Robin Heigis-Cormier

Dr. Robin Heigis-Cormier

Assistant Professor, Educational Theory and Practice, COE

Dr. Heigis-Cormier, who holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from MSU Billings, has a lifelong commitment to teaching and the counseling profession.  

She has worked on curriculum development and presentations focusing on trauma-informed teaching practices as well as classroom tactics for learning resiliency. She frequenty collaborates with colleagues in the elementary and secondary education programs, speaking regularly on social-emotional learning.

Her nominators also note the contributions that Dr. Heigis-Cormier has made toward the accreditation process of the College of Education.

“Becoming accredited is a highly rigorous process in which both initial and advanced licensure programs prepare evidence of meeting five separate standards,” her nominator wrote. “The School Counseling program is the College of Education’s only advanced program, according to (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) guidelines and has never been reviewed before.”

The nominators said she revamped each of the courses in her program to align with accreditation requirements, including courses taught by adjuncts. She also established an advisory committee for the school counseling program, a step that gives stakeholders a seat at the table regarding the program.

In addition, Dr. Heigis-Cormier has been instrumental in creating a 60-credit master’s program for school counseling that includes Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor credentialing. That effort helps address the shortage of mental health professionals across Montana.