Advising First-Year Undecided Students: Research, Practice & Policy KIMBERLY S. SMITH, PhD Director of Undergraduate Advising Virginia Tech

Agenda I.Who are “undecided” students? II.What are the needs of first-year undecided students? III.Which approaches to delivery of advising are appropriate for this population? IV.What are some of the best practices? V.What are the implications for future practice, research and policy development relative to the population?

Who Are “Undecided” Students

Definition Those students who are “unwilling, unable, or unready to make educational and/or vocational decisions.” The Undecided College Student Gordon (2007) How do we identify these students?  Undecided  Indecisive  Exploratory  Others??

Who Are “Undecided” Students What other terminology do you use to identify this population of students?

Who Are “Undecided” Students True or False: Anywhere from 20% to 50% of entering college students are undecided majors.

Who Are “Undecided” Students? Classification Very Decided Unstable Decided Chronically Indecisive Developmentally Undecided Somewhat Decided Tentatively Undecided Seriously Undecided Gordon (1998)

What are the Needs of First-Year Undecided Students?

Needs of First-Year Students? General Population  Clarification of expectations (students and university)  Realignment of pre-college and college educational experience (standards movement)  Movement from external (pressure) to internal motivation  Decrease in parental involvement Keeling (2003)

Needs of First-Year Students? Undecided Students  Clarification of expectations (students and university)  Realignment of pre- college and college educational experience (standards movement)  Movement from external (pressure) to internal motivation  Decrease in parental involvement

Needs of First-Year Undecided Students? Special Considerations…  Decision-making  Critical thinking and analytic skills Likes/dislikes Strengths/limitations  Academic options Careers vs. Establish major(s)  Counseling Anxiety Pressure

Needs of First-Year Undecided Students? Based on your experiences with first-year undecided students, what additional needs or special considerations have you identified for this population?

Needs of First-Year Undecided Students? Examples of Triggers for Undecided or Exploring Students  Student registers for course work that does not correspond to her “declared” major.  Student declares a popular major without any explanation.  Student “declares” a different major at each advising session.

Needs of First-Year Undecided Students? Examples of Triggers for Undecided or Exploring Students cont’d…  A male student decides not to pursue nursing as a major despite his interests and abilities because of the perception that it is a career field for women.  There is a serious disconnect between a student’s academic abilities, skills and declared major.  Student informs advisor that her choice of major is due to parental or peer pressure or expectations. Steele& McDonald (2008)

What Approaches to Delivery of Advising are Appropriate?

Delivery of Advising Vision, mission, and goals Faculty vs. Professional Individual vs. Group Mandatory vs. Voluntary

Delivery of Advising Should advising be mandatory or voluntary for first-year undecided students?

What are Some of the Best Practices? Academic Advising Handbook Guide for Advisors of Undecided Students cided.asp Website

What are Some of the Best Practices?

Best Practices First Year Experience Increased use of technology Increased collaboration with Career Services Increased collaboration with academic majors Other examples?

Best Practices Describe other best practices in providing advising services to first-year undecided students.

What are the Implications?

Implications Related to First-Year Undecided Students Future Practice  High school guidance counselors  College admission counselors  Academic support providers  Academic Advisor

Implications Related to First-Year Undecided Students Future Research…  Employing a longitudinal lens  Increased focus on differences within the undecided population  Examining factors that increase academic success for first-year undecided students

Implications Related to First-Year Undecided Students Future policy  Recruitment and admissions  Academic support services  Internal transfer guidelines (change of major requirements)

Conclusions

Quality academic advising plays a major role in the success of first-year undecided students. A variety of approaches and practices must be developed to meet the unique needs of this sub- population. Advisors must be aware of, and responsive to, the differences in levels of decisiveness and decision- making ability of students. First-year undecided students are best served by services and programs which result from collaborative efforts across the institution.

Questions and Comments

Additional Resources National Academic Advising Association State, regional, and national conferences Undecided & Exploratory Students Commission Clearinghouse Advising Special Populations Monograph Series (with a chapter sponsored by the commission) Listserv National Conference on Students in Transition

Additional Resources Brown, K. S. (2009). Factors that Predict Academic Achievement for Students Who are Undecided Majors (Doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Cuseo, J. (2005). “Decided,” undecided,” and “in transition”: Implications for academic advisement, career counseling, and student retention. In R. S. Feldman (Ed.), Improving the first year of college: Research and practice (pp ). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Gordon, V. N., Habley, W. R., & Grites, T. J. (Eds.). (2011). Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook. Wiley. com. Gordon, V. N. (2007). The undecided college student: An academic and career advising challenge. Charles C Thomas Publisher. Gordon, V. N., & Steele, G. E. (2003). Undecided first-year students: A 25-year longitudinal study. Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition, 15(1), Gordon, V. N. (1995). The undecided college student: an academic and career advising challenge. Springfield, Ill.: Thomas Publishing. Gordon, V. N. (1998). Career decidedness types: A literature review. Career Development Quarterly, 46,

Additional Resources Lewallen, W. C. (1992). Persistence of the undecided: The characteristics and college persistence of student’s undecided about academic major or career choice. Dissertation Abstracts International, 53, 12A, Lewallen, W. C. (1993). The impact of being“undecided” on college student persistence. Journal of College Student Development, 34, Lewallen, W. C. (1995). Students decided and undecided about career choice: A comparison of college achievement and student involvement. NACADA Journal, 15(1), 22–29. Lucas, M. S.,& Epperson, D. L. (1988). Personality types in vocationally undecided students. Journal of College Student Development,29(5), Savickas, M. L., & Jarjoura, D. (1991). The decision scale as a type indicator. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, St. John, E. P., Hu, S., Simmons, A., Carter, D. F., & Weber, J. (2004). What difference does a major make? The influence of college major field on persistence by African American and White students. Research in Higher Education, 45,

Kimberly S. Smith, PhD Director of Undergraduate Advising