The Student Assistance Coordinator (SAC) endorsement authorizes the holder to perform the functions of a student assistance coordinator in grades preschool through 12. Student assistance coordinators support institutional, faculty, staff, and community efforts to increase student success by developing resources/curricula and facilitating trainings to address substance use, addiction, and other mental health issues, and to remove barriers that impede student success. Student assistance coordinators also assist in establishing and maintaining related policies to improve school climate, administer prevention/intervention services, and provide supportive counseling and referrals.
Program Coordinator, Stuart Roe
Education Bldg, 201J
roes@tcnj.edu
609-771-3033
The Department of Counselor Education at The College of New Jersey offers 21-semester hours of graduate coursework in fulfillment of the content area curriculum requirements, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.2 (c) 2, for the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS). Upon completion of the Student Assistance Coordinator Program (COUN_CER_02) at The College of New Jersey, students will be eligible for the SAC CEAS.
The educational requirements for the SAC CEAS may also be fulfilled by electing to take the 21-semester hours of coursework as part of, and in addition to, the required courses needed for the 48-credit Master of Arts degree program in counseling offered at The College of New Jersey. Students wishing to complete the SAC CEAS coursework in this manner will be required to take several additional elective courses during the master’s program of study, or upon completion of the degree. Students electing this course of study should consult with their faculty advisor upon matriculation into the program.
Additional Requirements for SAC Certification (pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:9-13.2):
In their final semester, students must notify the secretary of the Department of Counselor Education that they are about to complete the required coursework for the SAC CEAS. Upon completion of the final SAC coursework, TCNJ will then notify the New Jersey Department of Education that the student has met the academic requirements for the SAC CEAS. The SAC CEAS will then be issued through the New Jersey Department of Education, not The College of New Jersey.
With the SAC CEAS, and an offer of employment in a position that requires the SAC certificate, individuals are eligible for a provisional educational services certificate with a SAC endorsement.
Upon obtaining a position as a SAC, the individual’s school district must register the individual as a candidate in the SAC Residency Program. A registration packet will be forwarded to the district.
The school district must complete the registration packet and submit it to the New Jersey Department of Education. At the end of the 6 month residency (full-time SAC) or 12 month residency (part-time SAC) the residency supervisor submits an evaluation recommending SAC certification. The State Board of Examiners may then issue the standard SAC certificate.
Further information about the SAC certification supervision and residency requirements, or additional clarification about these requirements, may be obtained by calling the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Teacher Preparation and Certification.
NJ Department of Education, PO Box 500, Trenton, NJ 08625-0500, (609) 376-3500 (you will directed to press “3” then “1” for certification questions)