A History of the New Jersey College Counseling Association
By Marta Aizenman, Ph.D.
The seeds of what would ultimately become the New Jersey College Counseling Association were planted in the late 1980's. As the then-Director of the Counseling Center at Rutgers University’s Cook College (known today as the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences), I decided to organize a long-running series of annual conferences for college counselors in New Jersey. The gatherings enabled us to learn from many distinguished speakers, discuss common concerns, and update ourselves about important developments in our field. I also started a peer-reviewed journal, “Issues in Counseling and Psychotherapy,” to be distributed at the conferences so that college counselors and other psychological professionals could further share experiences and ideas relevant to our work—including presentations on multicultural counseling, anxiety and depression, and ethical issues in treating students.
Over the many years of our encounters at these conferences, the college counselors who participated developed a growing sense of community. And by the spring of 2006, I began to consider whether it might be worth organizing ourselves into a more formal association that could facilitate more frequent communication between us, advocate for our interests, and further promote our professional development.
I first floated the idea to Robin Solbach, Director of the Counseling Center of Georgian Court University, and Shirley Matthews, Director of the Counseling Center of Seton Hall University, as the three of us were in an airport returning from a conference of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors. Their enthusiastic response and support encouraged me to take the next step towards implementing the idea—forming a Board. I contacted colleagues from the other counseling centers at Rutgers as well as those at several additional colleges.
I first floated the idea to Robin Solbach, Director of the Counseling Center of Georgian Court University, and Shirley Matthews, Director of the Counseling Center of Seton Hall University, as the three of us were in an airport returning from a conference of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors. Their enthusiastic response and support encouraged me to take the next step towards implementing the idea—forming a Board. I contacted colleagues from the other counseling centers at Rutgers as well as those at several additional colleges.
Association’s Formation
The association’s first meeting took place at Rutgers University in February of 2007. The participants elected for the Board: Marta Aizenman as president, Robin Solbach as secretary, and Shelley Joseph of Rutgers University, as Treasurer. The original board also consisted of ten members-at-large (a number which was later reduced to five): Larry Gage of the College of New Jersey, Dan Gordon of Rutgers University Camden Campus, Judy Green of William Patterson University, James Mandala of Rutgers University, Shirley Mathews of Seton Hall University, Daisy Rodriguez of William Patterson University, Roberto Schiraldi of Princeton University, Kelley Stankiewicz of Rutgers University, John Viterito of Georgian Court University, and Bruce Yellin of Raritan Valley Community College. (I remember John Viterito’s comment on that occasion that he had not missed a single annual conference in more than two decades.)
Two standing committees were also formed: The Membership Committee, which was chaired by Daisy Rodriguez and charged with recruiting new members and managing the current roster; and the Nomination and Election Committee, which was chaired by Kelley Stankiewicz and charged with administering future elections.
The association’s first meeting took place at Rutgers University in February of 2007. The participants elected for the Board: Marta Aizenman as president, Robin Solbach as secretary, and Shelley Joseph of Rutgers University, as Treasurer. The original board also consisted of ten members-at-large (a number which was later reduced to five): Larry Gage of the College of New Jersey, Dan Gordon of Rutgers University Camden Campus, Judy Green of William Patterson University, James Mandala of Rutgers University, Shirley Mathews of Seton Hall University, Daisy Rodriguez of William Patterson University, Roberto Schiraldi of Princeton University, Kelley Stankiewicz of Rutgers University, John Viterito of Georgian Court University, and Bruce Yellin of Raritan Valley Community College. (I remember John Viterito’s comment on that occasion that he had not missed a single annual conference in more than two decades.)
Two standing committees were also formed: The Membership Committee, which was chaired by Daisy Rodriguez and charged with recruiting new members and managing the current roster; and the Nomination and Election Committee, which was chaired by Kelley Stankiewicz and charged with administering future elections.
To obtain start-up funds and institutional support for our initiative, I approached the then-Vice President of Student Affairs at Rutgers University, Gregory Blimling. He agreed to provide the University’s backing, and granted us $1,000 in seed money. We also established a membership fee, and chose to set it at the low rate of $20 per year, so that fees would not discourage anyone from joining the Association.
It was at this time that we also decided that the Association would take over responsibility for running the annual conference series that I had launched more than twenty years earlier. We further resolved to seek accreditation for the conference from the National Board of Certified Counselors such that participants can now obtain continuing education credits for their attendance.
The Association quickly generated strong interest among the wider community of New Jersey college counselors. By June 2007, more than 60 counselors from the state’s four-year colleges had joined. By May 2008 our roster had grown to 123 members.
Another early task was to develop the bylaws, which we finalized in March 2007. These were recently modified to add a Vice President to the slate of officers, among other changes.
We also applied to the American College Counseling Association for affiliate status. And at its 2008 meeting in Savannah, Ga., the ACCA officially accepted our association as its state division for New Jersey.
