SU School of Education’s Department of Counseling and Human Services receives CACREP accreditation

SU School of Education’s Department of Counseling and Human Services receives CACREP accreditation August 06, 2008Patrick Farrellpmfarrel@syr.edu

The School of Education‘s Department of Counseling and Human Services has received notification that it has been awarded eight years of accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

“The site team’s report was glowing and cited strengths in the curriculum, the faculty, the alumni, our adjunct team and our students,” says Janine Bernard, professor of counseling and human services and department chair during the accreditation review process. “Though their report cited strengths across all our programs, they singled out the doctoral program in particular to praise for achieving unique strength in preparing students to teach and do research, in addition to clinical work and supervision. Another strength they underscored was the overall commitment to diversity that was apparent throughout our curriculum.”

Counseling and Human Services programs covered by CACREP include the counselor education doctoral program and master’s degree programs in community counseling, rehabilitation and community counseling, school counseling and student affairs counseling. These programs were approved without conditions. The notification letter from the CACREP executive director to Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor noted: “Programs receiving accreditation for an eight-year period deserve to be commended for the work they completed throughout the accreditation process. This is indeed a worthy achievement.”

CACREP, an independent agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, promotes excellence in professional preparation though the accreditation of counseling and related educational programs. CACREP supports the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through development of preparation standards, encouragement of excellence in program development, and accreditation of professional preparation programs.