Major Exploration Coaches Provide Crucial Support for Students Considering Major Changes

Selecting a major is one of the most important decisions students will make when embarking on their college careers, and many students will change their majors multiple times throughout their college experience. The major selection process isn't always clear for students, and many who seek to change their majors are left with questions both about the campus logistics of doing so and if they are making the right decision.  

At the University of Arkansas, a look at fall 2020 student data shows that 17% of freshmen changed their primary college by the next fall. And students who changed colleges during that process had a graduation rate seven points lower than that of students who retained in their initial college. With these numbers in mind, a cross-campus group of advisers, faculty, and student advocates collaborated in the fall 2022 semester to pilot Major Exploration Coaching. The goal of the program is to increase retention by helping students more confidently select majors and demystify the major selection process.  

Creating the program involved two steps: developing a change of college form to alert the coaching program's team of a student's intent to seek a major outside of their current college and selecting and training exploration coaches. These campus experts would help students decide if a change of major is right for them, provide academic resources for making their decision, and connect the student with the campus staff to assist with the change. A team of 12 exploration coaches volunteered to assist with the Fall 2022 pilot that was launched in September. They include:   

• Brianna Annartone, instructor coach, Department of Biological Sciences 
• Erich Washausen, student advocate, Student Success Center 
• Ana Ayala Barker, student advocate and instructor, Student Success Center 
• Mia Moulden, graduate assistant, Student Success Center 
• Corey Johnson, academic counselor, College of Education and Health Professions 
• Don Nix, director of ASAP Bridge and 360 Advising programs 
• Guadalupe Rodriguez, instructor and student advocate, Student Success Center 
• Julia Smith, instructor, Student Success Center 
• Emil Scheiderer, coordinator for student recruitment, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences 
• John Treat, director of interdisciplinary and curricular learning, Honors College 
• Robert Ellis, career counselor, College of Education and Health Professions 
• Xavier Smith, career counselor, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences 

Each of the volunteer exploration coaches was trained to have in-depth conversations with students. Conversations included helping students to decide if a major change is right for them, exploring academic resources for making major change decisions, and connecting them with the people and processes to change their major. Students were able to schedule Major Exploration Coaching sessions via their UASuccess accounts. 

During the fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters, the program served more than 275 students. Student feedback was positive, demonstrating a continued need for support during the major change process. The team will review feedback and lessons learned to improve the program in preparation for offering coaching again during the upcoming academic year.  

Emil Scheiderer, a volunteer major exploration coach, heard about the program from a colleague in The Cord. Given his interest in learning more about the ways students develop similar skills across different majors, Scheiderer felt being a major exploration coach would allow him to put what he was learning into action in a practical way that benefits students.  

"One of the prominent trends I noticed between the students who came in for major exploration coaching was a need for affirmation," said Scheiderer. "Using the MEC program helped them find that affirmation from supportive professionals for their dreams and gave them the needed resources to move forward confidently with their studies."  

As an undergraduate recruitment coordinator for Fulbright College, Scheiderer also sees value in the program from a recruitment standpoint: "From a recruitment perspective, I've noticed that students tend to pigeonhole themselves into major early on in their academic journeys. When they arrive on campus, they are introduced to a plethora of disciplines they have neither heard or nor considered. The MEC program helps them look at their current majors with a refreshed perspective and nuanced understanding or find a new niche major they didn't know existed and suits their goals perfectly."  

Scheiderer also added, "With record enrollment and thriving student interest in the U of A, MEC has been a way for me to focus on the quality of recruitment. I hope and anticipate that this service will help me strengthen retention through meaningful conversations that connect students with impactful majors both before and after they arrive on campus." 

"The Major Exploration Coaching program is an excellent example of data-driven student programming," said Trevor Francis, associate vice provost for student success. "By identifying students who would benefit from additional support and then providing that support in such a meaningful way, the major exploration coaches, a cross-functional team from across campus, achieved significant results in a short amount of time. They deserve much appreciation for sharing their expertise as they helped students establish their academic strengths and interests by declaring a major."  

Learn more about Major Exploration Coaching.