Taking Care of the High Rollers:

1
Taking Care of the High Rollers

• Helping Exploratory Students with Advanced Hours
  Commit to Majors

Mark Rehfuss, Ph.D., PCC Regent University
Melissa Mentzer Ashland University
2
Agenda

• Identify the causes of students indecision.
• What are some of the characteristics of students
  with advanced hours?
• Pay particular attention to students who were not
  accepted into a selective major.
• Helping students who are struggling by
  identifying five key options they can explore,
  which places responsibility back on them.

3
Pressure for Students and Advisers

• Programs are more structured and selective
• Advisers are often held partly accountable for
  retention.
• Decrease in general education and elective
  courses.
• Urgency when working with exploratory students
  with gt45 credit hours.

4
Characteristics of High-Hour Students

• Hiding out behavior choosing courses without
  seeking advice.
• Unrealistic expectations about graduating.
• Unwilling to face the current situation.
• Lack of options.

5
Proactive Advising with High-Hour Students

• Required advising appointments.
• Active listening and empathy.
• Educate the student about realistic options.

6
Required Advising Appointments

• Intrusive approach-adviser initiates the contact.
• Send letter and e-mail to exploratory students
  who have completed 45 semester hours at the start
  of each semester.
• Block their registration until a meeting has
  taken place.

7
Active Listening

• Listen empathically and communicate
  understanding.
• Once youve communicated that you understand
  them.
• Youre feeling anxious and kind of overwhelmed
  because you have to choose a major and you dont
  know which one.
• Youre feeling angry because you know the major
  you want but you just dont have the grade point
  required yet.
• They will be more open to hearing what you have
  to say or suggest.
• Listen to the students story.

8
Different Types of High-Hour Students

• Some hate to make decisions.
• Some just delay taking action until they have to.
• Some were overwhelmed and didnt know where to
  start.
• Some have had multiple majors but are never
  satisfied.
• Some dont have the GPA for the major they really
  want and it is unlikely they ever will.
• Others

9
How to Handle these Students

• Listen empathically and communicate understanding
  
• Ask reflective questions and use tools that
  challenge them to face reality
• Share options
• Take direct action.

10
Understanding the Last Type

• Dieing Dreams
• The current situation may be challenging the only
  dream they have ever had in life and they are
  looking for assistance in replacing it with
  something else.
• That takes time. There is no way around it.
• If you get through to them, they will still be a
  little dazed. They may cry or continue asking the
  same questions over and over again to really
  verify what you are saying.
• Explain that identifying a major or occupation is
  a process, which they have already begun and will
  continue to work on. Helping them set a time
  frame for exploration can also assist them.
• Altering their dreams.

11
Reflective Questions to Understand Indecision

• What do you fear most about choosing a major?
• What does that feel like for you?
• Can you tell me about another time when you felt
  this same way?

12
Reflective Questions to Get to Options

• I know you still have your heart set on . Why
  is that? What do you like
• about it
• Let them go first
• What are your options at this point as you see
  it?
• They may have no idea but you are validating them
  by deferring to them and building your
  credibility so that they will listen.
• Transition to the options
• Well you do still have some options. We might
  even uncover some possibilities you will be just
  as excited about that you didnt know were
  available to you.

13
5 Options Most Students Have

• Keep trying to get into your desired major
• Choose a different major here at State University
  
• Transfer to another university
• Get an Associates Degree (AGS)
• Do something else for a while
• These options dont work for all students, but
  a good framework to use with most high-hour
  exploratory students trying to enter a selective
  major.

14
(1) Stay with Desired Major

• Usually students first choice.
• I understand that youve wanted this major all
  your life but my concern is that with your hours
  and GPA it probably cant happen here at State U.
  
• Im not saying that for certain but lets look
  at how long it would take you to get there.
• Their GPAs often can never realistically or
  statistically get to the level needed.
• GPA calculator as a reality tool.
• Financial implications.

15
(2) Choose a Different Major

• Most logical option for most students.
• Crucial the student has the required GPA and
  aptitudes for the new major of choice.
• Discuss with the student how these new majors can
  fit into their educational/occupational dreams.
• Not all programs will take the same amount of
  time to complete.

16
(3) Transfer to Another University

• Sometimes a way to overcome current GPA and time
  restraints.
• No guarantee the student will do better
  academically-could end up in the same situation
  at the new institution.
• What is more important- graduating from a
  particular university or graduating with a degree
  in their preferred area of study.

17
(4) Get an Associates Degree

• At this University -Assoc. of General Studies
• Intermediate goal -On the way to something
  else.
• Better than just saying you took three years of
  college and have nothing to show for it. Youve
  accomplished something.
• May open up some doors.
• At another institution
• Explore options consistent with interests and
  abilities.

18
(5) Step Away from Academia for a Time

• Take time to mature and reflect on life goals.
• Maturation usually results in an increased
  ability to make decisions.
• Academic forgiveness policies.

19
Validate the Student

• Review what you have learned
• They had a dream, it doesnt seem to be working
  out, but they have options. They need to explore
  them and make a decision.
• Reassure them Youre there for support.
• Some who see hope in a semester or two will want
  to continue on. Let them know directly that if
  there is not a dramatic change in their GPA they
  will have to change after the semester.
• Encourage them to take specific action.

20
Identify Next Steps

• Establish a check-off list of next steps.
• Explore how he or she gathers information.
• Brainstorm and identifying potential individuals
  to contact next for needed information.
• Discuss relationship of proper training,
  internships, contacts, and mentors to success.

21
End Result

• Provide students with options and empower many of
  them to make life-changing decisions more
  productively.
• Hopefully results in students achieving success
  in which ever option they choose to pursue.

22
References and Resources

• Egan, G. (1998). The skilled helper A problem-
  
• management approach to helping (6th ed.)
  Pacific Grove, CA Brooks/Cole.
• Garing, M. T. (1992). Intrusive academic
  advising. New Directions for Community
  Colleges, 21, 97-104.
• Gordon, V. N. (1998). Career decidedness types
  A literature review. Career Development
  Quarterly, 46, 386-403.
• Gordon, V. N. (1984). The undecided college
  student. Springfield, IL Charles C. Thomas.
• Steele, G. E. McDonald, M. L. (2000). Advising
  students in transition. In V. N. Gordon W. R.
  Habley (Eds.), Academic advising A
  comprehensive handbook (pp. 144-161). San
  Francisco Jossey-Bass.

23
Questions?

• Contact Information
• Melissa Mentzer
• Assistant Coordinator for Academic Advising
• Ashland University
• mmentzer_at_ashland.edu
• Mark Rehfuss
• Assistant Professor/Associate Dean of Academics
• School of Psychology and Counseling
• Regent University
• mrehfuss_at_regent.edu