Sometimes our more creative ideas occur in places like the shower, or maybe at a coffee shop. In this case, it came to me on a city bus riding home at the end of a day filled with advising undecided students. It was January 2005, and I was trying to find a way to present some of the basic relational skills involved in advising undecided students, and yet, have it fit with the theme of the upcoming NACADA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. My mind kept wandering to the image of 'advising' dice. Then, it hit me. Grabbing an envelope that used to hold one of my monthly bills, I began to scribble furiously. This is what in the end came of my chicken-scratched envelope.

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rapport, communication, build relationships, undecided, advising strategy, advising workshops, advising approaches, David Spight

The effect of institutional policies and campus environments on advising undecided students is discussed within the Commission on Undecided/Exploratory Students membership through listservs, conference presentations, and informal conversations. Often the focus of the discussion is how students are served and how advisors deal with institutional policies and practices. The impact that institutional policies and environments can have upon our undecided students is considerable. As Lewallen (1995) explains, “some institutions are extremely supportive; others are indifferent or even nonsupportive. These approaches appear to have the potential to profoundly influence a student’s willingness to declare being undecided” (p.28-29). This article briefly examines some of the literature related to these topics.

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decision-making, major choice, undecided, role of advisor, academic support, David Spight

Baxter Magolda’s (2001) Learning Partnerships Model (LPM) provides a three-principled heuristic for implementing interactive and engaged advising that may help advisors help students who are in need of learning to balance multiple perspectives...Implementation of the LPM with diverse college students, however, requires recognition of cultural differences.

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decision-making, undecided, cultural differences, Jane Pizzolato

There is a perception within higher education that students who start college without a declared major are less likely to persist. This article includes a brief summary of the literature related to persistence and undecided/exploratory students.

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undeclared, undecided, David Spight

When we encourage students to understand how they uniquely represent aspects of the Holland Codes in their reasonable sensibilities, we empower them to not only make thoughtful decisions about their major, but to become self-authored and more thorough decision makers in every aspect of their education.

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decision-making, career advising, major choice, undecided, self-authorship, Art Esposito

At Georgia Southern University, Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs) help make the major exploration process more enjoyable and less stressful for students.

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decision-making, intrusive advising, proactive advising, major choice, undeclared, undecided, first year students, peer advising, Ellen Murkinson

With retention and graduation rates increasingly a part of the conversations on our campuses, the question as to whether an early choice of major will lead to timely graduation keeps surfacing... So, what is the answer?  Does an early declaration of major mean that a student is actually more likely to graduate “on time?”

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retention, graduation rates, career advising, major choice, undeclared, undecided, David Spight

Many advisors work with students who are exploring, either initially or after a first (or second) choice of majors doesn’t work out; other advisors work with students who have chosen their major.  It is common that both of these types of students don’t know what career they wish to pursue.  How can advisors adequately help students explore and commit to a major or career choice?

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theory, undeclared, undecided, Kyle Ross, career advising