There are at least 2,500 students at Western who might benefit from a fair on the Hill this week.

They won’t get any cotton candy, funnel cakes or amusement rides. But they might leave with a major.

The Academic Advising and Retention Center will sponsor a majors fair from 3 to 5 p.m. tomorrow on the second floor of Diddle Arena.

There are about 2,500 students at Western who have not declared a major.

Representatives from academic departments around the university will have tables set up to inform students about their fields of study.

The event is a part of Advising Week, which is taking place this week to promote academic advising.

“We’re providing a place that’s settled in one area where they can feel free to search through everything,” said Franklin graduate student Desiree Williams, who works at the advising and retention center and is helping coordinate the majors fair.

There will be a representative from each of the colleges on campus, said Ingrid Woods, assistant director of the advising and retention center.

Students can benefit from the fair by discovering new majors they didn’t know were available, said Ellen Bonaguro, director of the advising and retention center.

“It really is for an awareness of what we have available,” she said.

The goal is to have about 80 to 90 percent of departments represented, Woods said.

The majors fair is open to all students who want to attend. It is designed for freshmen and sophomores who haven’t selected a major or are thinking of changing their major, Williams said.

Most students should have their major chosen by their third or fourth semester, Woods said.

Students may also find it useful in finding a minor that fits with their major, Bonaguro said.

Advisers from the advising and retention center will also be available at the fair to help students, Woods said. Students can fill out major or minor forms at the event.

The majors fair has been held annually for three years. About 700 students attended last year, most of them freshmen, Woods said. A survey showed that about 77 percent of participants found the event helpful in gathering information about majors.

US Bank is sponsoring the event, and there will be drawings for prizes donated from area businesses. A prize will also be given to departments whose information tables are best decorated.

Other events in Advising Week include information tables from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in Downing University Center.

Woods and Sam Stark, an assistant director of the advising and retention center, will be there to help students prepare for advisement. Adviser Tammy Rastoder will be there speaking about the general studies bachelor’s degree that is offered through the advising and retention center as well.

There will be a workshop for faculty about their role in advising at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday in Garrett Center.

Betsy Pierce, outreach coordinator for the counseling and testing center, will speak about overcoming indecisiveness and choosing a major from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday in DUC.

Reach Samantha Hupman at news@wkuherald.com.