Components of a student retention program at Eastern Michigan University are examined; for each effort to improve retention, project objectives and design, results, and recommendations are presented. Retention initiatives, decided upon as a result of a campus-wide mobilization of effort, include: a student-focused orientation system, a fast track…

The freshmen orientation programs offered by the colleges and universities that hold membership in the Pittsburgh Council of Higher Education (PCHE) were studied, and recommendations for a comprehensive orientation process were suggested. Interviews with three individuals for each program at nine institutions were sought; attention was directed…

At the University of South Carolina, John Gardner directs University 101, a three-credit course designed to teach freshmen some basic "college survival skills," such as study techniques, constructive ways to relate to peers and professors, and how to use career center. In the last few years, it has been copied by hundreds of colleges in…

Many institutions are taking freshman orientation more seriously by challenging students before they start classes and giving them a more thorough introduction to campus life than ever before. The biggest changes in orientation are occurring among community colleges. Some of the experiences at Georgia Tech are described. (MLW)

Among the activities at Colorado College in late-summer preparation for the coming academic year are organization of the freshman orientation program focusing on the topic of prejudice, residence hall adviser training, and faculty research. (MSE)

This study sought to identify the academic, personal, and social expectations of incoming college freshmen and examine the effects of orientation programming on modifying unrealistic expectations held by some students. A total of 201 paid-deposit incoming freshmen at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, completed a 30-item survey questionnaire mailed…

At Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus in New York City, the large population of nontraditional students, primarily adults, is being encouraged to participate in the career planning process through existing programs, new scheduling, and new programing in four areas: freshman orientation; student activities; the career center; and academic…

Reviews the literature on the reasons that students drop out of college. Offers a plan for freshman retention that asks students about their goals at registration, provides them with a six-hour orientation emphasizing academic excellence, teams them with a faculty mentor, and includes a mandatory for-credit seminar on attending college. (DMM)

This article discusses the response of at-risk students to their initial library orientation. By presenting an entertaining yet informative session, students will be quickly put at ease. The goal of this type of orientation is to promote the library's resources and services, address basic queries, and encourage students' return in a…

This study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of a two-quarter, extended orientation program for new, undecided students at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). The course was designed to assist students with the transition from high school to college and acquaint them with strategies to maximize their success at UCI. Of the 690 new,…

At DeKalb College in Clarkston, Georgia, freshman orientation classes are conducted by the counseling and student personnel staff who present information about career planning, study skills, student activities, college regulation, student seminars, drugs, program planning, and library seminars. Classes meet for 10 hours per quarter. During summer…

This report presents study results from a 1988 survey of institutions of higher education (N=1,164 responses) who have instituted freshman seminar programs. Specifically, the survey sought to determine the extent to which colleges and universities were offering a freshman seminar course, defined by the survey instrument as a special course for…

A model that includes three distinct syllabi for orientation courses for different subgroups of the college or university freshman population is presented. Among the groups with special needs are underprepared students who may be motivated but need skill development, and underachieving students characterized by untapped potential. One means of…

The characteristics and attitudes of 982 incoming freshmen who attended 2-day orientation programs at the University of Maryland, College Park, were compared to those of 566 incoming freshmen and 378 transfer students who attended 1-day orientation programs. The University New Student Census (UNSC), a 78-item questionnaire consisting of…

While Natives in Alaska comprise almost one-third of the population, over 50% of Native students entering the university are likely to drop out at the end of their first year and only one in fifty is likely to complete the baccalaureate degree. In an effort to increase Native student's chances of success and social adjustment, the University of…