ABSTRACT
Background and Objective: One of the professional duties of university faculty members is student counseling. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of faculty members toward advising and counseling students in Ahwaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences [AJUMS]. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the attitudes of 114 faculty members toward students' counseling were investigated using a 34-item questionnaire applying 5-point Likert scale. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire had been confirmed through a pilot study. Data were analyzed through SPSS software using mean and chi square test
Results: Fifty seven percent of the faculty members participated in the study was females with teaching experience of 14.85+/-8.8 years. Faculty members asserted that they are interested in students' counseling [mean score: 4.12 out of 5], but have moderate knowledge about the advisory task [mean: 3.61]. Mean total score of the present statues of students' counseling in the university was 3.38+/-0.56 and that of the ideal situation was 4.05+/-0.38 [p=0.001]
Conclusion: It is concluded that faculties have a positive attitude toward the importance and necessity of student counseling, but believe that the implementation of this process is not properly monitored and supported in AJUMS. Support of advisory teachers and more attention to their statues can be very beneficial in the process of students' counseling?