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Nationally, an estimated 65-85 percent of college students change their major at least once during their academic career. However, at Millersville University that percentage is significantly lower at an estimated 50 percent. Originally founded in 1986 with 136 students, The Office of Exploratory Students has expanded into a program with over 370 students in total who have not yet declared a major.”
One way in which this program has been able to flourish into what it is today, has been through its emphasis on academic advising. Utilizing the idea of a “community,” advising presentations are used to offer a better understanding of general-education requirements, registration, scheduling and degree audit reports, also known as DARS.
“Our goal is to empower students to become self-advocates,” said Director of Academic Advisement and Student Development, Dr. David Henriques. Having started as an Exploratory Student (called undeclared at the time) at Millersville University back in 1984, Henriques certainly is aware of the essential keys to communicate to students in order to be successful.
For that reason, advising presentations also focus on introducing Experiential Learning and Career Management (ELCM) resources such as “What Can I Do With a Major In?” and “Career Coach.” By providing exploratory students with the tools to research different options for both majors, careers and how they coincide, it allows them to truly get a grasp on what field will fit them best.
Although advising presentations focus on being educational and informative, they are also a great way for Exploratory Students to bond with each other. “Recognizing that they are not alone is imperative to feeling comfortable as you explore. Ideally, it will also help build community within the Exploratory population,” said Henriques.
The Department of Academic Advisement & Student Development has put on advising presentations previously and the response has been positive. With an event so successful, the Exploratory Student Program has nowhere to go but up and certainly will with the enticement of free food and peer bonding alongside an incredibly useful program.
Location: South Village Room 12 (Great Hall)
Advising Presentation Times:
Wednesday, Oct. 25: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 26: 11 – 12 p.m.
For more information, visit the link below:
http://www.millersville.edu/Explore/
