I would like to see a better orientation program. When student are enrolled (go through admissions, financial aide etc.), orientation is then done by the dean of business, who speaks about the university's history, department programs, and any socializing programs - fashion shows and Toastmasters. Faculty are introduced and they talk about their credentials while other pomp about their successes and concentation or course expectations.
Many handouts packages are distributed, which litter the floors and tables. This approach to me is a little overwhelming and ineffective. I like a holistic approach.
As a student, I expect to see the counselor who recruited me or I am going to feel it is all about the NUMBERS. I want professors to tell me the kind of activities they used (cases and how it help with real world; business plan and how it can lead to creating one for a venture or supports current employability skills). I want to fit in academically, socially, physically, and emotionally with the institution to feel valued.
Tiffany
I am an instructor at an automotive-based technical school. My course is typically taught approximately half-way through the student's stay. I am sorry to say that I have never been asked to speak at an orientation, nor, to my knowledge,have any of my contemporaries. I see opportunities lost! To our school's credit, we have periodic open houses, giving many of the instructors the chance to communicate with perspective students and their families.
Many times the Recruier will bring students into my classroom to meet me and other students. I always invite them to attend a class, and I ask them about themselves.
Lisa--
It is more difficult with larger groups, but one way is to have the students get in to groups and do this as a team. That format keeps the larger group managable and also helps them to build some relationships with fellow students.
Susan
William--
This is excellent! It is excellent preparation and review of what will be covered and also helps students to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Susan
We Try to involve someone from each department
I love the idea of a scavenger hunt. I think it gets the students engaged. Our current orientation is organized to present speaker after speaker. I would like to recommend this approach however, I am concerned about organization. We generally have 100+ new starts per quarter. Any ideas on how to coordinate with a group this large?
We as instructors in the automotive trade, use 3 different phase when helping our students. First we have what we call Jump Start, it is to explain what is about to happen, what will happen next, take any questions, and they will recieve their 1 books. Then we have Pitstop, this is to refresh what has already happened, what they have learned, what is going to happen next, and to reinforce why they are going to school here. Then finaly we have Victory Lane, here we review all that they have accomplished to this point, how to apply for a job in their accomplished field, to make sure all their certificates and experiances are on their resumes. We reinforce all that they have learned, and that their training does not end here, it is only the begaining of their lifes training .
I would like to sit in on an Admissions Applicant sometime.
The Education department actually organizes and runs the orientation.
This sounds like a great approach!! I can see this changing from floppies to flash drives soon. This makes them feel welcome and appreciated. I stayed in a hotel recently for a conference and in the evening when I returned to the room, I would find that the ice bucket had been filled, bed turned down, radio turned on low, chocolates on the pillows, etc. - that's the personal touch that makes a difference. These little book bags are essentially the same thing - great idea!
I like the idea of name tags!! We also need to make sure that we treat the halls as potential Q&A locations - instead of walking along chatting with other faculty, we need to be ready for students to approach us. We could also make a point to say hello to students and call them by name.
Financial Aid, Secretaries, Admissions Assistants, and other students. It's important to encourage a team approach with all of these groups - they need to see the students as their students too. This can be emphasized in staff meetings, and meetings with student groups - there could even be recognition given to the team members who did a great job in welcoming new students.
Academics, the instructors actually get a chance to meet the students.
All departments on our campus are involved in the orientation process. I think that orientation is an ongoing process. The first day students are overwhelmed with all the information they received during orientation. then they start class with more orientation as they go from one module to another they are reoriented again, we review this process each mod because we get new students each mod. The more we talk to our students about expectations the better them become so yes it is ongoing.
I honestly have no idea how orientation is handled at my institution. I am an instructor and have never been on a welcoming committee I would assume that we have all of the different areas represented on orientation but I will ask my students and get with my manager and ask how this is conducted. Maybe I will have a chance to see an orientation.
This is an area that I am not all the familiar within the company that I work for. I am an instructor and I unfortunately know very little on the administration side. I go in and I do what I have to do to teach the students what they need to know for the subject at hand. On the other hand I would assume that Student services, Financial aid, or Employment department and someone from the Educational staff would be a part of the orientation so that the student become familiar with them and their department just in case if they have any issues they would know where do go.
Education. The instructors have more hours in contact with the student thany other staff.It takes a village to raise a child. None of us succeed alone and to make students understand that the whole staff are their for them. Instructors should be their.
Student Services plays a key role in pupil success. They track attendance, solve personal issues, and help to guide the students through the dizzying world of higher education. Sometimes the students need a reminder that there are alot of people working behind the scenes toward their future.
Our Student Services has the last contact before day 1.
