Deciding on the Perfect
Orientation for You
NAFSA REGION VI: INDIANAPOLIS, IN
NOVEMBER 8, 2010
Introductions
 Brian Domenget—International Programs
Coordinator, Purdue University Calumet
 Emily Fiedler—Coordinator for Cultural Engagement
& Leadership, University of Evansville
 Jennifer Nisevich—International Student Advisor,
Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis
(IUPUI)
The Perfect Orientation for You!
 Your school is unique.
 What works at one school may not work at another.
 What are your goals?
Itinerary
(1) Challenges & Issues
(2) Case Studies
(3) Resources
(4) Q & A
Challenges and Issues
 Let’s review some of the aspects of orientation
planning that should be considered when deciding
on the perfect orientation program.
 We’ll discuss how our schools handle these issues,
and suggest additional options.
Models
Should you hold one orientation program that all
students will attend? Should you hold separate
programs for targeted groups? Or would a hybrid
model be most appropriate?
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How many students are expected?
Will you have both undergraduate and graduate students?
Will you have both new and transfer students?
Do any academic programs use a different calendar?
Do you have a meeting space large enough for all students?
Do you want to hold separate workshops on specific subjects?
Is it possible to cover all information in one session?
Will you need to coordinate with Domestic orientation?
Attendance
 Have basic needs been met?
 Will jetlag affect attention span?
 Can you offer carrots to encourage attendance?
 Will sessions be mandatory?
 Are transfer and graduate students required to
attend? Are they aware of this?
Budget
Orientation programs can be expensive! What budget
have you been given, and how can you best use it?
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Should you provide meals/social activities?
Can you hire student helpers?
Will you need to provide transportation to campus or events?
Are there any options to raise additional funds?
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Can you recruit sponsors?
Can you solicit food donations from local restaurants?
Can you ask campus departments to contribute?
Can you use money from an orientation fee?
Staffing
Consider how many staff in your office will be available
to assist with orientation. Will that be enough?
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Recruit volunteers from student body (UE example)
Recruit volunteers from academic departments
Recruit volunteers from Greek organizations
Ask campus officials to help present information at orientation
Ask colleagues who interact with international students to help
organize the events
Space
Your space needs will vary depending on the orientation
style you choose. What type of space(s) do you need?
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What is the reservation procedure?
What occupancy is required?
How many rooms are needed?
What activities will happen in each room?
Do the rooms require any kind of security?
Will sessions be lecture, interactive, computer-based, etc?
Do you have contact info in case of locked rooms or broken
equipment?
Does the space reflect well on the university?
What is your backup plan?
Are there food restrictions (campus catering contracts) to be
considered?
Content: Outgoing
What information do you need to share with the students?
Practical Matters
A. More Immediate
 Housing, Food, Banking/Money, Transportation, Shopping, Communication (cell phones, Internet), etc.
B. Less Immediate
 Immigration (maintaining status, travel documents), Health Insurance, Overview of Campus
Resources/Student Services (including International Office, Student Health Center, Admissions Office,
etc.), Employment, Social Security Number, US Laws, etc.
Academic Matters
 Structure: academic calendar, graduation requirements, grading
 Expectations for Students (attendance, academic honesty, assignments, participation, etc.)
 Registration Procedures
Cultural Matters
 U.S. Cultural Values , Comparing Cultures, Stereotypes
 Culture Shock and Adjustment
Will they attend a domestic orientation too? Don’t duplicate!
Content: Incoming
What information do you need to collect from the students?
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Copies of immigration documents?
Copies of health insurance policies?
Local contact information?
Emergency contact information?
Immigration history?
Release forms?
Academic documents?
Immunization forms?
Housing contract?
Will another office collect any of these items? Don’t duplicate!
Presenters
Apart from yourself, who has important information to share
with new international students?
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Housing office?
Student Health Center/Counseling office?
ESL program?
Campus police?
Student Advocate?
Career Services?
Campus Life? (Student Organizations)
Bursar office?
Academic support services? (tutoring, mentoring, etc.)
Invite them to present information in your program. Give them
information and support to help them prepare.
Types of Sessions
How long should each part of the orientation last?
How can you keep the students interested?
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Can you add games or interactive discussions? (Is this
practical given the size of the group or time limits?)
Can you add skits or role-playing activities with current
students?
Communication
How will you notify students of orientation activities
before and after arrival?
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Admission letter paragraph?
Information available in International Office?
Facebook group?
International Office website updates?
Scheduled email messages?
Signs near International Office?
Online tutorial?
Newsletter?
How much information is too much information?
Other Considerations
These are some random topics that don’t fit under other
headings, but should be considered:
 How can you predict the number of students who will
come?
 How will you enforce mandatory requirements?
 Will Ramadan fall during orientation?
 How will you share information with students who arrive
late or who decide not to attend?
 Can students access campus housing before your
orientation date(s)?
 Can you set aside time during the rest of the year to work
on assessment and revisions to the program?
Assessment
How will you assess your program to determine if it
meets the needs of your students?
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Can you create survey and send to all new students after start
of semester? (Consider all of the aspects you wish to evaluate.)
Can you ask academic advisors and mentors for feedback on
their students’ adjustment?
Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com)
Post-Orientation Activities
What will you do after orientation to follow up on the
information you shared?
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Can you receive alerts when students are struggling with the
new academic system?
Have you considered holding weekly meetings/ English clubs
to cover information that could not be covered during the
orientation?
Can you reach out to Freshmen during their first semester?
Case Study
 Representatives of large schools (> 30,000 students)
meet with Jennifer
 Representatives of medium schools (10,000 –
30,000 students) meet with Brian
 Representatives of small schools (<10,000 students)
meet with Emily
Resources
 Preparation Guide
 Student Handbooks
 Online Orientation Tutorial
 Sample Agendas/ Calendars IUPUI, PUC, UE
 New Student Checklists IUPUI, UE
 Etc.
Any Questions?
Thank you for coming to our session!
 Brian Domenget
brian.domenget@calumet.purdue.edu
 Emily Fiedler
ef31@evansville.edu
 Jennifer Nisevich
jnisevic@iupui.edu