Administrators involved in UB's orientation programming are stepping up efforts this year to make the transition for new students even more fluid than before, with greater emphasis on academic preparation and responsibility, improved communication between the university and its students, and making the overall welcoming process a more personal one.

"We've gone from a rather traditional, summer-only program to a program today that literally begins as students accept their enrollment at the university and doesn't end until they are well into their class program here," Dennis Black, vice president for student affairs, told members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee at the group's Feb. 28 meeting.

While UB's program underwent a substantial overhaul for the summer of 2000, administrators have been working since then on a number of enhancements to the program for the coming summer.

Barbara Ricotta, dean of students, explained that incoming freshmen are guided through four orientation phases that strive to help them more easily acclimate to UB. The first-pre-orientation-begins with completion of a questionnaire, which helps advisors form a clearer academic picture when the student registers before attending summer orientation. The second phase-summer orientation-now is a one-and-a-half-day affair in order to accommodate increased planning for Opening Day Weekend. That weekend-scheduled for Aug. 24-26-and the September Welcome and continued programming throughout the semester comprise the third and fourth phases of orientation.

The pre-registration model-implemented last summer-has proved "multifold" in its advantages, explained Janina Kaars, assistant vice provost and director of academic affairs. Whereas students in years past were given literally less than five minutes to hash out a schedule on-site with an advisor, she said, the new method allows advisors to look at a student's high-school transcript, intended major and other relevant information, as well as contact the student prior to his or her visit in order to build a workable schedule.

	Orientation activities in Fall 2000 included having students put together a gigantic puzzle of the North Campus.
	photo: Frank Miller

"The sooner we have the dialogue-and open the door for further conversation through email and phone-we are welcoming them in a much more personal way," Kaars said, noting that the number of individuals on campus registering students has increased to roughly 80, making personal contact that much more feasible. The goal this year is to have all freshmen registered by July 1, she said.

As well, new-student anxiety has diminished as course availability has increased, she said, with the goal being that every course needed by freshmen be available to them.

"We want to really lock this down so that students are progressing in a way that they should educationally," she said.

Summer orientation in July not only provides students an overview of academic expectations and an introduction to UB technology through hands-on workshops, but it also broaches common first-year issues under the umbrella of what it's like-and what it takes-to be a student at UB.

"We want to make sure that they understand not only what we expect from them, but that they have an opportunity to ask all of those questions about whatÉit takes to be a successful student," Ricotta said, noting that the 26 orientation aides hired each year are an invaluable resource toward that end.

And making the connection between technology and academics is paramount to student success, Ricotta added. "We feel it's very important that before they leave us in July, they know how to take advantage of our technology on campus."

Orientation staff members also are hoping to provide new students with both faculty and "veteran" student perspectives in the form of discussion groups during the summer program, Kaars added.

Ricotta said UB also has worked extensively to revamp its mail communication.

In an effort to deliver "one message in a more unified way," Ricotta said new students now receive only four mailings, each of which has a checklist they can follow as they approach the start of the fall semester. UB also has two new centralized information sources, she said: the first is a Web site orientation.buffalo.edu, and the second, a toll-free number students and their families can call with any number of questions.

"(The call) comes into the new student program office in the Student Union, and from there (the individual) will get referred to the appropriate person who can answer their question," she said, noting that a "live" person will be at the other end of the line.

New students, she said, also are part of a centralized tracking database that monitors the progression of incoming freshmen "from deposit through the first day of classes."

Other orientation-programming enhancements include a summer reading program to give students the opportunity to collectively read and then discuss-in UB 101 courses, in residence-hall programming and possibly in a forum with the author-the various themes of a chosen work. The university also will offer its transfer students registration prior to orientation, as well as a stepped-up, two-day, end-of-summer program. And returning in full force this year will be family orientation and information sessions, Ricotta said, noting that various campus offices will be open on Saturday during opening weekend to meet the greater interest demonstrated during last summer's opening weekend.

Kaars said greater attention to orientation programming-and students' needs during that time-is a positive direction for UB.

"We're reaching ahead in a very personal way," she said. "The more we hear about the way things are done at other institutions, the more we involve our students personally, the better will be our retention rate."