Even the Best Laid Plans of
Orientation Directors Go Awry…
The University of Tulsa
New Student Orientation & First Year Experience
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Yolanda Taylor, Associate VicePresident of Enrollment & Student
Services and Dean of Students
Melissa Abramowitz, Director of
New Student Orientation
Program Outline
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Introductions
History of Orientation Program at TU
History of FYE Program
Best Laid Plans for August 2003
Questions/Discussion
History of Orientation Program
at TU
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Before Orientation 2000
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Five 3-day sessions during the summer
One 5-day session during August
One 8-day session during August
Traditional on-campus program including
interest & educational sessions with Greek
recruitment at the end (one week)
Issues
What & why did we change?
History of Orientation Program
cont’d
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Orientation 2000-2001
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Rise of the AdvenTUre Trips! – week-long
program with optional trips at beginning of
week and on-campus program at end of week
Issues
What & why did we change
History of Orientation Program
cont’d
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Orientation 2002 and Beyond
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Fall of the AdveTUre Trips!
Hurricane AdvenTUre – “CANE CAMP”
3 days on-campus and 3 days at Camp
Heart ‘O the Hills
Issues
What & why did we change?
History of FYE Program
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Introduction of 1001 Course & FYRE program in
residence halls
Mutation within each College
Desperate Measures in 2002
Future of FYE Program
Best Laid Plans for August 2003
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Acquiring Presidential Support and Approval
Building campus consensus
Using student, faculty and orientation leader
feedback
The importance of program evaluation in
programmatic change
Hope for the future
Best laid plans for August 2003