new student orientation - ncsu

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION SUMMER 2013 ASSESSMENT REPORT

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Table of Contents

Letter from the Director………………………………………………...2

About New Student Orientation……………………………………….3

Student Attendance Overview………………………………………...4

Parent Attendance Overview………………………………………….5

First-Year Student Orientation………………………………………...6

Transfer Student Orientation…………………………………………..9

First-Year Parent Orientation…………………………………………12

Transfer Parent Orientation…………………………………………..15

Recommendations for 2014…………………………………………..18

New Student Orientation Staff………………………………………..19

Table of Contents

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Dear NC State Partners,

The Office of New Student Orientation (NSO) is charged with

coordinating the collective efforts of NC State University in the orientation

and transition of incoming first-year and transfer students and their

parents and family members. We, as a community, cannot be successful

in assisting our newest members without the collaborative energy of our

university partners. On behalf of over 9,000 guests and the NSO staff,

thank you for your continued dedication and service to the successful

transition of our students.

Summer 2013 provided challenges to our orientation programming due

to limited facilities and campus construction; however, these challenges

also provided our campus unique opportunities to rethink the messages,

outcomes, and programs we coordinate. By rethinking the manner in

which we engage students and their families, we were able to convey

vital academic and cultural expectations, while connecting students in

multiple ways to our community, students, faculty and staff, as well as

the physical campus. In reimagining our programming, we intertwined

student and family interests and needs in new ways.

The 2013 program changes and highlights are detailed on the next page.

Please take a moment to learn about the various programming that was

introduced this past summer.

This Assessment Report serves as general overview of Summer 2013

programs and provides program assessments and statistics. Please use

this report to discover more about our program’s accomplishments this

past summer. Thank you again for your contributions to NC State’s

orientation and transition efforts and for your continued support of New

Student Orientation programs and our incoming students and family

members.

Sincerely,

Mr. Gabe Wical, Director of New Student Orientation

Summer 2013 Program Highlights

In Summer 2013, New Student Orientation introduced four new programs into the orientation programming for new first-year and transfer students and family members. These programs were coordinated in collaboration with campus partners, including Academic Advising Services, Parents and Families Services, and Student Leadership and Engagement. Below are the 2013 highlights and brief descriptions of the programs.

HOWL for Academic Success o In collaboration with Academic Advising Services, this

program was created to introduce students to the academic expectations of the institution. This multimedia presentation provided insight from academic advisors and current students.

Pack Pride o The Pack Pride program was created in 2013 to actively

engage students in dialogue around community expectations and how students may impact their own and others' careers at NC State. Performed by the Orientation Leaders, Pack Pride was designed to complement the Real Life at NC State program, while introducing the NC State Community Compact.

The Final Countdown: Preparing for Week One o To better prepare students to start the fall semester, this

presentation was implemented to remind students of the items to complete prior to beginning classes in August. Opportunities during Wolfpack Welcome Week were also highlighted as a means to assist students in their transition after the New Student Orientation experience.

Having a Student at NC State o This program was created to allow parents and family

members attending Parents’ Orientation a formal opportunity to hear current student (Orientation Leaders’) perspectives on a variety of topics. This program was coordinated with the Office of Parents and Families to introduce parents and family members to their office at NC State.

Letter from the Director

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About New Student Orientation

New Student Orientation (NSO) is responsible for orientation and transition programming for all incoming, degree-seeking first-year and transfer students. In Summer 2013, NSO coordinated 17 overnight sessions for first-year students, 3 one-day sessions for transfer students, 1 one-day session for first-year Summer START participants, and 1 one-day session for both first-year and transfer students as well as supplemental programming that assists in the transition of NC State's incoming students.

As part of the Division of Academic & Student Affairs, NSO reports to the Provost's Office and offers an academically-based Orientation program that also includes significant student life messages essential to the success of our students.

Mission

New Student Orientation (NSO) coordinates NC State University's collective efforts to provide programs and services to newly admitted first-year and transfer undergraduate students and their families that will:

facilitate their transition into NC State,

prepare them for the institution's educational opportunities,

initiate their integration into the institution's intellectual, cultural, and social climate, and

support the parents, partners, guardians, and children of the new students.

Program Goals The transitional information and programs provided during New Student

Orientation and Parents’ Orientation are focused on five overarching

domains. As designated by NSO, these domains include:

academics,

connections,

expectations,

involvement, and

transition to the University environment

Guiding Principles

To better understand how New Student Orientation operates, our guiding principles are listed below. New Student Orientation…

1. Introduces students to information and resources that prepare them for their first semester at NC State University.

2. Is a service department, responsible for coordinating the collective efforts of the University to introduce students to the institution’s intellectual, cultural, and social climate, and in particular the academic environment and expectations of each college at NC State.

