Michael Duggan

My name is Michael Duggan and I am a full-time counselor and professor here at College of DuPage. I have been in community college education for almost fifteen years now and have loved every minute. Professional highlights include:

• Successfully writing and having published my first book: "First Class Support for College Students on the Autism Spectrum: Practical Advice for College Counselors and Educators". Available from Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2017. More information
• Earning my Masters degree in Rehabilitation (Disability) Counseling in 1997 (read more about Rehabilitation Counseling or watch a video on Rehabilitation Counseling) and then my Ed.D. degree in Community College Leadership in 2010, focusing my research on community college students with disabilities. 
• Serving as a counselor and coordinator of the second largest community college Disability Services office in Oregon that provided services to people with disabilities for over six years. Read doctoral dissertation.
• Being elected as the President of the Oregon Association on Higher Education and Disability (ORAHEAD), representing all disability programs at colleges throughout the state in 2000. Read more information on ORAHEAD
• Being honors at a community college graduation ceremony as an "instrumental counselor" by that year's outstanding Student of the Year (2004) at College of DuPage (COD).
• Earning Tenure at College of DuPage in 2006 as a full-time Counselor/Associate Professor at COD.
• Earning my Licensed Clinical Professional Counseling (LCPC) and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) licenses in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
• Earning Advisor of the year for Autismerica (see below) in 2014. Autismerica has been featured by the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, and a variety of other newspaper and periodical publications
• Appearing on WGN TV morning news talking about Autismerica and my book in 2018.

About the Classes I Teach

I teach a variety of classes at the College of DuPage which I thoroughly enjoy doing. They include:

• Education 1105, Career Development
• Education 1110, Interpersonal Communication Skills for Life and Work. This course I often teach in a unique format just for students on the autism spectrum. Watch video describing Education 1110
• Education 1115, College Success Skills. Watch video describing Education 1115
• Vocational Skills 0611 and 0622, Employment Skills I and II, respectively for Persons with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities

Autismerica

Autismerica is a social support group I co-founded back in 2010. We provide a safe and supportive environment for people on the Autism and/or Asperger's spectrum and their families to gather and have fun. It is one of the proudest accomplishments of my career. For an informational video on Autismerica, click here or here. Another video, produced by COD's own Courier TV is also here. Also, you can visit our Facebook page, or our official Autismerica website.

The Vocational Skills and Reach Out Program

The Vocational Skills Program consists of a series of developmental level, non-credit courses designed to develop workplace skills that can lead to competitive, entry-level employment. The program, while originally a part of the Glenbard school district, transitioned to College of DuPage back in 2004 where I was involved in the transition. Topics include basic animal care, computer skills, food service skills, general office skills, horticulture skills, hospitality skills, and more. Each are stand alone courses offered most each semester.

In 2015, we added the Reach Out program. These classes focuses more on independent living skills such as money management, housing, managing emotions, nutritional health, and interviewing skills. We also added a Literacy Skills component for those students seeking to further develop their reading and writing skills. Read more on both programs and course offerings 

Project COACH

Project COACH is an offering at College of DuPage which I was very involved in developing. It is a two-year, structured cohort program for adults with mild intellectual or developmental disabilities. COACH has been developed to provide post high school transition students and adults with disabilities additional educational training aimed at preparing them for meaningful employment and future independence. Read more about COACH

COD Buddies

COD Buddies is a program operating in tandem with Project COACH which I also was very involved in creating and developing. The program provides mentors to COACH participants who meet weekly to offer advice and friendship. Mentors are current COD students mainly are participating in COD's Education, Human Services, and Honors programs. Mentors meet with their buddies weekly on campus. For more information or to get an application to become buddy, me at mail to:duggan@cod.edu. View video produced by our own COD Courier TV about our group

About My Beliefs in Counseling

My style of counseling is one that emphasizes the importance and uniqueness of the individual. In working with students I try to learn as much about the person as possible and help them identifying the barriers in their lives. I try to use humor and creativity in our discussions to help find solutions to questions students might have. At College of DuPage, myself, and all the other counselors here can provide counseling in the form of Career Counseling, Academic Counseling, and Personal Counseling. 

Visit the Counseling Services web page to see in detail what Counseling Services has to offer here at COD....it's a lot! Also, view a list of resources to help students succeed in college. These are sites I especially find helpful in working with students.

About My Hobbies

Outside of work some of my favorite personal hobbies would include:

• Playing video games (especially old 8 bit RPGs like Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Mario)
• Watching Simpsons episodes over and over
• Volunteerism
• Sightseeing in Chicago

That's it for now! To contact me, you can email me at duggan@cod.edu or contact COD's Counseling Center at (630) 942-2259 to schedule an appointment.

PS--I also love Coffee!