The Student Wellness, Advocacy and Support department provides accessibility services for students with disabilities, personal and academic counseling, and advocacy services to students. All services are free and confidential. Appointments are encouraged to ensure counselor availability, but students may walk in to request service during operating hours.
Services
The Student Wellness, Advocacy and Support department provides a variety of services to support students in their academic journey. Accessibility Services facilitates accommodations for students with disabilities through an interactive process that begins with the student and counselor, ensuring equal access to educational opportunities while following federal and state guidelines. Access to Achievement connects students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to resources that help them succeed in school and beyond. Academic Counseling helps students manage challenges such as time management, test anxiety, and course-related concerns, with required support for those on Academic Probation. Personal Counseling offers confidential, goal-focused support for students struggling with work-life balance, effective goal setting, personal obstacles, or anxiety, while connecting them to community resources including emergency financial assistance, domestic violence support, and addiction treatment when specialized care is needed. Advocacy services provide students with support and guidance when navigating challenges related to appeals, conflicts with faculty or staff, and policy concerns.
Accessibility Services
Our Accessibility Services team provides comprehensive support and accommodations to ensure every student has equal access to educational opportunities and campus resources.
Access to Achievement
Access to Achievement connects students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to resources that help them succeed in school and beyond.
Counseling Services
Our Counseling Services offers confidential mental health support, personal counseling, and crisis intervention to help students navigate challenges and maintain their emotional well-being.
Advocacy Services
Advocacy Services empowers students by providing guidance, representation, and tools to help them effectively communicate their needs and rights within the educational system.
Truly Connecting to Students
At South Piedmont, our dedicated counseling professionals are committed to supporting students through every step of their unique educational journey. We provide a confidential, judgment-free environment where students can find resources for wellness, development, and accessibility while receiving the empowerment they need to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.
I really enjoy being a supportive resource for students to vent to, and being able to connect them with other campus services or resources that may benefit their journey at South Piedmont. Every student’s journey is unique, and our counseling services are here to provide support. As a counselor, it’s an honor to empower students to overcome challenges, discover their strengths, and achieve their academic and personal goals. We are here to be a safe space where students can obtain resources for wellness, student development, and accessibility.
Kyndal Caskey, MS, Counselor, Student Wellness, Advocacy and Support | Student Services
South Piedmont Community College provides comprehensive accessibility services to ensure students with disabilities have equal access to educational opportunities through an interactive process that begins with the student and a counselor. The college’s accommodations process follows Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state law, with counselors serving as ongoing resources to both students and faculty to implement appropriate, individualized academic accommodations.
Access to Achievement connects students with intellectual and developmental disabilities to personalized educational pathways and support services at South Piedmont Community College. The program offers academic opportunities, career exploration through paid internships, and comprehensive employment support, all without requiring documentation to participate. Each student receives a customized plan built around their unique strengths and goals, with additional funding options available to promote independence and community integration.
Counselors can help students with a variety of challenges that might affect their academic progress. Academic counseling services are available to students to address the following:
- Time and stress management
- Test anxiety
- Adjusting to college
- Course withdrawals
- Course repeat requests
Students on Academic Probation are required to meet with a SPCC Counselor for course registration and to develop a success plan. Students are placed on academic probation after falling below a 2.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters, which limits the number of credit hours/courses students can register for per semester until they return to good academic standing.
Getting help can be hard. Counselors offer confidential, non-clinical counseling support while helping students learn new strategies and coping skills that along with their own self-commitment and hard work, can lead to higher levels of success. SPCC Counseling services are designed to be goal-focused and short-term. Based on the scope and intensity of student’s needs, Counselors may refer students to local community or mental health services/providers. Use of external resources may result in additional costs to the student from the external provider.
Students sometimes struggle to achieve and/or maintain academic or personal success. While circumstances and reasons vary for individuals, they commonly include, but are not limited to:
- Challenges with understanding how to best balance college, work, and personal life
- Difficulty with effective goal setting, self and time management, study habits
- Personal life obstacles and barriers, relationship issues, or lack of personal support system
- Anxiety, unmanaged stress, or other mental health concerns
FindHelp.org is a tool that will assist students with a wide variety of free or reduced-cost services such as: food, housing, healthcare, transportation, legal, goods (clothing, home goods, medical supplies), and more.
Emergency financial assistance may be available to currently enrolled students who experience an acute and unexpected short-term financial hardship that creates a barrier to completing their program of study. Students interested in requesting this assistance can email counselors@spcc.edu for more information.
Counselors/Advocates are available to provide advocacy services, which provide students with support and guidance when navigating challenges related to appeals, conflicts with faculty or staff, and policy concerns. These services help students understand their rights, explore resolution options, and ensure fair treatment in academic and institutional matters. Counselors/Advocates offer impartial guidance in navigating appeals, facilitating communication, and connecting students with appropriate campus resources to promote a fair and equitable educational experience.
Counselors are available to provide advocacy support services to students considering the pursuit of an Appeal of Final Course Grade, Academic Integrity Violation, Code of Conduct Violation, Program Dismissal, Denial of Admissions to Selective Programs, Grievance Finding, and other concerns.
It is strongly encouraged that you connect with an Advocate prior to completing these forms.
- Formal Appeal for Academic Integrity Violation
- Formal Appeal of Final Course Grade
- Formal Appeal for Program Dismissal
- Formal Appeal for Denial of Admissions into Selective Programs
- Formal Appeal for Student Code of Behavioral Conduct Violation
- Formal Complaint-Appeal of Grievance Finding
In the event an appeal is determined to move forward to an Appeals Team Hearing, the advocate is available to provide guidance to the student as they prepare for presenting their case in the Appeals Team Hearing.
The Student Appeals Team is a standing team appointed by the Vice President of Academic/CAO and will consist of five (5) voting members to include representatives from faculty, staff, and the student body. (The student representative will be selected from a pool of student leaders within the college.)