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Helping Students Traverse the Great Unknown: Anchoring a Perfect Major Fair

Helping Students Traverse the Great Unknown: Anchoring a Perfect Major Fair. Sara Yerger, Academic Advisor University of Arizona Center for Exploratory Students Colleges of Letters, Arts, and Science. Outline. Introduction Who we are Undecided/exploratory students

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Helping Students Traverse the Great Unknown: Anchoring a Perfect Major Fair

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  1. Helping Students Traverse the Great Unknown: Anchoring a Perfect Major Fair Sara Yerger, Academic Advisor University of Arizona Center for Exploratory Students Colleges of Letters, Arts, and Science

  2. Outline • Introduction • Who we are • Undecided/exploratory students • Justification for a major fair • Practical resources • How to organize a major fair • How to spread the word • Conclusion - What’s next? • Make it even more effective!

  3. Who are we? • Three majors • No major selected (undecided) • Pre-Professions advising • Student services • Major exploration • Courses

  4. Undecided & exploratory students • Our unit = revolving door • 18-20% of new enrollment nationally • Hasn’t changed over 25 years • Similar to “decided” students • Varied levels of indecision

  5. Why do students need a Major Fair? • Undecided & exploratory students • College transitions and development • Retention and graduation • Anxiety • Breaking misperceptions

  6. Meet Your Major Fair (MYMF) • Why MYMF was created • Overwhelming university size • Confusing organization • 114 majors • Why MYMF was changed to reflect themes • Clear up confusion to benefit students

  7. Goals of MYMF • For Students: • Inclusion and engagement • Introductory knowledge about majors • Communicate how and when to declare • Encourage earlier major declaration • Reduce anxiety • For the campus community: • Recruiting • Networking

  8. How did we do it? • Brainstorming • Organization • Timeline • Budget • Analyzed effectiveness

  9. Innovations • Organizing majors thematically • Recruiting • Requiring attendance from Freshman course • High schools • Community college • Providing questions for students • Giving Majors Map • Updating program evaluations

  10. How to spread the word • Promotions • High school students • Local colleges • Working with advisors across campus • Listservs • Advertising • Daily Wildcat • Flyers • Banner • Table tents

  11. Conclusion – what’s next? • Student feedback • Good for students • Advisor feedback • Hard for some to adjust • Internal brainstorming & evaluation • Corner for processing/getting help • Cut out non-major-related extras • Improve entry flow/check-in

  12. References Cunningham, K. E., & Smothers, A. W. (2010). The effect of self-efficacy and psychosocial develop­ment on major-changing behavior. NACADA Journal, 30(2), 65–71. Cuseo, J. (2005). 'Decided,' 'undecided,' and 'in transition': Implications for academic advisement, career counseling, and student retention. In R. S. Feldman, R. S. Feldman (Eds.) , Improving the first year of college: Research and practice (pp. 27-48). Mahwah, NJ US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. Demetriou, C. (2005). Potential applications of social norms theory to academic advising. NACADA Journal, 25(2), 49–56. Firmin, M. W., & MacKillop, L. M. (2008). Fre­quent major changing: Extrinsic and intrinsic factors. NACADA Journal, 28(2), 5–13. Gordon, V.N., & Steele, G. E. (2003). Undecided first-year students: A 25-year longitudinal study. Journal of the First-Year Experience, 15(1), 19-38. Graunke, S. S., Woosley, S. A., & Helms, L. L. (2006). How do their initial goals impact stu­dents’ chances to graduate? An exploration of three types of commitment. NACADA Journal, 26(1), 13–18 Lederman, D. (2009, January 23). As talk about retention rises, rates drop [Electronic version]. Inside Higher Ed. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/23/retain Miller, B. & Woycheck, S. (2003). The academic advising implications of the self-directed search and Holland’s theory: A study of Kent State Uni­versity exploratory students. NACADA Journal, 23(1&2), 37–43.

  13. Contact information • If you have further questionsor would like copies of the flyers, ads, maps, and other handouts from this presentationplease feel free to contact me! • Sara Yerger • sme@email.arizona.edu

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