Summer Academic
Orientations and First
Year Student
Performance: A Case
Study of a Pilot Project
16th International Conference on the
First Year Experience
July 7-10, 2003 Vancouver, BC
Presented by: Rob Kenedy
Sociologist and Academic Advisor
Bethune College, York University
Academic Orientation and Student
Performance
• Do Summer Academic Orientations influence the
transition to Bethune College, York University?
• The Context:
– Canada’s third largest university located in Toronto,
Ontario.
– 43,000 undergraduates and graduates as well as 7,000
faculty and staff.
– Diverse / multi-cultural, primarily a commuter university
– York has 9 Colleges to help facilitate smaller
communities and specific orientations
2
Academic Orientation and Student
Performance
• Are these Summer Academic
Orientations necessary or will a
Fall Academic Orientation suffice
for primarily Science,
Environmental Studies and Arts
students at Bethune College?
• These fall orientations revolve
around the colleges, but also have
central university-wide events.
3
Academic Orientation and Student
Performance
• Why launch a 2002
Academic summer
Orientation?
• 2003 Double-Cohort in
Universities Ontario.
– Younger students
– More parental concerns
4
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project
- Two Separate one day Summer Academic
Orientations in July 2002 (see attached
schedule).
- Four Main highlights:
- Walking campus tours
- “This Year Has Sixty Minutes” (a simulation of
student life in the first year)
- “Departmental chat sessions” with chairs and first
year instructors
- “How to get A’s” with senior students and faculty
members
5
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project
- Tangible costs and benefits:
- While there was a cost of $70.00 per
person, that included everything
from food to a binder containing
academic campus resources.
- The day provided opportunities for
getting to know the campus,
meeting the Dean, Master of the
college, faculty, students and staff.
6
Academic Orientation and Student
Performance
• What do students think
about our Bethune
College Academic
Summer and Fall
Orientations?
• Beginning the assessment
process...
7
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: 3 surveys
• A Pre-Orientation survey.
• A Post-Orientation
survey.
• Follow up survey (First
year performance).
8
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
Demographics:
• Mostly commuter students
• 26 Female first year
students
• 29 Male first year students
• 50 Science students, 5
non-science students
34 5 6
1
1 1 8 7
1
0 9
1
1 2
1 1 1
3
416 7
5
2
Sample
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Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Pre-Orientation survey Results.
• Preliminary thoughts: (rank order)
– Wanted to meet their professors
– Talk to upper year students
– Take campus tours
– Receive academic advise
– Learn about study and time management skills
1
0
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• A Post-Orientation survey.
• High satisfaction ratings
mainly for the campus tours
and meeting professors.
• Overall, found the
experience very helpful.
1
1
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Follow up survey (First year performance).
• “Integrative Events”
• Students felt that meeting and having the
opportunity to meet faculty members and “to be able
to ask any questions ease[d] the stress & worries
about coming to university, especially to classes of
500+ sizes.”
1
2
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Follow up survey (First year
performance).
• Students said that meeting with senior
students/peer advisers helped them to
“become more familiar with the university…
courses and professors”
1
3
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Follow up survey (First year performance).
• Students were enthusiastic about our campus
tours “…it really helped me and I was able to
help friends [find campus locations] during the
first couple of weeks [in September]”
1
4
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Follow up survey (First year performance).
• Students found “This Year Has Sixty Minutes”
to be helpful commenting that “…[TYHSM]
was the best part of [Bethune Days]. It gives
a good (accurate) simulation of how hectic
university life is”
1
5
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Follow up survey (First year
performance).
• Confirmations
• Surprises
1
6
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Post-Orientation Reflections and
Observations.
1
7
Summer Academic Orientation
Pilot Project: Anecdotal Results of
the 3 surveys
• Changes for Summer
Orientation 2003.
1
8
Summer Academic
Orientation Pilot Project
Questions and Discussion
1
9