Counseling Department
Division of Academic Affairs
C-239 (718)482-5250

The Counseling Department offers a variety of services designed to enhance students’ academic, career and personal development. Among the services offered are:

Educational Planning
Educational Planning offers students an opportunity to work with a Counselor to develop a personal educational plan that integrates their academic, career and personal goals. Students also learn the curriculum requirements for their major and the process for selecting courses, including understanding pre-and co-requisites as well as the sequence in which courses may be taken. As part of this process, students are encouraged to incorporate their transfer plans and understand the transfer process.

Career Counseling
Through career counseling, students explore, establish, clarify, and plan appropriate and realistic goals. Counselors help students explore their interests and skills, complete career inventories, interpret results, and use this information to develop a career plan in conjunction with the materials in the Transfer Services office.

Personal Counseling
Counselors help students develop the skills needed to overcome personal problems that are interfering with their academic progress. Some of the personal issued for which students seek counseling are: family issues/conflicts, drug and alcohol related problems, sexual concerns, self-confidence, anxiety, depression, interpersonal difficulties, developing a sense of identity, and loss and bereavement. Students receive personal counseling services through individual short-term counseling sessions, and counselors may make referrals to outside agencies when necessary. The counseling relationship is completely confidential and private.

Student Outreach and Advocacy
Counselors offer theme-based workshops in such area as: Probation, Transfer, Time Management, Coping Skills (e.g., Parent Support Group), Alcohol Awareness, Depression Screenings, Anxiety Screenings, and various types of support groups. Counselors may also work with students individually on such issues as study skills, managing test anxiety, and test-taking.

Academic Advisement
Academic advisement is offered to students in a variety of ways. Counselors provide academic advisement to new students in the New Student Seminar course. They offer college-wide general advisement during specific periods of the academic year, and collaborate with teaching faculty to provide advisement based on students’ academic majors. Students are also encouraged to meet with a counselor throughout the academic year regarding their educational planning.

Students can meet with counselors in the following ways:

1. Walk-In Counseling: Walk-in counseling allows students an opportunity to speak with a counselor on a drop-in basis. These sessions are designed to be brief in duration. If the issue requires more time, an individual counseling appointment is scheduled.
2. Individual Counseling: Individual counseling sessions are scheduled by appointment and provide time for a more in-depth discussion of the student’s issues.