Guidance Center

VISION

In line with, and in addition to, the national educational objectives, the Divine Word College of Laoag seeks to educate the individual, who must be spiritually integrated, cultured and socially oriented, professionally competent and psychologically balanced. Given this wide range of institutional objectives, the College Guidance Center partakes in the formation of students to become a fully matured person.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

In view of the aims and objectives of the college, the Guidance Center has been set up to render specific services to college students. Through these services, and with the help of the community, a person is helped to acquire a growing understanding of his potentials and limitations, and of his personal and social needs. This understanding will lead to the formation of proper attitudes, as well as to the development of emotional and social maturity.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To test, inform, and counsel the individual on his potentials, abilities, interests, personality, social and emotional needs so that he/she may know himself better and develop his potentials to a maximum degree.
• To assist students in meeting their need to understand themselves in relation to the world in which they live.
• To provide academic heads and faculty members data on matters involving student adjustment to academic work, and to other aspects of students’ life.
• To collect occupations and vocational information needed by the student in making career decisions.

GUIDANCE SERVICES

The DWCL College Guidance Center offers students opportunities for intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional and physical growth. They are for students to experience and integrate towards their total development and effective participation in society. Their openness and good will, however, are the keys to this growth.

I. Admission Service

This service is one of the important links in the chain of guidance services. It aims to admit the right persons for the right course for the maximum advantage both of the individual and the society.

The Guidance Center, using the individual and summary data submitted by the Testing and Evaluation center, submits an admission report to the Chairman of the Admission Committee, the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director for Student Affairs, The Registrar, and all the Department Heads. This report summarizes the following student data:

1. Mental Ability Profile
2. Verbal & Numerical Aptitude Profile
3. Personality Profile
4. List of Feeder Schools
5. List and Percentage of Withdrawals in the previous year

II. Information Service

This service includes the dissemination of special information about occupation opportunities, training programs and community agencies relevant to the individual’s needs.

As part of students’ Career Counseling Program, the Guidance Center gives series of symposia to first year students. Topics undertaken are special issues that may have an influence into their lives as students. It includes College Survival and Study Habits; Self Confidence Enhancement; Time management; Coping With Stress, as well as sensitive issues like Pre-marital sex; Abortion and early Pregnancy. This is a must for first year students to attend.

For fourth year students, they are likewise provided with series of seminar-workshops on the various aspects of: Job Hunting; related topics such as Winning Resume’ and cover Letter; Dressed for success; Self Assessment; as well as Job Interviews.

III. Orientation Service

This service is designed to facilitate the introduction of new students to different levels of education. Such service helps students to meet challenges of new surrounding and new study programs. A brochure on study habits is provided to each student to strengthen the seminars conducted to help the freshmen adjust into college life. This activity is undertaken few days after the opening of classes of every semester.

IV. Individual Inventory Service

Information about the individual’s educational and familial background, test results and interview notes is filed in the Guidance Center Form I-A. These files are updated yearly and they serve to help the individual monitor his development.

All students are required to submit the following documents to the guidance center:

1. birth certificate
2. baptismal certificate
3. form 138
4. certificate of good moral character

V. Counseling Service

This is the core or main thrust of the guidance program. It provides opportunity for individual and group counseling, through a personal and confidential relationship with the counselor. A venue where students air out their problems and other concerns, understand their problems more clearly, to come up with alternatives, arriving at a decision to resolve minor conflicts. The office also provides a venue for group counseling and is open to all students either through referrals or voluntary means.

Counselors are available everyday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays thru Fridays during regular semesters, and Mondays (to Friday at 8 am to 5 pm) thru Saturday (8:00 am to 12:00nn) during summer. Every session conducted is assured of utmost confidentiality.

VI. Testing Service

The individual’s strengths and weaknesses in the areas of personality, aptitudes, interests, motivation and job skills are assessed through the use of standardized tests. These test results are interpreted to the individual for own self-awareness, growth, and development. They are also kept confidential.
All first year students and transferees must take the following psychological tests to be administered by the Testing and Evaluation Center. The results of which are being utilized for various counseling programs:

1. Thurstone Interest Schedule (TIS)
2. 16th PF
3. Emotional Profile Index (EPI)

The testing center also administers personality tests to students with disciplinary cases and other students referred by the Director for Student Affairs. The results of the tests shall be interpreted by the Guidance counselors.

Other tests administered by the College Psychometrician:

1. Otis-Lennon School ability Test (OLSAT) is administered as placement test to all freshmen, shifters and transferees.
2. Graduate Level Test (GLT) is given to graduate students in the Masters and the doctoral programs
3. Nursing Aptitude Test (NAT) is administered to BSN freshmen before the end of the second semester as part of the screening for level II.
4. College Scholarship Qualifying Test (CSQT)
5. Engineering and Physical Science Aptitude Test administered to Engineering freshmen students.
6. Philippine Aptitude Test for Teachers (PATT) is administered to practice teachers.

VIII. Career Counseling and Placement for Graduating Students

This service aims to assist the students in their choice of career and occupational preference by providing them with programs like life direction session, career self-insight session, job management sessions and job interview training program.

The guidance center has also topped NGO’s like the Rotary Club of Laoag to conduct mock interviews, as an additional training ground for our graduating students. The center has also established linkages with HRDO of various entrepreneurs and call centers to provide actual job employment hiring. These activities are all integrated in the Job Fair Program of the School.

VII. Evaluation

Evaluation is made to provide evidence as to what service works and the extent to which this program works. Data obtained are used as bases for drawing action programs for the succeeding years.

SPECIAL GUIDANCE PROGRAMS

A. Peer Counseling Program

The Guidance Center provides the PEER Counselor Association Training Program (PCATP) to qualified PEER applicants. They are given four modules in order to be well-trained as PEER Counselors. Trained PEER Counselors are very helpful in implementing the guidance services especially in the field of counseling.

Those who are interested to join this organization should fill-up the Peer Counseling Application form at the Guidance Center. They will also undergo a series of interviews to be conducted by the Guidance counselors and the Director for Student Affairs.

B. Staff Development Program

This service aims to provide the staff with opportunities to enhance their qualifications as guidance workers. A budget is provided to enable them to become members of different organizations or participate in seminars and workshops on guidance related topics. As a result, they do not only develop as school counselors, but eventually they acquire the necessary skills which enable them to act as resource persons or facilitators in seminars even outside the school.

C. Supervised Practicum Program

The Center acknowledges its responsibility to the Guidance Staff especially during the admission period. They assist in clerical jobs.