Developing an Advising Toolkit: Exploring Methods for Advising Undeclared Students, New Jersey State NACADA drive in conference, William Paterson University, May 2008

Session Outline

• Warm up Activity

• Literature Review

• Exploratory Tools – FSU Advising First, Exploratory

Center

– FSU Career Center

• Xploratory Files Discussion

Warm up Activity:

Typical Questions:

• When you read the newspaper what articles are most interesting to you?

• When you enter the bookstore or library, what section do you check out first?

• When you surf the web, what websites do you look at?

• What topics of conversation hold your attention?

Definition of Undecided Students

Students who are unwilling, unable or unready to make educational and/or vocational decisions (Gordon, 1995).

The “Undecided” StudentCUES Terms

• Undecided

• Undeclared

• Exploratory

• Deciding

• No Preference

• Open Enrolled

• Open Major

• Open Option

• Pre - Majors

• Liberal Arts Majors

Current Statistics• Only 8%8% of new students feel they

know “a great deal about their intended major”.

• Over 50%50% of all students who enter college with a declared major change their mind at least once.

• Only one in threeone in three seniors will major in the same field they preferred as a freshman.

(Cuseo, 2002)

In a study examining 25 years of data and examining 19,000 students,

– 22%22% were “completely decided”

– 31%31% said they were tentatively decided

– 43%43% had several ideas but were not ready to decide

(Gordon & Steele, 2003)

Current Statistics

• An estimated 20 - 5020 - 50 percent of college students are undecided about their educational and vocational futures

(Lewallen, 1995)

• Almost 2/32/3 of all college students change their major at least once before they graduate — and half of them will change it more than once!

(Spight, 2006)

• Although some undecided students have sufficient information upon which to base a decision, they lack appropriate decision-lack appropriate decision-making skillsmaking skills

(Gordon, 1995)

Types of Major Changers

According to Gordon (2003) major changers consist of the following subgroups:

• The Drifters (reluctant to act)• The Closet Changers (hide out)• The Externals (frequent changes)• The Up-Tighters (resist)• The Experts (do not need our help)• The Systematics (thorough)

Potential Consequences

• Lower Academic Achievement (Chase & Keene, 1981)

• Early Withdrawal/Attrition (Wyckoff, 1999)

• Greater Internal/External Pressure (Steele & McDonald, 2000)

• Decreased Satisfaction (Noel & Levitz, 1995)

Which Road Will They choose?

Declared

Avenue

Exploratory

Avenue

4 Exploratory Majors

• Science, Technology, & Engineering

• Creative Arts, Humanities, & Letters

• Communication, Human Services, & Social Sciences

• Education & Teaching

Advising First Exploratory Tools

• Structured Decision - Making Program – STEPS (Students Taking Exploratory Steps to Success)

• Innovative Websitehttp://advisingfirst.fsu.edu/ExploratoryCenter

• Section of First Year Experience Course ‘08• Special Events/Workshops

• Meet your Advisor • Major Discovery Fair• Lunch and Learn Series

STEPS (Students Taking Exploratory Steps to Success)

1st Phase: Self-Exploration(focus on defining values, interests, skills)

– Values Inventory

– Yes/No/Maybe major checklist

– Advising First Worksheets

– Interview with an advisor

STEPS (Students Taking Exploratory Steps to Success)

2nd Phase: Major – Exploration(Focus on evaluating student’s options)

– Undergraduate Academic Program Guide http://www.academic-guide.fsu.edu

– It’s All Academichttp://undergrad.fsu.edu/iaa.html

During this phase students:• Translate self exploration results to a list of potential

majors• Identify prerequisite coursework• Take an introductory course from the major of interest

FSU Mapping Program

Academic mapping provides a clear timeline of major requirements and milestones to ensure graduation in four years.

• Sample Schedule• Milestones• Increases Accountability• Provides a Timeline• Reinforces High Expectations

Sample Map: Business

STEPS (Students Taking Exploratory Steps to Success)

3rd Phase: Career – ExplorationDuring this phase students:• Attend student recruitment events• Conduct Informational Interviews• Utilize O*Net and Occupational Outlook Handbook

http://online.onetcenter.org/

http://www.bls.gov/OCO/

Career Center: Exploratory Tools

Utilize Cognitive Information Processing (CIP)

Approach to Career Services

Focus on:

• Self Knowledge

• Educational Knowledge

• Occupational Knowledge

• Decision Making Knowledge

Career Center: Exploratory Tools

Rationality and logic are valued over intuition in problem solving and decision making.

EXECUTIVE PROCESSING DOMAIN

KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS

DECISION-MAKING SKILLS DOMAINS

SELF KNOWLEDGE

OPTIONS KNOWLEDGE

CASVE

META-COGNITION

Use of CTI & CTI Workbook

• Screening– CTI Total Score: a single global indicator of

dysfunctional thinking– Help practitioner decide how much help an individual

need

• Needs Assessment– CTI Construct Scores

• Decision-making confusion• Commitment anxiety• External conflict

Plan on sharing your discussion & ideas!!!

Please read your file and

discuss the case…

Contact Information: Alexandra [email protected]