Running head: NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE

New Student Orientation Programs in the Community College Mary A. Henehan Ball State University

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE New Student Orientation Programs in the Community College The earliest forms of college new student orientation programs date back to the 1640s at Harvard where tutors were expected to counsel students (Morrison as cited in Council, n.d). Butts (as cited in Council, n.d.) stated by 1888 formal orientation programs emerged at Harvard and Boston College. The Association for the Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher

Education (NODA) was founded in 1976 as the professional organization for workers in the field (Council, n.d). Overtime, orientation programs for both four-year and community colleges have evolved and now take many forms ranging from a few hours to a year-long series of activities and anything in between. Although 96% of community colleges offer student orientation, fewer than 40% of colleges responding to the Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS) indicated that a new student orientation program was required for incoming freshman (Center, 2012). The need for new student orientation (NSO) in community colleges is warranted because of the high attrition rates of first year students (Bourdon & Carducci, 2002). In 2007, Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) reported 32% of new students did not take an orientation course. For those students who did take an orientation course, only 36% said they were very satisfied with their experience 35% of students report that they are very satisfied with their colleges processes for working with new students (Community, 2007, p.21). Effective orientation programs that are well planned and are a full-semester in length result in higher student satisfaction, greater use of support services, and improved retention, especially among at-risk students (Cohen, Brawer, Kisker, 2014, p.217). To address the needs of diverse student populations, community colleges have developed a variety of orientation program formats including online, career focused, and adventure themed

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE opportunities for new students. My initial question was to determine the relationship between new student orientation programs and student success and retention; however, this paper will

review guiding standards for quality NSO, various forms of NSO and emerging best practices for NSO in the community college. The discussion addresses the relationship between student participation in NSO and retention. Guiding Standards The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) established standards, guidelines and rating scales to assess 43 functional areas in community colleges and universities. Orientation programming is one of the areas. The CAS mission statement postulated that NSO should help new students integrate into the academic and social culture of the institution, inform students of the institution's educational offerings, and make students aware of the institutions expectations for success. Parents, guardians, and families must be included in the NSO process to support students transition to college. NSO must support the colleges enrollment management and retention plans (Council, n.d.). Standards of quality orientation programs (OP) under CAS include: (a) a regularly reviewed mission statement consistent with the mission of the college, (b) clear student learning objectives identified by various departments in the college to achieve student persistence, (c) identified personnel to ethically manage and supervise the OP in coordination with various college departments, (d) sufficient number of graduate degreed staff trained to implement Op who will keep up-to-date with trends in the field, (e) written practices that align with local and federal laws and college policy, (f) creation of an equitable, welcoming, harassment free, and accessible atmosphere embracing diversity, (g)development of relationships with external (e.g., civic, ethnic, transfer institutions) and internal (e.g., academic affairs, facilities, bursar) partners

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE knowledgeable of the in-coming student population and solicit feedback from the partners for improving OP, (h) reliable funding to maintain quality programming with efficient use of resources in accord with college policy, (i) an accessible technology infrastructure sufficient to support OP in face-to-face and online environments and a referral system for students with adverse reaction to technology, (j) accessible, suitable facilities for OP with sufficient resources for maintenance and replacement of equipment, and adequate staff work space with areas for private conversations, and (k) an assessment plan supported by sufficient funding and staff to assure that OP objectives are met and to provide data for warranted OP changes. The CAS goal is for every institution to incorporate every standard into the OP plan; however, a number of colleges are only able to incorporate a few standards. Forms of New Student Orientation New Student Orientations are offered in a variety of formats to accommodate diverse student needs (e.g., work schedules, distance from campus, accessibility) and to achieve institutional efficiency. Most colleges offer both face-to-face and online orientations. NSO can be mandatory or voluntary. Some college offer NSO sessions with a specific focus such as career focused or program specific orientations. Other colleges offer NSO sessions for targeted student audiences such as adult, transfer, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), single parent, or minority populations. Some colleges extend pre-semester orientations with

