Summary of Program Evaluation
Admissions and Enrollment
Below are charts of the demographic information of all applications received in the calendar years (CY) 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. They show how many applied, how many were accepted, and how many enrolled. The data are aggregated by sex.
2023
Applicants
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | 10 | 0 |
Accepts
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 56 | 9 | 0 |
Incoming Students 2023
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 9 |
2024
Applicants
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 65 | 11 |
Accepts
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | 6 |
Incoming Students 2024
| Female | Male | Blank |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | 4 |
During CY 2023-2024, the department received 76 applications, accepted 65, but 39 enrolled. The next CY, the department received the same number of applications, accepted 63, but 28 enrolled. In both years, department faculty and staff noted the significant drop from those accepted to those who enrolled. To attract more students who have been accepted, the department proposed the following changes:
- Develop an admissions committee that handles admissions duties to include:
- Scheduling and executing monthly interviews in conjunction with the graduate program director and the Office of Graduate Admissions
- Proposing changes to the admissions process
- Recommend which students will be offered admission
- Instead of having rolling admissions, create priority deadlines for applications
- Propose a counseling minor to attract more Monmouth University undergraduate students
Student Assessment
The department has used Tevera as a tool to assess student learning. Tevera is now Experiential Learning Cloud (ELC). Our Key Objective Assessments (KOAs) are integrated into ELC and faculty members complete their assessments of student by the last day of classes.
The department has revised the program objectives to be more aligned with the eight core CACREP 2024 areas.
- Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice
- Social and Cultural Diversity
- Human Growth and Development
- Career Development
- Counseling and Helping Relationships
- Group Counseling and Group Work
- Assessment and Testing
- Research and Program Evaluation
The department has also revised the assessment plan for students to track students’ development at different points in the program, based on the program objectives. Below is the updated KOA chart.
Updated KOA Chart
| Core Area | Introductory | Reinforcement | Mastery | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice (CACREP, 2024, 3.A) | PC-505 Mental Health Counseling | PC-595 Professional Counseling Practicum | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Social Cultural Identities and Experiences (CACREP, 2024, 3.B) | PC-505 Mental Health Counseling | PC-529 Multicultural Counseling | PC-595 Professional Counseling Practicum | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Lifespan Development (CACREP, 2024, 3.C) | PC-515 Human Development Through the Lifespan | PC-512 Psychopathology & Psychopharmacology | PC-595 Professional Counseling Practicum | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Career Development (CACREP, 2024, 3.D) | PC-505 Mental Health Counseling | PC-510 Community Mental Health & Social Advocacy | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Counseling Practice and Relationships (CACREP, 2024, 3.E) | PC-525 Theories of Counseling | PC-523 Introduction to Counseling Skills | PC-526 Case Conceptualization and Advanced Techniques | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Group Counseling and Group Work (CACREP, 2024, 3.F) | PC-550 Group Counseling | PC-526 Case Conceptualization and Advanced Techniques | PC-595 Professional Counseling Practicum | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Assessment and Diagnostic Processes (CACREP, 2024, 3.G) | PC-512 Psychopathology & Psychopharmacology | PC-526 Case Conceptualization and Advanced Techniques | PC-595 Professional Counseling Practicum | PC-680 Professional Counseling Internship |
| Research and Program Evaluation (CACREP, 2024, 3.F) | PC-505 Mental Health Counseling | PC-506 Testing and Assessment in Counseling | PC-603 Research Methods in Counseling | PC-690 Professional Counseling Internship 3 |
Introductory, Reinforcement, Mastery, and Assessment denote which course each level will be assessed. For example, for standard one, the Introductory course will be PC 505. The Reinforcement course will be Practicum. The Mastery course will be Internship I and the Assessment course will be Internship II. On each KOA, the students are assessed at three levels on a Likert Scale: Novice (1-2), Competent (3-4), or Proficient (5-6). The typical scores at each course level are:
| Core Area | Introductory | Reinforcement | Mastery | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Score | 0-2 | 1-3 | 3-5 | 4-6 |
The following is KOA One:
Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice (CACREP, 2024, 3.A.)
Key Objective Assessment One
Courses: PC-505 Mental Health Counseling, PC-595 Practicum, PC-680 Internship I and II
- I stands for Introductory and indicates an initial introduction of knowledge, skills, or dispositions.
- R stands for Reinforcement and indicates students will have opportunities to reinforce and practice knowledge, skills, or dispositions.
- M stands for Mastery and indicates that students have had sufficient exposure and practice to demonstrate graduate-level mastery of expected knowledge, skills, or dispositions.
- A stands for Assessment and is when programmatic evaluation data will be collected to inform program modifications.
| Scale | Not Demonstrated | Novice | Competent | Proficient | Unable to Assess | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. History and philosophy of the counseling profession and its specialized practice areas | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| B. The multiple professional roles and functions of counselors across specialized practice areas | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| C. Counselors’ roles, responsibilities, and relationships as members of specialized practice and interprofessional teams, including (a) collaboration and consultation, (b) community outreach, and (c) emergency response management | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| D. The role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of and with individuals receiving counseling services to address systemic, institutional, architectural, attitudinal, disability, and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| E. The role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of the profession | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| F. Professional counseling organizations, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current issues | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| G. Professional counseling credentialing across service delivery modalities, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards for all specialized practice areas | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| H. Legislation, regulatory processes, and government/public policy relevant to and impact on service delivery of professional counseling across service delivery modalities and specialized practice areas | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| I. Current labor market information and occupational outlook relevant to opportunities for practice within the counseling profession | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| J. Ethical standards of professional counseling organizations and credentialing bodies, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling across service delivery modalities and specialized practice areas | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| K. Self-care, self- awareness, and self-evaluation strategies for ethical and effective practice | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
| L. The purpose of and roles within counseling supervision in the profession | ❒ 0 | ❒ 1 | ❒ 2 | ❒ 3 | ❒ 4 | ❒ 5 | ❒ 6 | ❒ N/A |
Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE)
The department uses the CPCE as the exit exam. Below is a table detailing the department’s passing rates of the CPCE at the last three administrations.
| Administration | National Mean | National SD | Passing Score | Monmouth Mean | Monmouth SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2023 | 85.1 | 14.79 | 70.31 | 94.5 | 7.9 |
| February 2024 | 87.29 | 16.04 | 71.25 | 91.9 | 9.1 |
| September 2024 | 96.51 | 11.3 | 85.21 | 105.7 | 7.9 |
All students passed the CPCE at each administration and as a program, they consistently exceeded the national mean.
Substantial Program Changes
Faculty and Staff Changes
Jennifer Trimarchi was hired as the full-time director of field placement.
Dr. Phyllis Alongi was hired as a specialist professor.
Curriculum Changes
The department has proposed adding a gaming specialization and has launched the first course in the specialty area, thanks to Dr. Matthew Tozzi.
Faculty/Student Collaborations
Dr. Joanne Jodry co-edited a new textbook entitled “Feminist Intersectional Therapy: Fourth Wave Clinical Applications”. Dr. David Julius Ford, Jr., who is a faculty member, and Dr. Nicole Jackson-Walker, one of the department’s adjuncts, co-authored chapters in the textbook. Students Ashley Krompier and Emily Miller also co-authored chapters in the book. Dr. David Julius Ford, Jr., Dr. Amelia Shannon, and Dr. Sumedha Therthani co-presented a content session at the NARACES 2024 conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Contact
If you would like more information regarding any of this information, please feel free to contact Dr. David Julius Ford, Jr. (dford@monmouth.edu)