Starting Fall 2019, Salt Lake Community College will strive to give assistance to students who are undecided in their major through the implementation of the new Pathways Plan.
The SLCC Pathways Plan consists of eight different academic choices. The model was created in order to help assist students in narrowing down their personal preference of the approximately 120 unique college degrees that are offered here at SLCC.
“Research is showing that the General Studies degree doesn’t always align with the student’s educational and career goals,” says Verl Long, one of the assistant directors of academic advising. “[The Pathways model] was created to help simplify the student’s choice.”
The implementation of the Pathways model will affect both current and newly enrolled students at SLCC. Newly enrolled students will be required to choose their preferred area of study on their admission application.
However, there was one important question that was left unanswered: What services will aid students that change their mind on their original major?
Virginia N. Gordon’s 1995 book “The Undecided College Student” revealed that
approximately 20 to 50 percent of students who enter college declare their degree as undecided. Furthermore, it is estimated that 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduation rolls around.
SLCC’s Career Services Office is currently developing a program titled “Design Your Life” with the goal to help students with identifying their educational and life goals.
Long recommends that students visit Academic Advising online and check the Career Planning and Career Services tabs.
“The goal is to help students become more introspective about their future career goals,” Long says.
