The College Council approved the meta-major program at El Camino College during a meeting on Monday, Nov. 4.
Students who have not yet decided on a major can complete credit requirements for multiple majors so if a student is undecided or changes majors, they will stay on track for obtaining a degree or transferring, ECC President and Superintendent Dena Maloney told The Union.
What students take in their first year at ECC will likely satisfy any of the majors within the grouping of their choice, so if they change their mind later, they haven’t wasted their time, Maloney said.
Jean Shankweiler, Vice President of Academic Affairs, provided a 10 minute presentation on the meta-major program at the meeting. She said that five appeals were made by the different departments and that four of the appeals were accepted.
The Fire and Emergency Technology Division originally wanted a joint meta-major grouping with the Nursing Program called Public Safety, but it was declined. It stayed under the Health category of the meta-major program.
Economics was originally placed under Business but was moved to the Behavioral and Social Science category based on the focus that economics can focus on either theory or finance.
For these program changes to go into effect they need to be reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees, Maloney said.
In order to help guide students with meta-majors, Shankweiler said that the program is planning on support groups for students.
“We’re going to build success teams that are going to be groups of people that will work with our students in these meta-majors,” said Shankweiler.” We’ll have teams that have faculty, counselors. data-coaches, classified staff that help guide our students. We’re still working on what all that means.”
Shankweiler said that the categories were decided on through the input of a campus-wide sorting activity with students and faculty members.
“The goal is to really help students get on a path that will help them lead towards their goals and to group disciplines and related majors that have similar requirements together,” Maloney said.
Jacquelyne Velasquez, public policy major, said she thought the program was useful but had not heard of the program.
“Yeah, I think it’s helpful so you won’t have to take classes that you don’t need,” Velazquez said.
The College Council will have its next meeting on Monday, Nov. 18, at 1:30 p.m. in the Library Room 202.
