COL 102: College and Life PlanningBY KODY SCHLICHT

Choosing a MajorOne of the most important decisions a college students will make80% of incoming freshmen are unsure of what to major in 50% will change their major before they graduateReforming COL 201 will allow WLC to address issues students

face when changing their major

Student Survey Report

Please refer to the report handed out at your table for information about the survey

Proposal: Revise COL 201College 102: College and Life PlanningTaken immediately after completing COL 101Continuation of the Introduction to College offered by WLC

Goal: Introduce the Academic Programs offered by WLC to students during their freshman year.Goal: Provide students with the information needed to make an informed decision about which major to choose

COL 102: College and Life PlanningWill not be required for transfer studentsIt is assumed that a transfer student will know what they intend to

study more than an incoming freshman would

Curriculum for COL 102The course will introduce all 39 programs of study offered by Wisconsin Lutheran College, as listed in the Academic Catalog 2013-2014Programs will be introduced via a 12 minute video prepared by professors from each programExamplesBusiness Administration

Curriculum for COL 102 3 videos will be shown per class session This will take 13 out of the 15 sessions during the semester The video portion will take between 36 and 40 minutes out of the 50 minutes per class period.This leaves 2 class periods and 10-12 minutes per class period for the section’s professor to fill.

Course CodeCollege and Life Planning will be given the code COL 102Continuation of COL 101Reflects that this is meant to be taken during a student’s first year

What about the current freshmen?Assuming this is implemented immediately, the current freshmen will not be able to take it during the intended timeCOL 102 will be offered in place of COL 201 next semester, and the current freshmen will take it at that time.Offered every spring

The Introductory VideoEach video will present important information about its program of studyCore classes for the majorProfessors teaching its classesInternship opportunitiesResources offered by WLCEmployment prospects after collegeFurther education opportunities

ConclusionAbout half of all WLC students will change their major before they graduateHalf of those that change their major will have difficulty graduating on timeA majority of students wish WLC offered more information about the various academic programsRevising COL 201 is an excellent opportunity to address these very real problems

Choosing a major is one of the most important decisions a student will make!

The more convenient and informative the process of choosing a major, the better off each student will be!

Questions & Suggestions Thank you for listening!