Issues in Advising theUndecided College Student

146 Pages·2009·1.44 MB·English

Monograph Series
Number 15
The Freshman Year
EXPERIENCE®
Issues in Advising
theUndecided
College Student
Virginia N. Gordon
Editor
National Resource Center for
The Freshman Year Experience
University of South Carolina 1994

Monograph Series
Number 15
The Freshman Year
EXPERIENCE®
Issues in Advising
theUndecided
College Student
Virginia N. Gordon
Editor
National Resource Center for
The Freshman Year Experience
University of South Carolina 1994
Additional copies of this monograph may be ordered at $30 each from the National Resource
Center for The Freshman Year Experience, University of South Carolina, 1728 College Street,
Columbia, SC 29208. Telephone [phone]. See order form on last page.
Special gratitude is expressed to Randolph F. Handel, Eric S. Graff, and Konni B. Shier, Editorial
Assistants for the National Resource Center for The Freshman Year Experience, for cover design,
layout, and proof editing, to Dr. Betsy O. Barefoot, the Center's Co-Director for Research and
Publications, and to Dr. Dorothy S. Fidler, the Center’s Senior Managing Editor.
Copyright 1994 by the University of South Carolina. All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form, by any means,
without written permission from the University of South Carolina.
The Freshman Year Experience® and The First-Year Experience® are trademarks of the Univer-
sity of South Carolina. A license may be granted upon written request to use these terms. This
license is not transferable without the written approval of the University of South Carolina.
Table of Contents
Foreword
John N. Gardner ............................................................... iii
Introduction
Virginia N. Gordon ..............................................................1
Chapter 1
A Profile of Undecided College Students
Willard C. Lewallen ..............................................................5
Chapter 2
Administrative Approaches to Advising Undecided Students
Wesley R. Habley .............................................................. 17
Chapter 3
Developmental Advising for Undecided Students:
Rethinking the Relationships
Ned S. Laff ...................................................................25
Chapter 4
Essential Resources for Advising Undecided Students
Ray K. Zarvell and Diane Rigley ................................................37
Chapter 5
Career Advising for the Undecided Student
Margaret Bogenschutz ............................................................49
Chapter 6
Freshman Seminars and Other Courses for Undecided Students
Betsy O. Barefoot and Douglas N. Searcy ..........................................59
Chapter 7
Advising Special Groups Within the Undecided Student Population
J. D. Beatty ...................................................................67
Chapter 8
Major-Changers: A Special Type of Undecided Student
George E. Steele .................................................................85
Chapter 9
Undecided Students in Community Colleges
Margaret C. King and Thaddeus M. Raushi .......................................93
Chapter 10
Training Advisers to Work with Undecided Students
Ralph Anttonen ............................................................... 101
Chapter 11
Evaluating Advising Programs for Undecided Students
Elizabeth G. Creamer ............................................................109
Chapter 12
Exemplary Advising Programs for Undecided Students
Mary Stuart Hunter and Dean Harwood .........................................123
Chapter 13
Are Undecided Students Here to Stay
Virginia N. Gordon ............................................................ 131
About the Authors ..............................................................135
vi
Foreword
John N. Gardner
It is with great pleasure that I introduce the and good works to other educators interested
most recent monograph of the National Re- in freshman student success. Thus, it was
source Center for The Freshman Year Experi- only natural that we turn to our friend and
ence on the important but relatively neglected colleague, Virginia Gordon, to ask her to serve
topic of advising the undecided college stu- as editor-in-chief to update and take consider-
dent. This work has particular interest to me ably further her previous 1984 work. The re-
in light of the fact that I was a classic unde-ci- sult is this monograph. We are greatly indebt-
ded first-year college student at an institution ed to Virginia for her knowledge, dedication,
with no special advising and/or programs in writing, editorial skills, scholarly abilities and
place to address my complex needs. I hasten her vast network of colleagues in the National
to add that my alma mater, Marietta College, Association for Academic Advising who have
would not be guilty of that characterization served as chapter authors in this publication.
three decades after I entered as a new student.
Marietta, like many other colleges and univer- Virginia Gordon concludes this monograph by
sities, has made enormous strides, especially raising the all important question: are unde-
since the middle 1980s in creating and sustain- cided students here to stay? While the jury
ing special programs for undecided students, is certainly out on that long range question,
especially in the area of academic advising, it's very apparent these students are with us
career planning, and freshman seminars. now and hence the need is now for this mono-
graph. I invite you to read, digest, and apply
Much of this monograph has been the intellec- this work for the needs of this very special,
tual inspiration of the pioneer in the study of complex, and important population of first-
the undecided student, Dr. Virginia Gordon, of year college men and women. I introduce
University College of The Ohio State Univer- this publication with great appreciation to all
sity. This particular monograph is designed of our contributing authors, Virginia Gordon,
to remedy a very large gap in the scholarly Betsy Barefoot and Dorothy Fidler, editors in
literature left since she last wrote on this sub- the National Resource Center.
ject in her 1984 work, The Undecided Student:
An Academic and Career Advising Challenge. No
scholar has emerged since then to produce any
work of a similar scope.
The National Resource Center has been espe-
cially interested in engaging in partnerships
with national professional associations, schol-
ars, and practitioners of the freshman year ex-
perience movement to bring their good ideas
iiiiii
iv
Introduction
Virginia N. Gordon
The undecided college student has been the and life goals. Although the term “undecid-
