Transcript When it's time to change your tune: Advising students out

When it's time to change your tune:
Advising students out of a major
Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, M.Ed
Director, Neeley Academic Advising Center
Zoranna Jones, M.S.
Director, Academic Resource Center
Texas Christian University
Academic Standards
 Business – Application process
 Nursing – Direct Entry
Why Students Select Certain Majors?
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Family and Friends
Prestige
Money, power and success
Social and cultural influences
Recommendations of teacher or mentor
Career exploration
Theory
 Astin’s I-E-O Model and Theory of Involvement *
 1. Inputs – demographics, student background, previous
experiences
 2. Environment – range of experiences encountered
during college
 3. Outcomes – characteristics, knowledge, attitudes,
beliefs, values, etc. that exist after college
*http://studentaffairs.webs.com/collegeimpact.htm#133605314
Approaches and Tools to Guide
Students to Select Another Major
 Why students may need to select
another major:
 Unable to continue in the current major
 Not happy with the major but unsure of
other major options
Unable to Continue in Current Major
 Poor Academics
 Meet with student
 Determine cause of poor academic performance
 Identify students methods
 Discuss why the student chose this major, what are the desired outcomes
 Determine a student action plan
Parent/student or spouse/student meeting (remember FERPA)
Homework
Timeline
 Follow-up meeting
Assess, discuss new information, and assist student with change of
major request
Not Happy with the Major but Unsure of
Other Major Options
 Meet with student
 Determine the reason the student wants to change their major
 Discuss why the student chose this major, what are the desired
outcomes, what are other areas of interest, what classes do they
enjoy
 Determine a student action plan
Homework
Tips for students to talk to parents/spouse – May be VERY pertinent
if they have been influential in selecting the major
 Follow-up meeting (repeat if necessary)
 Timeline, assess, and discuss new information, meet with parents if
needed, assist student with change of major request
Your Role as the Advisor
 Initiate the conversation
 Ask stimulating, open-ended questions
 Develop a realistic plan incorporating campus
resources
 Follow-up
Initiating the Conversation
 Progression letters - require the meeting
 Academic holds applied
 Invite the student to come in to meet
 Referrals from other Faculty/Staff
Questions to Stimulate Thought
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How did you become interested in this major?
What other majors have you explored? Why?
Are you enjoying the courses you are taking?
If you could do any type of work, what would it be?
In this major you will have to do ____, can you do that?
In this profession you will have to do ___, can you do
that ?
Develop a Plan
 Homework
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Career services
Interviews with professionals in other areas of interest
Research other academic departments
Research other areas and their degree requirements
Counseling center
Academic Services
Parent conversation
Timeline on completion of homework
 Follow-up (repeat if needed)
 Assess and discuss new information
 Assist student with change of major request
 Meet with parent/spouse if needed
Scenarios
 As an audience do you have any scenarios where you
can apply this streamlined process?
 Do you have any success stories you would like to
share?
Questions?
 Aisha Torrey-Sawyer, M.Ed
 Director, Neeley Academic Advising Center
 [email protected]
 Zoranna Jones, M.S.
 Director, Academic Resource Center
 [email protected]