As of fall 2019, Harding is offering a new eight-week course called UNIV 2100 – Explorations of Calling, Career and Vocation.
The University is offering this new course for students who are unsure which major is right for them. According to Harding’s catalog, this course targets students who are not yet fully committed to a major or are exploring other options.
Dean of the University College Kevin Kehl said this course is an important new piece to the University College that will focus on educating students on different careers and resources the University offers.
The course was created after administrators saw a need for a program to provide more guidance and insight to students who do not know where their main focus should be or what their career path should look like.
UNIV 2100 is a one-credit-hour, 8-week course that will be offered two times a semester for any student. The class will also be required for students who have over 60 hours and have not yet declared a major.
According to Kehl, a trend among college students who have not declared a major is to keep taking different classes, which Kehl said may not be the best decision for all students.
“There’s this concern about student debt,” Kehl said. “If you don’t know what you’re going to do, is it wise to just keep taking different classes and majors?”
The course also helps students identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as determine how their personalities match different career choices.
Kim Kirkman, executive director of the American Studies Institute and current instructor for UNIV 2100, said her class takes assessments that produce reports of each of their personalities, which help them make their own degree plans.