National CACREP awards 8-year accreditation to the Counselor Education programs within Fairfield University's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions | Press Releases

Dean of Fairfield University's Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), Susan Franzosa, has announced that the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Professions (CACREP) has awarded the professional programs within the Department of Counselor Education an eight-year accreditation with no stipulations.

In making the announcement, Dean Franzosa said, "The award of eight-year accreditation is an unusual and noteworthy achievement. It is an acknowledgement of the excellence of our graduate programs within the national context. Both programs - the Community Counseling M.A. and the School Counseling M.A. - are deserving of recognition for this achievement."

Dr. Diana Hulse, chair of the Department of Counselor Education spoke of the breadth of the accreditation process, "The two programs at Fairfield University were assessed on 244 standards and met them all. This achievement is a tribute to the excellence of these programs, our students, and our faculty. These two programs are the first counselor education programs in the State of Connecticut to be accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and related Educational Programs."

The CACREP vision is to provide leadership and to promote excellence in professional preparation through the accreditation process. The organization's mission is to promote the professional competence of counseling and related practitioners through the development of preparation standards, encouragement of excellence in program development and accreditation of professional preparation programs.

Dean Franzosa pointed out, "Our graduates have consistently taken up leadership roles in the state and region." She added, "We're looking forward to the expansion of our Certificate of Advanced Study program and to offering more on-campus opportunities for professional development in the near future."

For more information on the Counseling program at Fairfield University, please visit the website at www.fairfield.edu/gseap_counselored or contact GSEAP at graded@mail.fairfield.edu.