Program assessment and evaluation begins with clear program objectives, against which the activities within the program can be compared. Thus the activities of evaluation are as diverse as program content and process, and the persons who can engage in productive evaluation are equally diverse.

Evaluation tends to focus in two directions: evaluation of individual student progress toward counselor competencies and internalized identity, and evaluation of program success in meeting its stated mission and goals.

The most important groups engaging in program evaluation are the current students and graduates, the faculty and staff, the university’s institutional effectiveness administrators, and the program accrediting bodies.

A clear mission that grounds program goals and student outcome objectives, and the assessment of success in achieving goals and objectives should engage all stakeholders in important identity conversations, strategic planning, curriculum planning, and evaluation of effectiveness.

A healthy counselor education program is a dynamic, evolving system that lives within larger institutional, disciplinary and professional, and cultural contexts.

The EMU Graduate Counseling Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Plan is reviewed for progress, completion, and improvement at EMU graduate counseling department retreats in May and August each year. Changes are noted in the annual evaluation report (see table below) and a revised and approved DEIB plan is created for the following academic year. Broader university DEIB resources can be found on the EMU DEI website.

Read the current EMU Graduate Counseling DEIB Plan

The EMU graduate counseling program strives to accomplish 6 overarching program objectives to maintain a high quality training program through continuous and systematic program evaluation. Those program objectives are as follows: 

The EMU Graduate Counseling program prepares graduates who successfully integrate and implement counseling knowledge and skills.

1. The EMU Graduate Counseling program prepares graduates who successfully integrate and implement appropriate counselor professional dispositions.
   
   
2. The EMU Graduate Counseling program will reduce barriers to graduation for graduate counseling students.
   
   
3. The EMU Graduate Counseling program cultivates a diverse learning community that values diversity, equity, inclusiveness, and belonging for students, staff and faculty by reducing barriers to recruitment, retention, and graduation.
   
   
4. The EMU graduate counseling program will maintain and develop new high quality partnering practicum and internship site placements, especially placements that serve high need and high demand (rural and medically underserved) [HN&HD] communities. 
   
   
5. The EMU graduate counseling program prepares students to effectively provide professional counseling in high need and high demand (rural and medically underserved) [HN&HD] areas.

The table below contains various evaluation results from 2016 through 2022, separated by evaluation type. In 2023, we decided to instead publish a comprehensive annual evaluation report. The annual evaluation reports include that year's survey results, faculty evaluations of competency assignments, updates on major program modifications, and more.

Please click on the following links for publically available program evaluation information.