On college campuses, counselors are a special and important role. Their work covers a wide range of aspects, including students' studies, life, and career planning. However, people have different opinions about who a counselor is.
So, are college counselors students or teachers?
First of all, judging from the official explanation, college counselors have the dual identity of teachers and cadres. This means that the counsellor is both a teacher and a cadre in the school administrative system. As teachers, they have the appropriate educational background and professional qualities, and are able to provide students with academic guidance, career planning advice, etc. As officers, they are responsible for the management of student affairs.
In practice, however, the role of a counsellor goes far beyond that. They not only have to deal with students, but also communicate with teachers, direct departments, actual colleges, parents and other aspects. Their work covers a variety of fields, including but not limited to student status management, file management, scholarship and loan management, psychological counseling, career guidance, etc. Therefore, some people describe counselors as "miscellaneous workers", "firefighters", "jack-of-all-trades", "back-off-the-beaten-all", etc. This description, while somewhat exaggerated, also reflects the complexity and diversity of a counselor's work.
So, is the counselor a student or a teacher?From the perspective of professional identity, counselors are a type of teacher who has the corresponding educational background and professional qualities, and can provide guidance and assistance to students. However, in terms of job content and responsibilities, counselors have a wide range of work covering multiple fields, and need to have strong organizational and coordination skills. This makes the role of a counselor both like a teacher and an administrator or counselor.
In fact, the nature of the work of a counselor is indeed more complex than any other position in a university. They have to deal with students as well as other faculty and staff. They need to understand the needs and problems of their students, as well as the educational goals and administrative regulations of the school. This complexity requires counselors to have a variety of skills and qualities, including communication, organization, coordination, problem-solving, and more. At the same time, they also need to have professional knowledge and skills in educational psychology, career planning, etc.
Therefore, for college counselors, their role is neither that of a mere student nor a mere teacher. They are professionals with a wide range of skills and qualities who are able to provide guidance and assistance to students in a variety of areas. The nature of their work and responsibilities make them important guides and supporters of students' growth.
In short, a college counselor is a professional who has the dual capacity of a teacher and a cadre. Their work is wide-ranging, covering a wide range of fields and requires a variety of skills and qualities. Their role is neither a mere student nor a mere teacher, but a professional who is able to provide guidance and assistance to students in multiple areas. On college campuses, they are one of the indispensable and important roles.