The Valle Verde testing center offers Saturday hours to support students who are unable to test during normal operating hours. During the summer months, evening sessions are also available. The college provides a broad spectrum of testing services to accommodate student needs and schedules. According to interviews with staff and administrators, approaches to student advising and procedures for working with students vary from campus to campus under a decentralized organization. While the unique programs offered at the campuses require some unique advising and counseling strategies, students would benefit if the college had a policy that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of counselors and communicates to students what counseling and advising services the college offers.
Counselors describe their activities in three main areas.
About 10 to15 percent is spent helping students identify career options with the remaining time devoted to providing a minimum level of personal counseling to help them handle financial, social emotional stress. The job title of counselor does not accurately reflect the work activities, which are primarily advising activities. The policy should distinguish between the roles of the advisor and the counselor. The president directs the vice president for Student Services to convene a task force to develop an advising-counseling policy for the college. January 2000 2.