The Professional Counselor | Volume 10, Issue 4 463 it’s going beyond the CACREP standards, that makes a difference.” Participants reported that these extracurricular experiences are components of high-quality programs because they assist students with developing a counselor educator identity. Graduate Outcomes Some participants also placed emphasis on the importance of graduate outcomes in determining a high-quality program. Consistent with the earlier subtheme of curricular experiences, participants felt that high-quality programs ensured that students were skilled in the three areas of research, service, and teaching: “I think if you take a look at your graduates and if, overall, they show strong evidence of success in all three of those areas, I think you have a high-quality doctoral program.” Participants believed that students would lack a “rounded doctoral experience” without these experiences and would not be adequately prepared for future employment as a core faculty member. Some participants believed that high-quality programs had graduates who were securing faculty positions after graduation. One participant explained that a high-quality doctoral program has positive outcomes related to faculty employment and tenure: “Your students excel, by evidence of being employed in high-quality programs, by getting tenure, and by evidence of quality teaching.” Inclusiveness of Diversity The next theme encompassed the importance of diversity in doctoral counselor education. Participants reported that high-quality programs create a diverse learning community, both in terms of cultural diversity of faculty and students, as well as in diversity of experiences. They have a broad range of faculty teaching courses and allow for a spectrum of viewpoints and perspectives. Participants proposed that students’ engagement with diverse faculty and students is critical to ensuring high quality. Faculty Diversity Several participants reported that high-quality programs have a diverse faculty. This was perceived as central to the student experience. Within this theme, diversity was inclusive of cultural identity, as well as diversity of experiences. Participants indicated that doctoral students need to learn from faculty from diverse cultural backgrounds and diverse professional experiences. According to one participant, “I do think high-quality counselor education programs in particular should not only possess the demographic qualities, but the ideologic qualities of diversity and even professional pursuit of diversity.” This exposure to diversity in faculty backgrounds and experiences is vital to the growth of students, as it exposes them to different perspectives. One participant proposed that highquality programs intentionally attend to diversity within the faculty and attempt to recruit lecturers and guest speakers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to address any gaps in faculty diversity: “If you don’t have diversity in faculty, then you make sure to bring in diversity so that it’s not just a bunch of White faculty preparing students in Eurocentric viewpoints.” Student Diversity Participants also indicated that diversity in the student body is critically important to high quality. Program faculty seemed especially responsible for successfully recruiting students from diverse backgrounds and experiences. As one participant indicated, “They should bring diversity of thought, and diversity of experience, and diversity of region. People who bring something to the table beyond your master’s program are critical.” Faculty need to ensure, through admissions, that there is ample representation of diverse backgrounds and experiences within a cohort group. Faculty therefore also need to avoid screening out qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds during admissions.
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