Abstract

Introduction: Universities and academic environments are tackling challenges and transformation. Thus, mentally, spiritually and socially supporting students and academics and interacting with them seems necessary. This study aimed to compare the performance of counselors with the students’ expectations at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 359 students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences were selected by using stratified random sampling. Cochran formula was used to determine the sample size. Two questionnaires have been employed to collect the data in order to assess the students’ perspective on the consultants’ performance’s current and optimum status. To determine the validity, content and face validity have been used and the reliability was defined through Alpha-Cronbach coefficient and that of the current status was calculated as 0.925 and the optimum condition as 0.925. To analyze the data from the non-parametric binomial test, Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied. Results: a meaningful difference has been found between the optimum stats of the consultants’ performance. So that, 15 % has been considered inappropriate and 85% appropriate. Given the performance of the consultants, there is a critical difference. There is a meaningful difference between the current and optimum performance of the consultants, so that the mean rating status (178.43) is higher than that of the current status (90.69). No critical difference has been observed between the current and optimum condition in ANS at significance level 0.278 and RPA Cat significance level 0.879.

Key words: Counselors, students, Counseling, Mazandaran, Iran.