It was at this time that we also decided that the Association would take over responsibility for running the annual conference series that I had launched more than twenty years earlier. We further resolved to seek accreditation for the conference from the National Board of Certified Counselors such that participants can now obtain continuing education credits for their attendance.
The Association quickly generated strong interest among the wider community of New Jersey college counselors. By June 2007, more than 60 counselors from the state’s four-year colleges had joined. By May 2008 our roster had grown to 123 members.
Another early task was to develop the bylaws, which we finalized in March 2007. These were recently modified to add a Vice President to the slate of officers, among other changes.
We also applied to the American College Counseling Association for affiliate status. And at its 2008 meeting in Savannah, Ga., the ACCA officially accepted our association as its state division for New Jersey.
Annual Conferences
2008: The first conference sponsored by the Association took place on the campus of Cook College in May 2008. The gathering’s focus was on managing students at risk. The morning speaker was Dr. Greg Ells, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University and the then-President of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors. His talk was followed by a roundtable discussion that I moderated, featuring both college administrators and counselors. Underscoring the importance of the topic, one of the invited speakers for the roundtable, Rutgers’ then-Vice President of Student Affairs, Gregory Blimling, was unable to attend due to a suicide on campus the day of the conference.
The other speakers for the roundtable were: Jill Richards, Director of Psychological Services at Rutgers, Robin Davenport, Director of the Counseling Center of Caldwell College, Larry Gage, Director of the Counseling Center at the College of New Jersey, Steve Haley, Director of Public Safety at Princeton University, Shirley Matthews, Director of the Counseling Center at Seton Hall University, Daisy Rodriguez, Counselor at William Patterson University, Glen Sherman, Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development at William Patterson University, and Laura Wankel, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services at Seton Hall University.
Since then the Association’s annual conferences have been organized in a variety of formats, with some featuring a morning and an afternoon speaker, and others a morning speaker followed by a series of parallel workshops in the afternoon or just one speaker for the whole day.
2009: At the 2009 conference, Dr. Anita McLean of Princeton University discussed the treatment of college students with bipolar disorder, while Dr. Najmi Shaikh and Dr. Irina Efremova of Rutgers University discussed bipolar and related mood disorders from a psychiatric standpoint.
2010: At the 2010 conference, the morning speaker, Dr. Monica Indart, a private practitioner, addressed the psychosocial needs of emerging adults. In the afternoon several simultaneous workshops were held. Dr. Franca Mancini, Director of the Counseling Center at Monmouth College, led a session on managing students in mental health crisis. Bruce Yellin spoke about different forms of loss. And Daisy Rodriguez led a workshop on dealing with helicopter parents.
2011: The 2011 conference was held at Monmouth University, whose facilities proved more affordable than those at Cook College and which have served as the venue for the conferences ever since. At that year’s event the morning speaker, private practitioner Dr. Sharon Press, discussed the identification and treatment of emotionally distressed students. The afternoon speaker, Dr. Christopher Gates, Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, then addressed the treatment of students who are military veterans.
2012: At the Association’s 2012 conference Dr. Nancy McWilliams, a private practitioner and visiting professor at Rutgers University, gave the morning presentation, entitled: “Mental Health: An Endangered Concept?” The afternoon session featured three speakers from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in New York—Stacy Bobbitt, Jocelyn Frank, and David Hensel—whose talk was entitled: “The Counselor and Title IX.”
2013: The Association’s 2013 conference consisted of a daylong presentation by Dr. Robert D. Macy on “Psychological First Aid for College Students.”
2008: The first conference sponsored by the Association took place on the campus of Cook College in May 2008. The gathering’s focus was on managing students at risk. The morning speaker was Dr. Greg Ells, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services at Cornell University and the then-President of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors. His talk was followed by a roundtable discussion that I moderated, featuring both college administrators and counselors. Underscoring the importance of the topic, one of the invited speakers for the roundtable, Rutgers’ then-Vice President of Student Affairs, Gregory Blimling, was unable to attend due to a suicide on campus the day of the conference.
The other speakers for the roundtable were: Jill Richards, Director of Psychological Services at Rutgers, Robin Davenport, Director of the Counseling Center of Caldwell College, Larry Gage, Director of the Counseling Center at the College of New Jersey, Steve Haley, Director of Public Safety at Princeton University, Shirley Matthews, Director of the Counseling Center at Seton Hall University, Daisy Rodriguez, Counselor at William Patterson University, Glen Sherman, Associate Vice President and Dean of Student Development at William Patterson University, and Laura Wankel, Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services at Seton Hall University.
Since then the Association’s annual conferences have been organized in a variety of formats, with some featuring a morning and an afternoon speaker, and others a morning speaker followed by a series of parallel workshops in the afternoon or just one speaker for the whole day.
