University of Minnesota
Counseling & Consulting Services
Office for Student Affairs
Annual Report
2007-2008 Academic Year
109 Eddy Hall
199 Coffey Hall
Introductory Comments
“Student success is a product of thousands of small gestures extended on a
daily basis by caring, supportive educators sprinkled throughout the institution
who enact a talent- development philosophy.”
I was struck by this statement from George Kuh’s keynote address at the
University’s 2008 Focusing on the First Year Conference. Rarely a single
moment of deep insight or ingenious problem-solving, counseling is more often a
process of many “small gestures” offered to students to help them find the talents
and gifts within themselves.
Throughout the 2007-2008 academic year the staff at UCCS offered many small
gestures of support, care and service to a wide range of students, from a first year
student overwhelmed by homesickness to a graduate student struggling to
complete a doctoral dissertation, a sophomore attempting to get off of academic
probation to a senior fighting depression, a class of students hearing about
effective study skills to a student seeking testing to advance in a career. The
overwhelmingly positive feedback from students about the quality and
effectiveness of UCCS services suggest that these many small gestures do make a
significant, positive difference in the personal and academic lives of the students
we serve.
In addition to these many small gestures, UCCS staff has contributed to a range of
University-wide efforts including participation on the Provost’s Mental Health
Committee, the Office for Student Affairs Strategic Planning initiatives, the
Behavioral Consultation Team and the University/Community Response Team.
I continue to have a sense of pride and accomplishment when I think of the
significant contributions by UCCS staff to the success of University of Minnesota
students and the University as a whole. This report is a snapshot of that effort.
That snapshot by nature contains numbers, graphs, percentages. But behind these
statistics lie human experience: feelings of success when grades improve, relief
when depression fades, pride when obstacles to success are overcome. My hope
is that this report communicates to the University and greater communities the
dedication, effort and accomplishments of an organization I feel honored to lead.
Glenn Hirsch, Ph.D., L.P.
Interim Director
University Counseling & Consulting Services
UCCS Annual Report 2
The Mission of University Counseling
& Consulting Services
University Counseling & Consulting Services (UCCS), a unit of the Office for
Student Affairs, supports the teaching, research, and outreach/service missions of
the University of Minnesota by offering comprehensive, accessible, flexiblydelivered counseling, consultation, instruction, and testing services within the
University and to the Minnesota educational community.
As a unit of the Office for Student Affairs, UCCS contributes to the
comprehensive education of students, the protection of human rights, and the
enhancement of University programs, services, and organizational units. UCCS
furthers the disciplines it represents through leadership in appropriate professional
organizations and scholarly contributions.
UCCS is committed to meeting the diverse and changing needs of multiple
populations while nurturing and supporting the professional growth and ethical
conduct of staff; engaging in innovative program development and management;
and participating in the University governance system.
UCCS Programs and Services
Individual Counseling
*Career *Academic Skills*Personal Concerns*Crisis*
Group Counseling
Student Academic Success Services
Outreach & Consultation
Professional Psychology Training Program
Testing Center
UCCS Annual Report 3
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
*CAREER *ACADEMIC SKILLS*
*PERSONAL CONCERNS*CRISIS*
The goal of the UCCS counseling program is to facilitate academic effectiveness
and personal development by helping students address academic, relationship,
personal and career concerns. Individual counseling uses a brief, focused model
to help students identify areas for improvement, set goals for change, and achieve
these goals within a specific time period.
“Counseling has really helped me get through some tough issues,
even though I still have a long way to go.” Client
Service Provided
Number of students served
(9% increase over 06-07 academic year)
1438
Number of individual counseling sessions given
(2% increase over 06-07 academic year)
5591
Most Frequent presenting concerns
 Depression
 Relationship problems
 Academic difficulties
 Difficulties choosing a major or career direction
 Interpersonal skills
“The most helpful thing my counselor did was help me to realize
that life is still good beyond temporary setbacks . . . that was
indeed a starting point of healing and recovery. Client
Number of students seen for immediate crisis counseling
(4% increase over the previous year)
Most frequent presenting concerns for crisis counseling
 Suicidal feelings
 Severe anxiety
 Health crisis
 Sexual assault
 Family/relationship crises
 Immediate academic stress
UCCS Annual Report 4
314
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
*CAREER * ACADEMIC SKILLS *
*PERSONAL CONCERNS * CRISIS*
Demand for UCCS Counseling
Number of Students
Served in Counseling
Programs
1450
1400
1350
1300
1250
1200
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
Academ ic Year
Students Served
Percent of counseling clients reporting an
ethnic/cultural heritage other than
European-American
23%
Percent of counseling clients identifying themselves
as international students (47 different countries or
ethnic heritages represented)
4.2%
Number of different University colleges and academic program
affiliations across counseling clients.
