The Counseling and Testing Section has anchored on the philosophy that each individual is unique, important, and capable of making decisions. The student is assisted in cultivating and developing his potential will redound to personal growth and development and contribute to the welfare of the country.

The specific objectives are as follows:

(a) To help students clarify issues, gain insight into his/her feelings and thoughts, and deal effectively with problems.

(b) To provide students with a scientific and objective assessment of their abilities, potentials, weaknesses, and personality traits relevant to personality development and better adjustment in life.

(c) To assist students to acquire decision-making skills and become self-directed individuals.

(d) To COUNSELING AND TESTING SECTION (CTS) 42 improve personal effectiveness, which is closely related to the preservation of good mental health and securing desirable behavioral change(s) and

(e) To give needed professional assistance to assist students adjusting to University life.

It is a service wherein competent staff in the Counseling and Testing Office CTO) as well as trained peer counselors assist individual students or a group toward a better understanding of himself/themselves and his/their environment. It encourages him/them to satisfactory adjustments or the acceptable resolution of problems he/she encounters.

It refers to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of psychological tests for individuals or groups of students used to assess his/their behavioral tendencies. Psychological tests are also used as tools in counseling students.

1. Student Needs/Personality Test. All students are required to take a student needs inventory/problem checklist and, or personality test, which identifies the needs, concerns, and personality traits of the student. It is one of the instruments to assist the student in knowing his/her concerns while on campus as well as his/her personality characteristics.

2. Students Applying to Shift to another Degree Program, Readmission, or AWOL. Students who are shifting to another degree program or, are applying for readmission due to academic delinquency or AWOL are required to take the mental ability test, aptitude test, interest test, and personality test. The results will be used as a springboard for counseling and planning.

This service takes care of assisting students in their career decision-making by knowing their abilities and potential, providing them with information regarding the university course offerings and requirements, information on job trends, job referrals, and employment opportunities.

1. Jobs Fair Program — an activity for the graduating students of the University to equip them with skills in landing or finding a good job through the Pre-Employment Seminar/Workshop. Moreover, it also introduces the students to prospective employers through campus recruitment or company orientation activities. It includes actual interviews and receiving of resumes from participating companies hiring potential employees.

2. Placement Activities — in coordination with various companies, manpower pooling or direct hiring is conducted by potential employers. Recruitment paraphernalia such as flyers, posters, brochures, etc. is coursed through the CTS for posting and distribution.

Students are invited to attend and register for a small group session which is scheduled by a facilitator in the first semester. This is to facilitate the interpersonal relationships among students, how to adjust to school work, the teaching methodology of their teachers, and the culture itself of the University. It also developed small support groups where the students themselves, may be able to facilitate, monitor, and provide emotional and social support to each other.

This will provide information concerning personal, social, educational, and occupational or career including job vacancies. First-year students are gathered in a venue for an orientation program with the assistance of the University and College Student Council Officers.

This service pertains to the activity of gathering data about the students to enable the counselors, professors, and administrators to understand the student better before counseling is conducted. It is a cumulative record of personal, family, and educational data from birth to the present. Information such as the student’s family background, mental ability, interest, aptitude, achievement, personality traits, and health condition serves as the key to the counseling activity upon which personal assistance is based. The cumulative record is kept during the duration of the student’s studies in the university until five years after his/her graduation.

First-year students are required to report to the Office for individual interviews in the 2nd semester of their first year at the University. They will be scheduled accordingly by their respective assigned facilitators. The purpose of this is to make a follow-up, gather in-depth information, interpret their test results, and possible counseling, particularly on adjustment difficulties.

Interviews were conducted with students undergoing the readmission process to facilitate their assessment, understanding, and awareness of the reasons for academic difficulties/deficiencies that led to scholastic delinquency status. The data gathered are collated into a comprehensive report and will be used to initiate appropriate recommendations to the Readmission Committee of the College and, or to the Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs (VCAA). A follow-up is then made to monitor the student’s study plan.

Conducted to students leaving the university due to dismissal, transfer, or graduation. It is designed to find out their insights regarding their academic and personal life in the University, as well as provide feedback on how they were assisted by the academic and student services offered by the institution. This will provide the basis for improvements that may be implemented on the said services.

In this process, students wanting to shift to another course, and students leaving the University whether due to graduation, transfer, or dismissal. Data are gathered through exit interviews so that an evaluation or assessment could be made and later used as a basis for counseling, recommendations for readmission or shifting, and/or improvements of University services.

A referral is a means to connect various entities in the City with well-defined and delineated mandates, responsibilities, and powers into a network of cooperation, with the overall aim of ensuring the protection and assistance of a person to be referred and to aid as well in his/her full recovery and empowerment.