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College should be the time where we are able to explore our interests and passions to determine what career we want to spend the rest of our lives committed to. How may we, as young adults ready to enter the work field, determine what career environment we wish to be a part of if the University removes our exploration options? Effective June 13 th , 2011, pre- law services will no longer be available to students intending or interested in applying to law school.
This coupled with other cuts from the Office of Advising Support, Information and Services will only save the University $357,000. Certainly with the recent and significant budget cuts, students should prepare for down-sizing of several different programs; however, students being advised by Mary Tetro, pre-law advisor, come from every college on campus, with the exception of the College of Design. This means the impact of this cut will be felt by students in 10 of the 11 colleges.
The number of students benefiting from pre-law services grows every year. In discussing the termination of pre-law services with other pre-law students, I have heard students consider transferring to other universities that are equipped to prepare students for their career choice. How embarrassing that N.C. State must admit they are not able to prepare students with diverse interests and majors for life after college, and instead send students searching for a university to provide them with the advising they need and deserve. Furthermore, by removing the pre-law services, Provost Warwick Arden has ultimately snatched the proverbial rug out from under the feet of all those who aspire to enter the field of law, because no other programs on campus exist to aid students in this work field.
As a psychology major with an interest in applying to law school upon my graduation in May of 2014, I am severely angry and worried that my resources to law schools and information regarding preparation for the LSAT, the test taken by all students prior to applying to law school, will be drastically harmed. However, pre-law students are not taking this lying down. All students on the pre-law listserv have received an e-mail from Ms. Tetro explaining the decision that has been made, with a suggestion that these students, myself included, speak up for their program and contact Provost Dr. Arden as well as Dr. Ambrose, Dean of Division of Undergraduate Academic Programs who are responsible for cutting this invaluable program.
Ms. Tetro and the pre-law services are a tremendous asset to the university and to the students, coordinating mock law school admissions interviews, information sessions and law school fairs, all valuable tools for preparing students for life after their undergraduate years. Now is the time for we as students to explore our career interests and determine what career we strive to make our own, but, without the necessary resources from our University, we are forced to make the most important decisions concerning our futures at an utter disadvantage. As students, we demand our University prepare us for the real world professors and parents caution us about. After all, that’s what college is about.
Emily Ericksen, freshman in psychology is currently a member of University Student Centers Board of Directors and uses the pre-law services.