23
“My counselor made me feel comfortable enough to open up and share feelings
of inadequacy, fear, etc.” Client
UCCS Annual Report 5
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
*CAREER * ACADEMIC SKILLS *
*PERSONAL CONCERNS * CRISIS*
O
th
er
e
G
ra
du
at
Se
ni
or
Ju
ni
or
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Fr
es
hm
an
So
ph
om
or
e
Percent of Total
Counseling Clients
UCCS Counseling Clients by Year in
School, 2007-2008 Academic Year
Year in School
Student Evaluation of Service—Individual Counseling
Students responding to questions on a Client Opinion Survey expressed a
high degree of client satisfaction with UCCS services and positive effects of
counseling on student life:
91% reported achieving some or all of their counseling goals;
68% reported relations with others improved a lot or some as a
result of counseling
64% positive impact on confidence or self-esteem
59% positive impact on life as a student
59% positive impact on academic work
33% positive impact on plans to continue enrollment at the U
98% of clients surveyed reported having very favorable or
favorable appraisal of UCCS
87% reported working exceptionally well or very well with their
counselors
UCCS Annual Report 6
INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING
*CAREER * ACADEMIC SKILLS *
*PERSONAL CONCERNS * CRISIS*
“Thank you for running a service that effectively assists so many
students! Client
Students reported that their experience in counseling supported many of the
Office for Student Affairs Student Learning Objectives:
Percent of surveyed students responding with Helpful or Very Helpful to the
question “Please tell us how much your counseling experience has helped you
to…”
Learn to be more intentional in the choices you make 71%
More inclined to seek help from others 72%
Set and strive to achieve personal goals 68%
Have self-confidence and assess personal strengths 66%
Recover from disappointment and continue working towards goals 62%
Appreciate different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives 36%
Help you cope with complications and uncertainties of life 62%
UCCS Annual Report 7
GROUP COUNSELING
Counseling groups offer unique opportunities to increase self-awareness, try out
new behaviors, and receive support from peers. Group counseling can be
particularly beneficial for students who feel isolated, depressed or anxious, or
who are concerned about how they relate to other people.
Number of Groups
Offered
UCCS Support/Counseling Groups
Offered
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
Academic Year
Service Provided
Number of counseling and support groups and workshops conducted
Student contact hours in groups/workshops
(slight increase over last year)
Number of students who participated in groups/workshops.
UCCS Annual Report 8
38
2,227
176
GROUP COUNSELING
UCCS Groups Program Contact Hours
Total Yearly Contact
Hours
2250
2200
2150
2100
2050
2000
1950
1900
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007-2008
Academ ic Year
Number of Dissertation and Thesis Support Groups offered
(We ran six sections in each of three semesters.)
Number of students in Dissertation/Thesis Support Groups who
successfully defended in the 2007-2008 academic year
18
9
Student Evaluation of Service—Groups
Participants evaluated UCCS groups positively again this year. Group members
most often strongly agreed that their group experience had contributed to their
greater comfort at the University and had helped them to become more successful
students.
“It really helped me put my problems and issues into perspective.
And, it gave me valuable insight into myself.” Personal
Counseling Group Participant
UCCS Annual Report 9
GROUP COUNSELING
Sample Participant Evaluation Ratings Across All 2007-2008 UCCS Groups
Five-point scale ranging from 1, ‘Strongly Disagree” to 5 “Strongly Agree,”
Item
Mean
Participating in this group…
(Arithmetical Average)
Has been a worthwhile experience
4.73
Contributed to my greater comfort at the
University
4.22
Directly or indirectly helped me to be
more successful as a student
4.16
Enabled me to cope better with stressful
situations
4.13
“Being a doctoral student is unlike anything else I do/am, yet
everything else I do has impact on how I progress in my
program. This group has been, and continues to be extremely
important to me personally and how I move forward
professionally and in my program.” Dissertation & Thesis
Support Group Participant.
UCCS Annual Report 10
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS
SERVICES
Student Academic Success Services (SASS) supports the academic mission of the
University of Minnesota by providing services for academic performance
improvement to students and consultation to the broader U of M community.
SASS maintains a 3-part focus: supporting the academic success of students;
supporting faculty, staff (OSA) & parents who work with students; and supporting
the professional development of SASS graduate assistant instructors. SASS
programmatic efforts include classes (1001 Mastering Skills for College Success
and 1101 Academic Success for students on probation), individual learning
improvement assistance, workshops and presentations, and outreach and
consultation. In December 2007, SASS decided to discontinue its coordination of
the Test Preparation Resource Center; however, arrangements were made with
the SMART Learning Commons to transfer this service to their offices so that
students can continue to benefit from this resource.
Number of students taking the 1001 and 1101 classes
375
Number of students receiving individualized learning assistance
[Contact hours]
35
69
Number of students attending 26 SASS workshops/presentations
631
SASS consulted to or collaborated with the following University Departments /
Units during the 2007-2008 academic year:

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










UCCS (Jumpstart Program)
The Graduate School
Community of Scholars Program
Orientation & First Year Programs
Career Development Network (CDN) – Exploring Interests & Majors
Program
CLA Advising – workshops in support of CLA 1001 class
Veterans Transition Center (VTC) – information & resources
McNamara Academic Center (MAC)
International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS)
The Medical School (Future Doctors program)
University of Minnesota Parent Program
College of Design
CSOM
Student Conflict Resolution Center
SMART Learning Commons
UCCS Annual Report 11
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES


Disability Services
Minnesota Daily – contributed to Freshman Guide and article on stress
Student Evaluation of Service—SASS
“For those who have fallen in my path, don’t give up – you just have to find the reason why
you want to come to college. Learn how college works, then create a path that lets you
through.” LASk1101 Student
“SASS helped me understand that college education is an ACTIVE process – you can’t afford
to be passive.” LASk1001 Student
Mean Ratings--Student Evaluations of SASS courses
Ratings are based on a scale of 1.0 (very poor) to 7.0 (exceptional)
Fall Semester
(8 sections; 7
instructors)
Overall
teaching
ability
Knowledge
of course
subject
matter
Respect/Concern
for students
Amount
learned
5.7
5.9
6.4
5.3
Mean Ratings--Student Evaluations of SASS courses
Ratings are based on a scale of 1.0 (Strongly Disagree) to 6.0 (Strongly Agree)
Fall
Semester
(7 sections; 6
instructors)
Instructor
well
prepared
Subject
matter
presented
clearly
Feedback was
offered for
improved
performance
Respect/Concern
for students
5.6
5.5
5.5
5.7
UCCS Annual Report 12
STUDENT ACADEMIC SUCCESS SERVICES
Additional Accomplishments

SASS instructors continued their efforts to incorporate technology into
curriculum provision.

The core philosophy of SASS was further incorporated into the curricula
for LASk 1001 and 1101 course offerings.