3. Operates under the belief that open and positive relationships are central to providing a comprehensive orientation program where students are informed, supported, and valued.

4. Provides time-appropriate messages to students, understanding the importance of delivering messages to students when they are most likely to be heard and impact behavior.

5. Organizes programs that serve as one of the first of many steps in transitioning students to their new environment, recognizing the importance of additional complementary programs and services provided by academic and student support units of the University.

6. Works collaboratively with programs which offer supplemental programming in support of student transition such as African American Symposium, Native American Symposium, Hispanic American Symposium, and Parents’ Orientation.

7. Efficiently manages resources (financial, human, and facilities). 8. Continuously reviews and updates its programs and services

through the use of a comprehensive assessment process. 9. Values and utilizes campus partners and stakeholders in the

decision-making process, working with the New Student Orientation Advisory Committee to decide major issues that impact the Orientation program.

10. Employs and thoroughly trains a staff of motivated, knowledgeable, and responsible students that prides itself on being among the most helpful and professional at NC State.

11. Espouses the importance of providing an orientation program that prioritizes student needs over institutional convenience.

12. Operates within an organized structure where planning, documentation, and collaboration with campus partners are highly valued.

13. Works collaboratively with other units within the Division of Academic & Student Affairs to support NC State students and achieve the shared mission of the Division.

About New Student Orientation

http://dasa.ncsu.edu/

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Summer 2013 Attendance by Session Type

First-Year Students

Transfer Students

Attendance Total by Program

Summer Orientation

3790 774 4564

Summer START*

260 260

August Orientation

127 301 428

Total Attendance by Students

4177 1075 5252

Figure 1: Student Attendance by College or Program

*Transfer students did not attend an orientation session specifically for

Summer START participants.

Attendance of Incoming Students by Percentage

First-Year

Attendance First-Year

Percentage Transfer

Attendance Transfer

Percentage

2009 4667 98% 989 88%

2010 4632 99% 1019 87%

2011 4629 99% 956 90%

2012 4278 98% 1120 91%

2013 4177 97% 1075 87%

Figure 2: Percentage of Students Attending by College or Program

Attendance by College or Academic Program

(Attended vs. Enrolled)

College/Program First-Year

Attendance

First-Year

Enrolled

Transfer Attendance

Transfer Enrolled

Agricultural Institute

112 124 22 18

Agriculture and Life Sciences

310 312 164 193

Design 98 99 28 28

Education 95 93 26 30

Engineering 1102 1141 210 262

Environmental Sciences

23 23 7 7

First Year College**

792 799

Humanities and Social Sciences

387 396 270 295

Poole College of Management

343 358 155 172

Natural Resources*

161 169 81 102

Sciences 491 505 93 103

Textiles* 184 188 19 23

Transition Program**

79 78

Figure 3: Orientation Attendance Versus Enrolled Students by College or Program

*Textile Engineering (14TEU) students are coded as College of Textiles students;

Paper Science and Engineering (14PSEU) students are coded as College of Natural

Resources students.

**First Year College and the Transition Program do not admit transfer students.

Student Attendance Overview

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Parent Attendance by Student Type

First-Year Parents Transfer Parents

2013 2012 2013 2012

Parent Units 2601 2728 367 219

Parent Headcount

4193 4665 545 361

Percentage of Students*

62.3% 63.8% 34.1% 19.6%

Student:Parent Ratio

1:1.0 1:1.1 1:0.5 1:0.3

Figure 4: Parent Attendance by College or Program

*Numbers represent the percentage of students with at least one parent or guest

attending Parents’ Orientation.

Number of Guests Per Student

1 2 3 4

First-Year 45.2% 49.3% 5.0% 0.6%

Transfer 57.9% 36.2% 4.5% 1.3%

Figure 5: Breakdown of Number of Guests Attending Per Student

Attendance by College or Academic Program

(Units vs. Headcount)

College First-Year

Units First-Year Headcount

Transfer Units

Transfer Headcount

Agricultural Institute

80 135 12 18

Agriculture and Life Sciences

194 324 66 106

Design 67 105 12 17

Education 55 89 11 17

Engineering 679 1105 54 86

Environmental Sciences

15 25 4 6

First Year College**

506 801

Humanities and Social Sciences

214 332 97 137

Poole College of

Management 213 342 45 68

Natural Resources*

105 163 32 42

Sciences 293 487 28 41

Textiles* 130 207 6 7

Transition Program**

50 78

Figure 6: Parental Unit and Headcount Attendance by College or Program

*Textile Engineering parents attended the College of Textiles session; Paper Science

and Engineering parents attended the College of Natural Resources sessions.

**First Year College and the Transition Program do not admit transfer students.

Parent Attendance Overview

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Incoming domestic undergraduate first-year students enrolling in the fall semester attend a mandatory two-day orientation session in June and July. Through this experience, students learn about their academic program, complete enrollment in fall courses, are introduced to the social and cultural expectations of the campus, and connect with current and incoming students in a small group setting.

