Student Perceptions of Accreditation of Programs in Counseling

Abstract

The authors describe the results of a national survey of graduate students in counseling and their perceptions of accreditation of programs in counselor training.

Two Decades of CACREP and What Do We Know?

“…this percentage does reflect the prediction made by Cecil and her colleagues in their survey published in 1987; that study of the intentions of274 counselor education programs indicated that 29 programs had obtained the CACREP credential. and an additional 73 expected to pursue accreditation (Cecil et al, 1987).…”

1994 CACREP Standards: Will We Make the Grade?

“…Curriculum problems. Establishing 100 hours for practicum and 600 hours for internship supervision has been identified as the most pressing problem in meeting CACREP's standards (Bobby & Kandor, 1992;Cecil et al, 1987;Engels, 1991;Kandor & Bobby, 1991;Pate, 1990;Vacc, 1985;Weinrach, 1991;Weinrach & Thomas, 1993;Wilcoxon, Cecil, & Comas, 1987). This standard has resulted in the CACREP board creating a new working definition of internship to address the widespread concern that many school counselor programs have enrolled school teachers who could not afford to leave positions of full-time employment while completing the internship requirement.…”

“…Supervision problems. The internship requirement standards for CACREP have been described in the literature as stringent (see, e.g., Cecil et al, 1987;Weinrach, 1991;Weinrach & Thomas, 1993;Wilcoxon et al, 1987). The 600 clock-hour internship requirement, faculty and on-site supervisor qualifications, and increased internship time on-site may require more and higher level supervision for students.…”

The Pursuit of Quality: A Look Into the Future of CACREP

“…Some fear that students will not attend if they are have available a nearby program with fewer credit requirements. There is some evidence (Wilcoxon, Cecil, & Comas, 1987) that students from accredited and nonaccredited programs view accreditation positively. Also, there is evidence that many factors are involved when personnel at institutions make a decision to apply for accreditation (Vacc, 1985).…”