they had to serve as spokespeople for their racial groups. They shared that they felt dismissed by white students who did not make an effort to understand the lived experiences of people of color or build genuine connections with cohort members who did not look like them. Amy, a 23-year-old white woman, explained that she was tired of having discussions of multicultural awareness because she did this all day at her internship site and did not see why the conversation was necessary in the classroom. Amy proceeded to put on her jacket and beanie, and she physically disengaged from the conversation.
Jessica and Veronica worked to address comments about the need for multicultural awareness and tried to maintain a space in which this conversation could continue. They were also having reactions to cohort dynamics, each other, and the topics discussed. Their intention behind explaining the importance of multicultural awareness was twofold: to relate the conversation to their work with diverse students and staff in schools and to remind students that the work was ongoing at both personal and professional levels. Veronica was frustrated, and she was afraid that if she expressed her opinion about what Amy had just said, it would have been fueled by emotion in a way that would not have been beneficial to the learning environment.
Following Amy’s comment, a few students of color expressed frustration and disappointment with cohort members of the dominant culture. Students of color diverted the conversation to matters about their lived experiences, isolation within the cohort, and sadness about the disconnect between cohort members in and outside class. The group spent the remainder of the class processing feelings and thoughts around the cohort rupture, race relations, and their work as school counselors. By the end of the class, no clear conclusion had been reached. It felt like Jessica and Veronica were outsiders in this conversation as they watched the group take the lead and go where they needed to go while also trying to ensure no harm was done. Following class, Jessica and Veronica processed what had happened and were perplexed as to how to move forward with only one class session remaining before this cohort moved on in the program.
Case Analysis and Discussion
There are several salient issues in this case study. The direction the instructors ultimately take will be based on their teaching philosophy, classroom management style, relationship with the students, and understanding of multiculturalism and ethics. This incident occurred at the end of a course during students’ first semester of internship, so the timing and extent of the rift in the cohort will be important to consider. The instructors also want to be cognizant of relevant codes of ethics (e.g., American Counseling Association [ACA], 2014), the CACREP Standards (CACREP, 2016), the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies (American School Counselor Association [ASCA], 2019), and the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC; Ratts et al., 2016).
Counselor education programs must monitor the development of their students and serve as gatekeepers for the counseling profession. All counseling programs must systematically assess and address students’ knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions throughout their program of study (CACREP, 2016). According to the ACA Code of Ethics, counselors “explore their own cultural identities and how these affect their values and beliefs about the counseling process” (ACA, 2014, p. 4); more specifically, Standard F.11.c. requires that students be trained to “gain awareness, knowledge, and skills in the competencies of multicultural practice.” ASCA’s standards echo the need for awareness and knowledge of the impact of cultural, social, and environmental influences on student success (ASCA, 2019, Standard B-PF 6). These standards provide a road map for what counselor educators must assess in their students.
The importance of multicultural and social justice counseling competencies is implied in the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014). The MSJCC have been endorsed by ACA and several divisions, which signifies that these competencies are integral and relevant to all aspects of the counseling profession. The MSJCC outline four developmental domains, with self-awareness being an essential tenet of and the starting point for the other domains of client worldview, counseling relationship, and counseling and advocacy interventions. New to the MSJCC are quadrants that reflect the diverse identities professional counselors and clients bring to the counseling relationship with specific recognition of privileged and marginalized statuses. In this case, Jessica and Veronica will want to consider how their various identities relate to each other and the students. The cultural climate of the class is essential to promoting ethical practices and multicultural and social justice counseling competencies.
The safe and supportive schools model of school climate (National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments, n.d.) provides a helpful framework for promoting educational environments that optimize school climate and learning. According to this model, a positive school environment includes engagement (relationship, respect for diversity, and school participation), safety (emotional safety, physical safety, and substance use), and environment (physical environment, academic environment, wellness, and disciplinary environment).
In addition, researchers have called for the evaluation of dispositions in counselor education programs. Professional dispositions are “the commitments, characteristics, values, beliefs, interpersonal functioning, and behaviors that influence the counselor’s professional growth and interactions with clients and colleagues” (CACREP, 2016, p. 43). Using an intensive case study approach, Spurgeon, Gibbons, and Cochran (2012) identified five core dispositions for counseling students: commitment, openness, respect, integrity, and self-awareness. Jessica and Veronica’s school counseling program has a list of dispositions on which faculty evaluate each student. These dispositions are similar to the ones identified by Spurgeon and colleagues: (a) integrity; (b) self-awareness; (c) the ability to successfully complete the academic coursework and achieve required expectations; (d) sensitivity to individual differences and respect for diversity among fellow students, staff, faculty, and clients; (e) respect for and adherence to the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014); (f) the ability to accept and make use of feedback from faculty regarding one’s progress in the program as it relates to academics, interactions with fellow students and faculty, and clinical skills; (g) commitment to upholding confidentiality with fellow students in interpersonal and supervisory experiences and also with clients/supervisees in practicum and internship; (h) awareness of how to maintain appropriate interpersonal boundaries with faculty, fellow students, clients, trainees, and supervisees; and (i) the ability to interact appropriately and effectively with other students, faculty, and staff. Each year, advisers assess whether each student has met every disposition or whether it cannot be determined if they have met a specific disposition.
In reviewing this case, we consider students’ dispositions in relation to their response in the course as well as their performance throughout their program of study. In addition, we need to clarify and prioritize salient issues. We also examine how the cultural backgrounds of Jessica, Veronica, and the students influence the response to this case. Finally, we consider how the ACA Code of Ethics (ACA, 2014), the ASCA School Counselor Professional Standards and Competencies (ASCA, 2019), the MSJCC (Ratts et al., 2016), and dispositions impact the response to this incident.
Actions and Outcomes
It is essential that Jessica and Veronica first process their reactions to the class in general, the cohort dynamic, and specific students in the context of their cultural identities (e.g., biases, assumptions, power, and privilege). Jessica and Veronica will want to integrate aspects of the safe and supportive schools model when considering the classroom climate. They will want to consider how to optimize engaging the class in a discussion while maintaining emotional safety and managing the classroom environment. As the lead instructor, Jessica will want to consult with other faculty in the department.
It is crucial to consider complex identities and the role of privilege and oppression in the class, with particular attention to Beatrice and Amy. Jessica and Veronica hold positions of power and privilege because of their status as instructors. Jessica also has privilege as a white counselor educator, and Veronica holds membership in both privileged and marginalized groups. Beatrice, an African American female student, is part of several marginalized groups. Amy, a white female student, holds membership in both privileged and marginalized groups. At the cohort level, the instructors