Agnes--
How interesting! I don't think I have ever heard of Career Services being the POC for orientation, but I like the idea a lot!!! A career is, after all, the reason they are returning to school.
Susan
Audrey--
I really love the 'grad prep' terminology! Sets the tone right up front. Great job!
Susan
New Student Orientation at our campus is organized and hosted by Career Services. As such, that particular Department is an early and initial POC for our incoming students, thereby encouraging our newest students to set solid goals early and to keep their eyes on the horizon from the outset.
In our school, each department has its own orientation for all new students, then each instructor is on hand to meet & greet each student, talk about their class and what is expected from it. We talk about plans for the classes and what we can do to help them move thru their educational process.
at our school we offer differnt programs. we have orientation called grad prep. During this time the new students meet as a group with all the P.D. Then we break off into smaller groups by department.
Cristina--
This is great! Having students work on and stay focused on their end goal (employment) from the very beginning is a great way to keep them motivated and remind them why they are there to being with. Kudos!
Susan
Marjorie--
This sounds like a great format. If I'm reading this correctly, the speakers come to each classroom where students of the same major are, correct? This is a wonderful way to get the students bonding immediately.
Susan
Career Services gets involved right at the beginning of each start. Getting students aligned with expectations besides what is (expected) in the classroom but also what it means to get your portfolio ready, right from the start. Interview skills right down on how to prepare for one gives a (positive) mental picture of confidence.
Each documentation of your performance is essential in making the right choice of where to go and how to get better as you grow in school. Preparation is key, mentally and physically, in gaining confidence that a student needs to be ready when 'that' time comes...
Nearly every department on our campus is represented, included students services, career services, financial aid, instructors, and program directors. We all try to have something to actually hand out to students as well as speaking, and also involve them in things like taking ID pictures, handing out scrubs and books, touring students on the campus, etc.
We used to involve student ambassadors in our program, but I felt like this wasn't always so successful.
I would say the department that has the most interaction with the students would depend on the student's major. They interact with the department director as far as if they have concerns, scheduling classes, etc. They know that they can go to the director, as well as the instructors to discuss their concerns. I only teach one class so I am limited in time with the students, but with the students I do interact with, I try my best to make them know that they can come to me and talk if they need to. I still have students come to talk to me semesters after they have taken my class. Making them feel welcome and just listening to them can make a huge difference.
All departments support our campus's orientation. As the student checks in they are directed to the room assigned to their chosen career of study. The department chair presents the "welcome", explains the school's and programs's expectations. Throughout the presentation there are visits from key personnel; School President, Campus Director, Financial Aid, Career Services and the Bookstore/business office/. Faculty that support the career field are there to assist the Department chair and interact with the new students.
Amber--
Great idea about including fun facts that are also informational and helpful...
Susan
Lisanne--
Your Student Services person sounds like she is definitely in the right job!
Susan
Dana--
Kudos for involving financial aid in ways that is more than completing paperwork. Students need to understand and complete all that, obviously. However, making the financial aid staff 'real people' goes a long way to assisting them in completing their education.
Susan
Student Services, Financial Aid, Career Development, Lab Supervisors, The Associate Director, The Director of Education and The Campus Director all take part in student orientation. During the orientation slide show, each person takes on the categories that relate their specific job and explain them to the students. We also include fun facts, such as city attractions, nearby restaurants and banks for students, as most of them are from out of town. In addition, the Admissions Representatives split them up into groups and take them on a detailed tour of the school.
While admissions has the most interaction with students prior to class start, it is the Student Services department that interacts with students the most during their enrollment. Our student services coordinator gives a presentation in the orientation via power point but prior to that she introduces herself the same way we ask the students to. (Name/ reason for coming here/ instruments or audio background/ something you're looking forward to). She makes them feel welcome and comfortable with the line "I work for you, the student" and sharing some of her personal music background with students. She also reminds them that it wasn't too long ago that she was a student and so she knows how it can be. She makes them feel not only welcome, but comfortable with her as much as possible.
Our students have a lot of interaction with Financial Aid, Career Services, and the instructors. The one element left out of our orientation is the instructors. The orientation for new students at our institution include the program administrators, but not the instructors who teach in the program. My guess is that instructors are not included during orientation because of teaching schedules. From what I am learning in these courses, it would probably be a good thing to include any instructors from the program that aren't teaching during that time frame.
Financial aid and the program directors also have a lot of interaction with the students. We involve them in orientation by introducing them and letting the students get to know them and what their roles will be in the students lives over their time here. We show them that they have people to go to that are truely interested in them and their success.
Ambassadors are a great way to involve the departments
All departments are extremely important to the success of the students. We incorportate all departments...career services, financial aid, admissions, etc...they all play a vital role & need to be included in the orientation processes.
