UNT Office for Exploring Majors & First-Year Seminar

Bridge the Gap for the Undeclared/Undecided Student

Lisa E. S. Maxwell, M.Ed. Director, Office for Exploring Majors

Jennifer A. Palcich, M.A., LPC Senior Counselor, Office for Exploring Majors

Coordinator of First-Year Seminar

Agenda for this Session…

• Office for Exploring Majors• Who are we?• Who do we serve?• Program for OEM Students• What we offer?

• First Year Seminar • What is it?• Curriculum• Sample Syllabus• Major Players in the course• What’s to come…

UGST 1000First-Year Seminar

(previously UCRS 1000)

• Who Takes UGST 1000?

– All entering University Undeclared Students• Fall 2010: 393 participants• Fall 2011: 436 participants• From here on out this presentation will focus on the

impact of the course on this particular group of students.

– Freshman interested in Leadership or other “onesie” topics

– Student Athletes

IN A NUTSHELL…

• 3 credit hour core class• Satisfies Discovery area of core• Transcendent material tied to all course

topics• Majority of the sections focus on

Exploring Majors & Careers• Required of Undecided students coming

into Undergraduate Studies• Each section has one peer mentor• The “linchpin” in a Learning Community

• A group of students who take three UNT core courses together, including the First-Year Seminar Some designed to have an interest area which allows you to experience coursework required for a major

• Students select their LC’s at Freshman Orientation• Improves academic experience & retention; for the Fall 2010

population: • LC students had .11% higher GPAs than their non-LC peers • LC students were in good standing at a 5% higher rate than their

non-LC peers • Undecided students were retained at a 6% higher rate when

involved in LC’s than previous non-LC years

• Benefits of LC’s• Form study groups, both formal and informal• Participate in social activities, such as football games, plays,

speakers and just hanging out• Interact with faculty and staff outside the classroom• Feel connected in a large class setting

Learning Communities

First-Year Seminar Curriculum

• Transcendent Topics (55%)• Academic Success• Personal Development• Connection to Community

• Exploring Majors & Careers Topics (45%)• Self-Knowledge• Educational Knowledge• Occupational Knowledge• Decision-Making Knowledge

Transcendent Topics

• Life of the Mind• UNT Key Policies & Procedures• Learning Styles• Time Management• Note Taking• Test Taking• Information Literacy• Diversity• Engage/SRI • Values Clarification• Majors & Careers• Goal Setting• Connection to Community

Exploring Majors & Careers Topics

• Introduction to Majors & Careers• Personal & Work Values• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator• Strong Interest Inventory• Talents, Skills & Abilities• Decision Making• Road Trip Nation Project• Campus & Career Speakers

Better understand and articulate how their personal values relate to their work values

Identify and research majors available to them both at UNT and beyond this University

Understand how their skills, abilities and talents lend themselves naturally to certain majors and careers

Understand how their chosen or intended major may or may not fit with their personality

Review the Career Theory of John Holland and think critically about how their personalized hexagon (Holland Codes) applies to their personalities and major/career choices

Understand the decision making process as it relates to deciding on majors and careers

Understand how their Personality Inventory (MBTI) relates to their major/career options

Confirm or rule out the majors they may have already declared

UGST 1000: Exploring Majors & Careers Objectives & Expectations

COURSE CONTENT & GRADING STRUCTURE

• 60% of grade is predetermined: “Non-negotiables”– 5% Myers Briggs Type Indicator– 5% Strong Interest Inventory– 15% Road Trip Nation group project– 20% Research Paper/Presentation– 15% Mid-term Exam (Study Skills)

• 40% of grade is instructor-determined: “Negotiables”– Suggestions:

• 10% Participation (obviously includes attendance)• 10% Journals, Activities and Homework Assignments• 10% Out of Class Activity and/or Connections w/ Peer Mentor• 10% One-on-One Appointment

Who Teaches UGST 1000?

Various Masters-level Counselors across campus:• Undergraduate Studies (OEM, LC, START,

Core Academy, Title III)• Housing • Career Center• PACS• Business• Money Management

Professionals from Division of Student Affairs &Athletics

Ph.D. Candidates from several different disciplines

We encourage Instructors to find their own style…

• Connection to Community activities assigned where activities arise

• Speakers can be interspersed throughout the semester if Instructor prefers

• Instructor can use Speakers/Presentations or Combination of both

• “Flow” can be changed

UCRS 1000 “Major Players”

MAJOR PLAYER:ROAD TRIP NATION PROJECT

• “Find your open road” www.roadtripnation.com

• Student Groups of 3-5• Proposal• Group Presentations to the class• Fact Sheet• Process Paper• Team/Class/Instructor ratings for grade

Road Trip Nation• Charna Halpern, Co-Founder of ImprovOlympic

MAJOR PLAYER: ASSESSMENTS

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator• Strong Interest Inventory• Combined Report

MAJOR PLAYER:EDUCATIONAL/OCCUPATIONAL RESEARCH PAPER

• Research Two Majors• Research Two Careers• Four-page research paper

MAJOR PLAYER: INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS

• Culmination of everything learned in this course– Self-knowledge– Educational knowledge– Occupational knowledge– Decision (if one has been reached/narrowed)– Road Trip Nation

• Examples of great past presentations

MAJOR PLAYER: ADVISING STUDENTS FOR SPRING• Planning advising week

– In class– 1:1

• Must have been through advising training• Refer to Binder from training when advising your students

– Meet w/ Lisa Maxwell if you have not been trained (3 hour training)

• ImageNow & Advising Records• DARWIN & AD Exceptions• Observe Guidebook Sessions for refreshers• October – Brown bag

MAJOR PLAYER: ADVISING STUDENTS FOR SPRING

• Planning your advising week– In class– 1:1

• Must have been through advising training• Refer to Binder from training when advising your

students– Meet w/ Lisa Maxwell if you have not been trained.

• ImageNow & Advising Records• DARWIN & AD Exceptions• Observe Guidebook Sessions for refreshers• October – Brown bag

MAJOR PLAYER: CLASS SPEAKERS

• Survey students in class• Learning Community-relative• Utilize expertise of Learning Community instructors

or the R.E.A.L. Communities in Housing• Small database available of past semester speakers• Be creative!• Career Center Programs available

Interesting things going on as a result of UCRS 1000:

• Exploring Majors Ambassador Program

• Peer Mentors for future UGST 1000

• Remove advising component and encourage one-on-one meetings in the first two weeks of class

• Much more streamlined communication/connection between peer mentors and Instructors

• Peer Mentors are taking on responsibility of teaching 4-6 class lessons

• Make a Difference Day (Oct): group community service component coordinated by peer mentors – reunion/community service in spring at BIG Event (Mar)

• Developing a “hybrid” version of the course (online component)• Developing library tours/partnership• Instructor Resources: converting from Blackboard to Blackboard

Learn

Looking to Fall 2012…

Questions?… Please Ask!

Santiago AguerreCo-Founder - Reef