Students assemble in a College of Engineering auditorium March 4 to declare which major they have chosen in a tradition known as Decision Day.
Decision Day, Tradition Begun in 2008, Matches Students with Departments
Students Maria De Los Angeles Vergara Murillo and Lillie Bolton stop to celebrate after De Los Angeles declared biological engineering as her major.
Ana Vangoor, who was later named engineering Freshman of the Year, declares computer science and computer engineering as her major.
The boisterous Decision Day tradition began in 2008 along with the First-Year Engineering Program, which is designed to nurture academic success among first-year engineering students through orientation, advising and mentorship. Over several hours, each student in the first-year program steps up to a microphone and states their name, hometown, and engineering discipline they have decided to pursue. Then the chosen department’s representatives cheer and welcome the student.
“Decision Day is the most exciting day of the year in the First-Year Engineering Program,” said Richard Cassady, University Professor of industrial engineering and director of the program. “For our faculty and staff, it marks the end of a year of advising and mentoring that began during the previous summer’s new student orientation. For our students, it marks the beginning of their journey to become a professional engineer or computer scientist.”
Decision Day 2023 will be held March 3.
