Undecided/exploratory
students represent a significant proportion of the entering student
body at most colleges and universities. Many other students (between
60% -75%) who begin university studies as declared in majors,
change their majors at least once before they graduate. Retention
becomes an issue if programs are not available and strategies
are not developed to help students understand how to progress
from being undecided to declared in a major that fits their abilities,
values and interests. Strategies developed for undecided students
will ultimately impact the majority of students on campus. The
number of students who are undeclared and who have a high attrition
rate is even more dramatic at community colleges and open-access
institutions.
Advising students who are undecided is a challenge because of
the variety of reasons they are undecided. Students may be feeling
pressure from family and friends, they may not be at a developmental
stage to make a decision of this magnitude, they may be "good"
at and interested in many things, or they may not be able to find
anything that holds their interest. It is important to try new
approaches and tailor approaches to the individual needs of the
student.
Developing a commission to address the challenges that undecided
and exploratory students present will provide a forum for discussion
of new strategies and an opportunity to network with individuals
who have responsibility for advising this significant group.
Click HERE for Commission Leadership contact information.