As stated in the introduction of this report, changes were implemented to the first-year student program to better engage students as active participants in their success while providing tools to transition to NC State. The new program sessions are bolded below.

First-Year Student Program Schedule DAY ONE:

Begin End Session Title

8:00am 8:45am Check-In

9:00am 9:30am New Student Orientation Welcome

9:30am 10:15am OL Small Group #1

10:30am 11:00am HOWL for Academic Success!

12:15pm 1:30pm Information Fair

1:00pm 1:30pm Finding Your Place at State

1:00pm 1:30pm University Honors Program

1:00pm 1:30pm University Scholars Program

2:00pm 5:00pm College Welcome and Academic Information

3:00pm 5:00pm Foreign Language Testing

6:30pm 6:40pm University Police

6:40pm 7:00pm Pack Pride

7:00pm 7:45pm OL Small Group #2

7:45pm 8:30pm Real Life @ State

8:30pm 10:00pm Class of 2017 Evening Activities

DAY TWO:


8:45am 9:00am Information Technology

9:00am 9:15am MyPack Portal

9:30am 12:00pm The Final Countdown! Preparing for Week One & Continued College Activities

Survey Instruments

New Student Orientation implemented a Pre-Orientation Survey in 2013,

and surveyed first-year students regarding their excitement and anxieties

about starting at NC State, as well as what they hoped to gain from their

New Student Orientation experience.

NSO also included evaluation items in the First-Year Student Survey

administered by University Planning and Analysis after a student’s

attendance at New Student Orientation. In 2013, our office received 2457

survey responses, which was approximately 59% of the evaluations that

were distributed, an increase from 50% in 2012.

The Likert scale responses used throughout the survey provided an

overview of student perception but do not provide insight to the

reasoning or experiences upon which the perception was based.

Students had an opportunity to provide written comments in response to

one prompt.

Survey Results

Pre- and Post-Orientation Top “Five” Responses

Indicated below are the top five responses (by percentages) on what

students hoped to and did gain from NSO.

Hope to Gain from Orientation…

Receive information about academic requirements (80.5%)

Make new friends (78.5%)

Speak with an academic advisor about my fall semester class schedule (78.5%)

Learn my way around campus (75.8%)

Learn how to be successful academically (65.0%) Did Gain from Orientation…

Received information about academic requirements (86.0%)

Made new friends (82.6%)

Understood more about college life (82.1%)

Gathered information about getting involved (79.8%)

Interacted with others who are different from me (75.6%)

First-Year Student Orientation

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The academic focus of New Student Orientation, is three-pronged: academic requirements, advising and course registration, and academic success. Figure 7 shows respondents’ awareness of who to contact for assistance with academic questions or concerns, as well as their level of agreement that NSO provided useful information on academic requirements and the advising process. Responses for the previous year are also included.

Level of Student Agreement on Academic Components

2013 2012

Do you know who in your college to contact with any

academic questions or concerns you might have?

80.4% (Yes)

73.8% (Yes)

New Student Orientation provided useful information

about: The academic advising process within my

college/program

84.1% (Strongly Agree

and Agree) Not Applicable

New Student Orientation provided useful information

about: Academic requirements (e.g., General

Education Program/ Graduation Requirements)


and Agree)


and Agree)

Figure 7: Degree to Which Students Reported that NSO Provided Information on

Academic Questions, Requirements, and the Advising Process

As shown in Figure 8, 2013 saw an increase from previous years in

the experiences with academic advising as self-reported by

incoming first-year students in non-self registration colleges.

Due to the nature of the Self Registration Program, and to remain consistent with previous years, the Agricultural Institute and Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Design, Sciences, and Textiles were separated in reporting because of their self-registration status.

Figure 8: Non-Self Registration Students’ Self-Reported Experiences with Advising

Figure 9: Self Registration Students’ Self-Reported Experiences with Advising

82.9% 82.3%

76.0%

70%

75%

80%

85%

90%

2010 2011 2012 2013

My advising session(s) at NSO helped me to plan my fall schedule

The advising session(s) at NSO provided me the opportunity to get answersto my academic questions

I am satisfied with the attention I received during my college/departmentadvising period

Non-Self Registration Students' Experiences with Advising (2010-2013)

60.5% 62.9%

57.5%

67.3%

76.0%

68.4%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

My advising session(s)at NSO helped me toplan my fall schedule

The advising session(s)at NSO provided me the

opportunity to getanswers to my

academic questions

I am satisfied with theattention I received

during mycollege/department

advising period

Before Orientation During Orientation

Self Registration Students' Experiences with Advising (Before Orientation vs. During Orientation)

First-Year Student Orientation (Continued)

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Students were also asked about their experiences learning about the

academic and social expectations of their new community, as well as the

information provided to assist them in understanding the University’s

emphasis on connecting and engaging in the University community.

