Introduction
Chaplains
There are chaplains on campus representing different denominations including Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, Anglican, United, and Lutheran.
Counselling Services
Student Counseling Services is a division within the Student Support and Facilities Department that serves students with various academic and personal problems that affects their studies and wellbeing during their studies at the University. Student Counseling Service is also responsible to administer the following services:
1. Special Consideration Forms
This is a form that MUST be filled in the event that a student misses out on tests, assignments, projects and exams. The form provides the students reasons for missing out on their academic assessments to the responsible academic supervisor.
2. Withdrawal Form
The Withdrawal Form is only filled by those students who wish to withdraw from studies. This form will only be given to students who have genuine case like medical and other serious cases.What is the purpose of counseling?
There are several definitions of counseling. Put most simply, counseling is basically HELPING people to help themselves. There is a fundamental difference between counseling and advice giving, and these two terms are commonly confused. Advice giving is primarily about telling people what to do. People often ask our advice because we are older and more experience in life, but sometimes we give advice when we should be helping people seek their own paths. The difference is that advice is directive, counseling should be non-directive. In counseling we are helping others to gain the skills and insights that will help them work things out for themselves.
Counseling can be defined simply as “Helping someone to help themselves”
Benefit to people
Counseling helps people to:
- deal with life, and events, and people
- cope with problems
- how to adjust to the situations he or she, finds himself in
- develop their abilities
- improve his ways of behaving and relating to others
- overcome fears, crisis etc
Counseling skills
Counseling is based on skills which enable the counselor to
- listen without judging;
- to understand what is being said;
- to provide information if necessary;
- to listen and to understand;
- develop knowledge of the person;
- be interested in the person so that this person may live with a better understanding of themselves, their motives, needs, their attitudes, fears, hopes, their responses to situations and people
- be approachable and available;
- show empathy, and a warm and genuine attitude
The purpose of counseling is to help clients achieve their personal goals, and gain greater insight into their lives. One hopes that by the end of this process one will be more satisfied with his or her life.
Counseling is NOT a process where the counselor tells the client what he or she should do or decides choices for the client to make. Rather it is an opportunity for the client to come to a greater understanding of the person that he or she is with the help of the counselor.
Information on Confidentiality
Confidentiality in psychological counseling is important to encourage you to discuss all of the struggles that you are experiencing. Counselors are decently and officially required to keep confidential information shared by you in counseling. Counseling and Psychological Services
Confidentiality is an ethical term signifies a counseling practice relevant to privacy. A student who has a counseling relationship with a school counselor has the right to time alone and the promise of confidentiality. Exceptions to confidentiality exist, and students should be informed that situations arise in which school counselors must inform others of information obtained in counseling relationships in order to protect students themselves or others. advantaged communication between a school counselor and a student is a legal term granting privilege to a counseling relationship only if said “privilege” is granted by national or state statue. If “privilege” applies it can provide additional safeguards to confidential information.
The School Counselor’s Role
The role of the school counselor in regards to confidentiality is:
- To support the students’ right to privacy and protect confidential information received from students, the family, guardians and staff members
- To explain the meaning and limits of confidentiality to students in developmentally proper terms
- To provide appropriate disclosure and informed consent regarding the counseling relationship and
Confidentiality
- To inform students and the family of the limits to confidentiality when:
- Student poses a danger to self or others
- Consultation with other professionals in support of the student i.e. colleagues, supervisors, treatment teams and other support personnel
- To affirm their belief that information shared by students is “confidential” and should not be revealed without the student’s consent
- To adhere to all laws protecting student records, health information, and special services
Individual Counseling
University life can be challenging and is often stressful. Students experience those challenges in a number of different ways: difficulties adjusting to university, confusion in deciding on a major or career path, or struggles in relationships, or making friends or getting along with a roommate.
To avoid getting into this problems, this office therefore is here to assist in all it can to help restore the peace of mind
Student counseling Service is also responsible to administer the following services.
1. Special Consideration Forms
This is a form that MUST be filled out in the event that you miss out your tests, assignment, project and exams.
There is no other way to convince your Department Heads, concerned lecturers of your situation unless you fill out this Form
There is a fee charged for the filling of this Form which is K20.00.
Any form that does not have any copy of the receipt of K20 will NOT BE ACCEPTED
The copies of this form must be given to all respected people as listed at the end of the form.
2. Withdrawal Form
The withdrawal form is only filled by those students who wish to withdraw from school, and have a genuine case.
For withdrawal would be on medical grounds, that is, at the recommendation of the doctor.
Other cases will also be considered but depending very much on its nature. There is no fee charged for filling of Withdraw Forms.
Steps prior to withdrawals
Students wishing to withdraw apart from medical grounds should consult the following steps:
1. Talk to your Departmental Heads and concerned lecturers.
2. Talk to the student counselors. To have proper time of discussion an appointment with the student’s counselors is desirable, hence you are to:
Go to the secretary at the Students services and ask her to give you the counseling Appointment form which you have to fill out and state when you would want to have an appointment made.
Discussion with the counselor will lead to determining whether withdrawal will be pursued or not and or consideration of other course action forthwith.
3. Counseling Sessions
Counseling is one of the important services that is provided especial to assist those who may have problem
Our Counseling Service is therefore schedule for every Monday, Wednesday and Friday every week on appointment.
Your appointment can be made based on your time convenience.
Appointment will be made by filling up the Counseling Appointment Form which can be obtained from the secretary at the student service.
Once the appointment is confirmed it will be made known to you through the office of counselors through the notice that will put up. No names will be given except your Student ID number
4. Other areas of Counseling
As far as counseling is concern, other areas will also be looked into such as Pre Martial Counseling. For those students who are engaged, that is having relationship with plan of getting married; this program is schedule for Tuesdays and Thursdays afternoon.
5. Chaplains office
One of the services that are also provided is the Office of the Chaplains.
They have their own schedules. The chaplains that we have so far are:
- Catholic
- SDA
- Anglican
- United
- Lutheran
The chaplains are also here to provide spiritual counseling and assistance
You may also see them by making appointment to secretary or the counselors who will arrange your appointment.
6. General Rules for Your Adherence
Management of your emotions, Our ability from knowing what is wrong and what is right, other significant factor also is that, we are educated to a University level
It was generally experience that some students do not control their emotion. Resort quickly to creating problems, such as fighting, knowingly that fighting only ignites more problems
7. Say no to Drug & alcohol (Home brew)
We have witness number of incidents in relation to alcohol, drug and home brew here at Unitech.
- Be a responsible citizen,
- Have Respect one other,
- And have respect for the rules that governs university staff and students.
See student counselors if you are addicted to Drug & alcohol related problems
Who to see?
You are free to see the following for advice.
(1) The Student counselors
(2) The Dean of Students
(3) The Warden of students
(4) Matron
(5) The Director
(6) Chaplains
(7) Secretary
Read - Proverb 1:8-19
Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you, don’t neglect your mother's teaching, what you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honour,
Summary
The counseling relationship between students and their school counselor requires an atmosphere of trust and confidence. Students must trust the school counselor in order to be able to enter into a meaningful and honest dialogue with the school counselor (Iyer & Baxter-Macgregor, 2010).
However, students should be informed that exceptions to confidentiality exist in which counselors must inform others of information they obtained in the counseling relationship in order to prevent serious and predictable harm to students themselves or others and if it is lawfully require.