I'm amazed almost daily at lack of attention companies pay too customer service. One of the most cost effective measures a company can take to distance itself from its competition is too provide great customer service. Great customer service is often promised but seldom delivered.

We are an allied health vocational school drawing the great majority of our student population from a public school system that has poorly prepared them. Few of our students can do simple math and many read at an elementary level. They have graduated with these few skills due to a system that simply passes them through and many students arrive at our institution with the expectation that if they show up on a reasonably regular basis we have to pass them. Assesment of skills possessed, skills needed, time committment understanding, work ehtic, etc. would in many cases indicate that a significant proportion are not prepared to succeed at this level. Compounding this many of their lives are in economic and personal chaos with some always homeless. Retention rates could be improved dramatically by tighter screening practices, but we do have a responsibility to every student who desires a better life, even if they have no initial understanding of what it will take to earn it. We chronically struggle with retention, but is is a struggle we are committed to.

With the increasing demand on the bottom line is it better to increase enrollments at the risk of enrolling less qualified students? When I say less qualified students I mean students that clearly aren't prepared to be in school due to living situation, finanancial difficulties or other reasons that would inevitably keep them from graduating. This seems self defeating. Any suggestions or thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks, Michele

I learned a lot from taking RT101 and will utilize the stratergies to improve overall retention in my class.

I want to stress the importance of providing a welcome packet of info for new students. I have helped coordinate many orientation sessions at our institute. This was the first orientation in which we implemented the welcome packets. Of course, all new students probably receive a dictionary sized stack of paperwork at any orientation. However, when we PERSONALIZED these stacks into a concise and neat folder, I noticed a couple of things. First, a greater percentage of the required forms to be filled out by the students were returned properly and promptly. Second, it seemed to reinforce the students sense of "belonging" as a first time student. It is a good looking folder with the student's name printed on the front as well as a copy of the student's schedule and other documents in the folder. I also included personalized instructions on how to access the particular student's e-mail and online records account. This will now be a permanent fixture at all of our future orientation sessions.

I feel I get too involved at times. I really and truly care for my students. I get like an "instant high" when they get an excellent job. I even helped one student how received a large amount of money and hadn't any clue about the world open an savings account and a safety deposit box. Another student had no place to live and I brought her into my home temporially.

I am having problems getting into a forum, and seem to only be able to post a new topic. Is this something that you have encountered before?

How long do orientations like these (breaking into departmental meetings, meeting faculty and other students, getting registered for class, etc., and then reconvening in the large group) take?

Does anyone do an orientation like the one discussed in this module? If so, how does it work? I would be interested, especially, in an incremental approach, having students move from department to department, and interaction with current students.

The idea of having students talk at orientation struck me as a good one. Is there anyone who does that, and how have you set it up?

How can a school catch the students who fall through the cracks in the enrollment process?

I am interested in any feed back concerning active participation of instructors during orientation?

I am interested in finding additional "new or unique approaches to ice breakers during orientation?

are there any additional ways to address the issue of student menoring struggling students?

I think we do an excellent job on building commitment in the first week, even the first class or two. However, after the initial quarter, we start focusing on the next learning community of students in their first quarter. What kinds of activities have you put in place to make sure you don't lose touch with your contuing students? It seems like we treat new students special but then forget about them once they make it through the first quarter. Our retention is actually worse in their first program-specific course (third term) then it is in our first quarter classes.

I am interested in involving past graduates or successful senior students in our orientation process. Have any of you tried this approach to reducing students' fears and building excitement? If so, how do you track the graduates or students that might be a fit for this role?

We currently involve Program Directors for each of our programs of study. We do not involve faculty beyond that, though our Program Directors are indeed instructors. Does anyone have input regarding their faculty's role in orientation? Thank you, Christine Miller

I really like the idea of creating stations and empahsizing movement in an orientation program. During our current setup, I feel that students sit stagnant and sometimes uncomfortable no matter what breaks in "speeches" and active participation we pepper throughout the program. Is there anyone out there that currently uses a "station" concept/format. If so, any pointers or comments? I appretiate the input!

I have made several attempts to start a student organization but I get little or no response. We have tried having them wear the same shirt as a way to show loyalty and there was an uproar. Does anyone have a suggestion?