Responses from first-year students are reported below.

Students strongly agreed or agreed that New Student Orientation

provided useful information about the University’s expectation that

students graduate in a timely manner (91.1% of respondents in 2013; an

increase of 3.8% from 2012). This may be attributed to the HOWL for

Academic Success! session implemented in 2013 which explicitly details

this expectation.

With regards to the social expectations of joining our community,

students reported that NSO provided useful information about

expectations for NC State community members to act with civility and

respect (96.7%) and the impact NC State community members can have

on one another (92.2%). These results may be attributable to the

implementation of the Pack Pride program, as described earlier. In

reflecting about Pack Pride from the summer, one student stated:

“It made me want to do more; stand up for others and respect them. I’m

more self-conscious/aware of what I’m saying and doing and how it

affects others.”

With the importance of creating relationships with fellow students, faculty

and staff highlighted throughout our program, it is no surprise 91.6% of

respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that NSO provided useful

information about the value of interacting with faculty and staff. In Figure

10 below, it can be seen that while approximately 92% of respondents

received information, only approximately 59% actually indicated meeting

a faculty or staff member at New Student Orientation. In building

connections at Orientation, students reported they:

Percentage of

Students

Met University faculty and staff 59.3%

Made new friends 82.6%

Interacted with others who were different from me 75.6%

Figure 10: Students Indicating Connections with NC State Students, Faculty, and Staff

Through the prompt, “In thinking back on your Orientation experience,

what topics or issues do you wish you had gotten more, or more useful,

information about,” students indicated wanting the following themes:

More time with an academic advisor

More information about their daily lives as NC State students,

including:

o Living in University Housing

o Dining and meal plan options

o Ordering textbooks for classes

More opportunities to learn the physical layout of campus

Based upon these evaluation results, New Student Orientation

composed recommendations for the First-Year Student Orientation

program, which can be found on page 18 of this report.

First-Year Student Orientation (Continued)

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Incoming, domestic undergraduate transfer students enrolling in the fall semester attend a mandatory one-day orientation session in June and July. In attending, students learn about the academic climate of NC State and how it may differ from their previous institution, meet with their academic program and are introduced to various expectations of the campus. Transfer students are expected to contact their academic advisor and register for fall semester courses prior to attending Transfer Student Orientation, with the exception of Poole College of Management students who are advised and registered on-site at Orientation. Students also have the opportunity to choose between multiple sessions about campus resources based upon their own interests and needs as incoming students. Campus resource presentations are based upon student support resources, services and topics, including but not limited to: the Career Development Center, time and stress management, and Veterans’ Affairs. The full session offerings can be found below.

Transfer Student Program Schedule Begin End Session Title

8:00am 8:45am Orientation Check-in

9:00am 10:00am Wolfpack Welcome

10:15am 10:45am Breakout Session #1

10:55am 11:25am Breakout Session #2

11:35am 12:05pm Breakout Session #3


1:15pm 2:00pm Breakout Session #4

2:30pm 5:00pm College/Institute Meetings and Advising

3:30pm 4:30pm Optional Registration Assistance

Breakout Session Topics

Advising Services (AAS) MyPack Portal

Campus Tour Orientation Leader Group

Career Services Time and Stress Management

Cashiers' Office Transportation

Escort to Campus Offices Tutorial Center

Finding Your Place Veteran Students

Information Technology

Survey Instruments

A Pre-Orientation Survey was conducing with incoming transfer students,

to learn about their excitement, anxieties, and expectations for their New

Student Orientation experience. New Student Orientation also included

evaluation items in the Transfer Student Survey administered by

University Planning and Analysis.

NSO received 571 survey responses, which was approximately 53% of

the evaluations that were distributed, an increase from 42% in 2012.


overview of student perception but do not provide insight to the

reasoning or experience upon which the perception was based. Students

had an opportunity to provide written comments in response to one

prompt

Survey Results



students hoped to and did gain from NSO.


Speak with an academic advisor (77.9%)

Learn how to be successful academically (74.9%)


Learn my way around campus (70.3%)

Meet University faculty and staff (51.1%) Did Gain from Orientation…

Understood more about life at NC State (72.7%)

Learned my way around campus (61.9%)

Gathered information about getting involved (60.1%)

Received information about academic requirements (58.9%)

Met University faculty and staff (50.7%)

Transfer Student Orientation

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When looking at responses from the Pre-Orientation Survey, and with

85.4% of respondents contacting an advisor prior to attending

Orientation, students demonstrated their desire to speak with an advisor

and learn about the academic aspects of their transition to NC State.

