The Office of Guidance and Counseling (OGC), under the Center for Student Affairs (CSA), provides a comprehensive developmental program of services and activities to students, parents, faculty and staff members intended to pave the way for career or academic decisions and the overall psychological wellness of UA&P students.

OGC ensures that its programs, activites, and services are relevant and accessible to all students. It also aims to significantly increase student engagement in OGC programs, activities, and services and to strengthen relationships with stakeholders and people across the populations in the community.

 

Programs and services offered

 

Freshstart
Freshstart is the freshman orientation that introduces new students to their new schoolmates, to the University officials, and to the University’s history and culture. It aims to provide new students the opportunity to build rapport and relationship with their fellow schoolmates to ease their transition.

 

UA&P Office of Guidance and Counseling services 2Freshman Development Program
The Freshman Development Program is a self-paced seminar series organised for freshman students to further help them adjust to college life.

The module can be found in Canvas and will run from August to December 2021.

 

Counseling and Parent Conferences
Counseling service is a professional relationship that empowers students to overcome obstacles and personal challenges. It is a collaborative effort between the counselor and the student wherein the counselor listens and offers insights while the student actively solves his or her concerns. It is a relationship built on trust, understanding and accompaniment. Counseling can address personal, academic, career, and social concerns of the student.

In a joint effort to create and solidify home-school collaboration, the counselors also meet with parents for consultation regarding their children. Parent consultation is geared to help parents support and manage their child’s concerns.

 

Psychological Testing/Assessment
Students may take any of the available standardized tests to appraise their strengths, aptitude, interests, personality, and career path. The results of the tests are explained to students to help them gain better self-awareness.

 

UA&P Office of Guidance and Counseling services 4Peer Facilitators Program
UA&P PEER is the official student arm of the CSA–OGC, They are composed of students who help other students by offering socio-emotional support and guidance on how to succeed in and adjust to university life. Mental health and wellness is one of their primary advocacies. Peer members undergo programs aimed at helping them become mature and well-adjusted individuals, able to take various roles in society. Under the supervision of the OGC, they also lead and organise various OGC projects that serve to enhance and develop the socio-emotional and academic climate in the University.

 

Intake Interviews
Intake Interviews are initial meetings between counselors and students done across year levels. These interviews aim to establish rapport with students and determine how they are faring with their transition to the University; and seek to identify and address their academics, socio-emotional, and personal needs and concerns.

 

THRIVE
The THRIVE Program focuses on promoting mental health and wellbeing to enable students to realise their academic potential. This program has modules designed to improve students’ mental health by fostering wellbeing. It also offers a suite of self-help resources and access to services within the University to assist students to better support their mental health

The modules can be found in Canvas and will run from October 2021 to May 2022.

 

UA&P Office fAcademic Support
Academic Support is a program that offers a variety of academic assistance and resources to help students with their learning progress and improve their academic performance. It also provides different activities to assist students to relax and take breaks which are essential to achieving productivity, success, and a positive outlook. 

This program is held every finals week (September, December, March, and May). It can also be available on a case-to-case basis.

 

Synergy
Synergy is a networking session in which OGC facilitates relevant and timely mental health talks and parenting seminars for the UA&P community to build supportive networks for students. It aims to strengthen connections and relationships to build shared responsibility in taking care of students across educational levels and professions. Synergy is also a get-together program that invites different mental health allies outside UA&P.

The following are the dates for Synergy events for year 2022:

  • Synergy Mental Health talk for Parents- January 15, 2022
  • Synergy with Guidance Counselors- March 4, 2022
  • Synergy with Mental Health Allies- March 21, 2022

 

UA&P Office f 1Students with Additional Needs (SwAN)
SwAN is a program wherein faculty members, mentors, and concerned staff undergo a series of trainings that aims to educate and equip them with the skills needed to spot, refer, and manage students with possible additional needs. SwAN also provides policies and procedures to better help faculty members, staff,  and students to have reasonable academic accommodations whilst addressing the unique challenges posed by the additional needs of students without compromising the University’s educational principles and standards.

SwAN sessions in collaboration with HRM will run from January to May 2022. SwAN case management and consultations with parents, faculty/mentors and other allied professionals on an as-needed basis.

 

Exit Interviews
Exit Interviews are given to graduating students, and are used to evaluate the academic programs and different services that students have experienced throughout their stay in the University.

 

Research and Evaluation
Research and Evaluation is conducted by the OGC to establish the effectiveness and relevance of the programs and services in addressing the demands, needs, abilities, and interests of the students. This also aids the OGC in continuously updating its programs and services to be at par with the growing evidence-based practices in the guidance counseling profession.

 

Contact OGC

UA&P Office of Guidance and Counseling services 5OGC is online Mondays through Fridays, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. To schedule an appointment for counseling, consultations, or psychological testing and assessments, please get in touch with the OGC through the following channels:

  • Email: [email protected]
  • Facebook account: facebook.com/uap.guidance
  • Facebook page: facebook.com/uap.ogc

You may also reach the individual counselors via emails during their online schedules:

 

UA&P Office of Guidance and Counseling services 1

 

 

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