Because intermediate students are hard to get involved and need lots of nurturing, middle schools must offer a wide variety of activities. School orientations, newcomers activities, recognition programs, clubs, contests, service projects, noon-time activities, and low-risk activities (such as informal dances and dressup days) enhance students'…

A Vermont middle school, a grade 7-8 union (regional) school, developed an orientation program to meet the needs of over 300 incoming seventh-grade students coming from 9 elementary schools in 5 different districts, plus a parochial school. The program is planned by a coordinating council and a student-guidance team; emphasis is on clear-cut…

Discusses how a teacher at Borel Middle School in San Mateo, California, used a video camera to record visits to the homes of new students, welcoming talks by the principal and school staff, and a tour of the school's facilities. The videotapes are useful to students, especially transfer and late-starting students, and to parents interested in the…

Orientation and retention programs are common in institutions of higher education. The potential association between orientation programs and student retention, particularly within the community college sector, has long been neglected. This study presents an institutional view of a potential associative relationship between an orientation course…

This "back to school" edition of College Connection features ideas and success stories from academic libraries that have welcomed first-year students in creative ways. Many libraries participate in campus orientation initiatives in order to introduce new students to the library as a welcoming place with helpful staff. These events can set a…

Freshmen Pre-Orientation Programs (FPOPs) can be powerful outreach tools for incoming college students and provide an exciting introduction to the field of engineering. The benefits reach not only the first year students, but also the upperclassmen who help to run the programs and the departments that sponsor them. A family of three engineering…

Attrition of doctoral students at the rate of 50-60% of those who enter the program, suggests the need to examine alternative strategies within educational institutions in working with doctoral students. The purpose of this paper is to suggest how incorporating Internet technology might be one alternative in reducing attrition in doctoral…

Outlines a successful high school orientation program using volunteer upperclass students to acclimate new students. (MD)

To assist families new to the district, counselors in Iowa's Ankeny Community Schools developed a summer visitation program. The program's four components are publicity, home visitations, school orientation, and a welcoming party for new families. Evaluation showed significant improvement in new students' behavior, attendance, and attitudes toward…

Transition into the college environment involves a range of issues not only for the entering student but also for the parent. The College Survival Test (CST) is a program designed to present a wide range of issues concerning college life that allows focused input by college officials and students. (Author)

Assessed the freshman orientation program at Stephen F. Austin State University in terms of academic success of participants. Data were obtained for freshman classes from 1986 to 1994, and results of data analyses indicated a significantly higher grade point average for those who attended orientation. (SLD)

Evaluated a freshman orientation program at a southeastern research university through questionnaires completed by 1,048 (80%) of the entering freshman class. Responses suggest that students themselves are not sure what orientation programs do or are supposed to do, although they were generally satisfied with the program. (SLD)

Studied the messages being conveyed to prospective students in campus visits and summer orientation sessions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Findings for 497 prospective students show that the visit and orientation program may be effective, but programs are trying to communicate too much. Findings also show the importance of the campus…

Describes Iowa Memorial Union's method for creating its virtual tour, lists equipment and software needed, and offers helpful tips for any institution considering virtual tour development. (EV)

Examined psychosocial development in student paraprofessionals (N=22) in a college orientation program and control students (N=20) who had not been accepted into the program. Found student paraprofessionals exhibited greater gain scores than nonparticipants on interdependence and tolerance as measured by the Student Developmental Task Inventory.…