By Michelle Hines, University Relations
The Department of Counseling and Educational Development has earned two national honors within the past month.
The program received the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision’s Robert Frank Award, which recognizes the nation’s top program, on April 2.
The department’s graduate program also has moved up to second in the nation in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The graduate program was ranked sixth in the nation last year.
“When a program dedicated to the future of education, such as the UNCG Department of Counseling and Educational Development, receives a national honor such as the Frank Award it is a testimony to the commitment to excellence by its faculty and students,” said Dr. Dale Schunk, dean of the School of Education. “The School of Education’s counseling department has a true dedication to excellence. We are honored that the U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize this by ranking us second in the nation!”
Department chairperson Dr. DiAnne Borders and faculty members Dr. James Benshoff, Dr. Craig Cashwell, Dr. Jane Myers, Dr. Kelly Wester, Dr. José Villalba and Dr. Todd Lewis accepted the Frank Award during the American Counseling Association’s 2006 convention in Montreal. The department also received the ACES outstanding program award in 1991 and 1994.
ACES, a division of ACA, stresses the need for quality education and supervision of counselors in all work settings. Dr. Catherine Chang and Dr. Brian Dew of Georgia State University, both UNCG counseling program alumni, nominated the department for the Frank Award, which recognizes innovation in counselor education as well as professional contributions to ACES and to the counseling field in general.
Borders said receiving the award is a great honor for her and for the department. “This award reflects the substantive and innovative scholarship and ongoing professional leadership our faculty members, alumni and students have provided to the counseling field,” she said. “I am so pleased that their many contributions have been rewarded in this way.”
USN&WR’s 2007 “America’s Best Graduate Schools” ranks the program second in the nation within the area of counseling and personnel services. Rankings are based on nominations by education school deans and deans of graduate studies, and USN&WR lists the top 10 programs.
UNCG’s counseling program offers master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees in community mental health, couple and family, gerontological, college and school counseling. Several post-master’s certificates also are offered. Approximately 30 doctoral students and 90 master’s degree students are currently enrolled in the program.
More than 400 counselor education programs currently exist nationwide.
