Students who reflected specific characteristics of the overall community college population were sought. Ages of students in the study ranged from 20 years of age and under (31%) to 51 years of age and over (5%), with 52% of the students being under the age of 26. Furthermore, students with 40 or more units as well as students that were no longer enrolled in classes were interviewed to complete a better understanding of the phenomenon.
The Results
The results of this study exposed four themes with respect to advising and counseling, differences in the use of counseling and advising, the importance of the counseling relationship, knowing the system, and cultural understanding and racism. With respect to the first theme the study found the use of counseling varied along racial lines, with white and Asian students most likely to see a counselor. Data collected from the research described supportive counselors as individuals who have time to listen to student needs, impart basic educational planning, provide support beyond academics, accept the student's cultural background, and understand the family, school, and work responsibilities of their clients. Findings from the study support the need for extended access to information. Interviewees mentioned college orientation, guidance classes, and personal workshops as being beneficial. Finally, results indicated that student's considered it important to find counselors that could relate to their life experiences.
The Discussion
The authors suggest the results of this study indicate the need for coursework and training that sensitizes students to the experiences of others from diverse backgrounds. The creation of a welcoming...
Furthermore the establishment of trust between a counselor and client is vital in order to have students utilize their services on a continuing basis.
The study suggests that a major challenge for institutions is to meet the advising needs of such varying groups of students: transfer, vocational, reentry, immigrant, physical or learning disabled, as well as ethnically and racially diverse students, and develop strategies and provide resources so that counseling services are available to students in a wide range of formats such as person-to-person, online, and in print, with services in primary languages as much as possible.
The Style
The purpose of the study was to ascertain how students of color in community college perceive and utilize academic advising and personal counseling. The findings indicate that students of color do not have equal access to counseling services because of various barriers erected by a lack of understanding of diverse cultures. The conclusion that there is a need for coursework and training that sensitizes students to the experiences of others from diverse backgrounds is a bit confusing, given the purpose of the study.
References
Orozco, G.L., Alvarez, A.N., & Gutkin, T. (2010, September) Effective advising of diverse students in community colleges. Community college journal of research & practice, Vol. 34, Issue 9, 717-737. Retrieved September 25, 2011, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=8&sid=017c6ecf-55fc-4ef5-a124-432905e8a321%40sessionmgr14
