University of Virginia Library

Counseling Center Aids
Students With Problems

By Charles Sands
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Having problems studying? Wondering
what to major in? What to
know what careers are most akin to
your talents? Help in answering
these and other questions can be
found at the Guidance Counseling
Center at the University.

Dr. Earl Glosser, director, and
Dr. Thomas Gates, assistant director,
are equipped to advise the
student to help him make his own
decisions about his education and
his future.

Dr. Glosser emphasized that
each student is aided in deciding for
himself how to handle any particular
difficulties, although "We will
occasionally lose people who come
to us expecting that we will solve
their problems for them," he said.

The Counseling Center offers
information on various major fields
and can help the student find where
his general abilities and interests lie.

"As far as academic counseling
goes, we do not interfere with any
of the activities of the Association
Deans," said Dr. Glosser, but if a
student has difficulty deciding on
his courses because of personal
problems, we try to help "him
overcome these problems."

Dr. Glosser and his staff rely on
personal contact through interviews
the method for counseling, since
the Center has no information on
students until they come for advice.

Personality evaluation tests are
not routinely given as part of the
counseling process, but may be
given if their need has been
demonstrated.

"Many people will come to us
and ask if they can take the test, as
if there is a magic examination to
solve all their problems," says Dr.
Glosser. "We want people to learn
to solve their problems by themselves
and without the use of tests
or other outside tools."

All information and results of
counseling are considered strictly
confidential. The Center will only
release information about a student
on receipt of written approval by
the student, and then will only
reveal what it considers pertinent.

"The misuse of technical information
by untrained people can
have disastrous consequences, so we
allow no one from outside the
Center to inspect it," said Dr.
Glosser.

The counseling center is hidden
in a small white building between
the Alderman Library and Newcomb
Hall behind the Peabody
Annex. Appointments for aid can
be made at the office or by calling
University extension 3633 or 3634.