Figure 11 shows transfer student experiences and satisfaction with the information and advising received prior to attending and during their Transfer Student Orientation session. It may be important to note that students slightly increased reporting receiving more information and advice in creating fall schedules than in previous years, while their satisfaction with the attention they received remained steady from previous years.

Figure 11: Transfer Student Experiences with Advising Prior to and During Orientation

Only 3 out of 4 students responded that Orientation provided useful

information about the academic advising and course registration

process; however, this may be accounted for by students receiving

information prior to Orientation, but more analysis is needed for a more

holistic understanding. Students reported learning about the challenges

facing transfer students, as well as academic resources available in

higher percentages than advising and registration.

Transfer Orientation provided useful information about:

% Respondents Who Strongly Agree or

Agree

The academic advising and course registration process

77.3%

The academic challenges facing transfer students

84.7%

The academic resources available to all students

91.2%

Figure 12: Responses Regarding Useful Academic Information Received at Orientation

In comparing what students “hoped to gain” from Transfer Student

Orientation to what they “did gain” from Orientation, it is evident that

more opportunities to interact with an advisor and more information on

being successful academically were areas students felt they needed

more, or more useful, information. Those two prompts represented the

largest decreases from pre- to post-orientation responses as seen below.

Pre-

Orientation Post-

Orientation Difference

(Pre to Post)

Speak (spoke) with an academic advisor

77.9% 44.6% -33.3%

Learn(ed) how to be successfully academically

74.9% 39.5% -35.4%

Figure 13: Pre-Orientation and Post-Orientation Item Comparison by Percentages

83.9%

67.5%

76.2% 74.7%

60.0%

70.0%

80.0%

90.0%

The information and advice Ireceived from my

college/department helped me toplan my fall schedule.

I was satisfied with the attentionI received from

college/department.

Prior to Orientation During Orientation

Transfer Student Experiences with Advising (Prior to vs. During Orientation)

Transfer Student Orientation (Continued)

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An emphasis for Transfer Student Orientation in 2013 was assisting

students in connecting to NC State in some manner to facilitate a

successful transition to the University. To that end, approximately 90% of

respondents reported that Transfer Student Orientation provided useful

information about the importance of students connecting to NC State in

some manner. Approximately 72% of respondents indicated they

understood more about life at NC State and 60% indicated they gathered

information about getting involved at NC State.

A majority of students reported understanding the importance of

connecting or receiving information on how to connect; however, the

numbers regarding students making actual connections at Transfer

Orientation decrease significantly.

Student Connections to NC State

Percentage of Respondents

Learned my way around campus 61.9%

Met University faculty and staff 50.7%

Made new friends 37.4%

Met upper class students 21.7%

Figure 14: Transfer Student Connections to NC State People and the Physical Campus

Transfer students were also asked the same open-ended prompt as first-

year students, “In thinking back on your Orientation experience, what

topics or issues do you wish you had gotten more, or more useful,

information about?” Transfer students responses aligned with the

following themes:

More time speaking with an academic advisor

More information on how to become successful academically

Receive information on specific areas of interest to students

o Athletics and student tickets

o Traditions of NC State

o Non-Traditional/Adult student networking

Opportunities for current transfer students to share their

perspectives on the transition

More excitement about NC State is needed throughout the

program (many students indicated how important of a step for

them coming to NC State was)

More opportunities to learn about transportation, specifically for

students commuting from off-campus

Provide additional time blocks for breakout sessions, as well as

additional topics of interest


composed recommendations for the Transfer Student Orientation


Transfer Student Orientation (Continued)

12

Parents and family members of incoming, domestic undergraduate first-year students enrolling in the fall semester may attend an optional two-day orientation session in June and July that runs concurrently with their students’ orientation experience. Through this experience, parents are exposed to various student support services and resources, such as University Housing, Student Health Services, and the University Police. Parents and family members also have an opportunity to learn about their student’s academic college and how to act as partners in their student’s success at NC State. Additionally, parents and family members discover ways they can continue to stay engaged with NC State after their orientation experience.

As stated in the introduction of this report, changes were implemented to the first-year parent and family program to better engage participants as partners in student success and transition to NC State.

First-Year Parents Program Schedule

DAY ONE:


8:00am 8:45am Check-In

9:00am 10:15am Parents' Orientation Welcome

Partnering in Student Success

Pack Pride

10:30am 11:15am NC State's One-Stop Shop

11:30am 12:00pm On-Campus Living

11:30am 12:00pm Off-Campus Living


1:00pm 1:30pm University Honors Program

1:00pm 1:30pm University Scholars Program

2:00pm 3:15pm College Welcome and Academic Information

3:45pm 4:15pm Student Health Services

4:15pm 5:00pm The Way to Pay

5:00pm 6:00pm Housing Showroom

DAY TWO:


7:30am 8:30am Breakfast

8:30am 9:15am Parents of Varsity Athletes

8:30am 9:15am Campus Tour

9:30am 10:00am Technology on Campus

10:00am 10:30am Staying Safe at State

10:30am 11:00am Community Expectations

11:00am 12:00pm Having a Student at NC State

Survey Instruments

As described earlier, New Student Orientation implemented a Pre-

Orientation Survey for the parents and family members of first-year

students. Parents and family members were surveyed about what they

were excited and anxious about for their students as they started at NC

State, as well as what they hoped to gain from attending Parents’

Orientation.

