A Collaborative Approach to Major/Career Selection and Confirmation

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A Collaborative Approach to Major/Career
Selection and Confirmation

• Dr. Charles W. Mattis
• Dean of the First-Year Program
• Abilene Christian University

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Private Four Year Residential Comprehensive
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4,700 Students 50 States 60 Nations 117
Undergraduate Programs 35 Graduate Programs
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Christian Tradition Churches of Christ
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to educate students for Christian service and
leadership throughout the world.
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Helping students find their career and calling
"The place God calls you is the place where your
deep gladness and the world's deep hunger
meet." - Frederick Buechner
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Undeclared Students

• It is estimated that the undeclared population
  ranges from 20-50 (Gordon 1995), and the
  majority of students who declare an academic
  emphasis before they enter college will change
  their course of study at least once.
• (Kramer, Higley, and Olsen, 1994).

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The Undeclared Student

• Many first-year students are vocationally
  immature and lack a readiness for the
  developmental tasks necessary to make informed
  educational choices. These undecided students
  need educational and occupational information and
  assistance through the decision making process.
• (Gordon, 1995)

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The Undeclared Student

• Many if not most freshmen and sophomores in
  colleges and universities who are declared as
  well as undeclared about their academic majors
  express uncertainty (Orndorff and Herr, 1996.)

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Undeclared Students

• Nearly three of every four college students will
  experience some form of educational and/or
  occupational uncertainty during the course of
  their college careers and that uncertainty among
  new students will frequently increase rather than
  decrease during the first two years of college.
• (Tinto, 1993)

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Undeclared Students at ACU

• Change programs more frequently
• Incur more college debt
• Are less likely to be retained
• Take longer to graduate

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Multiple, Complex, Interrelated Issues

• Frequently cannot be solved by one office.
• Require collaboration and team work

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Who addressed the challenge?

• Graduate Success Development Team
• Multi-disciplinary team whose mission is to
  dream, design, and develop programs that equip
  our students with the faith, confidence, and
  competence required to address todays
  challenges.
• Advisory Committee
• President, Provost, 2 VPs, CFO

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Working Assumptions

• Students who are confident of their major/career
  decisions will be more connected to the
  university, their department, their faculty, and
  their departmental peers.
• Students who are confident about their
  major/career choice will be more engaged in the
  academic process and perform better in the
  classroom.

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Working Assumptions

• Students who are confident about their
  major/career choice will be more likely to
  graduate in four years.
• Students who are confident about their
  major/career choice will incur less college debt.
  
• While most students indicate an interest in our
  career development services, they are under
  utilized.

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Working Assumptions

• Instead a reactive career development approach
  (waiting for students to access services) it
  should be proactive.
• Since both declared and undeclared students
  express uncertainty, our career development
  approach should address both populations.

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Working Assumptions

• Enrollment could be enhanced by a pre-admission
  emphasis on finding ones career/calling
• Alumni could be activated to enhance the career
  services available to our students

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(No Transcript)
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Offices in Collaboration

• The First-Year Program
• Office of Career and Academic Development
• Office of Career Services
• Office of University Academic Advising
• University Seminar Faculty
• Office of Admissions
• Office of Alumni Relations

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• Understand yourself talents, personality,
  interests, values
• Understand the world of work
• Effectively engage the decision-making process
  through combining the knowledge of self and
  work
• Effectively evaluate your decisions and help
  ensure you have made the best possible decision.

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The D!SCOVERY Program

• Pre-enrolled Student
• Discovery Workshops offered at Preview Weekends
  and at Passport (summer orientation sessions)

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The D!SCOVERY Program

• Freshman Fall
• Discovery Portfolio in University Seminar
  (Strengths, Decision Making Style, Career
  Research, Degree Plan)
• On-line Connection w/ Alum in field through
  Career Link

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The D!SCOVERY Program

• Freshman Spring
• Discovery Course
• Specialized Advising

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The D!SCOVERY Program

• Sophomore Fall
• Discovery Course
• Individual Career Counseling
• Individualized Learning Plan

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• Reasons for approval
• Low risk
• Few new dollars
• Opportunities within existing programs
• Pooling of resources/time across campus services
• Addressed ongoing issues and concerns

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University Seminar
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Undeclared Students by Semester
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Undeclared Freshmen by Semester
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Major Changes by Semester
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YFCY Survey
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Freshman to Sophomore Retention
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Ongoing Challenges

• Compliance in University Seminar Course
• Discovery Course enrollment
• Continued collaboration across campus

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Discussion
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Dr. Charles W. Mattis

• [phone]
• mattis_at_acu.edu
• http//www.acu.edu/fyp