1. 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

2. 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
Brooke – population we will discuss are re-deciding STEM majors at a large four-year public institution that has a competitive admissions process for individual major programs

3. 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/re- deciding students
Advises ~350 students

4. 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

5. 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

6. Why is this topic relevant at OSU?
Comp Sci & Engineering
Computer & Info Science
Autumn 2008
Pre-majors
288
132
Majors
275
Majors (BA) 5
Majors (BS)
176
420 pre-majors in Autumn 2008
Autumn 2012
Pre-majors
423
234
Majors
465
Majors (BA) 13
Majors (BS)
146
657 pre-majors in Autumn 2012
Autumn 2016
Pre-majors
638
303
Majors
701
Majors (BA) 33
Majors (BS)
174
941 pre-majors in Autumn 2016
44.6% increase in pre-major enrollment over an 8 year period.

7. Why is this topic relevant nationally?
Science and Engineering bachelor’s degrees grew by 19% from (National Student Clearinghouse data, 2015)
Research suggests that STEM is one of the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. Nearly all of these jobs require a college degree.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership.
(n.d.) Retrieved from

8. Carnevale, A. P. , Smith, N. , Strohl, J
Carnevale, A.P., Smith, N., Strohl, J. (2014) Recovery: Job Growth and Education Requirements Through Retrieved from Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce:

9. 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 re-deciding 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
Created a basic survey with 12 questions
Sent survey to 76 students who started at OSU with CSE or CIS as their “Plan A” major, were program dismissed or decided to leave CSE during the AU15 or SP16 academic term, and had to re-decide on a new “Plan B” major
23 students responded, so we had a response rate of just over 30%

10. 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
-Group Advising: Be honest with students about the competitive nature of their chosen program.
-Individual Advising:
Is their chosen major what they thought it was?
Is there an alternate path available? (e.g. minor)
Highlight successful courses while acknowledging lower grades.
-Collaboration with Other Advisors/Departments
Be aware of campus resources
Make appropriate student referrals based on individual conversations

11. 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
-Individual Advising Appointments
Understanding the relationship between majors and careers
-Collaboration with other departments
Gather information about career outcomes in related majors
Learn about majors/careers that may have similarities but are accessible/non-competitive
Establish contacts for successful referral process

12. 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
Perspective from a department that houses many discovery majors that students choose as their Plan B major after their Plan A doesn’t work out
-Individual advising
Describe GIS as a cross between CIS, Data Analytics, and Design
Use software developer, IT specialist, and database manager as example careers for GIS when speaking to prior CSE/CIS majors
Assure students they can graduate with a GIS degree in four semesters
1st and 2nd years have time to consider other Plan B options before making a final decision
-Provide statistics on what employers want
Most employers in computer programming do not required a degree in computer programming; they only require a specific skill set

13. 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.”
What advice would you give other students changing their majors?

14. 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.”
What advice would you give other students changing their majors?

15. 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?

16. Questions/Wrap-up