We have a very good orientation program but it does lack a mentoring program. Although our professors do a very good job of spontaneous mentoring in the class room. I think our students would benefit from the informal mentoring mentioned in the discussion.
New students usually don’t know what the rigors of student life will really be like. Therefore they make few preparations for the transition from what they were doing to becoming a student. An effective orientation program can help transition students. Ideally admissions personnel will provide a list of tasks a new student needs to do prior to the first day of class.
Our orientation is pretty well structured already but I did like the idea of having formal student mentors to help new or re-entering students out. In addition to our formal orientation we have a plan in place to make sure our new students are successful. Each director will visit certain classes at break time to just chat and see if there are any issues. In addition, our professional clubs will also meet with the new students. this allows for the new students to establish an on-site support group.
Since our program is completely online, we have students submit an online orientation when they begin and then we assign career counselors to students depending on their course. The counselors keep in contact and help the student as they are working to start preparing for job placement.
This is good exposure for all directors and allows for connections during orientation. I have found with our orientation is that we tend to rush students thru orientation. I don't think this is serving us well to rush our students and not helping them prepare for college.
Thanks, Aimee, orientation sets the initial stage for an adult student's relationship with the school and is one of the foundational components of the new learning experience. Agreed, it is so important to not rush through the process - otherwise it just becomes a presentation of "let me tell you what you need to know about the school," and not a real introduction to all aspects of the student's education.
Jay
RT103
We provide our orientation prior to the first week of school. During that time the students are introduced to their instructors and given a tour of the school so they will know where to report on their first day. We also invite former and current students to talk to the class about their experiences and to answer questions. It seems to ease the new students fear and they leave with a sense of belonging.
Hi Elizabeth,
It is such a good idea to have current and former graduates/students talk about their experiences. Question - what do you do to help student to remove learning barriers? Is the orientation geared to student success? Remember, 96% of your students do not want to study. What do they want? "The job." So, your orientation ought to be focused on career themes and how the school is geared to help students to acquire knowledge that they can use to get "the job." Does this make sense?
Dr. Banks
The first week of school the students attend Professional Development. During that time the instructors focus on helping the students develop a good work ethic, attitude, conflict resolution and identifying their transferable and job related skills and self management traits. We also teach them how to develop good study habits and time management. We also review math such as decimals, fractions and some basic algebra. We offer tutoring for the students that struggle in those areas. The students seem to utilize the tutoring sessions which is offered to them during their lunch break or after school.
I think our orientation program needs to include more information about transitioning into a student. We need to discuss backup plans. Child-care, transportation, finances, work schedule...
Our school is mainly online continuing education courses. Our orientation is also provided online at the beginning of each course a student takes. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to make an online environment as successful as a brick and mortar school when it comes to the orientation process?
I believe that bringing in computers for the orientation process could make the the modern student uderstand the rule and regulations better. You could have different tables competing against each other in computer based quizes and games.
orientation program can get to be very boring and in somecases death by powerpoint. There needs to be an ice breaker, fun introductions, and keep the events moving. you have to carefully gage the time you spend in each activity or the students will lose interest. I like to keep the student payments away from orientation, talking about payments can become a "downer" very rapidly if not handled carefully. We are always looking for activities that will engage the students and get them thinking and talking on how they are going to successfully complete their chosen programs of study.
At our campus , we have student that have finished there projects , to help other student who are behind,guilding the bond between them
I think that there is a lot done at our orientation program that is good. I feel that some people that the students need to meet are left out, like myself. Also, they do not meet instructor. The problem is that our orientation program is done on the first day of class, which means they need to attend their kitchen class because of compliance reasons or accredidation. I am not exactly sure which one. In the past we used to do orientation on the weekend before school started. I think we should go back to that and plan some time for the studnets to be able to meet with different people in a relaxed setting and even have a meal in our cafeteria with them.
Cheri,
I think you are right. Meeting instructors and other key associates sets the stage for student success. We make it a point to have our program admin, FT faculty, and where possible... adjunct faculty meet with students before class. The key is to establish a relationship. A relationship equals trust. And trust, equals retention.
Dr. B
We can institute a more formal orientation program that follows the students through the entire program at intervals coinciding with the beginning of each new module. This can help the student feel like they are getting caught up with what they have just experienced, what the next module will include and an explanation can be provided as to why this organizational pattern is a logical one. A quick review of what was covered, a brief description of what is next can add to the confidence level of the students which greatly affects comfort levels.
William,
Many schools have formal orientation programs.
To your point, suggest you consider "advising" as students progress through their educational program. In fact, advising should be centered on career themes. This helps to keep the student's vision alive. Does this make sense?
Dr. B
I believe that there should be an ongoing orientation program in place. We do a great job on orientation but it is only really a day event...it can just be too much for the student to take in and they are bound to forget some of the important information that we all take for granted. I think there should be a follow-up orientation about 3-4 days after classes start, this would be helpful since the students would be somewhat in tune to what's going on at this point and we would be able to evaluate their needs more efficently.
Our orientation seems to be rushed, as well. I think that if our school structures a better orientation program for our new students it will have an effective outcome for our school's retention. We have to start them off on the right foot to take them through the program properly.
