By Joy Vann
As freshmen and transfer students prepare to begin their college experience at , they will be introduced to Monarch life through the orientation program “New to Blue: New Student Experience.”
The experience is designed to answer all student and parent questions, introduce them to all the resources available, connect them to an advisor to register for classes and tour housing, and invite them to “explore, discover and rule” their transition to college.
Pearson, Ph.D., associate dean of students and director of the Center for Orientation, Retention & Exploration (CORE) in Student Enrollment, Engagement, and Services (SEES), led the effort to revamp and expand the orientation experience last year. It enjoyed a successful roll out and added a few updates this year.
“I am most excited about adding Discover+ as an option for students and families. During Discover+, students and families can come to campus the night before their session and tour housing and use the Student Recreation and Well-Being Center.”
The program introduces incoming students to ’s “forward-focused vision” and “crown culture.” New this year is a session entitled “Making Academic Connection” which spotlights Academic Affairs and helps students understand the opportunities of attending a multidisciplinary learning hub with a Research 1 Classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Internally, the team’s goal with “New to the Blue” is to make a compelling first impression to the students, introduce them to the University’s unique history and ultimately make them Monarchs.
The program has three components starting with “Explore Your Kingdom,” a new student experience module that includes state-mandated material and takes about an hour to complete. It’s followed by the “Discover Your Pride” orientation session which can be completed online or on campus, and then the “Rule Your Dominion” post-orientation module and webinar experiences.
Incoming students should visit this website to learn more about the orientation program and its requirements. For instance, starting this year, “Discover Your Pride” is required and incoming students should be registered for classes prior to attending.
Dr. Pearson said the goal is to ensure new students feel a sense of belonging and know the resources available to them to carve out their own path for success.