New Student Orientation administered a First-Year Parents’ Orientation

Survey to parents and family members after their attendance at Parents’

Orientation. In 2013, the response rate was approximately 58%, while

our office received 1519 survey responses.


overview of parent perception. Parents had multiple opportunities to

provide written comments.

First-Year Parents’ Orientation

13

Survey Results



parents hoped to and did gain from NSO.


Learn how to assist my student in being successful academically (82.2%)


Understand more about student life (64.3%)

Gather information about how my student might get involved (47.0%)

Meet University faculty and staff (43.4%) Did Gain from Orientation…

Understood more about student life (87%)

Learned how to assist my student in being successful academically (78%)

Gathered information about how my student might get involved (69%)

Learned my way around campus (66%)

Spoke with college representatives (57%)

Parents who attended the Parents’ Orientation program indicated

positive experiences through their survey responses. Parents indicated

that they felt more excited and more prepared for their student to start

their first semester as a result of attending Parents’ Orientation (as seen

in Figure 15).


Excited for Student to Start 97.2%

Better Prepared for Student to Start 95.2%

Figure 15: First-Year Parent Participants’ Feelings of Excitement and Preparedness

Respondents indicated receiving academic information from their

experience at Parents’ Orientation as seen in the percentages below.

78% reporting they learned how to assist their student in being

successful academically;

Approximately 92% indicated Parents’ Orientation provided useful

information on their student’s academic college or program; and

57% reported speaking with a college representative.

Respondents also indicated their level of agreement that Parents’

Orientation provide useful information about each of the following areas.

Figure 17: First-Year Parent Participants Experiences with NSO Staff

97.0%

80.4%

90.0%

86.6%

81.9%

67.3%

89.1%

88.2%

85.2%

65.6%

85.8%

89.7%

86.9%

60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Resources for Student Success

Meal plan options

Using the NC State Bookstores

University Housing resources

Preparing for Move-In Weekend

Students living off campus

Healthcare options

University health requirements

University billing and payment…

Financial aid process

Technology resources on campus

Campus safety & security

Emergency communication plan

Orientation Provided Useful Information About: (Percentages Who Strongly Agreed or Agree)

First-Year Parents’ Orientation (Continued)

14

Participants were also surveyed on their experiences with the New

Student Orientation staff. Respondents overwhelmingly reported positive

experiences with the NSO staff as seen in Figure 17 below.

Figure 17: First-Year Parent Participants Experiences with NSO Staff

One participant, in response to an open-ended prompt, provided the

following statement about NSO staff.

“I enjoyed meeting parents & got a better feel of campus. Loved the

upper class students! So very welcoming! I travel to many college

campus with my job as a high school counselor and must say your

student leaders did make students and parents feel more informed and

welcome.”

Parents’ Orientation participants also provided New Student Orientation

with a wealth of written comments regarding their experience with the

Parents’ Orientation program. Below are a small sampling of those

comments.


composed recommendations for the First-Year Parents’ Orientation


98.60%

97.60%

99.30%

94.30%

97.20%

60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Was knowledgeable about NCState University

Provided quality customer service

Was friendly and welcoming

Helped me feel connected to NCState

Made me feel comfortable duringmy time on campus

Parents Experiences with NSO Staff

First-Year Parents’ Orientation (Continued)

“We are very pleased with Orientation! All of our visits to NCSU have exceeded our expectations....we are happy to be new members of the Wolfpack Community!”

“I received much information, but the best part was being with my son while his department chair, professors, and students from his major discussed the program requirements and he registered for classes.”

“It was very well organized and informative. I had planned on being bored!! I was not! I had brought my Ipad into the information sessions to "play-on" but we ended up taking notes with it!! We also had planned to skip the 2nd day session, but the 1st day was so informative that we came to it and was so glad we did!!! Thank you NC State!!”

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Parents and family members of incoming, domestic undergraduate transfer students enrolling in the fall semester may attend an optional one-day orientation session in June and July that runs concurrently with their students’ orientation experience. Through this experience, parents are exposed to various student support services and resources, such as University Transportation, Student Health Services, and the University Police.

Parents and family members also learn about resources available to assist students in their academic success, as well as the unique challenges facing transfer students. However, parents and family members do not have an opportunity to hear from college representatives during their experience. Additionally, parents and family members heard from Parents and Families Services regarding ways they can continue to stay engaged with NC State after their orientation experience.

