WHEN PLAN B BECOMES PLAN A ADVISING STEM
WHEN PLAN B BECOMES PLAN A: ADVISING STEM STUDENTS WHO AREN'T ADMITTED TO THEIR FIRST CHOICE MAJOR PRESENTERS: LESLIE DOWLER, DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE & ENGINEERING, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY STEPHANIE ELLIOTT, UNIVERSITY EXPLORATION, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY BROOKE RAAKE, DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
GOALS FOR THIS SESSION Objective: Discuss a three step process most students go through after they are dismissed from their Plan A major until they choose a Plan B major. Outline • Who we are • Why this topic? Why now? • Who our students are • What our students are going through • Our advice based on our research findings • Your advice based on your experiences • Question and answer
OVERVIEW: WHO WE ARE • Brooke Raake, Academic Advisor and Staff Assistant • Department of Geography • M. A. in Higher Education and Student Affairs, 2011 • 7 years of professional academic advising experience • Advise ~400 students across five degrees • Leslie Dowler, Academic Advisor and Staff Assistant • Department of Computer Science and Engineering • M. Ed. in College Student Personnel from Ohio University, 2006 • 8 years of professional academic advising experience • Assigned to ~350 students but provides walk-in advising for anyone interested in CSE or CIS • Stephanie Elliott, Assistant Director • University Exploration • M. A. in Secondary English Education, 1998; M. A. in English, 2002 • 12 years of professional academic advising experience with undecided/redeciding students • Advises ~350 students
OVERVIEW: THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY Ohio State University is a large, public institution with over 200 majors and 100 minors • New First Year Freshman (Columbus campus) AU 2015 : 6, 978 • Total undergraduates (Columbus campus) AU 2015 : 45, 289 • First Year Retention Rate: 93%-94% • Graduation Rate • 4 year: 58%-59% • 6 year: 83%-84% • Admissions at Ohio State is major blind • Students are first admitted to the university, then evaluated for admission to competitive majors • Students admitted to the university but not to a competitive major are optioned into University Exploration • Students can also choose to begin in University Exploration
OVERVIEW: ADVISING AT OHIO STATE • Advising at Ohio State University is decentralized • Each college provides advising for students in that college • All colleges have professional academic advisors • Some colleges also utilize faculty advising in conjunction with professional academic advising • University Exploration advising is not affiliated with any college • It is an independent advising unit under the Office of Undergraduate Education • UEXP serves several populations • Incoming NFYS • Incoming Transfer Students • Re-deciding Students
WHY IS THIS TOPIC RELEVANT AT OSU? Comp Sci & Engineering. Computer & Info Science Autumn 2008 Pre-majors 288 Majors 275 Pre-majors 132 Majors (BA) 5 420 pre-majors in Autumn 2008 Majors (BS) 176 Autumn 2012 Pre-majors 423 Majors 465 Pre-majors 234 Majors (BA) 13 657 pre-majors in Autumn 2012 Majors (BS) 146 Autumn 2016 Pre-majors 638 Pre-majors 303 Majors (BA) 33 701 941 pre-majors in Autumn 2016 Majors (BS) 174 44. 6% increase in pre-major enrollment over an 8 year period.
WHY IS THIS TOPIC RELEVANT NATIONALLY? • Science and Engineering bachelor’s degrees grew by 19% from 2009 -2013. (National Student Clearinghouse data, 2015) • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership. (n. d. ) Retrieved from http: //www. ed. gov/stem Research suggests that STEM is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U. S. Nearly all of these jobs require a college degree.
Carnevale, A. P. , Smith, N. , Strohl, J. (2014) Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through 2020. Retrieved from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce: http: //cew. georgetown. edu/recovery 2020
RESEARCH RESULTS • Most students chose CSE because they were interested in computers (52. 6%) or thought it would lead to a good job (36. 8%) • Most left CSE because they struggled in the coursework (62. 8%) or did not like the CSE courses (14. 2%) • Most (78. 2%) did not have a Plan B major when they enrolled at OSU • 95. 4% of students utilized their advisor as a resource in the redeciding process • 36. 3% of students changed their major to GIS , 13. 6% changed to Exploration • 72. 7% of students are “definitely happy” or “probably happy” in their new major
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STAGE • Group Advising • First-year survey course • Major application sessions • Individual Advising • Ask students what first interested them in their Plan A major • Focus on the student’s academic strengths • Collaboration with other Advisors/Departments • Exploration/Re-deciding Student Services • Career Services • Majors that are popular destinations for dismissed students
EXPLORATION STAGE • Individual Advising • “What Can I Do With a Major In” • Occupational Outlook Handbook • My Next Move • Cost benefit analysis of potential majors • Input vs. Output in previous courses • Time to degree • Different major, same university vs. different university, same major • Collaboration with other Advisors/Departments • Career Services • Advisors in potential majors • Students in potential majors
DECISION STAGE • Individual Advising • Use language that makes the Plan B major sound relatable • Provide information, not pressure • Provide statistics on what employers want • Most employers do not require a specific degree • Value skills and personality traits in potential employees • Collaboration with other Advisors/Departments • Advisors in potential minors • Students and alumni from Plan B major • Employers
STUDENT QUOTES • “Do plenty of research and make sure your major is something you enjoy doing (at least a little bit). ” • “It really is okay to change your life plan. People before have done it and been fine and people after you will do it and be fine. We're only just barely adults. ” • “There is nothing wrong with changing majors. Just keep doing your best regardless. You never know if your new major might be the major you really love. ”
STUDENT QUOTES • “Just pick [a major] that gets you out from under OSU’s thumb as quickly as possible. ” • “Take fun intro classes. ” • “Talk to your advisor. ” • “Don’t always listen to your advisors. ”
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION Please form small groups and discuss the following: • Do you see this trend (students starting in STEM majors and then re-deciding) on your campuses as well? • What strategies/resources have you found effective when engaging students in each step of the re-decision process? • How will you utilize the ideas from today’s session with students at your home institution?
P U P RA O I ST Q E U N W / S
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