Inside a Community College Counselor's World

We sat down with an experienced counselor, Jose Vallejo, from Woodland Community College, who has dedicated 25 years to supporting students in their academic and professional paths. Their story offers a look into the demands, tools, and evolving challenges of counseling in today’s higher education landscape.



A Day in the Life of a College Counselor



As a general counselor, our interviewee manages a diverse caseload of about 1,200 students. On a typical day, they meet with around 14 students, scheduling in 30-minute increments.



New and veteran students often require hour-long sessions, while returning students are seen more frequently in shorter blocks. The mix of student needs determines how many sessions are possible each day.



Campus Reach



Although primarily serving Woodland Community College, this counselor also supports students from satellite campuses and occasionally from Yuba College, the district’s main hub. Appointments are often randomized, made online or through the front desk, though many students arrive through word of mouth referrals.



Tools and Technology in Counseling



To manage their day-to-day responsibilities, the counselor uses a mix of tools:



Cranium Café: A counseling-focused virtual tool, though often confusing for students.



Zoom: A simpler and preferred alternative for many sessions.



SARS Grid: Used to manage appointments and session notes.



Ellucian (formerly Illusion): Central to building and managing educational plans.



Datatel/Colleague: For admissions and registration records.



Outlook 365: For calendar syncing and student communication.



Evolution of Tools



Woodland Community College took the lead in adopting Ellucian’s self-service platform, years ahead of its sister campuses. The shift has given students more transparency in course planning and registration by preloading recommended classes into their schedules.



Students now benefit from a visual semester-by-semester roadmap that makes it easier to understand timeframes for transfer or degree completion. Feedback has been largely positive, with clearer structures and fewer barriers to planning.



Preparing for Student Appointments



Preparation time is limited due to back-to-back scheduling. Counselors typically review notations in the SARS Grid in the morning and check records during appointments.



Key materials include:



Academic transcripts (official or unofficial to speed up processing).



Placement scores and AP records.



Transfer histories from nearby colleges like those in the Los Rios District.



By reviewing records in real time, counselors ensure sessions are productive despite time constraints.



The Counselor’s Vision



When asked what a “perfect counseling experience” would look like, the counselor emphasized accessibility and availability above all. Beyond academics, sessions often touch on personal challenges, with the pandemic highlighting barriers such as:



Time limitations: Long wait times due to heavy caseloads.



Tool confusion: Students struggle with varying platforms across community colleges.



The digital divide: Rural students face poor Wi-Fi or limited technology, making virtual counseling harder to access.



The Heart of Student Counseling



Students seek counseling for reasons ranging from course planning and transfer guidance to major exploration and personal reflection. Many are bright and ambitious but struggle to navigate the complexity of CSUs, UCs, and private college systems.



The counselor stresses a student-centered philosophy:



“Tell me why, and then I’ll tell you how.”



Rather than letting students focus solely on financial goals, they help uncover passions and interests that drive persistence. By identifying the “why,” students are better equipped to overcome challenges and pursue meaningful paths.



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