welcome week activities and year-long approaches designed to support student success. Semester long student success courses are classified under NSO (Bourdon & Carducci, 2002). NSO in community colleges commonly include information about personal and social support services, academic support, information resources, and campus offices.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE Face-to-face NSO. The most prevalent type of NSO is face-to-face sessions preceding students first semester. These vary in duration from an hour to half-day event. NSO covers topics that are crucial to students successful navigation of college. Topics generally covered include campus tours, financial aid, time and stress management, goal-setting, studying skills, student activities, online college resources, terminology (bursar, registrar) and test-taking strategies. Presentations by faculty, administration and key departments may be included (Bourdon & Carducci, 2002). Online NSO. Most colleges offer an online version of the NSO to accommodate needs

of diverse schedules and students living out of state or to conserve institutional resources (Tighe, 2006). Some colleges opt to place online various components of orientation such as a financial aid overview or an introduction to the library. There are two types of freshman NSO. One type covers the processes of registration and admission, the other type covers student success strategies after the student enrolls (Bilides, 2006). Several years ago, North Harris Montgomery Community College District offered online orientations for dual credit, transfer and high school graduates. Quizzes covered the content: degree planning, admissions, testing, and registration. The program won the National Council on Student Developments Exemplary Practice Award, and was third place winner of the Terry OBanion Shared Journey Award (Bilides, 2006, para.7). However, some college online NSO have significantly (22%) lower fall to spring student retention rate than the face-to-face version (Ohio, 2013). Career focused orientations. Cumberland County College partnered the academic and student affairs departments to offer students optional career focused orientation sessions initially in the fields of health and criminal justice. Later orientations included information on course requirements for majors and career path information for all students (Fried-Goodnight, 2009).

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE The goal of the career focused orientation was to engage students early in the process as they first met faculty and other students, selected classes, and began to see themselves as part of the institution (Fried-Goodnight, 2009). Daly Eimer and Fried-Goodnight (2010) studied the relationship of Cumberland County College career focused NSO on student engagement. Prior to the study, NSO content was random and driven by the person conducting the sessions. They posed four questions covering

satisfaction with the NSO experience, persistence of students who attended general versus career focused sessions, persistence of students who did and did not attend NSO and proximity of attendance to the start of the fall semester. Data was collected over four time periods through likert style surveys, open ended surveys, interviews and NSO session observations. A new model for NSOs was developed and implemented. Daly Eimer and Fried-Goodnight (2010) reported retention from fall to spring was the greatest for students attending career focused NSOs (90.6%) compared to students attending general orientations (85.6%). Adventure orientations. Central Oregon Community College offered several adventure themed student orientation opportunities. After completing a more traditional orientation process, students went hiking, rafting, lava tube exploring or toured local art galleries. Students had the option of paying a small fee for an overnight adventure. The active orientations allowed students to develop a sense of community. Students who formed bonds with other students or with someone from the institution after attending adventure orientations developed a stronger sense of community and connection to the college (Oregon, 2007). Program orientations. In order for students to be successful in specific programs of study, colleges such as Ivy Tech Community College offer orientations to students entering nursing, accounting, paramedic, and emergency medical technician programs. John Chalfin,

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program chair for Ivy Tech Kokomo Paramedic and Emergency Medical Technician, holds faceto-face orientation sessions for students and family members. Chalfin (personal communication, February 25, 2014) indicated the sessions cover behaviors students should model and the program requirements such as immunizations, background checks, and a physical. During the half-day session, students receive a handbook, review the program philosophy, purpose, standards, and affective domain expectations (integrity, empathy, self-confidence, team work and diplomacy). Before leaving, students sign a number of forms including a form regarding professional conduct. Chalfin said We concentrate on how their professionalism contributes to their grade and the degree of commitment it takes to become a Paramedic, along with the commitment of family and/or significant others (personal communication, February 25, 2014). Special population orientations. Washtenaw Community College in addition to NSO for traditional age students, offers face-to-face orientations for several special student populations including adult students over age 22, students starting later in the term, ESOL, F-1 Visa International students, and students attending an off-campus learning centers. Washtenaw also holds NSO sessions for parents to assist them with students transition to college and provides them with a monthly newsletter. Unlike many online community college NSO, the online NSO at Washtenaw is available to potential students, parents, and the general public. Outlined on the log-in screen is exactly what will be covered in the NSO (Washtenaw, 2014). The Ohio Association of Community Colleges (2013) recommended students placing into development courses attend a mandatory orientation prior to enrolling in courses. A registration hold would be placed on students until the orientation is completed. The orientation must cover: (a) How placing into developmental courses will extend the time they will need to complete a degree or certificate, (b) The amount of financial aid dollars that are set aside

