University of Virginia Library

Thank you for spending the
time to comment on my
"Counselor Remuneration Survey".
I accept some of your criticism as
valid, but some as a result of
misunderstanding.

The majority of my proposals
are not designed to "entice more
good students" into applying for
counseling positions.

I too feel there are intangible
benefits gained by being a
counselor. There are similar
benefits in most student service
activities, such as your position as
editor or student council members.
The intangible benefits which you
mentioned, are rewarding but not
in reducing expenses - a crucial
problem to many counselors.

It is also true that far more than
enough people apply for counselor
positions. The purpose of increased
benefits is to encourage people to
continue the enthusiasm which the
intangibles create in the beginning.
As is obvious to most people who
have lived in the dorms, counselor
enthusiasm dwindles as the year
progresses. It is increasingly
difficult to continue asking
counselors to spend more time on a
job when they are already
under-rewarded.

I cannot agree with your
contention that increased benefits
for dorm counselors will lead to
detrimental changes in the
counseling program. Has the
Cavalier Daily staff done a less
acceptable job since they became
salaried?

Please reread the report, you
will find that nearly all of my
recommendations are possible with
little outlay of funds. Meals are the
only suggestion of any financial
consequence. The job dictates what
the remuneration should be!

Many of the rules in Terms and
Conditions are if enforced,
beneficial to the student who must
live in the dorm e.g. due to
overload, the electricity in Lefevre
dorm has gone off ten times this
year. Towards this end, the
counselor can continue to be a
"friend" to both the student and
the administration.

Finally, what you state was a
threat, was only a final plea. If the
counselors are expected to do
excellent jobs on all undertakings,
they should be suitably
remunerated. It is unfair to ask for
more than they are compensated.

As we both have said, the
counseling program does perform a
service for the University. It would
be nice if the University would
return the favor, at least to some
degree.