Assisting Undecided Students: Graduating Undeclared is not an Option

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Assisting Undecided Students Graduating
Undeclared is not an Option

• Presented by
• Sally Barton Dingee
• Concurrent Session/345
• 2005 NACADA National Conference
• Monroe Community College

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How many times have you heard?

• I came to Monroe Community College because I
  dont know what I want to major in.
• I came to Monroe Community College because my
  parents did not want to spend money at a 4-year
  if I am undecided about my major.
• I think I will get my Liberal Arts degree from
  here and decide my major at the 4-year school.
• My real plan is to attend Syracuse University,
  so I just want courses that transfer from here.
• What do you mean I cant graduate undeclared?

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Why do students decide to attend community
colleges (especially undecided students?)

• Affordable
• Under prepared in high school
• Close to home
• Not ready for a four-year college (i.e. maturity,
  self esteem)
• Parental influence
• Easy application process/rolling admissions
• Accessible faculty and professional staff

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Characteristics of undeclared students at
community colleges

• Lack career awareness (i.e. options and how to
  explore them)
• Multiple interests and skills
• No clear interests and skills
• Complex educational and personal histories
• Uncertain about decision-making techniques
• Fearful of making the wrong decision
• Short term planners

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Monroe Community College

• Founded 1961
• Approximately 17,000 students enrolled
• Serve on board of directors for League for
  Innovation
• Over 70 different career, transfer, and
  certificate programs
• Four campuses Brighton (main campus), Damon
  City Campus, Applied Technologies Center, Public
  Safety Training Center

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Assisting Undecided Students

• What is the responsibility of community colleges
  in assisting undecided students with career
  direction and educational planning?

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How can you begin to examine your services for
undeclared students?

• Assessing your Advising Program for Undecided
  Students from The Undecided College Student by
  Virginia N. Gordon

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How it all began

• How the LA67 code was developed
• Theoretical framework used to start the program
• Initial services offered in the program
• Name Change
• How we have grown

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Advisement/Counseling services for Undeclared
Students at Monroe Community College

• Program Advisement and Registration Sessions
  (PARS)
• Individual Academic Advisement Appointments
• Advisement Center Walk-in times
• Liberal Arts Faculty Mentor Program
• Career/Personal Counseling available at the
  Counseling Advising Center and Career Center

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Services and Resources for Undeclared Students at
Monroe Community College

• The Undeclared Option Brochure
• Parents Brochure
• Guide to Major Decisions Manual
• Speak at Orientation
• College 101 for Parents Series Choosing a
  College Major
• Newsletter
• Exclusive Workshop for students in the program
• Career Forums
• DISCOVER and FOCUS
• 30 Hold
• Career Development Course CDL 110

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Career and Life Planning for Undeclared Students
CDL 110 (2 credits)

• Objectives of the course
• Units in the course
• Inventories
• Enrollment trends
• Other CDL courses

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Training Opportunities for Faculty and Staff

• ADV Workshops
• ADV 101-Introduction to Advisement
• ADV 125 Career and Personal Counseling Center
  Services
• ADV 166-Careers R Us
• ADV 169- Enhancing Career Advising
• ADV 170- Transfer Advising
• ADV 200 210-Human Developmental Models As
  Applies to Developmental Advisement I II
• Faculty Advisor Handbook

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Institutional Support

• Counselors and Advisors
• Career Center Staff
• Faculty
• Honors Program
• Campus Center Staff
• Admissions Staff
• Administrative Support
• Clerical Support

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External Support

• High Schools
• Career Forum Presenters
• 22 dual-admission programs which accommodate
  undeclared students
• Transfer Advisor-in-Residence Program

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How can you generalize our practices and program
philosophy to your campus?

• Examine your current practices
• Decide what takes priority
• Institutional Support
• Clerical Support
• External Support

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Advising Undeclared Studentswhy is it so hard
sometimes?

• Lack of motivation
• Self-esteem issues
• Immaturity, unable to transition into college
  environment
• Misconceptions about academic majors
• Misconceptions about the world of work
• Too much parental involvement

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Strategies that work Assessing Undecided vs.
Indecisive

• Undecided Students who were unwilling, unable,
  or unready to make educational and or/vocational
  decisions.
• Indecisive unable to make any type of decision
• Suggestions examine how past decisions were
  made, assess non-verbal communication, pinpoint
  immediate decisions, and praise progress.

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Strategies that work Using a decision-making
model

• Student centered process
• Involves change challenge the student
• Balance between the process of decision-making
  and a decision
• Encouragement of goals
• Models to consider Gordon's Decision-Making
  Model, Schein Laffs Decision-Making Model or
  Becks Decision-Making Model

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Strategies that work Using subtypes

• Use Gordons 7 subtypes to better understand the
  student and provide intervention ideas
• Subtypes lie on a continuum rather than as
  separate states

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Questions???

• Thank you for attending our session today!

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References

• Gordon, V.N. (1995). The Undecided College
  Student An academic and career advising
  challenge, 2nd edition. Springfield, IL
  Charles C. Thomas.
• Steele, George. (2003). A Research-Based
  Approach to Working with Undecided Students A
  Case Study Illustration. NACADA Journal,
  23(12), 10-20.