College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

By Dave Larsen

Julia Daschbach planned to major in graphic design when she started at the University of Dayton, but soon discovered photography was her true passion.

She credits the College of Arts and Sciences’ Discover program for allowing her to explore both fields, which helped her make an informed decision about pursuing photography as her major.

“The mentorship, resources and support from the program allowed me to experiment and refine my skills and ultimately helped me build the confidence to follow my passion,” said Daschbach, a junior from Cranberry Twp., Pennsylvania. “It’s incredibly gratifying to look back and see how far I’ve come since my first year at the University.”

A number of Daschbach’s photos now decorate the Discover Resource Center, a new space in Jessie Hathcock Hall that opened in August 2024, where Discover students can meet with their advisor and connect with others in the program.

The center serves as a central location for program initiatives, which includes providing support for declared students who are considering changing their major. 

With more than 180 first-year students during the 2024 fall semester, representing 27% of the College’s incoming class, Discover is now the “biggest in-the-door major in the College,” said Bobby Beebe, assistant dean for student academic affairs. “We had more students starting in the Discover program than we had starting in any one individual major in their first semester.”

Discover students typically are undecided or did not meet the requirements for their intended major. They can be in the Discover program for up to four semesters, or until they declare their major, which is required before the start of their third year.

The program is intended to provide students with professional advising, vocational exploration, academic skill building and a sense of belonging at UD. Its recent expansion includes new curricula, experiential learning and study abroad components, and two new academic advisors: Justin Phillips and Karen Rice.

The goal is to create additional “touchpoints” for students as they start their academic journey at UD, said Holly Bruner, director of advising and first-year initiatives.

“Our aim with these students isn’t, ‘Let’s get you to declare a major,’ but ‘let’s breathe for a minute,’” Bruner said. “Let’s get you transitioned to the University first, get your feet under you and then let’s talk about what career paths you are interested in and what type of professional you want to be. Asking students those questions now sets a foundation for them in the future, when they’re 25 and at their first career crossroads.”

The Discover program’s first-year seminar course, which helps new students learn how to navigate being in college, now includes a major exploration fair, where students meet with UD faculty and advisors and check out possible majors. Two fairs during the 2024 fall semester attracted 170 students.

A new second-semester seminar course, offered for the first time during the 2025 spring semester, focuses on finding one’s vocation.

“There are a lot of awesome self-reflective activities; students are learning more about themselves,” Beebe said. “We have career panels every Wednesday with alumni and people from the community telling their stories about how they ended up where they are, what hard decisions they had to make and how their major connects to their job now.”

The third-semester seminar will engage students in experiential learning opportunities. The fourth-semester seminar will focus on individualized plans to support students in their final decision-making process to select a major.

In addition to Daschbach’s work, the center features photos by graphic design major Sebastián De León Osorio and paintings by fine arts major Greta Helm.

“I’m honored to have my work featured in the Discover Resource Center,” Daschbach said. “It’s a space that highlights the creativity and growth of students, and it’s amazing to see how the DRC brings together so many student voices.”

In November, the center hosted an event to help first-year students register for spring semester courses when their registration window opened at 7 a.m. Nearly 40 students, including some with declared majors, attended. Five faculty and staff provided registration support, as well as guidance on next steps if a desired course was full. Registration events for the 2025 fall semester are scheduled for April 15-17.

Bruner has seen an increase in the number of students seeking support during advising season with the center’s opening and new structural and curricular additions to the program.

“We’ve had 10 students join the Discover program from the fall to spring semesters,” Bruner said. “For us, it will be a continuous cycle of students that come down to the center, even if they’re just with us for a couple of weeks and then declare their major. We are here to help them explore even more.”