Enhancing First Week Activities
What process can you implement that will enhance your first week activities and make students more connected to your college?
Selected members of administration are in the first day orientation to help present helpful information and get to know the students.
I believe it would be a great idea to have a small luncheon on the first week of class. Students are always happy when they are being fed and they get to mingle and see how happy our current students are.
get students engaged and talking to one another. I try to make it fun
We have a "happy hour" where staff, faculty and students socialize. We at times add a theme based on time of year, holidays or significant observances. This is a forum where students can voice concerns, staff can get to know students as individuals and vice versa.
In our Admissions Department, we call at the end of each week for the first two weeks to see how things are going. I think that we can go further with scheduled physical check in opportunities as well.
We have our LRC coordination provid a overview of library service and the computer system. The Program Director and Deans visit the classroom the first week.
I also go around the classroom and have everyone to introduce themselves,tell us why they chose the progam and to tell everybody one random fact about themselves which tends to brake the ice of the first day of class.
The Student Leadership Team throws a pizza party for them. This allows them to meet peers further along in the program and ask questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their Instructor yet.
Yes, we have a meet and greet. It is not mandatory but allows the student to meet all the instructors, clinical included, and have a snack and some refreshments.
We have already integrated quite a few innovative changes in our student integration activities. After reading, the one I like is having a really good plan around late arrivals and how we do orientation in a much more robust way. We actually have statistical data that shows that students who do not attend a few days in that first week have the highest drop rates. I believe a lack of thorough orientation is partly to blame. They literally are trying to drink from a fire hose.
We do this at our school by providing a light lunce for new students where staff and Admin. helps serve and mingle with our students. Once a term we have a pizza night for them. Students love this.
I like to go into each class and introduce myself and then tell them one thing about me they may be surprised by. I then ask them to tell me their name and one factor about them. I write these down and then when I see them in the hall I asked them about it and it helps break the ice.
Meet with them and go over orientation with them. Introduce them to their teachers and classmates, give them special one on one and then follow up with them. Make sure all questions are answered. See how they are bonding with classmates, if they look lost ask them what you can do for them. Everyone should be involved from admissions on down.
I believe that we need to improve the ongoing connection between the students and their admissions representative within the first week, have the instructors be held more accountable within the first week in calling all students who did not show up for the first day of class, and partnering every new student with a student ambassadors to help them through the adjustments of the first week.
I do a getting to know you bingo. students are given a pieces of paper that has questions such as;do you know someone in this career field, do they have a pet, do they commute more than ten miles to school, what is their favorite food, etc. This allows students to get up and talk to other students and get to know them on a small personal note.
Student Services goes into new student classes and talks to every new student.
Attendance is taken and calls are made immediately if a student is not in class.
Follow up with students throughout the week inquiring "how's it going?'
First assignment is for students to obtain a "study buddy."
You can have a new student welcome--like make lunch or have a new student appreciation activity. I think it is key to make sure they feel welcome and will want to return.
Start the first day/week off by reinforcing information that was presented during orientation and as we go, continue to do so as it applies. Also at the end of the week, have a recap of what was learned this week and what we will be looking at the next week.
End each class/week with questions from the students regarding anything both internally and externally.
I have gotten many great ideas to use for my new term that will be starting on monday!
