Greetings...
to all our colleagues in Two-Year Colleges. With budget cuts eliminating some of our travel to conferences, it is nice to share programs and ideas with other professionals, especially those working in two-year schools. Let us know what you think, and consider sharing programs or ideas from your institution in the next Two-Year College Newsletter.
Peggy Jordan
Editor, Two-Year College Newsletter
Student Development Counselor
Oklahoma City Community College
7777 South May Ave.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73159
(405) 682-7535
pjordan@okccc.edu
| Sherry Overton Director of Counseling and Enrollment Management Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City osherry@osuokc.edu |
Just a little over three years ago, Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City was without any kind of new student orientation program. Within the last three years, the program has developed and now is rated extremely favorable among students who attend.
The Program, appropriately named "Power UP!" due to its goals of empowering students to take charge of their academic futures, has seen growth from less than 20% new student attendance at it's implementation in Fall 1998, to over 60% attendance during Fall 2001.
Counselors who teach the sessions feel that the success of the program has stemmed from flexibility to adapt the program to the students' needs. Academic Counselor Laura Goodheart Mugler, one of the original designers of the sessions, says "We closely review the student's and presenter's opinions regarding the sessions to improve them for the next session and semester. We are constantly inserting new information and more interesting ways of presenting it. Changing the format, the time frame, the instruments used are all ways that student's evaluations have impacted the Power Up sessions for the better. This is definitely a student-driven activity and one that we enjoy providing."
Power Up! Is currently offered as a free, one time, two-hour session with an academic counselor during the two weeks prior to the start of each semester. Any first-time college student is encouraged to attend. Students participate in an interactive session using their "Power Up!" workbook, including information on everything from dropping and adding classes to choosing a major, to curbing math anxiety. The most frequent comments on student evaluations relate to the campus tour, the explanation of degree options, and comments about student services that are offered. Some comments from the Fall 2002 evaluations were:
"The campus tour was great. I never would've known where those building were on the first day of class. I probably would've gotten scared and gone home."--Anonymous Female, age 19.
"I didn't know you all had that many choices for a degree. I thought I just took basics here and transferred. I might want to get the Firefighter degree here before I leave".--Anonymous Male, age 22.
"I didn't know you had clubs I could get involved in. I am real interested in the Horticulture Club. Thanks for the info."--Anonymous Female, age 53.
Development of Power Up! Is nowhere near complete. Future direction for the sessions involve putting the entire presentation on-line for distance education students to view. This will be done as a link from the Advisement and Counseling web page. The session on-line would also be a good option for those who missed their initial Power Up! Session.
The importance of new student orientation on the college campus goes without question. At OSU-Oklahoma City, the Advisement and Counseling staff is striving to make the orientation accessible, informative, and fun for everyone.
| Peggy Jordan Student Development Counselor Oklahoma City Community College pjordan@okccc.us |
OKCCC operates under a Total Intake Model of advising and is transitioning to a modified Dual Intake Model. Under the Total Intake Model, all first time students are advised in a central advising office with six full time Student Development Counselors and eight to ten part time professional advisors. About halfway through the associates degree students are assigned to a faculty advisor in the students' major area of study. With a new integrated computer system, Datatel's Colleague, which will be implemented later this year, all first time students will have a faculty advisor assigned when admitted to the college. Initial advisement will still take place in a central advising office, but students will have earlier access to faculty advising.
To support this change Academic Affairs and Student Services partnered in encouraging faculty members to increase their knowledge of advising. All new faculty members were required to attend the workshop as part of their orientation. Returning faculty members who serve as mentors for new faculty were also encouraged to attend. Any additional faculty member could voluntarily attend.
After a welcome and introductions by the Vice President of Student Services, college policy and expectations were presented by the Vice President of Academic Affairs. The Dean of The Center for Student Development offered the mission of advising at OKCCC and an overview of the services available from Student Development. The theory of Developmental Advising was presented, with a brief literature review. Representatives from Admissions gave information about faculty records, high school curricular deficiencies, FERPA, and graduation requirements. There were ten to thirty minute presentations by Career and Assessment Services, Student Support Services, Financial Aid and Services to Students with Disabilities. A panel of Student Development Counselors was available for advisement questions. The value of an associate's degree was discussed and transfer information was offered. Most of the afternoon was spent covering "Effective Advising Tools", "Personal Counseling", and "Student Advising Scenarios". The workshop ended with questions and awarding Master Advising Certificates to participants.
| Dana Zahorik Counseling Center-E100 Wisconsin Technical Colleges zahorik@fvtc.edu phone: 920-735-5629 Fax: 920-735-4713 |
If you have articles or questions please contact any of the following individuals
Peggy Jordan
Editor, Two-Year College Newsletter
Oklahoma City Community College
7777 S. May Avenue
Oklahoma City, OK 73159
pjordan@okccc.edu
Jim Anderson
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City
900 N. Portland
Oklahoma City, OK 73107-6195
jba@osuokc.edu
Joyce Fisher
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
Tarrant County College Southeast
2100 Southeast Parkway
Arlington, Texas 76018
Joyce.fisher@tccd.net
Yvonne Lawrence
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
RioSalado College
Arizona
Yvonne.Lawrence@riomail.maricopa.edu
Shirley McCool
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Memphis, Tennessee
smccool@stcc.cc.tn.us
Mary Van Haute
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
Northeast Wisconsin Tech College
Green Bay, Wisconsin
mvanhaute@nwtc.tec.wi.us
Rene Weston-Eborn
Advisory Member, Two-Year College Newsletter
Western Wyoming Community College
Enrollment Services 2500 College Drive
Rock Springs, WY 82902-0428
rweston@wwcc.cc.wy.us
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