During my six years at Delta College, I have found that one of the greatest barriers I have encountered is getting in touch with a counselor to assist me with my academic goals.
As a first generation college student, some of the topics I’ve needed help with at Delta are academic guidance, career planning, and class scheduling. Yet it feels like those are also the hardest to get help in, particularly in high-impact times during the semester.
One of the easiest times to get a hold of the departments or services mentioned is at the beginning of the year, but after that, It is almost impossible to schedule a meeting.
Weeks into the 2021 fall semester I tried booking an appointment through the Delta website, but to my disappointment the website did not have any openings.
When I attempted to reschedule one of the few meetings I was able to obtain, I was unable to notify my assigned counselor. I tried calling, leaving voicemails, and emailing to reschedule. What made it worse was that I never received a response from the counseling department.
Previously students were able to walk into the DeRicco Student Services Building, sign in, and meet with a counselor. Due to COVID-19, that option is no longer available.
With the lack of availability and communication from Delta counselors, I question how this impacts students.
According to affordablecollegesonline.org “Some learners drop out of college because their school does not offer sufficient student support services, such as mental health counseling, academic tutoring, and career advisors”
So what is the role of an academic counselor?
The American School Counselor Association describes a counselor’s role as “counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan.”
At Delta, counselors help guide students and establish Student Education Plans. Those plans guide our journey through Delta College.
As a 33-year old full-time student, I have built my own way of navigating through my academic issues by asking people who have gone through the process and by taking the necessary steps to solve these issues. However, even with all of my experience developed throughout the years, it still took me a while before I was able to understand the Delta College system.
What does this mean for a brand new freshman, first-generation student, or just students in general who have not developed such problem solving skills and don’t know where and how to get help?
Will they give up if they can’t book an appointment online?
How does this affect them with their educational goals and general view of the Delta?
The processes to see a counselor and register seem more like obstacles than built for ease, this personally resulted in discouragement that led me to take semesters off and not put the efforts into my classes because I did not know what I was working towards. It wasn’t until I got through to my counselor and learned of my remaining transfer requirements that I felt like I had a clear pathway. As a result, my grades further improved because I had clear objectives.
Currently, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic it is essential students struggling to adjust get the help they need and counselors play an important role in their success.
An article by Harvard University titled “Expanding support beyond the virtual classroom” reports “counselors often were not given the tools and support they needed to help them best help their students.”
Could this be the case at Delta?
Delta currently has 20 full time counselors, according to Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler. He said counselors also teach courses, participate in committees, workgroups, and many other Delta related affairs. There are also 13 part-time counselors that have been hired to expand the available appointments for students.
Additionally, there is the virtual help counter and “Live Chat” that was implemented last year to help meet student demand.
Breitler said the number of available counseling hours and/or the hiring of additional counselors depends on the current budget.
This is an issue that I have been going through pre-pandemic and it is something the school needs to solve in order to promote and support the success of its students.