Everyone needs a nudge every now and then—especially, it seems, Stanford sophomores.
Undergraduate Advising and Research, in partnership with the sophomore class presidents, is finishing up iDeclare Week, a series of events designed to help sophomores find their intellectual interest and declare a major.
Among the events were a sophomore and faculty dinner, headlined by PRESIDENT JOHN HENNESSY, and “Faculty Meet Fourteen,” in which sophomores (the Class of ’14) were encouraged to chat up faculty from 40 departments at the Faculty Club. Other events included departmental open houses, workshops on how to declare a major and an alumni discussion panel designed to assure students that there is employment after Stanford.
Undergraduate Advising and Research has sponsored independent events in the past several years designed to encourage sophomores to declare majors, according to KOREN BAKKEGARD, associate dean of UAR. But the events this year are more coordinated and substantial, she said.
Bakkegard said sophomores appear to be taking more time than previous classes in declaring a major. Generally speaking, the university wants students to explore academic offerings widely during their first two Stanford years, and narrow down their interests and declare a major by the end of the sophomore year.
“Within the past several years, we saw a dramatic increase in the number of students entering junior year undeclared,” said Bakkegard. “The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and UAR have been working to lower that number, and we have seen gradual progress each of the last few years.”
Bakkegard said UAR would like to see all sophomores declare by the end of the year, and she hopes iDeclare Week will contribute to the effort.
“We intend for the programs to make a significant positive contribution toward many sophomores’ deliberations,” she said. “The events are designed to address intellectual fit, opportunities within the major and how experiences within a major will translate to plans beyond Stanford.”
