GSE Executive Committee Checklist for New Graduate Course Proposals Attachment C – Rationale Due to the nature of their administrative roles, responsibilities and contact with students, student affairs professionals are frequently the first to recognize and address a variety of personal and interpersonal issues that arise among college students. Although administrators in most student affairs departments (with the exception of counseling services) are neither equipped or expected to engage with students in ongoing or long-term counseling relationships, all student affairs professionals need basic helping skills and knowledge in order to work effectively with college students individually and in groups. Drawing from counseling texts and techniques, this course focuses on general helping approaches that are appropriate for the types of interactions, relationships and contexts within which student affairs professionals commonly engage college students; its content and activities emphasize a noncounselor perspective. Consequently, this course is intended for graduate students in student affairs administration (for whom it is a required course), and higher education administration.