Global Youth Development Program

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Based on current circumstances, the Department of Counselor Education has elected to move into a period of moratorium affecting the Global Youth Development program. The department will not be accepting a new cohort of students to the GYD program while the faculty take additional steps to understand the sustainability of the program as currently designed or with continued restructuring.

The GYD degree is designed for students who wish to engage in culturally-relevant volunteer work or paid employment in the realm of child and family assistance. This unique degree program offers students graduate instruction in human development from a psychological and counseling perspective, and is intended to prepare students to engage in cross-cultural volunteer work or paid employment with young people and/or families.

GYD on Moratorium

1 March 2018

Dear Intercultural Youth & Family Development and Global Youth Development Current & Former Students, Faculty, and other constituents:

It is with much thought and many circumstances that we share with you the Department of Counselor Education’s decision to move into a period of moratorium affecting the Global Youth Development program. In other words, based on current circumstances, the department will not be accepting a new cohort of students to the GYD program while the faculty takes additional steps to understand the sustainability of the program as currently designed or with continued restructuring.

As you may know, the environment at The University of Montana, and higher education across the U.S., has been navigating a trend of precarious finances in recent years. This past fall, the UM campus participated in the Academic Program and Administrative Services Prioritization (APASP) process. As described on the UM APASP website, “prioritization is a full review of all programs and services in which a University invests resources. It is an approach that hundreds of colleges and universities have undertaken nation-wide to refocus their curriculum and gain efficiencies.” Meanwhile, the GYD program has also been navigating various changes, such as the discontinuation of the Peace Corps Master’s International program. Despite the program’s resilience and creativity to address challenges, the limited resources afforded to the program continue to create demands beyond a reasonable capacity.

The faculty recognize the influence and opportunity our small, unique, and interdisciplinary degree has had on the individuals who have been through it, and the people they now serve. Unfortunately, these are complicated times and the hope is to make decisions for the health of the entire department including those served by the GYD program. We plan to keep people informed through the program website and welcome the chance to answer questions or collect comments.

We realize that this is disappointing news, and we are offering this letter to provide context around our decision, but welcome personal contact with you if you would like to discuss this decision in greater detail.

Sincerely,

Veronica Johnson, Ed.D., LCPC, NCC                     
Associate Professor and Department Chair            
Veronica.johnson@umontana.edu                           
406.243.4205

Lindsey M. Nichols, Ph.D., LCPC, NCC
Associate Professor, GYD Program Lead
lindsey.nichols@umontana.edu
406.243.5820

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