From the beginning of last year, Hannah Ledger, Longwood's director of degree audit, explained Longwood University has seen a jump in the number of undeclared students that are entering college as first-year students. Even so this year, Ledger has continued to see the incline.
“A lot of people are just more interested in actually finding out about all the different opportunities there are instead of finding out something isn’t for them,” said Ledger.
Ledger further explains that 90 percent of freshmen declare a major by the end of their freshman year. Additionally, 50 percent of freshmen declare a major by the end of their first semester. This then leaves a minimal amount of students to enter their sophomore year undeclared. In order to declare a major, students must fill out the change of major form.
Students that choose to be undeclared entering their first year can only do so until they have attained 45 credits. Ledger claims that this motivates many to take courses to find a major that interests them sooner rather than later. Longwood students in order to be considered a full time student need to take 12 credit hours.
Ledger explains the increase to be slowly accelerating until this past year many of the Longwood Seminar courses, LSEM, had reached a point in which the only option was to add a hybrid aspect to the course in order to accommodate for the mass amount of students required to take the course the first semester of freshman year.
“(LSEM) was overbearing with the amount of students that we had,” said Ledger.
Other students that have been declined acceptance into the nursing program at Longwood tend to enter freshman year being undeclared in the hopes of soon being accepted, according to Ledger. The nursing program at Longwood requires a separate application when applying to Longwood in which Ledger explains that students need to be accepted into the nursing program in order to take the nursing courses.
“The people who are unsure have the chance to really explore all of our majors … I think it’s fantastic for Longwood,” added Ledger.
Additionally, many other universities require student to enter their first-year as undeclared in order to experience many different majors to find one that suits them.
“(Coming to Longwood as an undeclared student) makes it more even to have students experience the majors that students may not have thought about ahead of time,” stated Ledger.
As for the enrollment of students Ledger adds how Longwood is receiving more students that may not have a specific major in mind and “don’t necessarily know what’s out there for them."
“Coming in undeclared gives them the opportunity to take some courses that will count,” said Ledger.
The 125 percent rule in the state of Virginia can affect students that change their major frequently and can ultimately result in a tuition rate for in-state students as out-of-state, which is typically a higher wage.
“The Code of Virginia establishes rules for eligibility for in-state tuition for all students enrolled at public institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Section 23-7.4:F of the Code of Virginia further requires undergraduate students to maintain progress toward the degree to comply with continued eligibility for in-state tuition. Students with entry dates fall 2006 and after may not exceed completed hours that total 125 percent of the credit hours needed for a specific degree program and retain in-state tuition eligibility. Students exceeding 125 percent will be assessed a surcharge for each semester of continued enrollment after exceeding the credit hour threshold,” as stated on the university's website.
Ledger emphasizes that coming in undeclared is a better choice for students rather than declaring a major and end up changing and have taken the required courses in a major that no longer interests them. Ledger feels that with the amount of students that change majors, it's more wise for students that do not know exactly what they want to choose the undeclared path and take general education courses required to graduate.
Longwood University announced their schedule for the campus's main events leading up to hosting the 2016 vice presidential debate on Oct. 4.
