Abstract

The general purpose of this study was to examine counseling services as a correlate of institutional commitment and related variables over time on a sample of non-urgent undergraduates. Data for non-urgent clients at a University Counseling Center (UCC) were collected using on-line surveys over four time-periods. Within-time correlations generally showed that mental health concerns was negatively related to institutional commitment, while counseling help belief was positively related. Institutional commitment is defined as a student feeling that he or she selected the right institution to attend Using a smaller sample, i.e., n = 15, of complete-data clients matched-over-time, overall level of mental health concerns significantly declined, while institutional commitment significantly increased. Counseling help belief decreased from Time 1 to Time 2 but then increased over time. Scientifically demonstrating to higher-level University administration that counseling over time can positively influence undergraduates’ institutional commitment can help the UCC to increase its allocation of university-based resources to keep pace with non-urgent client demands.

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