Joanne,
This is excellent. I am going to use your statement as an outline to instruct my first quarter instructors how to handle the first week.
Dave
At the completion of the first week, we would like to meet with all of the new students for a brief Q&A session on their likes and dislikes pertaining to faculty and facilities (influence on change). We would also coordinate breaks, so that each class would have the opportunity to interact with each of the other classes (expand class feeling to campus feeling).
Dr. Stover
We too coordinate an "activity hour" three days a week for students to hold club meetings, attend socials or other events. I like your idea of holding a Q and A session after the first week of classes in order to find out their likes and dislikes of the facilities and faculty.
The information could be used by many different deparments for quality control.
Great idea
Thanks, Melissa. What type of clubs, socials and events do you sponsor?
During the first week at our institution the students all meet with the Campus Director. During this meeting the Director "takes their temperature," and gets to know them as much as you can in short meeting. Then he lets them know the student is a welcome addition to the college. This meeting makes the student feel like they really are part of the college.
I like the idea of having the orientation with food. I have recommended to the orientation committee to have this term's orientation with a luncheon included. The faculty and alumni would serve as servers.
Your buddy system...At what stage in the students training do you start to pair them with new students?
I love this idea! Thanks!
Most people do this at orientation...the sooner the better from a retention standpoint.
Susan
This is where we are lacking. Those last minute enrollments are slipping through not going to orienation and they are the first to drop! I like the idea of having a group orientation in week one! We are not doing anything for these folks and it is effecting keeping them for sure! I will get with my director on this. Also, I liked using the class picture in the front of the room to make them feel like a part is great!
Kevin Asberry
We use a mentor/buddy system to jump start our First week experience. Our programs are short-term so that first week is vital to our program outcome.
We have had informal "touching base" meetings with new students on Day 3; both admissions and education take part. This has helped us identify students who may be struggling with the transition to school, feeling overwhelmed, etc. Instructors always try to personally interact with each new student on a daily basis to answer questions and help with transitions to school.
I think that within the first week the students will start forming alliances with one another. This would be a good time to have them choose a buddy, so that they can help each other succceed. Driving together, possibly studying together, and in general make sure that each other are doing O.K.
We take there photo for their name badge and give them all there class materials.
Susan--
This is wonderful...then students feel like they are already in class before they arrive.
Susan
We will absolutley implement the buddy system for all late enrollments. These are the highest at-risk students for dropping. We will also bring food to the campus during start week to celebrate the decision the new students have made to train for a new career.
Food is good...always gets people involved and interacting in an informal way. Using some type of activity like this during mid-terms and finals is also a good ice breaker.
The buddy system can be highly effective, especially if you make the 'buddies' in to a special program where they are recognized for this effort. Give them some training...certificates at the end, etc.
Susan
We take a picture of each student in a cap and gown at orientation. We then post these pictures on our future graduate board. The boards says "If I can see it, then I can be it." All students look for their picture on this board, even the ones that protested having it taken.
I am the Director of Education at my school. If we have a late start (we always do) I take thier ID picture, their cap & gown picture and get their books for them. I also try to be there to walk them to class and introduce them to their instructor.
We used to hold a brief gathering of all new starts and show them where the resource center is and ask them how things are going and things like that. We would have some simple snack such as cookies and milk/juice. I think that we should implement that again.
I think that my school could certainly benefit from sharing a parallel orientation process with late enrollees. Students who attend orientation have an advantage and I think that all departments can get involved to properly welcome late enrollees throughout their first week. Having a smaller scale orientation for late enrollments would be a great addition to what we already have in place for acclimating new starts.
Bryon,
I agree with you in that students have the ability to retain their peers. Students are able to assist each other in ways that faculty and staff may not because of professional boundaries. It is important that all resources are employed in retention, and students can certainly be a resource.
Natasha
