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Expanding Major Exploration Support for Deciding Associate in Arts Degree Seeking Students St. Cloud Technical & Community College Academic Advising Center

Presenter: Carissa JohnsonPracticum Site Mentor: Stacy Griffey, Director, SCTCC Academic Advising Center

Practicum Coordinator: Dr. Christine Imbra

St. Cloud State University

Higher Education Administration

Fall 2014

INTRODUCTION

The Academic Advising Center at St. Cloud Technical & Community College

provides an environment that supports students in developing an educational plan

compatible with students’ interests, abilities and career goals. This site selection

offered a valuable opportunity to learn and apply academic advising methods in a

community college setting.

PRACTICUM GOALS

RATIONALE

• Undecided/exploratory students represent a significant proportion of the entering

student body at most colleges and universities.

• Retention becomes an issue if programs are not available and strategies are not

developed to help students progress to declaring a major that fits their abilities,

values and interests.

• Strategies developed for undecided students will ultimately impact the majority of

students on campus.

CAREER CHOICES WORKSHOP: MINNESOTA CAREER INFORMATION SYSTEM (MCIS)

Students created an MCIS profile before taking assessments in three

areas. This allowed them to identify which skills were most

satisfying, receive their Holland Codes, and sort careers by priority.

The assessments were then combined to generate a career cluster

report for each student.

MAJORS IN MINUTES: PASSPORT TO YOUR PLAN

RESULTS & RECOMMENDATIONS

REFERENCES

Career Choices & Majors in Minutes Survey Results:

• Students attending Career Choices reported greater confidence in

identifying occupations that matched their skills and interest preferences

• Students who created an MCIS profile reported that they will use MCIS

in future educational and career planning

• Students attending Career Choices and Majors in Minutes reported

greater certainty in ability to make informed decision of major study

Recommendations for Advising Center & Faculty:

• Expand ongoing career development for deciding Associate in Arts

degree seeking students in Advising Center

• Expand use of post-career assessment tools in instructional material for

faculty to support ongoing career planning

1. Understand career assessment tools used for deciding students

in a community college

Primary Project: Student Success Day Career Choices & Majors in

Minutes

3. Understand use of Integrated

Statewide Records System and

student information

systems

2. Clearly understand

advising methods, practices, and processes in a

community college

Each career cluster was matched with its corresponding SCTCC

academic area. After taking the Career Choices MCIS assessment,

students had the opportunity to tour their areas of interest with

SCTCC faculty and SCSU Student Relations Coordinators.

Work Interest Skills Inventory Occupation Sort

• Minnesota Career Fields, Clusters, and Pathways. Retrieved November 2014 from

http://www.mncareerpathways.org/careers/clusters.html.

• National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). Undecided / Exploratory Students and

Persistence. Retrieved November 2014 from http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/About-Us.aspx.

• Minnesota Career Information System. Retrieved November 2014 from

https://mncis.intocareers.org/materials/portal/home.html.