Partnering for Success
Creating a Seamless Transition to
College
Partnering for Success
Programs
Rationale
Practices
Discussion
New Student Transition
SOAR
Viking Venture
First-Year Seminar
New Student Transition
SOAR
Viking Venture
First-Year Seminar
New Student Transition
SOAR
Viking Venture
First-Year Seminar
What Do They Need?
When Do They Need It?
New Student Transition
SOAR
Viking Venture
First-Year Seminar
Whole Student
Student
Affairs
Academic
Affairs
Whole Time
How’s it working?
Student Evaluation Categories
SOAR 2007 Mean
SOAR 2012 Mean
Communications before
SOAR
3.94
4.24
Opening Session
Meeting with SOAR
Leaders
4.19
4.50
4.73
4.81
Welcome and Dinner
4.19
4.37
Student Panel
n/a
4.63
Evening/Social Events
4.41
4.54
Academic Affair Breakfast
4.47
4.55
Academic Advising
4.74
4.78
Work Supervisor Meeting
4.47
4.71
Parent Evaluation Categories SOAR 2007 Mean
SOAR 2012 Mean
Communications before
SOAR
4.08
4.36
Opening Session
4.54
4.67
"So Now You're the Parent
of a Berry Student"
4.61
4.76
Transitions and
Opportunities
4.30
4.57
Welcome and Dinner
4.48
4.57
Meeting w/Advisors
n/a
4.63
What was the best part of Viking
Venture?
•Getting to know my First-Year Seminar
class
•Getting to know my First-Year Seminar
class better; they’ve become my family
away from home and I think that getting
to know them better through SOAR and
Viking Venture helped us bond.
•First-Year Seminar and dinner at my
advisor’s house
What was the best part of Viking
Venture?
•My First-Year Seminar group! 
•My First-Year Seminar class became
more than just people we saw around
campus but actually became good
friends.
•I really enjoyed the First-Year Seminar
meeting. It gave you a base of people
that you knew and could do things
with for the rest of Viking Venture.
Item
Mean
I feel comfortable talking with my
advisor/instructor about my academic concerns
and goals.
4.7
I feel comfortable talking with my
advisor/instructor about personal concerns.
4.2
I feel comfortable discussing my career and life
plans with my advisor/instructor.
4.5
My advisor/instructor is well informed about
college policies and procedures.
4.7
My advisor/instructor helped me develop suitable
educational plans.
4.4
My advisor/instructor encourages me to take an
active role in my own academic planning.
4.7