Commission/Interest Group:   Commission on Undecided/Exploratory Students   

Chair:      Thomas Kenyon   

Summary of Annual Meeting at National Conference (agenda items, issues, discussion topics, announcements, etc.)

The CUES Commission Meeting was held on Saturday, October 4, 2003 . The meeting was chaired by Tom Kenyon. For the business portion of the meeting, the CUES web site and the CUES list serve were promoted. CUES members were also encouraged to submit articles for the NACADA Journal. With the list serve online, all CUES members were encouraged to introduce topics for discussion and ask for help from other members, as well as to participate in the online discussions. Throughout the year, the CUES Chair will also regularly introduce topics for discussion, and invite "guest speakers" to write articles for the list serve membership to read and discuss. The web site address is http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/commissions/undecided/CUES.html. The address for the CUES list serve is N-UNDECIDED@LISTSERV.KSU.EDU.

For the remainder of the Commission meeting and continuing through the concurrent session scheduled in the same room immediately following the commission meeting, a panel discussion was held. It provided an interactive forum to discuss successful models, programs, strategies, and techniques for advising and counseling exploratory students. The panel was moderated by the Commission Chair, Tom Kenyon. The panel was comprised of very distinguished commission members: Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski , University of Utah; Susan Doyle, University of Michigan; Wes Habley, ACT Inc.; Stephanie Hamington, Oregon State University; Ruth Hussey , Penn State University; Nancy King , Kennesaw State University; Johanna Pionke , Kent State University; and Melinda McDonald , Ohio State University. Evaluation results for this discussion were excellent!

Approximate Number of Commission/Interest Group Members in Attendance:   100   

Critical Issues of Concern or "Hot Topics" Identified:

1. How do institutions refer to "undecided/exploratory students" - undecided, undeclared, exploratory, open major, etc.?
2. What models, programs, strategies, techniques have been successful?
3. What are the different delivery systems for undecided/exploratory advising services?
4. How do you integrate academic advising and career planning?
5. How can you motivate undecided/exploratory students to begin and follow through in an exploration and decision-making process?
6. What assessment instruments are most effective?

Unit Goals and Objectives for Next Year:

1. Promote membership in the commission (relates to 5-C "Encourage new membership" in NACADA's Strategic Plan).
2. Share information about successful programs, strategies, and techniques.
3. Recruit members to present at regional and national conferences.
4. Recruit members to submit articles for publication in journal and newsletter.
5. Continue development of the CUES web site.
6. Facilitate member dialogue via the commission list serve (relates to 1-C "Encourage greater participation in list serves, etc." in NACADA's Strategic Plan).

Future Activities Planned:

1. Increasing the use of the commission list serve and enhance the dialogue on the list serve by introducing "exploratory" questions and discussion topics at least monthly, and invite "guest speakers" to write articles for the list serve on a monthly basis.
2. Update and utilize the CUES display board at the 2004 National Conference and make it available for regional conference.
3. Continue to update the CUES web site with resources for advisors of undecided and exploratory students.

Volunteer Opportunities Available Within the Unit:

1. Coordinate/participate on web site enhancement project.
2. Write articles on topics for discussion for commission list serve.
3. Participate in conference proposal evaluation as an evaluator/reader.
4. Participate at the commission table at the commission fair and facilitate discussion at a table at the commission roundtable event at the national conference.

Members Serving this Unit (committee members, liaisons, etc.) :

• Ruth Hussey, Johanna Pionke, and Cathy Buyarski served as readers for the 2003 national conference proposal evaluation for the CUES commission.
• Panelists for the Commission's panel discussion at the 2003 National Conference were: Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski, Susan Doyle, Wes Habley, Stephanie Hamington, Ruth Hussey, Nancy King, Johanna Pionke, and Melinda McDonald. Tom Kenyon was the panel moderator.
• The Commission on Advising Undecided/Exploratory Students was well represented at the 2003 NACADA National Conference. CUES members presented three PreConference Workshops:
  1. "Navigating the First Year: A Model for Advising Exploratory Students" - presentation by Weldon Sams, Ruth Hussey, and Michael Leonard from Penn State University
  2. "Choosing Your Major: From frustrated and Overwhelmed to Making a Good Decision" - presentation by Thomas Kenyon from Indiana University
  3. "NACADA Conference.$1,000; Dinner for Two at Bob's Steak and Chop House.$125; Experiential Activities for Deciding Students.Priceless!" - presentation by Ellen Nagy and Kristin Lindsay from the University of Toledo
• In addition to twenty-six concurrent paper sessions, there were also four poster sessions on the topic of advising undecided/exploratory students. The Commission sponsored six concurrent sessions:
  1. "Value Exploration and Decision-Making" - presented by Patrick Slowinski, Kerry Hammock, and Alberto Puertas from Brigham Young University
  2. "A Video Journey: From Undecided Freshman to Savy Communications Major" - presented by Michelle White and Ralph Anttonen from Millersville University
  3. "Advising Undecided/Exploratory Students: A Forum With Your Colleagues" - presented by Thomas Kenyon, Wes Habley, Susan Doyle, Nancy King , Ruth Hussey , Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski, Stephanie Hamington, Johanna Pionke, and Melinda McDonald
  4. "Creating Opportunities for First-Year Success" - presented by Ellen Nagy and Ruth Meinhart from the University of Toledo
  5. "Major Questions: A Discussion of Good Answers for Exploratory Students' Questions" - presented by Thomas Kenyon from Indiana University
  6. "Building a Future for Undeclared Students Community Style: Merging Academic Advising and Career Life Planning" - presented by Joanne Damminger form Rowan University

• Several CUES commission members received awards at the 2003 conference:
  1. Virginia Gordon received the Service to NACADA Award.
  2. Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award Winners: Creative Staffing: Using Shared Advisors to Maximize Student Success, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and Early Alert Intervention Program, Virginia Commonwealth University
  3. Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Certificates of Merit Recipients: Academic Exploration Program, Niagara University and Undecided Program, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
  4. Outstanding Advising - Primary Role Award Winners:
     • Ruth Hussey, Penn State University
     • Donna Stiller, Kent State University
  5. Outstanding Advising - Primary Role Certificates of Merit Recipients:
     • Sylvia Robinson, Utah State University
     • Linda Scoville, University of Albany
  6. Outstanding Advising Administrator Certificate of Merit Recipient:
  • Megan Seaholm, University of Texas at Austin
  7. CUES also had three "Summer Institute Scholarship" winners:

• Margaret Alderman, University of South Florida
• Sandra McLelland, University of Utah
• Beth Yarborough, Auburn University