Office of Public Affairs
(315) 312-2265
Oct. 22, 2003
OSWEGO ADDS COLLEGE-LEVEL COUNSELING TRACK
OSWEGO -- A new master's degree track in student
affairs practice in higher education opens up new career possibilities
for those pursuing graduate study at SUNY Oswego, said Dr. Betsy
Waterman, professor and chair of the college's counseling and
psychological services department.
The track within the college's established
counseling services program prepares participants for entry-level
college or university positions in such areas as academic advisement,
admissions, campus life, career planning, residence life or student
activities.
"This grew out of what appeared to be a need for a
master's level program in higher education," Waterman said.
Applications for the first cycle of the program,
which participants can pursue either full time or part time, are due
Feb. 1.
The new student affairs practice track offers "a
win-win situation," Waterman said. "Students gain great experience at
the higher-education level, and our student affairs offices get extra
resources" in the form of graduate assistants.
Dr. Joseph F. Grant, vice president for student
affairs and enrollment at SUNY Oswego, sees the track filling a
professional development need for employees in his division. "For
years, we have had staff pursuing careers in student affairs or other
professional positions on campus who wanted this kind of option to
solidify their experience," Grant said.
Many current student affairs staff at the college
were active as undergraduates in campus life and wanted to continue
that kind of work professionally, Grant noted. "This can help current
or future student affairs staff to learn the background of these jobs
while providing hands-on experience through internships or graduate
assistantships," he said.
People who already have a CPS degree can also take
the courses to "shore up their background and experience in student
affairs," said Dr. Joan Gibson, associate professor of counseling and
psychological services and coordinator of the new track.
"This allows them to complete a master's degree with
a student affairs practice track, which makes them more employable in a
variety of settings and gives them additional skills and knowledge for
their work," she added.
Experienced on-campus student affairs administrators
at SUNY Oswego, such as Dr. Rick Kolenda of residence life and housing
and Dr. Rich Hughes of campus life, have been teaching courses in the
new track, Waterman said.
For more information, contact Gibson at 312-3496 or
jgibson2@oswego.edu or the department's admissions coordinator, Dr. Tom
Cushman, at 312-3282 or cushman@oswego.edu.
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