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for Dev. Ed. Courses, (c) The importance of Dev. Ed. courses and how they prepare them for college, (d) The resources available at the college to help them succeed, (e) The importance of creating a plan towards completion, (f) The importance of meeting with an advisor, (g) The different ways classes are taught (face-to-face, hybrid and online) and which method might work best for them, (h) The value of taking a first year experience class, and (i) The financial aid requirements for maintaining Title IV eligibility. (Ohio, 2013, p.15) Further, the Ohio Association of Community Colleges encouraged colleges to offer NSO to students enrolled in high school. The high school based NSO should include how to apply to college, the cost of attending, how to apply for and accept financial aid, an overview of college attendance policies, the availability of support systems, and determining a major and career path. High school based orientations to college help prepare students intellectually, emotionally and financially, accelerating them towards completion (Ohio, 2013, p.15). Student success courses. Student success seminar courses are offered by nearly 70% of community colleges. Courses taken in students first semester are most effective and have the greatest impact on student retention to the subsequent semester (Bourdon & Carducci, 2002). The Virginia Community College Systems NSO course, STD 100, is offered in online and faceto-face formats. The course description of STD 100 follows. Assists students in transition to colleges. Provides overviews of college policies, procedures, and curricular offerings. Encourages contacts with other students and staff. Assists students toward college success through information regarding effective study habits, career and academic planning, and other college resources available to students.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE May include English and math placement testing. Strongly recommended for beginning students. Required for graduation. (Tighe, 2006, p.2) Tighe (2006) surveyed colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and found that the course did not include placement testing because students completed testing prior to enrollment. Tighe learned the implementation of the STD 100 course varied widely within the VCCS system. Eight, 10 and 16 week formats were used. Some colleges required the course in the first 15 credits, others during the first semester, others gave the option of the first or second semester, while other colleges had no policy for taking the course. VCCS instructors felt that students completing STD 100 were more academically prepared and persisted because they learned how to use the resources of the college. Cho and Karp (2013) further studied the VCCS student success courses taken in the first year. They described a variety of formats offered by institutions such as discipline specific courses and courses with a survival skills theme for students in developmental courses. Data from about 24,000 VCCS students compared students who took success courses with those who did not take success courses. Although a success course is required for graduation with an

associates degree, VCCS students still managed to gain a degree without taking a course. There was a demonstrated positive correlation between student taking a success course and persistence to the second year. They also compared developmental students taking the course to program ready students. The difference in persistence rates for developmental students compared to program ready students was greater in the second year. Emerging Best Practices In 2002, Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) started to measure the student experience at community colleges. CCSSE provided the resulting data to colleges for

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE the purpose of improving and fostering positive student experiences. The 2007 CCSSE report summarized findings of the lessons learned and reviewed strategies that worked. The findings indicated successful orientation strategies were developed at several community colleges including Valencia (FL), LaGuardia (NY), and Kingsborough (NY). Valencia had mandatory NSO for students and paired a student success course with developmental math courses. A

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student success advisor assisted students in forming relationships within learning communities. LaGuardia offered family orientations. As a result, students reported the encouragement and support from family and friends contributed significantly to their academic success. Kingsboroughs Freshman Year Experience (FYE) started with admission to the college and continued with advising, registration, a success course and celebrations throughout the year. Kingsborough students who participated in FYE learning communities had an 11% higher retention rate from fall to spring than did non-participating students (Community, 2007). Bourdon and Carducci (2002) identified several research based best practices for NSO leading to increased retention and success rates for community college students. Their findings aligned with several CAS standards. NSO should have consistent leadership and designated, dedicated staff to implement session. Topics should include financial aid, study skills, stress management, test-taking skills, and time management. Key college administrators and faculty should be involved in planning and implementation to demonstrate to students their value to the college. Orientation should occur close to the beginning of the term (one week to one day prior) to increase participation and should be offered at various times to accommodate needs of parttime and full-time students. Graded success seminar courses, limited to 25 students per section, should be required of all new students. Orientations tailored to specific groups (adult, transfer, single parent) increase the support for those populations.