subject of speculation, conjecture, and serious ed” is viewed by some as a negative one, it is
research study for the past 70 years (Crites, used throughout this monograph
1969; Gordon, 1984). In spite of these attempts because of its historical use and immediate
to understand these special students who are identification with the population upon whom
unsure of their academic and occupational this monograph is focusing. We are aware
goals, they continue to be an enigma and a that many institutions are using more positive
source of concern to college counselors, aca- terms for programmatic purposes such as
demic advisers, parents, and often to the stu- "exploratory"," no-preference", or "pre-major"
dents themselves. students.
The purpose of this monograph is to update The authors contributing to this monograph
the research and general information that has have a great deal of experience working with
been generated about undecided students in undecided students. Their contributions focus
the past decade and to offer some practical on the theoretical as well as practical consid-
perspectives on how to administer, advise, erations in working with this intriguing popu-
and counsel them. As has been pointed out lation. Chapter 1 offers a profile of the unde-
many times, undecided students comprise a cided student as presented in the literature.
complex, heterogenous group (Gordon, 1984; Since undecided students are known to be a
Harman, 1973; Holland & Holland, 1977; complicated population, this profile includes
Lewallen, 1993). Some researchers approach psychological, educational, and vocational
them as indecisive individuals who have perspectives on who undecided students are.
identity concerns or problems with career sa-
lience, locus of control, and anxiety (Fuqua, Administrative approaches for advising and
Seaworth, & Newman, 1987; Kaplan & Brown, counseling undecided students are presented
1987; Lucas & Epperson, 1988). Others view in Chapter 2. Since there is no “best” way
them as being engaged in the normal devel- to administer these services, many models
opmental tasks associated with academic and are presented which are based on a develop-
vocational decision making (Gordon, 1981; mental sequence of tasks that need to be ac-
Grites, 1981; Peterson & McDonough, 1985). complished if identification and commitments
to assist them are to be made.
The truth is that undecided students can be
found who display many of the traits listed by Chapter 3 outlines a developmental model of
researchers with both perspectives. That is the advising which is the basis for offering philo-
challenge of helping individuals discover who sophical and practical approaches for helping
they are in the context of making educational students make realistic and satisfying academ-
and occupational decisions and setting career ic choices. Chapter 4 details the types of aca-
11
demic, career, and personal resources needed including the critical elements integral to their
to advise undecided students. effectiveness. Chapter 13 summarizes some
of the important aspects of what has been
Since many undecided students equate educa- provided throughout the monograph and dis-
tional decisions with vocational choices, Chap- cusses some factors that might affect our per-
ter 5 discusses the critical tasks of integrating ceptions of these special students. This mono-
academic and occupational choices and offers graph is intended to present a comprehensive
some techniques and materials for effective profile of these special students and their
career advising. Chapter 6 describes various needs. It also offers many practical approach-
types of freshman seminar courses for unde- es to insure these needs are adequately identi-
cided students including objectives, formats, fied and met with the best and most proven
content, and other relevant components. De- strategies, programs, and services available to-
scriptions of successful courses that are taught day. College students who are struggling with
nationally are included. critical academic, career, and life decisions are
viewed as developing, aspiring individuals
Within the undecided student population are who need the timely and comprehensive assis-
many groups of students with special needs. tance that we can and must provide.
In Chapter 7 special advising approaches us-
ing quality improvement tools are applied References
to these special groups which include adult,
high-ability, minority, transfer, and disabled Crites, J. O. (1969). Vocational psychology.
students and student athletes. Chapter 8 dis- New York: McGraw-Hill.
cusses another special group of undecided Fuqua, D. R., Seaworth, T. B., & Newman, J. L.
students -- those who change their major or (1987). The relationship of career indeci-
are denied entry to the academic program of sion and anxiety: A multivariate exami-
their choice. nation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 30,
175-186.
Chapter 9 discusses undecided students who Gordon, V. N. (1981). The undecided college
attend two-year colleges. Since many of these student: A developmental perspective.
students have half the time to obtain a degree, Personnel and Guidance Journal, 59, 433-
the urgency of making academic decisions is 439.
different from the “four-year” student. This Gordon, V. N. (1984). The undecided college
chapter discusses the mission of community student: An academic and career advising
colleges as it pertains to undecided students challenge. Springfield, IL: Charles C.
and offers counseling and advising strategies Thomas.
for two-year students. Grites, T. J. (1981). Being “undecided” might
be the best decision they could make.
Since the key to successful programs is a well- The School Counselor, 29, 41- 46.
trained, committed adviser, Chapter 10 out- Harman, R. (1973). Students who lack voca-
lines a training model for academic advisers to tional identity. Vocational Guidance Quar-
help them acquire the necessary knowledge, terly, 21, 169-173.
skills, and sensitivity that are essential for Holland, J. L., & Holland, J. E. (1977). Voca-
working with this group. Chapter 11 offers a tional indecision: More evidence and
comprehensive review of the factors involved speculation. Journal of Counseling Psy-
in evaluating programs and services for unde- chology, 24, 404-415.
cided students within the context of student Kaplan, D. M., & Brown, D. (1987). The role
outcomes and issues. of anxiety in career indecisiveness. Ca-
reer Development Quarterly, 36, 148-162.
Chapter 12 offers descriptions of exemplary Lewallen, W. (1993). The impact of being “un-
advising programs for undecided students decided” on college student persistence.
2