Pennsylvania Western University has reshaped its programming for students who enter college without a major — commonly known as “undeclared” or “undecided” students.

The university’s new “exploratory studies” program is tailored to give those student intentional, individual attention.

“As career coaches, it’s sad to have a conversation with a junior or senior when they say, ‘I wish I would have known …’” said Josh Domitrovich, executive director of the PennWest Career Center. “A program like this, in theory, should be able to help with that.

“It’s intentional and it’s systematized. There are dedicated individuals and faculty advisors for exploratory students.”

More than 100 students at PennWest — which comprises campuses in California, Clarion and Edinboro — are in the exploratory studies program, Domitrovich said. Already, about 35% of them have declared their major.

“We are telling people if you are undecided, that’s OK,” Domitrovich said. “We believe being undecided is strategic.”

It’s also common. About 30% of undergraduate students change their major at least once within three years of enrollment, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 10% of students change their major more than once.

Domitrovich said PennWest’s retooled program focuses on self-exploration so students have a better understanding of their interests, strengths, values and skills and how that could align with a career or major.

“It’s, ‘How do I take that information and how does it align with a major or career?’” he said. “What we explain to students is, you don’t have to have the answer to both right away.

“Our goal in the exploratory studies program is not to get them to declare quickly. This is a program to give you all the right resources to make a confident decision.”

Each student is assigned a career coach, and the hope is by the eighth week of the semester, the student will meet with the career coach to complete and review assessments, and narrow their interests, Domitrovich said. Then they link the student with a faculty member in a potential major they’re interested in.

Domitrovich said a goal of the program is to eliminate any stigma that comes with being undecided. Some students either drop out or forgo college altogether because they are undecided, he said.

Long-term goals are to review retention numbers and look at graduation time and rates.

The reshaped exploratory studies program is another way for PennWest to try to recruit and retain students as it, and virtually every other college, navigates various financial and enrollment pressures due to a shrinking college-going pool.

Overall enrollment decreased 2.6% this fall over last year, to a total of 10,548 students.

“Our hope is (that) our intentional support can help students become better connected, and persist through,” Domitrovich said.

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