The Bureaucratization of College Counselor Work: Current Dilemmas and Desired Solutions

Abstract

The bureaucratization of university counselors' work has become a central factor constraining their educational functions. Drawing on empirical research and literature analysis, this paper systematically investigates the challenges of bureaucratization faced by counselors across four dimensions: role positioning, work content, professional development, and value recognition. It further explores the underlying causes from structural, institutional, resource, and cultural perspectives. The findings indicate that bureaucratization not only transforms counselors into "task executors" but also marginalizes their core educational mission, limiting their ability to support students' holistic growth. To address this issue, the paper proposes comprehensive reforms in four key areas: conceptual reshaping, institutional restructuring, organizational empowerment, and technological enhancement. These measures aim to restore counselors' roles from administrative implementers to facilitators of student development, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for fulfilling the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education.