PAL '06 report: Anwar

Professional Advising Leadership (PAL) Fellows Training – Spring 2006.
April 12th to April 28th 2006

Lubna Shah Anwar
Educational Advisor
US Consulate
50 Empress Road
Lahore 54000. Pakistan.
Tel: 92-42-6034256 Fax: 92-42-6034220
Email: anwarl@state.gov
Web site: lahore.usconsulate.gov

Executive Summary

Acknowledgements: As the beneficiary of this program designed for senior level educational advisors in the EducationUSA network sponsored by the US Department of State, it is important to recognize the efforts of the organizers to help enhance the research and leadership skills of the participants. The program accommodated individually selected research topics of the 10 participants. Apart from administrative arrangements the organizers facilitated the setting up of appointments with relevant individuals, associations; educational institutions and organizations. The work put in by the College Board, individual trainers and the State Department towards making this program feasible is greatly appreciated.

Project; Project Purpose; Objectives and Rationale: The proposed topic was “Career Counseling for Secondary Students.” The project purpose and objectives for this choice were:

To enhance professional career guidance and counseling skills by getting input from experts in the field.
To observe and learn from counseling activities in Career Counseling Centers.
To acquire career interest inventories, adapt them to fit the need of Pakistani students and introduce Pakistani students to newer career oriented subject choices available in US educational institutions.
To use knowledge gained from this program to better guide students proceeding to the US and provide training in this regard to student advisors in Pakistan.

The rationale for this topic choice: A large number of students consulting this office have expressed the need for guidance in subject choices. They are confused and reluctant to make decisions about expensive study in the US without knowing about career options which provide attainable goals and yield positive economic and personal/emotional benefits. Parents who fund their children’s education also expressed interest in guidance or aptitude assessment facilities which will point the student in the right direction.

PAL Program Activities/Appointments: PAL included leadership seminars and sessions at the State Department. My participation at the Potomac and Chesapeake Bay Association of College Admission Counselors Conference was also arranged, and appointments were made for me to research this topic further with a number of experts. (Their names and contacts will be made available in the detailed report.) Colleges and Associations visited include:

George Washington University
Penn State University
Johns Hopkins University.
Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC).
Potomac and Chesapeake Bay College Admission Counselors Association. (PCACAC.)

Research Outcome Summary: In an expanding education industry which is now providing specialized services to clients, the profession of School/College Counseling needs to cater to the specific academic needs of students. For educationUSA advisors to be able to increase the flow of students to the US and especially to be better equipped to work with students in the underserved areas of their regions, it is important that they be equipped with updated and precise advising skills and able to impart this knowledge to fellow advisors in their region. The PAL program is designed meet these challenges.
PAL has a two-dimensional approach. PAL participants formulate realizable goals which would enhance their advising leadership qualities and then go on to research and gain expertise in their chosen topic.

PAL ’06 Workshops: PAL ’06 provided a number of interactive training workshops to encourage:

Identification of leadership qualities.
Introspection and recognition of leadership qualities latent within the self.
Use of those qualities towards resolution of potential conflict situations.
Self assessment by way of the MBTI testing.
Making appointments effective.

PAL ’06 State Dept. Day: Briefings and discussions at the State Department provided an opportunity for participants to have a face to face meeting with ECA officials. The welcoming address by the Branch Chief Educational Information and Resources Branch and the Education and Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs was appreciated by and motivating for advisors, especially in terms of being identified as partners in a dialogue. Access to international students provided a useful perspective as did presentations by other participants at the sessions.

PAL ’06 Appointments/Interviews: Talks with experts in the field yielded a wealth of knowledge which will be further expanded upon with perusal of books on the topic, purchased as part of the program facility. However briefly summarized, the following were points of learning for me:

Emergence/evolution of the practice of career counseling in educational institutions traced the initial recognition of the need for this field from the 1920’s onwards, when the needs of the nation and of industry led to the emergence of career guidance/counseling. The initiative taken by the states was supplemented by efforts of educationists to form non governmental associations like CACREP and NACAC to help improve professional expertise in this and other counseling related fields. Insight into the formation and working of such organizations was also provided.
Career Counseling Methods/Tools: Access was made possible to Career Counseling Centers in 3 universities. Their working reveals how importance is given to help students realize their inherent potential and define their “skill areas.” Focus however is on independent efforts and on introduction to the “world of work” and “networking” efforts. Experts opined that even at a very tender age students need to have this exposure. Simple practices like inviting professionals to class or taking a student/class to a professional’s work place would introduce students to a profession. Assessment tools such as the MBTI tests or SIGI + and others are being used to help students assess their needs.
Impact and future of Career Counseling: Experts emphasized that heavy financial investment by parents and students in Higher Education has emphasized the need for students to know and capitalize on their skills/potential. The mushrooming sales of publications like “What Color is Your Parachute,” detailing exploration of skills and aptitudes for more suitable and lucrative job choices, reveals the significance of Career Counseling. It also underlines the need for more professionals in this field.

PAL ’06 Conference Participation: The most significant outcome of participation in the Potomac and Chesapeake Association for College Admission Counseling (PCACAC’s 41st annual conference) was the opportunity to network. Information was provided to over 360 attendees about the work of over 500 educationUSA advisors worldwide who would be able to help them get information about attestations/evaluation of degrees in their respective countries, free of cost. Bookmarks and postcards with the educationUSA logo and web address were distributed. The conference also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas with college representatives about admissions, financial aid and career counseling.

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