Written by Clare Hickie, Program Assistant, Student Engagement in the Leadership and Student Engagement office at the University of Calgary. Edited by: Gareth McVicar, Carllie Necker, Kelly Kay Spurlock, Clara Rofaeil
As the COVID-19 pandemic turned from days into weeks, and the prospect of a quick return to in-person activities dwindled, one question was at the forefront of our minds in spring 2020: How are we going to facilitate new student orientation for thousands of students online for fall 2020?
At the University of Calgary, we were lucky to have a head start through our Online Orientation program. Launched in August 2018, Online Orientation was envisioned as a complementary resource for students participating in Fall Orientation. As the event moved from a four-day to two-day event, this also provided another method to support students in their transition to university. Delivered through the institution’s existing learning management software, D2L, all incoming UCalgary students were automatically enrolled. Created by a working group that included the Registrar’s Office, Student Success Centre, Student Wellness Services, Students’ Union, International Student Services and members of our own team in the Leadership and Student Engagement office, we divided the course into a series of seven themed modules that grouped similar content pieces together. These modules covered a range of topics from essential tasks like buying textbooks and paying student fees, to information on how to get involved in extracurriculars and succeed in classes, as well as tips on how to successfully transition to university life.
Creating a framework
After successfully delivering the program for two years, we decided to take a pause and re-evaluate the goals and delivery of the program. We decided to go back to the program roots and identified that we were missing a key element: a guiding framework.
We explored a number of potential options that centered on student transitions, learning and development with a focus on positive-growth mindset, and then we found an ideal fit in Dr. Laurie Schreiner’s “Thriving in Transitions” model. In Schreiner’s model, Thriving is composed of five main components: engaged learning, academic determination, positive perspective, diverse citizenship, and social connectedness. In turn, we created our own variation of the Thriving model, which included these five main components and added one novel category our team created: effectively navigating change. This sixth component captured what we felt to be vital skills for students to develop to transition into university, including everything from being able to successfully adjust to a new city (or even country) to skills we often call “adulting” like budgeting, cooking, creating a healthy routine, and many other important life tasks. Using this new framework, we explored areas we wanted to further expand course content. Some of the most notable areas we felt were vital to expand included those surrounding wellness, equity and diversity, experiential learning, and reflection and goal setting. Our original plan was to launch this new content in June 2021, however, then came the global pandemic.
Innovating in the virtual world
Despite the immediate demand to pivot our entire slate of programming into a virtual format, we were still able to significantly expand our Online Orientation content, update existing content, to have consistent branding and more engaging elements like infographics. Some of our most significant changes included the creation of the Student Rights and Responsibilities module, which housed new content pieces on student conduct guidelines and resources, and the expansion of the academics-focused module Getting Ready for Classes – How Can You Prepare? to include a robust catalogue of campus resources and unique content items with academic tips and tricks. We also added a seventh module focusing on helping students new to Calgary adjust to life in university.
Into the academic year
Throughout the 2020-2021 academic year, we continued to develop and release new content for students through Online Orientation. Biweekly announcements and news items provided students with reminders of upcoming deadlines and important dates, as well as exciting programs and opportunities. At present, we are working with the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to add new content that introduces students to EDI concepts. The development and expansion of our health and wellness module is also underway, using its own mini-framework based on Wellness in the 8 Dimensions model, to provide students with a holistic understanding of wellness and its importance in university life.
Lessons learned on staff support and student engagement
In going through the review process, we learned that the program requires the consistent support of a team of staff members to make it shine, and we needed more staff support throughout the year. In January 2021, we were excited to welcome a co-op student in the role of First Year Experience Assistant to support the development of the program. Additionally, we found that student engagement via the trained peer leader-led discussion board was limited. We continue to look at creative ways to develop this aspect of the program. We identified that we needed more interactive content for students to engage with and utilizing technology such as H5P allowed for this, resulting in an increase in the time students spent in the modules and on content. Further, we plan to incorporate more reflective tools and helpful planning resources for students to utilize.
Next steps
As we begin to imagine what university life will look like when it is finally safe for students to return to campus, we have developed Your First Year, a first-year experience program that will add greater supports for incoming students through mentorship opportunities and targeted programming. Online Orientation will continue to play a vital role in supplementing our Fall Orientation. Its role has evolved from simply aiming to provide supplemental resources for students completing new student orientation, to become a year-long guide for students from the time they prepare to enter university the summer before their first year to the end of their first winter semester. For the incoming 2021 class, the schedule of content for Online Orientation modules will be organized in three phases: Before You Arrive, Your First Year, and Second Year and Beyond to help students make sense of what information they need at crucial times in their first year. The new normal has moved online, and we plan on making sure that incoming students can find a space with the support, resources, and connections they’ll need to flourish during their degree.
References
Schreiner, L. A., Louis, M. C., & Nelson, D. D. (Eds.). (2012). Thriving in transitions: A research-based approach to college student success. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition.
Schreiner, L. A. (2010c). The “Thriving Quotient”: A new vision for student success. About Campus, 15(2), 2-10.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2016, April 28). The eight dimensions of wellness.
Swarbrick, M. & Yudof, J. (2017). Wellness in 8 dimensions.