2009: At the 2009 conference, Dr. Anita McLean of Princeton University discussed the treatment of college students with bipolar disorder, while Dr. Najmi Shaikh and Dr. Irina Efremova of Rutgers University discussed bipolar and related mood disorders from a psychiatric standpoint.
2010: At the 2010 conference, the morning speaker, Dr. Monica Indart, a private practitioner, addressed the psychosocial needs of emerging adults. In the afternoon several simultaneous workshops were held. Dr. Franca Mancini, Director of the Counseling Center at Monmouth College, led a session on managing students in mental health crisis. Bruce Yellin spoke about different forms of loss. And Daisy Rodriguez led a workshop on dealing with helicopter parents.
2011: The 2011 conference was held at Monmouth University, whose facilities proved more affordable than those at Cook College and which have served as the venue for the conferences ever since. At that year’s event the morning speaker, private practitioner Dr. Sharon Press, discussed the identification and treatment of emotionally distressed students. The afternoon speaker, Dr. Christopher Gates, Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System, then addressed the treatment of students who are military veterans.
2012: At the Association’s 2012 conference Dr. Nancy McWilliams, a private practitioner and visiting professor at Rutgers University, gave the morning presentation, entitled: “Mental Health: An Endangered Concept?” The afternoon session featured three speakers from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights in New York—Stacy Bobbitt, Jocelyn Frank, and David Hensel—whose talk was entitled: “The Counselor and Title IX.”
2013: The Association’s 2013 conference consisted of a daylong presentation by Dr. Robert D. Macy on “Psychological First Aid for College Students.”
Advocacy
Another mission of the Association has been to advocate on behalf of members on issues that impact the work of our counseling centers. For instance in 2009 Robin Davenport represented us in a roundtable hosted by New Jersey Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt. The discussions focused on proposed legislation, ultimately dismissed, that would have permitted institutions of higher education to require prospective students to provide their mental health records. Robin’s contribution was instrumental in highlighting problematic features of the plan.
Communication
The Association has also continually sought to foster means through which members can communicate with and consult one another. This began with a listserv that continues to steadily grow in scope. This year (2013) , James Mandala and Larry Gage have taken that effort to a new level by starting to build a comprehensive website for the Association.
Elections
Since the Association’s founding, NJCCA has held four elections of officers. In 2009, Marta Aizenman and Robin Solbach were re-elected as President and Secretary, Larry Gage was elected Treasurer, and Robin Davenport and Franca Mancini joined the board as members at large.
In 2011, I thought it was time for the Association to elect a new president and I encouraged Robin Solbach to run for the position. Along with Robin’s election as President, Nadine Marty of Rider University was elected Secretary, while Larry Gage continued as Treasurer. In 2013, Nadine Marty succeeded Robin Solbach as President, with Robin Davenport elected Vice President, and Dan Gordon of Rutgers University Camden Campus as Secretary. Larry Gage continues as Treasurer. Two more members also joined the Board: Phyllis Bolling of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Dianne Aguero-Trotter of Seton Hall University.
As we approach the sixth year since the Association’s founding, I think we can all feel proud that it is now solidly established as the voice for college counselors in New Jersey. And we look forward to its continued success in this role for many years to come.
Marta Aizenman Ph.D., Princeton NJ
[email protected], (609) 924-8290
October 20, 2013
Another mission of the Association has been to advocate on behalf of members on issues that impact the work of our counseling centers. For instance in 2009 Robin Davenport represented us in a roundtable hosted by New Jersey Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt. The discussions focused on proposed legislation, ultimately dismissed, that would have permitted institutions of higher education to require prospective students to provide their mental health records. Robin’s contribution was instrumental in highlighting problematic features of the plan.
Communication
The Association has also continually sought to foster means through which members can communicate with and consult one another. This began with a listserv that continues to steadily grow in scope. This year (2013) , James Mandala and Larry Gage have taken that effort to a new level by starting to build a comprehensive website for the Association.
Elections
Since the Association’s founding, NJCCA has held four elections of officers. In 2009, Marta Aizenman and Robin Solbach were re-elected as President and Secretary, Larry Gage was elected Treasurer, and Robin Davenport and Franca Mancini joined the board as members at large.
In 2011, I thought it was time for the Association to elect a new president and I encouraged Robin Solbach to run for the position. Along with Robin’s election as President, Nadine Marty of Rider University was elected Secretary, while Larry Gage continued as Treasurer. In 2013, Nadine Marty succeeded Robin Solbach as President, with Robin Davenport elected Vice President, and Dan Gordon of Rutgers University Camden Campus as Secretary. Larry Gage continues as Treasurer. Two more members also joined the Board: Phyllis Bolling of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and Dianne Aguero-Trotter of Seton Hall University.
As we approach the sixth year since the Association’s founding, I think we can all feel proud that it is now solidly established as the voice for college counselors in New Jersey. And we look forward to its continued success in this role for many years to come.
Marta Aizenman Ph.D., Princeton NJ
[email protected], (609) 924-8290
October 20, 2013