Program helps students explore options for majors

At a seminar Monday evening in the McNutt Formal Lounge, students gathered for a discussion session focusing solely on Jewish studies.

The seminar was part of the University Division’s program “Explore Your Options.”

The program was originally created to sponsor evening events encouraging students’ educational assistance. Now, the program has been on campus three years and has increased annually to include more majors for students, said Joyce Miller, assistant director of advising for the North campus, which includes Briscoe, McNutt and Foster. The program takes place in dorm lounges – usually Teter – throughout campus.

Six freshmen attended the event.

“We usually have panels with multiple departments and programs represented,” Miller said, adding that there are usually more attendees.

The students who attended said it was informative and helped them look at the different possibilities.

Freshman Andrew Morstein said he thought the program has the potential to help many students decide what they want to do here at IU.

Aside from the panel and other speakers, pamphlets and documents explaining majors are also offered to students.

Carolyn Lipson-Walker, a Jewish studies assistant director and academic adviser, said there is a large amount of students who are successful in the program.

A typical Explore Your Options informational session includes a panel of students, professors and advisers who explain the basics of a major, including distribution courses and other requirements before proceeding to other aspects of the major such as future careers.

Miller said the information tends to be well-received all around because of the program’s location in the dorms.

The current advisers in charge of the program are Miller, Karen Ellis, Mark Hurley and Donna Lane.

Hurley, assistant director of advising for South/Central campus, said there are two goals of Explore Your Options. One is to help students explore the vast amount of resources and opportunities available at IU, and the other is to educate students by bringing them together with faculty and advisers in one setting.

Advisers said they hope more students take advantage of this program so they can find out more information about IU majors and get a more solid idea of their future.

“It’s not unusual for many of us to leave a staff meeting after a faculty or student presentation buzzing about how we might want to take a class or pursue a similar major ourselves,” Hurley said.