Counseling gives students options, supports whichever choice they make
The Withdrawal Retention Program is designed to give students the opportunity to talk with counselors if they are considering withdrawing from CU.
Cleo Estrada, associate director for the program, said there are many reasons students consider withdrawing.
“I notice a trend that students will want to withdraw early in their experience on campus,” Estrada said. “I think they always say, ‘I’m not ready,’ or ‘I don’t like the university.’ When we counsel them, it is about how they can stay in the university environment somewhere else and find a better fit for them.”
Estrada described another group of students that withdraw. One half struggles academically and wants to withdraw in order to preserve their student status. The other half is people with personal issues who feel they have to leave.
Julie Yun, a university counselor, works with students to try and relay their options.
“The program was initially set up to see who someone is and what it is they are having difficulty with,” Yun said. “There are usually a lot of freshmen who are having transitional issues and don’t know who to talk to, and we might solve the situation and they may decide to stay.”
Yun said just because CU is a campus of 30,000 doesn’t mean it is a good fit for everyone.
Estrada said it is all about being a student.
“What we like to do is invite people to welcome gatherings to build relationships,” Estrada said. “A lot of times students haven’t put enough time into being a student.”
Dale Trevino, the director of the program, agrees students need to talk to someone about their decision.
“We try to ask them if they have explored all options and if this is the right decision for them,” Trevino said. “Our intention is really just to provide them with options. And if they do decide to withdraw, we provide them with information so they can get back into the university.”
Trevino explained that part of the reason for this program was to find reasons why students drop out.
“Preliminarily it started as a pilot program,” Trevino said. “We don’t see as many students as we’d like to see.”
Yun addressed this problem and what can be done to fix it.
“This program really hasn’t been up and running for a while now,” Yun said. “We would like to get it up and going, but a lot of people don’t know this program exists. So people could say they were thinking about leaving and don’t get referred.”
Yun said the program really needs to focus on working with the advisers so they can be there for student needs. She also hopes to get the word out to students to come talk to a counselor.
Contact Campus Press staff writer Molly Gasiewicz at molly.gasiewicz@thecampuspress.com
