for
the Amherst campus of the University of Massachusetts
Nov.
17, 2000
|
Majors Fair draws large crowd of undecided undergraduates by Sarah R. Buchholz, Chronicle staff
 bout
1,000 undergraduates explored academic opportunities at the Majors
Fair Nov. 1 in the Student Union Ballroom. Staff from 84 departments
shared materials with students and answered questions during the two-hour
event."It's the largest we've ever had," said Susan Machala, an academic advisor in Pre-Major Advising Services, referring to the departmental offerings. "People were having to share tables. "I think it was the largest turnout we've had as well. It seemed more crowded and consistently crowded throughout the evening than previous events have been." Machala said that the fair is designed to allow departments to showcase their offerings to students who have not yet declared a major or who have a major but are considering changing it. "A majority of people at the University at one time or another aren't sure they are in the right place," she said. "This is a very informal, friendly setting where they can also see many possibilities, including what programs like Community Service Learning, Learning Support Services and International Programs have to offer. "We try to group logical things with each other so that if students are browsing they can find something close by that interests them. A lot of effort goes into the floor plan. "We always put this fair about a week before preregistration because we feel that's a prime motivator to get the students out. We want students to learn about all the wonderful resources at the University and to partake of them before they are juniors and seniors." The event was co-sponsored by Pre-Major Advising Services, Commonwealth College and the Campus Career Network. The career network provided refreshments for the students and Commonwealth College provided pizza for the staff before the event. |