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An unidentified college in Texas was recognized as having a low cost, easy to implement promising practice. After pre-semester orientations, the college had weekly one-minute orientations on various topics. Instructors in identified courses use one-minute orientations to share with students available services, resources, and upcoming activities. The weekly information is also shared in a newsletter posted inside of bathroom stalls (Bruce, Shook, Fletcher, & Smith, 2011). California seeks to make NSO mandatory for all community college students. A recent commission reported students dont do optional. Because many California students embrace a casual attitude towards community college, colleges do not request mandatory participation in academic and support activities. A lack of funding inhibits statewide implementation of mandatory NSO (Lay & Community College League of California, 2010). Conclusion In conclusion, community colleges across the United States offer varied forms of NSO to diverse student populations. Colleges offer orientation to students with the goals of helping students understand college processes, what is required of them to be successful, become knowledgeable of available resources to assist them in persisting from semester to semester, and ultimately to complete their programs of study (Bilides, 2006). Community colleges are beginning to see the benefit of mandatory NSO with increased retention rates and higher graduation rates. Best practices in community college NSO will continue to emerge to address low student retention and completion rates.

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE References

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Bilides, L. (2006). Online freshman orientation. Online Student Support Services: Best Practices Monograph. Retrieved from http://www.onlinestudentsupport.org/Monograph/freshman_orient.php Bourdon, C. M., & Carducci, R. (2002). What works in the community colleges: A synthesis of the literature on best practices. California University, Graduate School of Education. CA:Los Angeles. p.34-35. Bruce, J., Shook, M., Fletcher, C., & Smith, D. (2011). With great challenges come great opportunities: Promising practices of Texas community colleges. Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation. Cho, S. & Karp, M. (2013). Student success courses in the community college: Early enrollment and educational outcomes. Community College Review, 41(1), 86-103. doi:10.1177/0091552112472227 Cohen, A., Brawer, F., & Kisker, C. (2014). The American community college. (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2012). A matter of degrees: Promising practices for community college student success (A first look). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Community College Leadership Program. Community College Survey of Student Engagement. (2007). Committing to student engagement: reflections on CCSSE's first five years. Austin, TX: Author. Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (n.d). Role of orientation programs: CAS standards contextual statement. Retrieved from http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/noda.site-ym.com/resource/resmgr/Docs/CAS_Standards.pdf

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION COMMUNITY COLLEGE Daly Eimer, A. & Fried-Goodnight, M. (2010). Engaging community college students at the front door: Career-aligned new student orientations. Presented at Innovations 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.league.org/istreamSite/innovdb_index.cfm?id=14409

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Fried-Goodnight, M. (2009). Engaging community college students at the front door: Impact of career cluster new student orientations (Doctoral dissertation, Rowan University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305172810?accountid=8483. (305172810). Lay, S. M., & Community College League of California. (2010). A report of the commission on the future of the community college league of California. 2020 vision: student success. Sacramento: CA. Community College League of California. Ohio Association of Community Colleges. (2013). Impact student success: Recommended proven policies and practices for developmental education. Columbus: OH. Ohio Association of Community Colleges. Oregon orientation program gives glimpse of colleges underside. (2007, August). Community College Week. 19(24). Retrieved from: http://www.ccweek.com/news/templates/templatesub.aspx?articleid=79&zoneid=2 Tighe, W. L. (2006). The VCCS online college orientation: A faculty survey and syllabi analysis to determine delivery methods of course objectives. Inquiry, 11(1), 35-48. Washtenaw Community College. (2014). Student connection: Orientation. Retrieved from http://www.wccnet.edu/studentconnection/orientation/