Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No.2, 2023 www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet ISSN 2576-1846 (Print) ISSN 2576-1854 (Online) 101 Original Paper Research on the Role Transformation and Duty Extension of College Student Counselors Xie Xiaojun1 1 Sichuan Minzu College, Kangding City, China Received: March 28, 2023 Accepted: April 12, 2023 Online Published: April 25, 2023 doi:10.22158/fet.v6n2p101 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/fet.v6n2p101 Abstract College student counselors are indispensable and important roles in the higher education system, whose responsibilities cover aspects such as psychological health services, academic guidance, career planning, and social adaptation. However, problems such as vague professional role positioning, unclear job scope, and inadequate professional image and quality level have limited the quality and effectiveness of their work. Therefore, it is necessary to explore scientific ways to transform the professional role, improve professional quality, and innovate service models, in order to expand the scope of responsibilities for college student counselors, improve their professional image and quality, and provide more comprehensive, in-depth, and personalized services and support to students, promoting their overall development. Keywords college student counselor, role transformation, responsibility expansion 1. Analysis of the Professional Role and Responsibilities of College Student Counselors in the New Situation With the continuous development of society, the professional role and responsibilities of college student counselors have undergone certain changes in the new situation. In this era, college student counselors are no longer just “psychological teachers” in the traditional sense, but play a more comprehensive professional role. 1.1 Analysis of the Current Professional Role of College Student Counselors College student counselors are important professionals in higher education, responsible for students’ mental health, academic guidance, social adaptation, and other aspects of work. The professional role of college student counselors is no longer limited to psychological counseling and education, but has become more diverse. They also need to be responsible for students’ life management, course planning, www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, 2023 102 Published by SCHOLINK INC. career guidance, academic guidance, and other aspects of work. College student counselors’ work is no longer just about providing single counseling and guidance services, but rather places more emphasis on service quality and effectiveness. They need to develop personalized service plans and programs based on students’ actual situations, providing more professional and attentive services to students. College student counselors are no longer isolated individuals fighting alone, but rather need to collaborate with other professionals. They need to work closely with teachers, student affairs officials, career counselors, and other professionals to provide more comprehensive services to students. College student counselors’ work is also influenced by information technology. They need to master certain information technology skills and use various information technology tools to provide more efficient services to students. With the increasing social competition and the diversification of student issues, the work pressure of college student counselors is also increasing. They need to take on more workload and responsibilities, while also facing students’ psychological issues and pressures, bearing psychological burdens. 1.2 Analysis of Responsibilities of College Counselors College counselors are professionals responsible for student mental health, academic guidance, social adaptation, and other aspects of higher education. College counselors are responsible for providing students with mental health guidance, including psychological counseling, psychological guidance, psychological testing, and other services, to help students solve psychological problems and improve their mental health. College counselors are also responsible for providing students with academic guidance services, including personalized learning plans, course planning, professional selection, and other guidance to help students improve their academic performance and develop career plans. In addition, college counselors need to actively carry out student mental health education and psychological counseling work, organizing mental health lectures, psychological guidance activities, etc., to improve students’ awareness of mental health and psychological coping abilities. Furthermore, college counselors need to work with other departments of the school to jointly maintain the comprehensive development and healthy growth of students. College counselors are responsible for providing students with social adaptation guidance, including interpersonal communication, social skills, professional qualities, and other aspects of guidance, to help students better adapt to the social environment. College counselors are responsible for managing and handling students’ daily affairs, including student file management, student status management, scholarship evaluation, and financial aid distribution. College counselors also need to organize and carry out various student activities, such as student unions, clubs, volunteers, etc., to provide students with a wider range of development platforms and opportunities. College counselors also need to provide students with career planning guidance, including career counseling, employment guidance, internship arrangements, and other related services, to help students better plan and develop their careers. College counselors also need to be responsible for student safety management, including maintaining students’ personal safety, property security, and other related work. www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, 2023 103 Published by SCHOLINK INC. 2. Analysis of Problems in the Transformation of the Role and Responsibilities of Counselors 2.1 Ambiguous Positioning of Professional Roles The role of college counselors may not be clearly defined, and their responsibilities and tasks may not be explicitly stated, leading to ambiguity in their actual work. Different student groups in different colleges may have different needs, requiring counselors to assume different professional roles and responsibilities. This difference may result in an ambiguous positioning of the professional role of college counselors. 2.2 Conflicts in Professional Roles The target of service for college counselors is students, and their tasks include psychological counseling, academic guidance, career planning, and other aspects. In practical work, conflicts may arise between student needs and tasks. College counselors need to maintain a balance between individual and collective interests in their work, but conflicts may arise at times. The professional role of college counselors requires a variety of abilities and skills, such as psychological counseling, academic guidance, career planning, etc., but there may be situations in which they lack certain abilities or skills in practical work. 2.3 Unclear Job Scope The work tasks of college counselors may not have been properly assigned or may not be clear enough, resulting in an unclear job scope in practical work. The work tasks of college counselors may overlap, making it difficult to determine their job scope in practical work. With the diversification of student needs, the responsibilities that college counselors need to undertake are also increasing, making it difficult to clarify their job scope in practical work. 2.4 Insufficient Professional Image and Quality Level Some college counselors may have issues with their professional image in terms of clothing, language, behavior, etc., which affects their professional image. The professional quality level of college counselors in areas such as psychological counseling, academic guidance, and career planning may not be high enough, which affects their work effectiveness and service quality. College counselors may have insufficient service awareness and may not handle student needs and problems in a timely and effective manner. 