Freshman-orientation program revised again
Constituent concerns prompt change to mid-summer program, plus Aug. "event"

By Mara McGinnis
Reporter Assitant Editor

Concerns among various campus constituencies about the focus of UB's freshman-orientation program has prompted the university to revise again the structure of orientation.

The new changes to the program will include a mid-summer session, as well as an end-of-summer event to address the importance of both academic and student-life issues for incoming students.

Earlier this year, the administration had announced that the program would be changed to a single, two-and-a-half-day program at the end of summer for all 3,000 freshmen.

In past years, orientation had consisted of a series of two-and-a-half-day sessions offered to small groups of incoming freshmen throughout the summer.

"In an effort to improve new student transition to the university, we have determined that a different approach is desirable for Summer 2000 orientation programming," said Provost David Triggle. "As a result, we now are committed to providing both an improved summer experience and an expanded opening-day program for all new students.

"Beginning late last year, we attempted to develop an 'end-of-summer-only' program for our newest students," explained Triggle. "While there may be some merit in pursuing that option for future years, we felt it was best this year to modify our past summer approach and to add a full day of programming at summer's end."

Nina Kaars, assistant vice provost for undergraduate education and director of advisement, explained that the finalized reorganization will include a complex four-phase approach to the orientation process that takes into account concerns of all university entities.

The program will begin with early course registration as Phase I. So far, student and parent response to the early registration process has been very positive, explained Kaars, who noted that allowing students to register early will reduce their anxiety about schedules and getting into the right courses. It also will allow ample time for the university to ensure that enough courses are being offered, according to Kaars.

She added that students have been asked to fill out a new registration-activation form so that Undergraduate Education can determine the appropriate advisor to match with individual students. Advisors will personally communicate with students to help them register.

Advisors also will try to register all incoming students in blocks, or "learning communities," in which groups of about 24 students share the same schedule, according to Kaars. This year, only half of freshmen were block-registered.

Phase II will be made up of seven overnight summer sessions, with about 400 students in each session, that will have a focus on student life and student-transition issues. Students will stay in the residence halls, attend a safety presentation, set up their email accounts and obtain their UB Cards. The summer sessions, coordinated by Student Affairs, will be shorter than the two-night program in past years, since the early-registration phase eliminates the need for the registration/advisement component.

Transfer-student orientation will continue to be held separately on selected dates in the summer.

The third phase will take place on Aug. 25, the Friday before classes begin. It will kick off with a first-ever Freshmen Convocation in which all incoming freshmen will gather in Alumni Arena. Parents are invited and the event will be hosted by President and Mrs. William R. Greiner.

Following the convocation, students will break into their learning communities for academic-overview presentations, followed by faculty presentations that will allow departments the opportunity to showcase their programs, explained Kaars. The faculty programs will be followed by special programming by various advisement units on such topics as how to choose a major, study abroad and course-placement.

The day will conclude with the traditional picnic for new students and their families and a concert, sponsored by Student Affairs.

Phase IV will take place during September Welcome Weekend, Aug. 26-27, when various programs and workshops will be offered for students on such information-technology issues as how to set up computers in the residence halls and computer-fraud awareness. Students also will be introduced to the UB Libraries, which now are largely computer-based.

Kaars added that there will be an assessment after this year's phased approach to determine how the orientation program will be structured in future years.