SDSU recruiting students for a distance-based Master of Science program

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — San Diego State University (SDSU) is recruiting students for the Fall 2021 distance-based Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling Program (RCP) from the federal Region IX, which includes American Samoa.

“The RCP prepares professionals to provide responsive and effective services to individuals with physical, sensory, cognitive and psychiatric disabilities,” according to the university’s recruitment letter from Dr. Charles Edmund Degeneffe — who is the Distance Program Coordinator at the university’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program.

The recruitment letter was send to the Governor’s Office, which overseas the local Vocational Rehabilitation Office (whose director is currently stranded in the US) — which is the contact for local students interested in this new degree program. .

The governor’s executive assistant Iulogologo Joseph Pereira – a graduate of SDSU with a Masters Degree in Education with emphasis on Public Administration and Human Resources Management in 2012 — responded by thanking the university for “once again extending its long distance education programs to American Samoa.”

Iulogologo pointed out that this Masters in Science program would help professionals working in the Office of Vocational Education, Special Education, and the Counseling Core for the local Education Department (ASDOE).

Additionally the recruitment letter is being distributed to the ASDOE director, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the American Samoa Community College and others “for distribution to the teachers and others,” said Iulogologo who pointed out that Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga and Lt. Gov. Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga graduated from the same SDSU distance learning program but “we had professors come down for a week to conduct classes.”

According to the recruitment letter, the RCP's distance education program is offered entirely on-line with technical support provided by the SDSU Interwork Institute Center for Distance Learning.

Additionally, the Interwork Institute has used distance learning technology and adult learning strategies to make graduate level courses and the Master of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling accessible to rehabilitation professionals and aspiring professionals since 1996.

“The RCP makes high quality graduate level learning opportunities accessible to learners who cannot readily access on-campus graduate programs due to travel distances and time, or to other factors related to costs, employment/workload, or family and disability considerations,” according to the letter, which also states that the distance program is referred to as CDER — Consortium for Distance Education in Rehabilitation.

The RCP provides specialized instruction in the following areas:

• Coursework in program evaluation and development, and grant writing;

• Instruction on school to work transition, supported employment, neuropsychological and vocational assessment, and career counseling and development;

• Training in evidence based counseling methods such as Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused Brief Therapy;

• Skill building in teamwork and collaboration;

• Strong emphasis on diversity and community inclusion of people with disabilities;

• Coursework and scheduling are designed to accommodate the needs of working adults;

• Preparation for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Credential through attaining the Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling degree or preparation for the CRC through Category 3.