed
Status Report

We have done the first two resolved clauses repeatedly. I do not know that the briefing document was ever created.

Whereas, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges has adopted numerous resolutions which addressed the distinction between counseling faculty and paraprofessionals (including 8.01 S98; 8.02 S99; 8.01 S01), beginning with Resolution 15.1 F93, which affirmed the distinct professional role and function of counseling faculty, who meet minimum qualifications leading to counseling knowledge, competencies, and skills, and affirmed that the role and function of counseling faculty is distinct from paraprofessionals;

Whereas, In an effort to continue to emphasize the unique professional role and function of counseling faculty, the Academic Senate, in Fall 1994 (Resolution 8.01), adopted the paper The Role of Counseling Faculty in the California Community Colleges (January 1995), which affirmed the relationship of counseling to “student success and preparation” and again noted the distinction between counseling faculty and paraprofessionals, as well as citing specific functions for which paraprofessionals appropriately could be assigned;

Whereas, In an effort to set forth specific standards for how counseling roles should be performed, the Academic Senate, in Spring 1997 (Resolution 8.01), adopted the paper Standards and Practice of California Community Counseling Faculty and Programs (Spring 1997; revised Fall 2008) and further adopted revisions and updates to the paper in Fall 2008 (Resolution 8.01), which delineated the “core functions” of counseling faculty to include academic counseling, career counseling, personal counseling, crisis intervention, outreach, and efforts to constantly improve counseling programs and services; and

Whereas, Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges (Center for Student Success, 2007) stressed the role of counseling as a necessary program component (B.3) for the success of basic skills students, such that “Counseling support provided [be] substantial, accessible, and integrated with academic courses/programs” (p. 28), and the Academic Senate in Spring 2009 (Resolution 9.08) acknowledged and approved the effective practices in the basic skills document;

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges strongly encourage institutions to adhere to the research principles and guidelines set forth in the The Role of Counseling Faculty in the California Community Colleges, Standards and Practice of California Community Counseling Faculty and Programs, and Basic Skills as a Foundation for Student Success in California Community Colleges regarding the professional role, function, and purpose of counseling;

Resolved, The Academic Senate for California Community Colleges urge college administrators not to substitute paraprofessionals for experienced, trained counseling faculty and in so doing disregard the knowledge, competencies, and skills that professional counseling faculty provide to ensure student success; and

Resolved, That the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges prepare a one page briefing document that defines and clarifies the role of paraprofessionals and faculty counselors providing these services, summarizing relevant points, and make this document available for distribution to policy makers and other interested parties.

MSC Disposition: Local Senates