Ryan,
Sharing personal stories is always extremely effective. I am sure your student appreciate it.
Susan Backofen
All sorts of activities take place, such as peer involved groups, counselor involved groups that address specific issues with each student, as well as "fun" activities like class parties, etc.
The academic dean explains the dress code, attendance policies, where to go on the first day of class. After taking the course it would help time permitting for us to have the instructors meet new students and to hand out the books, uniforms, and syllabus. Something to consider.
I always try to include a short question and answer session at or towards the end of the meeting and reassure in closing.
Prior to starting the "formal" orientation we have students complete a GOAL sheet where they write an adjective describing themselves for each letter in the word "GOAL." After that we have them complete a card with their prime motivation that we mail to them. We also have them introduce themselves. We encourage questions, and include each major department chair or instructor, a member from each administrative department and then we break off into smaller program groups where students can speak with a faculty member to get a good idea of the expectations.
Hold a short question and answer session at the end of presenting and address them with the group
The first thing I do is to introduce myself and tell them a little bit about me. Then I ask students, one by one, their name and to tell everybody a little bit about themselves. Talking about this things usually create a very relax environment where the students feel confortable.
Another thing I do the first day is to provide students with a syllabus where I explain what do they need to do in order to get an "A" and how the "A" is calculated
We usually have a series of events leading up to the students' start date. Many students are enrolled for months before the actual program courses commence. Usually, we will schedule an pre-orientation, orientation once per month leading up to the start date. We do a round of introductions, shared case/life stories, and explore each other's motivations and past experiences. It seems to work well for now.
Having the Program Directors at the orientation helps in addressing certain fears that student might have going forward.
I could not agree with you more. Have a true open door policy is very important in handling student issues.
We give our future students a tour, they are allowed to speak to surrent students, furthermore, we give surveys pre and post tours to check students satisfaction
Michael,
I really like this! Reminding them of their motivations and goals is an excellent retention tool.
Susan Backofen
Robert,
Great idea for those situations where students are applied for long periods leading up to the start of classes. This helps them to keep them engaged with the institution and 'resell' them (we need to remember our competitors are selling them all the time they are applicants).
Susan Backofen
Student's fear is real. What we do in our classes (other instructors do it too) is we invite previous graduates (who happen to visit the school) or seniors (who are doing their externship somewhere) to speak in front of the class. They are in different age group. They explain to the current students their experience while in the school. They also discuss how worthy to learn from the instructors and remind them to stay focus.
Ferdinand
We provide contact information and and overview on a third party resource organization that works directly with our students to help them in areas of financial, legal, and personal difficulty. Their assistance is limitless! Additionally, we bring in the program directors and have them introduce themselves to the students, share some of their experiences/credentialing, talk about their programs, and open the floor to questions. It gives students a familiar face to start their education with, outside of administration. Often times they will have their program director as one of their first instructors as well, so this helps break the ice in the classrooms.
FERDINAND,
I always love having graduates some and speak with students. It gives energy and helps keep them motivated.
Susan Backofen
When I meet the students I always tell them I am their contact person. If they have any struggles I am there for them to help work it out. I make sure they have an email and my direct line so they are able to contact me. If there is an issue I cannot handle I walk them to the person who can handle it. I also make sure I say help every day so they know I am truly involved.
I believe the best way to address fears in orientation is that we discuss the support and how we will help the student with skills such as study skills to help they be successful. We remind them that we understand that school is a big undertaking and we are here to help them.
New Student Orientation is held during the same hours that I am in the Classroom. However, I make an attempt to address and ease student fears by doing Ice Breaker activities during the first week of class.
I also, meet with each new student individually to discuss issues such as: their support system,previous education attempts, and school vs. home life balance etc.
I discuss the inherent value and worth of each student. Further, I briefly expound on the theory of multiple intelligences and learning styles. Students, who may have once thought they were incapable of retaining information, uncover how they learn. Consequently, these also employ this new information into their study habits. Understanding how they learn and knowing that they excel in various areas gives them hope that they can succeed.
