Collaborative Advising for Competitive
Admissions Programs
NATIONAL ACADEMIC ADVISING ASSOCIATION
Friday, October 5, 2012
Rachel Quick, M.Ed., Academic Counselor, School of Dentistry
Megan Larkin, M.Ed., Academic Counselor Sr., School of Nursing
Becky Clark, M.Ed., Associate Director and Career Coach, UofL Career Development Center
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Overview
In the US 50 to 70 percent of students will change their
majors.
During this presentation we will discuss students that are
forced to change majors/career interests due to:
• Not meeting admissions standards for competitive
programs
• Limited space in exceedingly competitive programs
• Not being selected for the degree program
These students are often labeled as “Up-tighters.”
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Institution Demographics
• 4-Yr Public Institution
– a state supported research
university in KY's largest
metropolitan area
• 22, 249 as of Fall 2011
– 15, 772 Undergraduate
• 4, 000 Freshmen
– 2,700 First-time
– About 70% will change majors
• 6-yr Grad. Rate - 52%
– Up from 34% 7-9 years ago
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Institution Demographics
Admission to Units vary:
UofL has 12 colleges and schools of which 8
offer undergraduate bachelor degrees:
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College of Arts & Sciences
College of Business
Speed School of Engineering
College of Education & Human Development
School of Music
School of Nursing (SON)
School of Dentistry (B.S. Dental Hygiene only)
Kent School of Social Work
Admission into units is driven by:
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High School GPA
SAT/ACT Test Scores
Pre-College Curriculum
Class Rank
Institution Demographics
Admission to Units vary:
The general variation is from ACT: 20-24
HS GPA: 2.5-3.0
School of Dentistry and School of Nursing follow
these guidelines as well (ACT 21, HS GPA 2.8);
however, admission to graduate and complete our
programs is two-tiered:
• Lower Division: University Admission is
not limited
• Upper Division: Additional GPA
requirements, Course requirements,
limited admission
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How does it work?
Admission permitted
based on criteria
University/Unit Admission
Secondary Application
to Upper Division
All eligible may apply
All are not admitted
Denied Admission
Granted Admission
Program Overviews
DENTAL HYGIENE
NURSING
• Admit 30 students every fall
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Admit 60 students twice a year
• Receive 70-100 applicants per
cycle
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Receive 80-120 applicants per
cycle
• REQUIRED GPAS:
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REQUIRED GPAS:
– Overall 2.8
– “C” or higher in Sciences, English
and Nutrition
– Overall 2.8
– “C” or higher in Sciences,
English and Nutrition
• AVERAGE ADMITTED:
– Overall: 3.5
– Pre-req: 3.58
– Science: 3.4
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AVERAGE ADMITTED:
– Based on F11 & S12 Co-horts
• Cumulative: 3.53
• Pre-req: 3.68
Statistics
DENTAL HYGIENE
NURSING
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An average of 11.2% students changed their
major by fall 2nd year. While 47.5% changed
majors by fall 3rd year.
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An average of 21.2% students changed their
major by fall 2nd year. While 37% changed
majors by fall 3rd year.
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Based on 2006 cohort, 52.4% of DH students
graduated from UofL in 6 years.
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Based on 2006 cohort, 43% of NU students
graduated from UofL in 6 years.
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Based on 2006 cohort:
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Based on 2006 cohort:
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28.5% graduated with DH degree
23.8% graduated with other UofL degree
47.6% withdrew from UofL
2006 cohort
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BSDH graduates
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HS GPA: 3.55
ACT: 21.8
Fall 2006 GPA: 3.07
22.2% graduated with BSN degree
20.8% graduated with other UofL degree
56.9% withdrew from UofL
2006 cohort
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HS GPA: 3.74
ACT: 24
Fall 2006 GPA: 3.4
Other UofL degree
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BSN graduates
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HS GPA: 3.82
ACT: 23.8
Fall 2006 GPA: 3.36
Other UofL degree
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HS GPA: 3.49
ACT: 22.3
Fall 2006 GPA: 3.15
Limitations
• All of our students are not
being admitted to
DH/Nursing
– Academically Unprepared–
not meeting College
Readiness Standards
– Steep competition
– Wrong majors
– Life transitions
• As a University, we are
exploring ways to assist
If only advising was this simple…
Efforts At Retention
– Early exposure to career and major
– Required Admissions Orientation, which
provides preview into the major
– Required Academic Orientation Courses with
early advising and semester reviews
– Early Admission Programs
– Continued advising beyond 1st year with
additional referrals
Integrating Advising and Career Planning…
Early Attempts to connect Career and Major
– From ADMISSION…
• Welcome with introduction to career (including
handouts)
• Information about housing options for Major
• ORIENTATION SESSION ATTENDANCE:
• Introduced Advising sections during new student
orientation
• Career Segment of Each Unit
Integrating Advising and Career Planning…
Early Attempts to connect Career and Major
– From FRESHMEN ENROLLMENT….
