Organizational culture is important because it shapes how people behave, interact, and perform within a workplace. Positive cultures increase job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and lower turnover. A healthy culture promotes respect and quickly addresses unprofessional behavior.

For admissions and faculty to truly align, they need to function less like separate departments and more like a continuous pipeline supporting the same student journey—from inquiry to graduation. 

For example in nursing, faculty can help define competencies needed for success (study skills, critical thinking, professionalism). Faculty can also share syllabi highlights, workload expectations, and common challenges.

ways to improve retention:

Engage students actively
Reinforce learning through repetition and retrieval
Use multimodal teaching and reflection
Apply knowledge to real-world contexts
Monitor understanding with frequent feedback

1st week sets the tone. It helps the student decide whether they will return for week 2. Late enrollees should receive the same info that others received during orientation. 

Having the faculty present during orientation is a must. Allow the students to get to know the faculty. This interaction is beneficial for both parties. 

Orientation should not be just informative; it must be fun.  Have students meet other new and current students. Relieve some of the anxiety.

Being aware of student expectations when they enroll is very helpful. The Value Equation says it all. 

Placement is the ultimate goal for everyone: students, schools, and employers. It ties a nice ribbon around the experience. Increases student satisfaction and retention. 

Bonding is the glue that sticks the students together. This has a significant impact on retention. Academic and social involvement provides the glue to bond.  

A successful orientation program may help reduce cognitive dissonance. Reducing anxieties makes for an easier transition. Mentors may calm the waves and help retention.