Jason Thibodeaux, Counselor Education Alumnus, Helping Students at UT
Jason Thibodeaux, M.Ed.
Assistant Director of Student Judicial Services
The University of Texas at Austin
Jason Thibodeaux is a 2007 graduate
of the Counselor Education Program. For the past 5 years he has been the
Assistant Director of Student Judicial Services at UT, which is part of the
Dean of Students Office and a Division of Student Affairs. Jason’s efforts are
central to understanding and advocating student needs. His chief responsibilities
include addressing student conduct issues, such as if a student has violated
student rules of the university. He meets with the student to discuss what the
individual has been experiencing in hopes to gain understanding as to why the
student violated the rules. Jason also works to alleviate individual student
crisis situations and is part of taking calls from BCAL (Behavior Concerns Advice Line) on
a rotating basis. He builds relationships with students and adds to the
cohesion of the university through his sponsorship in student-led
organizations, such as the Student Conduct Advisory Committee. Annually, he
takes an international trip to China or India with a group of students seeking
short-term cultural immersion.
Jason describes the best attributes of his career with an interpersonal twist, “…working with great people, working with students is energizing, and it all meets my desire to help others.” Working in a central division of the university proves to be challenging, especially with all the demands on time. He could easily live there in order to meet all of the needs and demands. As a means to continue to sharpen his skills, he has made seeking professional development his personal mission. He is currently a member of the Association for Student Conduct Administration and was formerly connected with Higher Education Student Affairs Association. Since the university can no longer fund conference attendance, Jason frugally stays connected and abreast of current issues through webinars and newsletters.
The idea of maintaining a healthy balance between work and personal life could be laughable when considering all the necessary energy required of him in his position. Despite this, Jason makes a concerted effort to take a long weekend once a month, enjoy time at home to relax, go for a run once in a while, and most importantly, go with the ebbs and flows of the semesters. When the students are on break, so is he.
When basking in the memories of his time as a graduate student in the Counselor Education program, he is most grateful for the courses Counseling Skills, Career Development, Psychopathology, and an elective he took called Short Term Therapy because they play a vital role in what he currently does in his career. He advises students who seek a similar path as his to get hands-on experience by contacting someone in the field who can work with them.
—Kelsey L. Poe
Related Sites:
Educational Psychology website