This article discusses a familiarization program for children and their parents, which involved a parent coffee hour, individual parent counselor meetings, home visitations, group counseling meetings with the children, and housing project meetings, all part of an effort to make children and parents feel that the school was interested in the…

Describes a prototype for the delivery of orientation programs in large complex universities. The model applies specific managerial prinicples to the needs present at the University of Southern California. The dental school orientation presented here is one example of how programs were tailored to the department and student population. (Author/BEF)

Intramural sports activities are used as an integral part of the freshman orientation program at Belmont Abbey College. The program organization and success are briefly described. (JMF)

Studied patterns of student declarations of major at a university at which one-third of incoming freshmen are undeclared. Findings for 449 students show that in the study period, 248 students had declared majors, with more than half of these choosing by their second or third semester, and almost all declaring with fewer than 46 credits. (SLD)

Offers annotated citations that outline the structure of programs for incoming freshmen at some colleges, and discuss the outcomes related to participation by students. Asserts that these types of programs are more difficult to structure at community colleges because many students attend part-time or have outside obligations that limit the time…

To help transfer students adjust more readily to new schools, several activities are advised, including a guided buddy system, a counseling plan, and teacher introductions--all based on information gleaned from a new student checklist. (MLH)

Describes an interdisciplinary unit (in which students solve a crime) to begin the school year for seventh graders. Suggests that the unit serves to introduce students to science, math, social studies, and English courses while they get acquainted with the people and places in a large junior high school. (SR)

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…

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) offers student workshops that range from Cool New Web Stuff (what is on the web that can help make research or just plain life easier) and How To Use Google Scholar. These workshops are brilliant fodder for podcasting. In fact, the initial idea for its podcast project came from a student plagiarism…

This report provides information on the outcomes of the Intervention for College Attendance Program, a program of competitive grants awarded to postsecondary institutions, professional organizations and community-based organizations. Funded programs focus on increasing the access and success of groups traditionally underrepresented in higher…

To promote student engagement, professors must actively seek to create the conditions that foster engagement. Chickering and Gamson (1987) suggest that good practices in undergraduate education are ones that: encourage student-faculty contact, develop reciprocity and cooperation among students, encourage active learning, provide students with…

As our society becomes more mobile, smooth and rewarding student transitions become more important. This article describes a partnership between U. S. Army Child and Youth Services and the Military Child Education Coalition that helps schools ease transitions for thousands of students. The program is based on the principle that transition does not…