A significant revision of the LASk 1101 course, relisted as LASk 1102,
offered an expanded, 2-credit curriculum to students on academic
probation with an increased enrollment from 12 to 45.
UCCS Annual Report 13
OUTREACH & CONSULTATION
A significant component of the mission of University Counseling & Consulting
Services is to provide outreach and consultation to the greater University of
Minnesota community. UCCS staff serves as consultants on a wide range of
issues including organizational functioning, program development, mental health
awareness, promoting student academic success and assessing immediate,
potentially life-threatening issues involving students and staff. Recent incidents
at other universities have led to an increase in requests for information about
identifying and dealing with students in distress.
Outreach and consultation take many forms:



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Providing presentations to groups of students or staff
Offering expertise and support to University and student-led organizations
Providing individual consultations to faculty/staff, and concerned family
members
Participating on University committees
Online Outreach
In recognition of a generation of students who increasingly use technology to
access information, UCCS has expanded its series of information available online
including online mental health screenings.
Number of online screenings completed
Depression
Eating Disorders
Bi-polar disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Post-traumatic stress
Alcohol use
Total online screenings taken
1102
264
458
749
197
186
2956
Many students who took the online screenings went on to seek on-campus
counseling.
UCCS also added new podcast offerings on issues of concern to students
(available at http://www.osa.umn.edu/podcasts/) including:
 End of Semester “Re-Entry”
 Mindful Walking
 The Importance of Relaxation
 Learning Styles
 Assertive Communication
UCCS Annual Report 14
OUTREACH & CONSULTATION
Outreach Programs
During the 2007-2008 academic year UCCS staff provided more than 500
outreaches to the University community. The table below offers examples of the
different types of outreach offered.
Examples of UCCS Outreach 2007-2008 Academic Year
Participation on University
Committees
Consultation to University
Programs and Services
Mental Health Education
Support for Student
Organizations
Individual Consultations

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Presentations/Workshops
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
Participation in Large,
Collaborative University
Programs
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Joint Sponsorships