3. The Transformation of the Professional Role and the Expansion of Responsibilities for College Counselors in the New Era 3.1 Responsibilities of College Counselors in China in the New Era College counselors in China are responsible for providing mental health services to students, including psychological counseling, psychotherapy, psychological testing, and other services to help students solve psychological problems and improve their mental health. College counselors are also responsible for providing academic guidance services to students, including personalized study plans, course planning, and career development guidance to help students improve their academic performance and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, 2023 104 Published by SCHOLINK INC. develop career plans. College counselors are responsible for providing career planning services to students, including career counseling, job guidance, internship arrangements, and other services to help students better plan and develop their careers. College counselors are also responsible for providing social adaptation services to students, including guidance on interpersonal communication, social skills, and professional qualities to help students better adapt to the social environment. College counselors are responsible for managing and handling students’ daily affairs, including student record management, academic management, scholarship evaluation, and financial assistance distribution for students in need. College counselors are responsible for organizing and carrying out various student activities, such as student unions, clubs, and volunteer work, to provide students with a broader platform and opportunities for development. College counselors are also responsible for student safety management, including work to maintain student personal safety and property security. 3.2 The Scientific Transformation of the Role of Counselors The professional role of college counselors has evolved with the continuous development of higher education and society. Therefore, college counselors need to undergo a scientific transformation of their professional roles to better meet the needs of the new era. College counselors need to transition from a single professional role to a diverse and comprehensive role, emphasizing the use of multiple abilities and skills in their work, such as psychological counseling, academic guidance, and career planning. College counselors need to continuously improve their professional abilities and skills by participating in various training, seminars, and learning opportunities to meet the needs of the new era. College counselors need to innovate their service models, focusing on personalized and accurate services to provide students with more comprehensive and in-depth services. College counselors need to engage in career planning, clarify their own career goals and development directions, while also paying attention to students’ career planning and providing them with better guidance and support. College counselors need to continuously conduct scientific transformation of their professional roles to adapt to the needs of the new era, improve their professional abilities and quality, and provide better services and support for students. At the same time, universities and society should also provide better working environments and training opportunities for college counselors, providing them with more support and assistance for their development. 3.3 Implementing Research on Expanding the Professional Responsibilities of College Counselors Implementing research on expanding the professional responsibilities of college counselors refers to exploring how to expand the professional responsibilities of college counselors through research and practice, in order to better meet the needs and development requirements of students, and improve the quality and effectiveness of services. Research on expanding the professional responsibilities of college counselors includes providing more comprehensive services and support in academic guidance, career planning, social adaptation, and other aspects, to meet the diverse needs of students’ development. Research on innovative service models for college counselors includes achieving personalized and accurate services, and utilizing new technologies and media to improve service quality and www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, 2023 105 Published by SCHOLINK INC. effectiveness. Research also focuses on enhancing the professional capabilities and quality of college counselors through training and development. Additionally, research explores ways to strengthen collaboration between college counselors and subject teachers, establish effective linkage mechanisms, promote the integration of teaching and counseling work, and improve the quality and effectiveness of services. Research on strengthening the construction of college counselor teams includes developing comprehensive talent training plans, and enhancing counselor’s professional identity and job satisfaction. Implementing research on expanding the professional responsibilities of college counselors requires attention to the actual needs of counselors and the developmental requirements of students. It also involves exploring new models, technologies, and concepts suitable for the current era, to improve the quality and effectiveness of college counselors’ services. 3.4 Establish a Good Professional Image and Improve One’s Professional Quality As a college counselor, one should pay attention to one’s appearance and image, including clothing, demeanor, speech, and behavior. One should appear in front of students with a professional, friendly, and approachable image. As a college counselor, one should have good communication skills, be able to communicate effectively with students, and understand their needs and problems. One can improve their communication skills by participating in training, seminars, and other activities. College counselors need to continuously improve their professional quality, including knowledge and skills in areas such as mental health, academic guidance, and career planning, in order to better serve students. College counselors need to focus on service quality, pay attention to students’ individualized needs, provide accurate, meticulous, and thoughtful services and support, and help students solve problems and develop. College counselors need to constantly learn new knowledge and skills, pay attention to industry trends and development trends, update their knowledge and skills in a timely manner, in order to adapt to changes in the times and students’ needs. Establishing a good professional image and improving one’s professional quality are a must for college counselors, who need to pay attention to their own image and quality improvement in order to better serve and support students. At the same time, universities should also strengthen the construction of the counselor team, provide them with training and learning opportunities, and help them improve their professional quality and service quality. 4. Conclusion The importance of being a college counselor goes without saying. They not only need to provide support and assistance to students in areas such as psychological health services, academic guidance, career planning, and social adaptation, but also need to constantly improve their own professional quality and service quality. With the continuous development of the times and the changing social needs, the responsibilities and roles of college counselors are also constantly expanding and changing, requiring continuous learning and adaptation. We need to give more attention and support to college www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/fet Frontiers in Education Technology Vol. 6, No. 2, 2023 106 Published by SCHOLINK INC. counselors, helping them to better play their roles and improve students’ psychological health and development abilities. At the same time, college counselors should also pay attention to improving their own professional quality and image, constantly learning and making progress, and providing students with better services and support. We hope that college counselors can continue to grow and make progress in their work, contributing their own strength to the growth and development of students. References Jia, S. N., Ren, L. W., & Cao, Y. (2021). Research on the Function and Role Transformation of College Counselors Based on the Background of Moral Education——Review of “Research on the Role Image of College Counselors”. Science and Technology Management Research, 41(17), 1. Ou, C. X. (2021). Role Positioning and Responsibility Definition of College Counselors. 2021(2013-11), 75-76. Wei, X. T., & Li, X. L. (2021). Analysis of the Transformation of Job Responsibilities and Capability Enhancement of College Counselors in the Era of Great Craftsmen.