Accessibility versus privacy: Turkish students’ evaluation criteria for the location of university counselling offices

This paper addresses the role of the physical environment in facilitating or inhibiting the use of counselling services, by focusing on issues surrounding the choice of location. A questionnaire and interviews were used to survey university students’ views on the counselling office location on campus. Results revealed two conflicting criteria for the choice of location: accessibility and privacy. The third criterion that emerged was comfort. Alternative locations were evaluated accordingly, while ways to find a location that meets students’ privacy requirement without compromising accessibility are discussed. The importance of determining the location after considering students’ needs was emphasized.