Graphic by Kelsey Jackson.
Time to find your academic niche.
Dixie State University is bringing a new tradition to campus: the major and minor exploration fair.
On Feb. 26 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., DSU will be holding the major and minor exploration fair in the Zion Room, located on the fifth floor of the Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons building. Because of academic advisement and career services, the start of this newfound tradition is only the beginning.
“The idea of a major and minor exploration fair at DSU had been discussed in the past by several areas on campus, but we in academic advisement felt this was an opportune time to get an event going,” said Katie Armstrong, director of college advisement.
Armstrong said DSU offers an increasing variety of majors and minors, and because of this, there is fear students will have a difficult time navigating their way through all of the many degree pathways.
“…this [fair] is a great opportunity to find out really quickly what other options that are maybe out there.”
Shane Blocker, assistant director of career services
“We knew it was important to get an event going as soon as possible, even if we made it a smaller event the first time around,” Armstrong said. “The timing is right since DSU currently offers 66 degrees and 44 minors and there is more on the horizon.”
This upcoming fair is designed to help students get the necessary information about any major or minor they find themselves interested in, Armstrong said. The staff members want to help in minimizing the challenges students face when in the process of deciding what their degrees will be.
Rochelle Blatter, career coach and counselor, said, “Helping [students] understand what’s available first of all, and then how they can use that in their career is definitely what we do.”
Blatter said Career Services wants to help students discover their career paths earlier in their education rather than later, but they will still guide any students in their career needs regardless of their school year.
Blatter said she feels like this fair has been long overdue. While there has been plenty of talk about it, nothing was set in stone until this year.
“As we continue to grow and there are new programs, it is important that students understand their options, especially when we have as many new things happening all the time; students need to know what’s available,” Blatter said. “It is a great way for [students] to go to one place and get all their answers.”
Shane Blocker, assistant director of career services, said this fair will help students discover not only their path in the graduation process, but post-graduation as well.
“From a career services perspective, we get a lot of students who come into our office saying, ‘I don’t know what I want to major in, I don’t know if I need a minor, I don’t know what the next steps are,’” Blocker said. “So, this [fair] is a great opportunity to find out really quickly what other options that are maybe out there.”
Once a student has found their career pathway, it becomes a lot simpler when deciding class schedules and the direction they are heading in, Blocker said.
“[Because of this fair, students] can find what opportunities are out there, and can make a game plan based on those opportunities,” Blocker said. “You would rather know too much than not enough, so learning more and more about each major and each minor gives you more ammunition in your belt for future opportunities.”
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