University Counseling Centers - History

History

Early to mid 1940's: University counseling centers began formal operations, responding to the increasing educational and vocational needs of returning veterans of World War II.

1950: The Association of College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) was established in 1950 by a group of mid-western college and university counseling directors. Dr. Ralph Birdie, director of the Student Counseling Bureau at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis hosted the first conference on the UM campus. Annual meetings were hosted throughout the 1950s by several universities including the University of Illinois, Michigan State, The Ohio State University, State University of Iowa, University of Missouri, and the University of Minnesota . In the early days, the organization was referred to as the Annual Conference of College and University Counseling Directors. Conference attendance was based on invitation from participants a nd grew over time as directors around the country developed collegial relationships with each other. Initially membership was primarily drawn from mid-western institutions, but eventually the annual conference became a national affiliation of directors.

Following World War II, counseling centers were established in response to the educational and vocational needs of returning veterans. Directors were pioneering the development of organized counseling units and recognized their need to "talk shop" - to exchange information with each other and to develop a practical knowledge base on how to best to serve students. They gathered to discuss organizational issues, to share experience about how to work effectively with campus administration, and to discuss the nature of the work with students. An integral part of the annual meeting was the opportunity to develop and nourish collegial friendships through work and recreation in a restful setting.

Directors valued the opportunity to discuss confidential matters with their colleagues and trusted one another with sensitive details that they could not process with fellow administrators on their own campus. Directors were challenged with issues such as managing relations with campus administration and faculty who could be skeptical of the value of counseling students as well as issues related to the management of their staff. Conference attendance was restricted to directors with staffs of at least three full-time equivalents (FTE) in order to create a confidential environment for consultation.

The annual conference provided the opportunity for both formal and ad hoc presentations, roundtable discussions, and individual consultation. The group was loosely organized as a "non-organization" with a minimum of bureaucracy, and the pivotal activity was the annual meeting. A steering committee was elected annually to manage routine business, and a conference host was chosen from among competing institutions during the conference business meeting.

The formal structure of AUCCCD as we now know it, developed slowly through the 1980s with the decision to revise the organization's By-laws and to incorporate as a non-profit organization. Throughout the 1990s several initiatives have been undertaken to develop a formal organizational structure to advance the business of AUCCCD as a national professional organization, and to put significant emphasis on advocating on behalf of counseling and psychological issues in higher education. Conference membership increased considerably after the 3 FTE restriction was lifted in the l990's.

Membership in AUCCCD is institutional with one director being selected to represent the member college or university. We have experienced significant growth with our current membership of 677 universities and colleges throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe and Asia.

1960s: As outpatient psychiatric clinics and services became more accessible to the general public, university counseling centers also began to provide standard psychological services to college students, including individual, couples, and group psychotherapy; vocational and personality assessment; consultative services to college administration, faculty, parents, and students; and crisis management among other services to the campus community.

1968: The Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) began formally coordinating pre-doctoral and post doctoral internships and jobs. Currently, there are 444 pre-doctoral internships listed through APPIC.

1978: The Association of Counseling Center Training Agencies (ACCTA) was established to coordinate the training objectives of university counseling centers, including creation and maintenance of pre-doctoral internship and practicum programs.