Transfer Parents Program Schedule Begin End Session Title

8:00am 8:45am Check-in

9:00am 10:00am Wolfpack Welcome

10:15am 10:45am University Transportation

10:55am 11:25am The Way to Pay

11:35am 12:05pm Office of Information Technology (OIT)


1:15pm 1:30pm Parents Welcome

1:30pm 2:00pm University Dining

2:00pm 2:30pm University Housing

2:00pm 2:30pm Commuter Students

2:45pm 3:15pm Student Health

3:15pm 3:45pm Staying Safe at State

3:45pm 4:30pm Having a Student at NC State

4:30pm 4:40pm Closing Comments

Survey Instruments

Parents and family members of transfer students were surveyed about

what they were excited and anxious about for their students as they

started at NC State, as well as what they hoped to gain from attending

Parents’ Orientation. Due to a low response rate, New Student

Orientation does not believe this information to be useable in this

assessment report. Therefore, only post-orientation survey results will

reported in this section.

New Student Orientation administered a Transfer Parents’ Orientation

Survey to parents and family members after their attendance at Parents’

Orientation. In 2013, the response rate was approximately 34%, while

our office received 127 survey responses.


overview of parent perception. Transfer parents had multiple

opportunities to provide written comments.

Survey Results


Indicated below are the top five responses by transfer parents on post-

orientation surveys regarding what parents did gain from Orientation.

Responses reported as percentages of respondents.

Did Gain from Orientation…

Understood more about student life (71%)

Gathered information about how my student might get involved (63%)

Spoke with college representatives (53%)

Learned my way around campus (52%)

Learned how to assist my student in being successful academically (50%)

Transfer Parents’ Orientation

16

Parents who attended the Parents’ Orientation program indicated

positive experiences through their survey responses. Parents indicated

that they felt more excited and more prepared for their student to start

their first semester as a result of attending Parents’ Orientation (as seen

in Figure 18).


Excited for Student to Start 92.1%

Better Prepared for Student to Start 89.4%

Figure 18: Transfer Parent Participants’ Feelings of Excitement and Preparedness

One respondent also provided written comments about their overall

experience and the excitement for their student to start their first

semester at NC State. The respondent commented:

“EXCELLENT JOB OVERALL! After attending, my daughter and I were

super excited about her choice to come to NCSU!! Goooo Wolfpack!!”

Respondents also reported receiving varying levels of academic

information from their experience at Parents’ Orientation. Overall, 86% of

respondents reported that they learned about the academic challenges

facing transfer students, while only approximately half of respondents

reported speaking with college representatives (53%) or learning how to

assist their students in being successful academically (50%).

Respondents also indicated their level of agreement that Parents’

Orientation provide useful information about each of the following areas.

Percentages reported are those who strongly agreed or agreed.

Parents’ Orientation provided useful information about:


Campus safety and security 86.5%

University health requirements 79.3%

Healthcare options 75.5%

Students living off-campus 63.7%

Resources and programs in University Housing 72.5%

Using the NC State Bookstores 74.1%

Selecting the right meal plan option 70.9%

Technology resources on campus 77.5%

Financial aid process 59.1%

University billing and payment process 83.0%

How students can utilize various options for transportation at NC State

93.8%

Resources for student success 92.0%

Figure 19: Transfer Parent Participants’ Level of Agreement with Prompts

Transfer Parents’ Orientation (Continued)

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Participants were also surveyed on their experiences with the New

Student Orientation staff. Respondents overwhelmingly reported positive

experiences with the NSO staff as seen in Figure 20 below.

Figure 20: Transfer Parent Participants Experiences with NSO Staff

Participants, in response to an open-ended prompt, provided the

following statements about what they gained from their experiences.

“Learned more about the dining plans, bus routes and schedules,

parking permits and how they work...very informative!”

Parents’ Orientation participants also provided New Student Orientation

with a wealth of written comments regarding their experience with the

Parents’ Orientation program. Below are a small sampling of those

comments.


composed recommendations for the Transfer Parents’ Orientation


95.6%

95.6%

98.2%

91.2%

95.5%

60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Was knowledgeable about NCState University

Provided quality customer service

Was friendly and welcoming

Helped me feel connected to NCState

Made me feel comfortable duringmy time on campus

Parent Experiences with NSO Staff

“EXCELLENT JOB OVERALL! After attending, my daughter and I were super excited about her choice to come to NCSU!! Goooo Wolfpack!!!”

“The program was very thorough and I enjoyed it!”

Parent participants also shared areas for future improvement and discussion. Comments included:

“More information about student's major and course requirements.”

“What we had hoped to experience at this orientation was something along the lines of "Here's how we do things at NC State" to include information about activities/clubs/organizations/jobs/athletics. We wanted to learn things that only those who are currently attending could tell us - the "inside scoop."