• Fall Semester Academic Orientation Course
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Assignments to engage with the professions
Panel/Professional Speakers
Mid-Semester advising (explore fall progression)
Referral Systems for support resources, including
career counseling center
– Course planner assignments require students to
electronically map out 4 yr. plans– plan B
Integrating Advising and Career Planning…
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From Freshmen Enrollment….
• Advising continued Fall semester
• Began in Academic Orientation Courses
• Opportunities for Early Admission into the Upper Division Programs
• Advising continued Spring semester
• With additional emphasis for those experiencing major difficulties
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Freshmen and Sophomore Years….
• Advising with students under certain amount of hours or/and those
not in Good Standing for Unit
• Fall review could result in required early intervention, which includes Spring
referral to Career Center to being exploring alternative routes
– Follow up email, cc’ing CC Liaison
• CC Liaison follows up via email
– Suggest STRONG/MBTI
– Meet afterward to review
• Advisor follow up to debrief with student and CC Liaison findings
UofL Career Development Center
“Wheel & Spokes” Organizational Model
All academic units have a designated career coach
• Goals
– Facilitate communication and collaboration
– Clarify additional support for students
– Develop professional relationships with unit faculty and
advisors
Super’s Developmental Self-Concept Theory
Growth (ages 4-14)
 Develop a self-concept and move from play to work orientation
Exploration (ages 15-24)
 Develop a realistic self-concept and implement career preferences through
role tryouts and exploration. A gradual narrowing of choices leads to
implementation of a preference
Establishment (ages 25-44)
 Find a secure niche in career field and advance within it.
Maintenance (ages 45-65)
 Preserve one’s gains and begin developing non-occupational roles;
Continue established work patterns.
Disengagement (ages 65+)
 Gradual disengagement from world of work. May shift to part-time or find
other sources of satisfaction.
Super, D.E. (1957) The psychology of careers. New York: Harper & Row.
Career Decision Making Model
Focus on Self-Assessment
• What are your interests?
• What are your skills and abilities?
• What values are important to you in
choosing a major and career?
• How does your personality relate to
choosing a major and career options?
• Career assessments
• MBTI and Strong Interest Inventory
CARDS Career Navigator
• New assessment for 2012
freshman class
• Collaboration with all academic
advisors and undergraduate
academic units
• Direction and leadership by
Janet Spence, Director of
Undergraduate Advising Practice
and Leslye Erickson, Director of
Career Development Center
SUCCESS STORIES
Referral by Academic Advisor to Career Coach:
“I met with you and talked to you last year about the direction in school.
I was going to end my school career here and look into other programs
elsewhere – when you suggested I look into Liberal Studies. I did just
that. I created a degree program titled “Pre-Nursing/Focus Infectious
Disease.” I was a nursing major with a psychology minor and was
wanting to add public health or leave UofL and go into an associates
program for nursing. I made a smart choice by looking into Liberal
Students (thank you!) and am now graduating in December. I thank
you for all your help and guidance! I plan to either go into an
Accelerated 2nd degree Nursing program or go into a Masters Program
for Public Health. Thank you.”
~UofL Student
SUCCESS STORIES
Referral by Academic Advisor to Career Coach:
“I just wanted to start off by saying thank you for all your help. I was
skeptical about coming to the career center but after meeting with you I
walked away with a better sense of what I wanted to do and a feeling of
relief. I have read both of your emails and they have given me lots of
options to think about. I have decided to change my major to Psychology
and I am looking to double major in English as well. I feel as if getting
these broad degrees will give me more time to think about what specific
graduate program to enter in order to start off on a career. I looked at the
Marriage and Family Therapist and that is something I think I would enjoy
doing very much. I am leaning towards that and school counseling but I
am also considering Law School. I had not even thought of that option
until you mentioned it in your last email. I am not for sure what I want to
do, but I feel as if I have many more options and doors opened for me. I
can’t wait to figure it out! Thanks again for all your help and once I decide I
will be sure to let you know! I am grateful to know that if I have any
questions I will know who to contact! Thanks again.”
~UofL Student
CASE STUDY
• Case Study and Dialogue
FUTURE STEPS
– Continued exploration of strategies to re-direct
– More data collection for continued analyzing
– Centralized advising/career notes
– Integrated more focus w/ cohorts on advising
and career collaboration
QUESTIONS?
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