Counselling Services Role in Academic Regulations
Most often, faculty will interact with Counselling Services when an extenuating circumstance has occurred in a student's life and has impacted their academic abilities. We understand the importance of maintaining academic integrity at the University of Lethbridge and do not take this responsibility lightly. Our role is to:
- Meet with the student and assess the situation
- Explore all options with the student
- Decide if the client's request for accommodations warrants consideration by Advising or the faculty member
- Write a letter supporting the student's request if warranted.
According to the University of Lethbridge, 2009/2010 calendar, WC, I, and accommodations are only recorded in case of serious illness or "other extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student...". Counselling Services becomes involved when extenuating circumstances such as death, traumatic events, or mental health conditions impact the ability of a student to perform to the best of their ability or complete work in a timely manner. Counsellors do not decide if any accommodations are granted, but rather decide if they will support a student's request to access accommodations.
Confidentiality
As professional counsellors, we are bound by strict rules of confidentiality. As a result, we rarely provide detailed information about a student's situation and cannot confirm if they are a client with our office. Students must sign a consent to release information form before we can share any information with faculty or staff outside of our office. Even then, we only share the most essential and basic information regarding a client's situation.