CES: A Good Idea

When Campus Career Counselor’s newsletter featured the Center for Exploratory Studies in its “Good Ideas” section, it might just as well have

called it a “great idea.” CES received the attention because the national publication’s editors learned about its innovative way of combining academic guidance with career and academic program exploration.

The distinctive element of the center is its focus on helping undecided students discover which of the college’s 120+ baccalaureate degrees are most compatible with their personal interests, abilities, and lifestyles. Assisting in that kind of search takes time and expertise, but CES staff are unique in their willingness to support students in unraveling the array of opportunities available to them.

An advisor first meets with a student to discover individual likes and dislikes and the student’s general areas of interest. Self-assessments are also available for those who want more extensive knowledge about their personalities and preferences. CES advisors compile all accumulated information to introduce students to majors that promise the best fit, and together they explore curriculum requirements and potential challenges in areas of study under consideration.

But that’s not all the center does. There are also experiential programs to aid students in exploring their options. The Major Mentoring Program pairs the undecided with current majors who can provide first-hand information about classes, workloads, and professors. To gather realistic assessments of specific careers, students can enlist one of more than 250 alumni across the country that participate in the Alumni Shadowing Program and will discuss their academic choices and career paths. For those who want a more structured search approach, the three-credit class Discovering UC (15 MLTI-175) highlights career opportunities throughout UC’s colleges.

If these activities sound ambitious, they are all in a day’s work for a staff that most certainly is not undecided about its own dedication to making a difference in the lives of students.