Orientation involving current students
Does anyone have any ideas how to incorporate current students in orientation activities. I think this is a good way that the new students can start to feel comfortable in their new environment and get some positive feed back from current students.
I believe there was some discussion in one of the threads concerning this. There are a couple common uses. One is to have them there as tour guides. This allows the new students to ask them specific questions concerning attending classes without a college employee around.
The second common use is to have them give their testimonial to the group--make them a featured speaker. This could be 'live' or taped.
Another alternative would be to utilize them in the faculty/program meetings. Assign them by major and let them tell the 'real' story about what it's like to be in Accounting.
Susan
We use current students as tour guides and also as a "buddy" to a new student.
Karen--
Can you expound a little on your 'buddy' system? How long do they mentor the new students, how do you track, is there training and what, if any recognition program do you have in place for the buddies?
Susan
Can any student be a buddy? Don't you risk the possibility of catching a buddy student having a dream eroding day and kill your enrollment? I feel great can come from this technique but it could also kill your enrollment before the first class.
Julio--
The best way to have a buddy for new students is to hand-pick upper classmen that you feel will be good mentors and problem-solvers. It can be very effective to have a 'group' of these students who meet regularly for training and support...and then a special recognition program for them at some point. It is a great retention and recruiting program in and of itself!
Susan
What I do is:
1) I identify a student from each program that enjoys his class and is satisfy with the school services.
2) I take a new student I introduce the new student with the existing student.
3) Then I ask the existing student if he /she would give the new student a tour of the school.
This is on the first day of class.
Great idea. This is a variation of the 'buddy' or mentoring system. Students relate to students very well. The key, of course, is identifying an existing student that will be a positive model. Do you do any type of training for those students? Is there a longer term relationship beyond the tour?
Susan
Marie
We incorporate the current students into our Orienation two different ways.
One way is that we have our "Campus Guides" present at the new students arrival to meet and greet. The Campus Guides also disperse to different tables to share breakfast and talk about their personal experiences at the school.
The second way is that we have our Student Council (student government) introduce themselves and give a 10 minutes slide show of all of the events they have done over the past year so they know what activities happen at our campus and how involved their Student Government is on their behalf. The Student Council then escorts them to lunch and dines with them in order to allow any questions or discussion. It benefits both the Student Council and the new class.
Melissa--
Does your 'Campus Guide" program also includes other activities such as campus tours? Do you have a structured training and recognition program for them? I know many instituions are looking for better ways to maximize their student ambassadors.
Susan
Hello Susan
The Admissions department has both a selection process and a period of training for our Campus Guides.
The Campus Guides provide tours to prospective students every Monday and Friday and sometimes they are called to provide tours to those who just show up (if they are available).
They also "meet and greet" at all orientations, graduations and Homecoming events.
We, student services, give them recognition with a certificate of recognition at the point of their graduation.
I hope this was helpful.
Melissa
Melissa--
Thanks for the detail. This sounds like a great program. I'm sure the student appreciate the opportunity to 'show off' the school!
In our program we use current students to be as buddy to a new student. They might give information or introduce the students to classroom, and explain the rules and regulation of the program. If the students have any question and concern they can ask there buddy in that class. Of course as instructor we do select who buddy is for that new student
At our school we have the massage students set up chairs and provide chair massage. The medical assistant students could take blood pressures or something similarly easy. Personal trainers could do a body fat assessment and so on. We have found this to be an excellent way of introducing what the students will learn along with introducing them to current students.
Kathryn--
Excellent...gets students excited about doing things within their major as well as letting them interact with current students. This is an excellent idea.
Susan
Great ideas, Kathryn. For the degree students, we have Ambassador students greeting the new students when they arrive and current students and graduates participating in the orientation. The orietation for the diploma programs are held at a different time. I like your ideas.
We have a student council group, this group helps out in numerous ways during orientation one of the ways is that they greet the students at the front door as they are entering the building,on day 1. They also have a standing (mobil) bulletin board that they point out to students during orientation,decribing what student council does, how to get involved and what they can do for new students.
i use current student to talk to new students to help them understand there concerns
We not only use current students for our programmatic 1st day orientation, we utilize them throughout the program. We have current students provide demonstrations for new students to show them what skills they have to look forward to during the course of their program. We also have extern students complete question and answer sessions so that new students can obtain information about their experience from a student's percpective.