Provost Committee on Student Mental
Health
Welcome Week Planning Committee
GLBT Mentoring Program
Law School Peer Support Network
Learning Abroad Center
Stamp Out Stigma
National Depression Screening Day
Active Minds
Consultation to parents concerned about
their students
Consultation to faculty regarding student
and safety situations of concern
SEAM Classes – Strong Interest Inventory
Assessments & Interpretations
Presentations to Chinese Delegation
Guest lectures (graduate school psychology
classes)
Time Management/Academic Skills
(undergraduate classes)
Stress Management (undergraduate classes)
Diversity
Exploring Interests & Majors
Convocation
Freshman, Graduate, and Transfer
Orientations
Community Advisor Training
TJ Leyden, “Turning Away From Hate”
The University Community Response Team, coordinated by UCCS, offered
group and individual grief counseling in several situations involving deaths within
the University community. UCCS staff actively participated in the Behavioral
Consultation Team addressing issues of campus safety.
UCCS Annual Report 15
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
TRAINING PROGRAM
University Counseling & Consulting Services offers four levels of professional
psychology training to University of Minnesota graduate students, as well as to
students from national doctoral level psychology training programs. The 20072008 UCCS Training Program served 5 Practicum and 4 Advanced Practicum
students plus 4 pre-doctoral interns. No post-degree training was offered this
year. Academic home programs represented by trainees included University of
Minnesota (Counseling Psychology and Counseling and Student Personnel
Psychology), Iowa State University, University of Maryland, University of St.
Thomas, and Washington State University. Four trainees were international
students.
Total direct service hours* provided by all interns, advanced prac
and prac students (6.3% increase over the 2006-2007 level)
3036
Intern total direct service hours
(5% increase over 2006-2007 levels)
2187
Advanced Practicum total direct service hours
(14% increase from the previous year, we had one additional
trainee this year)
565
Practicum total direct service hours
(roughly equivalent to the previous year, we had one additional
trainee this year)
284
* Direct service includes individual and group counseling, crisis counseling,
outreach presentations and for interns, supervision of practicum students.
The main focus of this year was applying for re-accreditation of the APAapproved internship program. A self-study was written and submitted to the APA
in January. In June a two day site visit was hosted by UCCS. The Commission
on Accreditation granted the internship program a full 7-year accreditation.
UCCS Annual Report 16
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM
Trainee Evaluation of Service
“The extent of the growth I experienced could not have happened
without the extremely warm and caring environment that exists
at UCCS. When people ask me about my experience, I frequently
say that I had high hopes that were exceeded, and the major
reason for this occurring is the supportive nature of the people at
UCCS and particularly those that have a role in our training.”
Intern
“My experience at UCCS has been absolutely amazing.” Intern
“This is truly an excellent training site with many, many
strengths. The most obvious one is the talent and variety of the
staff.” Intern
Pre-Doctoral Interns were asked to use a 3-point scale (3=Strongly Agree
2=Agree and 1=Disagree ) to rate 26 positive statements about their internship
experience (Example: My personal counseling skills were enhanced.)
Mean response across all items for all interns
2.68
Mean response for questions about the internship
enhancing skill development
2.6
Mean response for questions about internship supporting
professional development
2.42
Mean response for questions about intern satisfaction with UCCS
Staff and systems
2.8
“My globally positive evaluation of this experience has just
continued to grow throughout the year. As I look back, I could
not be happier with the training, experiences, and overall
working environment at UCCS.” Intern
UCCS Annual Report 17
PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM
Advanced Practicum and Practicum students were also asked to fill out an
evaluation of their training experiences also using a 3-point scale (3=Strongly
Agree 2=Agree and 1=Disagree )
Advanced Practicum students rated most items with a “3” (Strongly Agree), the
highest rating possible. The mean score across all items was 2.9. The mean
scores across all items rated by practicum students was 2.4
“It was a very positive learning experience.”
Advanced Practicum Student
“I think this is an excellent practicum to begin our counseling
experience, and I am looking forward to using the skills I have
learned in future practica.”
Practicum Student
UCCS Annual Report 18
UCCS Testing Center
Testing Center Overview
The UCCS Testing Center provides both paper/pencil (PnP) and computer-based
testing (CBT) services to the Counseling Center, the University, and the Twin
Cities community at large. The UCCS Testing Center administers exams to
support:

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

Admission to a variety of University undergraduate, graduate, and
professional programs
Post degree-completion professional certification and licensure
Vocational planning, career exploration and a wide variety of
psychological assessments in support of UCCS counseling efforts
Course placement and proficiency, employment screening, and
distance learning for the community
Testing Programs
The Testing Center administers over 70 different national educational and
certification programs in a paper and pencil format for testing companies and
organizations such as ACT, ETS, LSAC, Pearson, Prometric, PES, & PTC.
The 19 station CBT center operates six days a week, delivering a wide variety of
exams including GRE, TOELF, NPTS, Praxis/PPST exams for Educational
Testing Service, ACT exams, and various online testing vendors including Castle
World Wide, Kryterion and ISO Quality Testing. Two computer stations are
handicapped accessible.
Total 2007-2008 test administrations
Number of different tests offered
Revenue generated from test administration fees
10,800
70
$191,000
Additional 2007-2008 Accomplishments

The Register Blast online payment & registration system was
implemented in February, allowing examinee self registration for
numerous tests.

UCCS Annual Report 19
UCCS TESTING CENTER
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Ten computers used for ETS testing were replaced on the three
year replacement cycle, bringing enhanced stability to ETS testing
programs.
The administrative proctor station for the ETS system was replaced
in May, solving some technical issues with that system.
The appearance of the test center was enhanced with new paint,
furniture replacement and carpet cleaning.
UCCS Annual Report 20