Transfer Parents’ Orientation (Continued)

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First-Year Student Orientation For 2014, New Student Orientation will examine the following

recommendations for implementation in First-Year Student Orientation.

Coordinate collective efforts to assist students entering with

extensive early college and Advanced Placement credits;

Continue developing the HOWL for Academic Success session in

collaboration with Academic Advising Services;

Collaborate with campus partners to increase incoming class

identity throughout student transition;;

Edit and refocus sessions facilitated by New Student Orientation

staff, including Real Life at NC State, Pack Pride, and The Final

Countdown: Preparing for Week One sessions;

Create an additional opportunity for student interactions through

the creation of a third Orientation Leader small group session;

Collaborate with campus partners to create solutions for

engaging students in opportunities at NC State; and

Connect students to timely transitional information via targeted

email.

Transfer Student Orientation New Student Orientation will examine the following recommendations for

Transfer Student Orientation in 2014. Recommendations for

implementation include:

Define “academic success” and create programming to reflect the

needs of transfer students;

Reintroduce a faculty aspect to the morning welcome program;

Focus programming on specific stated areas of interest, such as

athletics, traditions, and adult and non-traditional students;

Examine demand for an overnight component for students

interested in deeper connections with fellow students;

Provide current transfer student perspectives; and

Offer tours of transfer specific facilities, such as Centennial

Campus and Wolf Village Apartments.

First-Year and Transfer Parents’ Orientation The following recommendations were made for the First-Year and

Transfer Parents’ Orientation programs in 2014. Recommendations for

implementation include:

Create additional academically focused content to complement

current parent and student programming;

Collaborate, intentionally, with academic units regarding time

spent with, and messages delivered to, parents;

Integrate transitional theory into the Having a Student at NC State

session in collaboration with the Counseling Center;

Continue the development of the Pack Pride program specifically

geared towards parents and family members;

Promote parent and family member connections by providing

participants opportunities to interact with one another in an

informal setting; and

Inform program presenters and campus partners about best

practices in working with and engaging parents and family

members;

Recommendations for 2014

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Professional Staff

Mr. Gabe Wical, Director

Mr. Michael Coombes, Associate Director

Ms. Jessica Criswell, Assistant Director

Ms. Cameron Hill, Assistant Director

Ms. Lori Wilson, Administrative Support Specialist

Ms. Heather Johnson, Graduate Assistant

Student Staff (Student Coordinators and Orientation Leaders)

Student Coordinators

Ms. Haley Burch (Business Administration)

Ms. Melissa Hunt (Secondary Science Education and Biological

Sciences)

Ms. Amanda McKnight (Psychology)

Mr. Luke Mitchell (Sport Management)

Mr. Wilber Ruiz (Spanish and Human Biology)

Office Staff

Ms. Olivia Loftin (Elementary Education)

Orientation Leaders

Delja Adams (Criminology)

Hailey Adams (Polymer and Color Chemistry)

Brooks Artis (English)

Fola Awopetu (Accounting)

Molly Basdeo (Middle Grades Education)

Blaise Bolemon (Graphic Design)

Meredith Costas (Elementary Education)

Lindsay Cumbea (Human Biology)

Mary Margaret Daughtry (Business Administration)

Casey Frye (First Year College)

Rashaad Hamilton (Political Science)

Samantha Henke (Human Biology)

Brooks Jordan (First Year College)

Josiah Keilson (Business Administration)

Casey Knosby (Biological Sciences)

Yon-Soo Lee (Civil Engineering)

Rachel Lloyd (Communication and Political Science)

Hunter Lowery (Biochemistry)

Sarah-Catherine Lucas (First Year College)

Channing Merritt (Fashion and Textile Management)

Leann Meyer (French and Psychology)

Yasline Muñoz (First Year College)

Katrina Myzgayeva (Statistics)

Paxton Oberg (Human Biology)

Brittany Pickler (Business Administration)

Alexx Pitts (Elementary Education)

Yuri Powe (Psychology)

Claire Ruddiman (Engineering Undeclared)

Tykori Saunders (Statistics)

Sable Scott (First Year College)

Karley St. Pierre (Communication)

Sabrina Talso (Fashion and Textile Management)

Brittany Taylor (Chemical Engineering)

Victoria Thompson (Anthropology)

Steven Thornton (Civil Engineering)

Wesley Vanhoy (Economics)

Jacquelyn Watson (Nutrition Science)

Ethan Wicker (Mathematics Education)

New Student Orientation Staff

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North Carolina State University is a land-grant university and a constituent

institution of the University of North Carolina System

NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

For more information, visit New Student Orientation at www.ncsu.edu/orientation

Campus Box 7525, 106 Peele Hall, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695 ● (919) 515.1234 ● [email protected]

new student orientation - ncsu

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