Changes accelerated by the pandemic have included revision of approaches, for hybrid online - on-campus programs, of student orientation and other on-boarding experiences intended to support student success in the first semester and beyond. As multiple-day, full-day face-to-face on-boarding experiences become less common, one approach is to selectively integrate orientation activities into enrollment activities to improve preparedness and reduce the stress of transition as students start. In this workshop participants explore the challenges and opportunities associated with closer collaboration between enrollment and academic teams, and share their experiences and tips related to collaborations.
The pandemic has accelerated changes. At many colleges and universities that’s included a restructuring of the orientation experience and of other activities and resources that support student first-semester success. Orientations consisting of week-long full days of in-person sessions have been less common during the pandemic, and it remains unclear if approached to the orientation experience will revert to the pre-pandemic paradigm.
Concurrently, previously exclusively traditional face-to-face programs increasingly use blended approaches that use online learning technologies, skills and knowledge of which must be folded into the on-boarding experience.
Enrollment teams already provide at least some information about resources available to students. Is a deeper level of collaboration between enrollment and academic teams beneficial to students In effect starting orientation activities earlier? If so, in what situations? What are examples of the above collaboration already in use? What are the financial and non-financial costs and benefits of such collaborations?
Level of participation:
Session facilitators will engage the audience extensively throughout the session, mixing short presentations with activities, polling, and discussion. Participants will engage in exercises to share their experience with collaborations between enrollment and academic teams and explore the challenges and opportunities related to increased integration during the enrollment stage of actions that support students’ first semester experience.
Session goals:
Individuals attending this education session will be able to share their institution’s lessons learned about collaborations between enrollment and academic teams. Participants will explore the challenges and opportunities related to improving students’ first semester experience using enrollment and academic team collaboration, based on participants’ institutional contexts and post-pandemic paradigm changes.
SPEAKERS
Richard Floyd is currently a higher education consultant, specializing in enrollment, marketing, and student information systems. Richard has comprehensive experience in higher education, including extensive and varied university admissions, alumni relations, marketing, information technology, and other administrative work. He has worked for multiple institutions and has served as the chief enrollment officer at Prescott College, George Mason University Korea, and Green Mountain College. He was director of admissions at both Ursinus College and Bard College at Simon's Rock, and he held senior roles at Vassar College and Knox College. Additionally, Richard was on the leadership team of Teach For America during that organization’s formative years. Richard is an avid traveler, and he has visited approximately 90 countries across six continents during several enriching and exciting journeys around the world.
William Prado, D.B.A., is the Program Director of the Sustainable MBA and Sustainability Management BA programs, and Sustainable Business Professor at Prescott College. Prior to this role, Bill served as the Dean of Graduate and Online Programs at the College, leading teaching and learning support. With 20 years of experience in higher education, curriculum and course design, and educational consulting, Bill has also taught courses in leadership, strategy, international business, finance and accounting. Bill has served as a consultant for publishers and universities in the development of online academic programs and courses. His research interests are in the area of cross-cultural factors in organizational management and sustainable management.