Student service department and graduation department are the two departments that have most interaction with students. The graduation department assist graduate students with finding a job. Student service department, on the other hand, provides services such as transportation, day care, etc. We have representative from both department attend our new students orientations. Students will be informed of all the services they could get from both departments.
Robin,
This sounds great--I especially like that the faculty spends so much time with the incoming students.
Susan Backofen
Because our program is so large and we have different start dates than other programs on campus, our orientation is held separately from the normal college orientation. However, this allows us to customize our orientation a bit more. We have the Dean come and speak to the students and then the faculty spends a lot of time talking to the students about our experience and how we can help them to succeed. Finally, our program director takes them through the programatic expectations and college resources.
Our faculty participates in our student orientation. We are divided into groups and meet with students to cover general housekeeping items,general information regarding their first day of class and answer any burning questions that they may have. We then escort them to pick up their uniforms or to the appropriate office to complete any remaining items.
My team will definitely try and incorporate more departments into orientation.
At the moment we have our practicum placement department give a brief introduction on the first day. We also have students sign up for a one-on-one consultation time with Financial Aid.
As an instructor I don't know what info the students receive in orientation. That is done by my director (I think). We do show a video to all students where a representative of each department shares their role and gives an overall rundown of how that department is beneficial to the student.
Career services play a big role in our orientation. This gives the new students an idea of what to expect and what kind of jobs can be available to them. Telling them success stories about past students and better yet have some successful alumni present helps the new students
Every department interacts with the students - the Education Dept, the Registrar, the Retention Office, the Accounting Dept, the Book Store, the Career Services Office, and the Financial Aid Office. Each give a short presentation at Orientation - and we all engage the students in discussions both as a group and individually. Sometimes students are hesitant to ask a question in public but are more comfortable in private.
The Most interation with Students at Orientation are the Campus Director, The Director of Education, the Retention Officer, the Career Services Rep, and the Financial Aid Director.
Each student then moves around the campus with their Program Director and Instructors.
Cheryl ,
Well, ideally there is a 'joint' relationship built from application through drop and add where the admissions person along with their retention/advisor are working with the new student. That makes for an easier transition once classes start to work with the person they will be dealing with during their education.
Susan Backofen
james,
The extended orientation is an excellent format; allowing students to more gradually grasp the resources available.
Susan Backofen
The topic I need to understand more is how to get that hand-off from Admissisons to Academics. Often the student hangs-on to the Enrollment personnel as their contact for everything. While relationship-building this way is understood, by doing this the student isn't making it to the right place at times. Anyone have effective ideas on having Admissions hand-off to Academics?
The faculty. We have a meet the faculty portion of the orientation. Each member does a brief biography including qualifications and experience, but they also focus on how they are honored by the trust and hopes that the new students place in them to prepare them for their new career. We also have specific members of the team greet them in the orientation room and engage them in discussions about their interests in joining the school as well as what interests them in joining the profession we will be training them for. There is both formal and informal engagement with the new students. We have a small campus and are able to include all departments in the orientation. But to keep it reasonably brief, we extend "orientation" into the first week of classes. This includes extensive IT, Library, LMS, and the online components of their education. Essentially we do not leave them on their own. Students who accomplish the tasks associated with the preparation are released and the student that need more support are able to get the attention they need to feel capable of being successful in the new and "alien" environment. we are still refining this process. Each time it gets better. This course is also helping, i.e. we are going to add not only an active student in orientation but also adding a couple of photos to display of some of the students at graduation and on campus doing fun in class activities.
The instructors are the most influential. We have an introduction class orientation for our students that lays out the whole program. We usually have a few of our instructors show up for it, especially the ones that are teaching the intro class. Students connect. Everyone wins.
Education Department. This is important because this is the group of people that the students will interact with and build relationships with the most.
We involve all departments at orientation, with most of the program being run by Academics or Student Experience. We task Admissions to assist only in the beginning--helping students check in and get to where their program starts, where they are handed off to the room hosts who are members of the department being discussed/running the activity in that space. Admissions advisors will typically have a student check in with them after orientation to make sure all of their questions were answered and they are excited about day 1.
two part answer:
1) Education department - Provides a high level snapshot on how things work, class readiness, brief program expectations, create excitement that the journey has begun for the student and we will help along the way.
2) Support Services - regulatory requirements that must be shared prior to the start of school. Also sharing that we have a support network to remove anxiety, answer questions, help in any way so they are not alone on day 1.
Throughout the orientation day we try and make it special and memmorable to the student.
I feel we do a great job here to have each of the departments come in and relay the message that they are here for the student. Student services, LRC, financial aid as well as faculty all are present at the orientation so they feel and see a united front. I think this helps with any floating questions.
I feel all departments should be at orientation. It is good to give the students a handout with the department hours, phone numbers, email address, etc. Then the student will have a name and face to go with the departments.
Amanda,
That's wonderful that career services play such an important role in orientation. I think keeping the 'end goal' in mind (a career) is critical to retention.
Susan Backofen
Right now, Career Services plays a large role in the orientation of new students. They present all of the program directors and department heads to new students. They also do things such as giving out candy bars with wrappers printed with the name and email of all key staff members. They show a map of the school and give each student one to take with them.
