Pathway Programs

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The First Year Advising Center
Unit of Affiliated Programs

Kettler Hall 112 ~ 260-481-0404

Academic Program and Services

Pathway Program

The First Year Advising Center staff care about the futures of all of our students. The Pathway Program was implemented as a more targeted approach to choosing a major for the undecided student. We recognize the importance and often times difficulty in making this decision - you are not alone. We assist students in exploring options, connecting with career counselors, faculty, and staff in academic departments, by promoting analysis and exploration through an individualized Pathway plan.

There are four Pathway options:

Business and Leadership

Students who choose the Business and Leadership Pathway have an interest in solving problems, inspiring others, social justice, and/or engaging in the community. Many who choose this pathway would describe themselves as goal-orientated, innovative, organized, strategic and motivated. Those in Business and Leadership are thoughtful decision makers and may consider themselves to be “balanced people” or have “balanced interests,” meaning they have varied skills and abilities. For example, someone in this Pathway may like working with people in a management, business or political environment, but not in a profession akin to social work or nursing.  Some skills related to majors and careers in this pathway: problem solving, global awareness, communication, ethical reasoning skills, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, and imagination.

Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences

The humanities and social sciences are academic disciplines that examine human culture and society, as well as relationships among individuals. The humanities are those disciplines that focus on human belief systems, human culture and art, societies, relationships, and in the ways in which humans express themselves and create meaning. The social sciences investigate and analyze human nature and behavior, including human social structures and governments as well as how humans communicate with each other within these social structures. This broad pathway is concerned with understanding human institutions, how the mind works, and how we interact with one another. Students in this pathway are caring, compassionate, able to improvise, and often choose helping professions. Others within this pathway are curious about the world and its people, cultures, societies, relationships, language, and belief systems. Still others are interested in how we construct governing bodies, how the mind works, how we interact in society, and how we express ourselves and create meaning. Some skills and attributes related to majors and careers in this pathway include the following: global awareness, communication, critical thinking and reasoning skills, empathy, compassion, a desire to learn new concepts and theories, and open-mindedness. Students who choose majors in this pathway are often interested in how many different disciplines work together to help paint a broad picture of the world in which we live, and they use this broad understanding of the world in order to solve problems, analyze situations, data, and texts, and communicate clearly within the global marketplace. 

Engineering and Science

Students who choose the Engineering and Science Pathway enjoy solving problems and are generally very analytical, linear, rational, and theoretical. Many seek to understand things on a higher level - why things work the way that they do, not simply how they work. Those who choose this Pathway enjoy complex puzzles and games that involve strategy and love the challenge of applying scientific/logical methods to solve problems. Most within this Pathway excel in math and data analysis and/or have an interest in understanding more about the world in which we live. Research in areas such as the natural world, environment, human body, computer programming, and other technical systems are generally of interest to students who choose this Pathway.

Visual and Performing Arts

Students within the Visual and Performing Arts Pathway seek to understand the non-verbal language of art, are creative, and wish to express themselves using a myriad of methods: visually, vocally, with an instrument, and using design techniques/methods. Most within this Pathway appreciate and value art and artistic expression and wish to become familiar or more familiar with the major achievements in the history of art, including the works and intentions of leading artists past and present. Those within this Pathway value an environment that encourages free and open inquiry, diversity, the cultivation of creativity and artistic collaboration.

Services

First Year Academic Advising

First year academic advisors connect students with programs and services that assist students with the transition to the insitution. The academic advisors assist with academic planning, registration, withdrawal, declaring a major, and connecting with campus resources.

Academic Probation Support

We offer academic support services for students who are on academic probation. 

First Year Success Course

Freshman Success is a course designed to increase the success of first year students by assisting them with the skills necessary to reach their educational goals.  Topics in this course include academic success, motivation, goal setting, transition from high school to college, connecting with campus resources, personal development, and social development.

Senior Citizen Programs

Legal residents of Indiana who are retired and over the age of 60 may participate in our senior citizen programs, which enables them to take classes at Purdue Fort Wayne. Participants must hold a high school diploma or GED and cannot be employed full time. 

• Senior Scholars Program

Senior citizens may audit open courses for no cost* through this program (*lab and material fees will apply). Instructor permission is required and no letter grade is awarded. Registration occurs on Monday of the 2nd week of the semester. Participants may take up to 9 credit hours.

• Senior Citizen Fee Remission

Senior citizens can recieve a fee waiver that covers half of their tution, excluding fees. The waiver covers up to 9 credit hours and a letter grade is awarded. Instructor permission is required and registration occurs one week prior to the start of the semester. 

Withdrawal

The withdraw team processes course withdraw requests from students in all academic departments and majors, per the University policies on course withdrawal.  For additional information on withdrawal policies, please see: Regulations .

Military Student Services

           Military Student Services provices a broad range of services and programs to veterans and military affiliated students. This includes information regarding GI® Bill education benefits, transition to college support, faculy/staff training on supporting student veterans, and social programming.  

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