The Daily Bulletin Archive

The Orientation Office and University College will take a new approach this summer to course registration for first-year students. Based on students’ preferences and declared majors, University College advisers will create a schedule of classes for each student before orientation. Administrators hope the move will improve retention and graduation rates.

Starting May 27, University College will mail information packets to students, beginning with those who made their deposits first. The packets will include a questionnaire that asks students to designate their major or area of interest, top three BSC 101 choices, preference for class times, and interest in learning communities. Students will have three weeks to respond. Based on replies and class recommendations from academic departments, University College advisers will create 15-credit-hour (or more) course schedules that include a section of BSC 101 or UNC 100, a section of CWP (College Writing Program), and other required or recommended classes meeting Intellectual Foundations and/or major requisites.

Students will be able to adjust their schedules during summer orientation if needed. According to Robert Mead-Colegrove, director of orientation and new-student programs, this process is successful at many other colleges nationwide.

“Instead of the typical class-scheduling frenzy during orientation, students will instead use the time to learnwhy certain classes are needed,” he said. “Students often don’t understand requirements, and this system has the potential to allow for more conversation during advisement instead of a rushed process. It also will help departments assess their needs—such as available seats in classes—well before students arrive this fall.”

The switch follows months of consultation with the deans and chairs as well as approval from the Academic Council. According to Scott Johnson, assistant dean of first-year and academic support programs, many faculty and staff members view the move favorably.

“People are excited about the potential of the new process,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, it will keep more undecided students here.”

This summer may also be the last time the college holds multiple orientation sessions.

The new registration process is designed to move the college to a proposed “welcome days” orientation format for 2009, where all first-year students would collectively undergo a traditional orientation session and academic advisement the week before classes begin.

“Many peer and inspirational institutions use the ‘welcome days’ format,” Mead-Colegrove said. “Having orientation right before classes helps the information sink in and better prepares students to adjust to college life. We want students to feel ready for their first day of classes and also want more to get engaged in co-curricular activities.”

Johnson said one of the key intentions of the new registration process is to get students started “on the right foot.”

“We want to put students in classes we know they’ll need, and we want them to take things they’ll be excited about,” he said. “In most majors, you don’t bore into the discipline until sophomore year. We’re hoping the schedules will give students a taste of what they’ll study in college, motivating them to be academically successful.”

For faculty and staff who will partake in orientation activities or provide academic advisement this summer, University College will offer an information session to discuss the registration changes on Monday, May 12, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in Bacon Hall 115.

Johnson said the new freshman-registration process should ease the class-scheduling anxiety associated with the traditional orientation format.

“This is a huge step forward for Buffalo State,” he said.