4.
S
?
S.95-41
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC
?
MEMORANDUM
To: ?
Senate
From: ?
J. Osborne, Acting Chair
Senate Committee on Academic Planning
Subject: ?
M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology
Date: ?
May 12, 1995
Action undertaken by the Senate Graduate Studies Committee and the Senate Committee
on Academic Planning gives rise to the following motion:
Motion:
"That Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors
as set forth in S.95 -41 ,the proposed M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology."
(Th\\O
0
GS.
94 .12
SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
MEMORANDUM
To: Ron Heath
?
From: Robin Barrow
Registrars Office
?
Dean
Subject: ?
Date:
June 27, 1994
The Faculty of Education approved the following at its
meeting today:
/
i. Proposal for a new M.Ed. in Counseling
Psychology [FE 94-11]
2. New Course Proposal: EDUC 877 [FE 94-12] (scAp
9523
approved
Apr. 5/95)
Please include them on the agenda of the next meeting of
the Senate Graduate Studies Committee.
?
4
cc: Michael Manley-Casimir, Associate Dean
Stan Kanehara, Assistant to the Dean
0
Faculty of Education ?
1
Simon Fraser University ?
I
L
pa P e
FE941
iJ
Simon Fraser University
?
Graduate Programs Committee
For review and Action:
Proposal for a new M.Ed. in Counselling Psychology
Date: June 2,
1994
Description:
This is a proposal for a non-thesis professional M.Ed. degree designed for students who
wish to become counsellors in the public school system. The M.Ed. sequence described
below is more closely tailored to these students' specific needs than the one currently in the
calendar. The program consists of three parts: seven core courses, four elective courses
chosen from a specified list, and a comprehensive exam. Each of these components will be
described in detail under "Outline of Course of Study."
Rationale:
There is an increasing expectation by both the public and school administrators, of high
levels of professional sophistication by counsellors working in the public schools.
Whereas traditionally school counsellors worked with older (high school) students, they
are now frequently asked to play an important role in primary grades as well. Increasingly,
counsellors act as consultants to classroom teachers, assume responsibilities for specific
aspects of the curriculum (such as family life, drug education, race relations, etc.), and are
asked to work with families with a variety of severe problems in addition to providing
counselling to individual as well as groups of students.
The scope of the contemporary counsellor's professional activity demands knowledge,
skills and expertise in an increasingly wide range of fields. A program specifically
designed to meet these professional demands is needed in order to prepare students
adequately for a career in the public school system.
With this in mind, we propose a coursework plus comprehensive exam, professional
M.Ed. degree that places added emphasis on material specifically related to the role and
functions of the school counsellor. The proposed program would compliment the current
stream which would continue to provide an MA option for students. All six courses
currently designated as core would be taken by both MA and M.Ed. students. In addition,
a new course, Contemporary School Counselling (Ed 877), would be an elective for the
MA stream, but required for the M.Ed. degree. The M.Ed. degree would also include four
additional electives particularly relevant to work in the public school system, chosen from
the list attached.
The proposed M.Ed. option would be particularly attractive to teachers currently working
in the school system who wish to re-focus their careers. None of the other universities in
B.C. are currently offering programs that would meet the needs of such individuals -
without requiring the applicant to become a full-time student, a luxury which many able
-
candidates can not afford.
In addition, the proposed program structure would permit us to serve approximately
25-
30% more students with no additional personnel or material resources. (One extra course
-Educ 877, see attached - will be staffed by rearranging the teaching load of the GFA.)
•
?
Applicants to admissions ratio for the past six years has been about 10:1. The odds of
getting into our program in Counselling are known in the community and may seem
intimidatin g
to some working teachers wishing to follow this career path. Our contact with
the BC School Counsellors Association indicates that the proposed program, together with
the resulting increase in admissions, would be received positively.
Outline of Course of Study
Reouirement
1 ?
Completion of
the
5 core courses: Educ 870, 874, 864, 862, 877 and the two
counselling fieldwo
r
k courses, 811 & 812.
2 ?
Each student,
with
the approval of her/his advisor(s) choose four additional courses,
usually, from the following list: Educ 720, 805, 803, 819, 829, 833, 839, 860, 863,
867, 871, 873, 875, 876, 970.
3
?
Each student will take a comprehensive examination after the completion of her/his
Coursework and practica. The comprehensive examination will be set by the faculty
members associated with the Program, in association with the Director, and will have
two components: a) Ethics and b) Professional practice.
J.
Part "a"
will
involve a written analysis of case material involving ethical problems;
part "b" involves written responses to two questions based on the student's course of
studies and intended focus of counseling practice. The student
will
have 72 hours to
answer all questions. The examining committee will be comprised of three members,
one of whom is the student's advisor. Each reader win evaluate the paper(s)
independently on a pass/fail basis. If the student fails either part of the
comprehensive examination, he/she may re-take the exam within 12 months of the
original date. If the student fails both parts and wishes to continue in the program,
she/he must formally re-apply and be admitted to the program.
Student Intake
Approximately 6-8 students will be accepted into the M.Ed. program each year.
Resources
Current faculty/GFA resources are adequate. One new course, 877: Issues in
Contemporary School Counselling, is proposed (1/4 FTE) to be taught by the
GFA/Faculty.
No additional Library resources required.
?
.
No additional equipment is required.
S
Ph
