Students able to get quick help from on-campus counselors

The transition from high school to college can be very traumatic for
some students.

Often students take advantage of school counseling centers to cope
with the stress of living on their own.

According to recent articles in the Detroit Free Press and the
Lansing State Journal, counseling services at many major colleges are
booked weeks in advance – leaving many students in a lurch.

But Ross Rapaport, director of CMU’s Counseling Center, said the
center differs from the national norm and maintains short waiting lists.

“In the past few years there haven’t been many students waiting for
services,” Rapaport said. “The center has never had to make students
wait weeks to see a counselor.”

Rapaport said when students do end up waiting, it usually is because
they have requested a particular counselor.

He said operations have run smoothly, despite having to reduce his
staff from 10 to six counselors because of recent budget cuts.

“The busiest time for the center is between the fourth week of
school and the 14th,” Rapaport said. “But we’ve been able to hire a
part time counselor during these periods to keep waiting to a minimum.”

The number of students the center has seen is down from nearly 1,000
per year in 2000 and the late ’90s to around 850 per year since 2001.

Rapaport says the decrease coincides with the center’s mantra of
being a short term, time-limited operation that helps troubled students
find appropriate off-campus resources.

Another possibility for students in need of counseling is Residence
Life’s Counselors in Residence Program.

Elizabeth Bartels, a Residence Life counselor, said the program is
very proactive.

She said counselors in each of the four residence halls put on
workshops and programs, addressing issues students might have, such as
difficulties dealing with college transitioning and alcohol abuse.

“Because we’re in the halls, students can just drop by if they want
to talk about something,” Bartels said. “It’s very informal.”

The Residence Life program helps students in quick binds and
relieves the Counseling Center’s workload, she said.

“The program also trains RAs (resident assistants) and other
Residence Life staff to recognize students who might be having
difficulties,” Bartels said. “They’re now the first line of defense and
are able to help students with minor issues.”