While Millersville University prepared for a fall semester unlike any other, the Office of Orientation & Transition Programs was already hard at work training Orientation Leaders (OLs) through the spring to prepare them for summer work.
For the first time, as part of an Early Engagement plan, OLs began working with incoming students in the first week of July utilizing community building activities which included social spotlights, social media challenges and contests, and StudentLingo workshops that helped prepare incoming students for college classes. Over 130 Student Lingo workshops were completed, all focused on core concerns such as exam preparations, overcoming procrastination, time management, choosing majors and minors, online coursework, and setting realistic goals. OLs met with their students through Zoom and Teams also helping to familiarize them with these platforms that may be used in their online and hybrid courses. This gave OLs a chance to advise our newest students on items such as finding housing assignments, ebills and due dates, logging into MU accounts and their email, and more.
Beginning on August 17, OLs worked on campus to support the staggered move-in schedule. They manned Navigation Stations to help new students and families find their way around campus, took shifts assisting in Gordinier dining hall, acclimating new students to the dining procedures, and offered Walk your Schedule tours to help students become familiar with campus.
As Orientation activities kicked into high gear Friday, sessions moved online to ensure capacity limitations did not impede student access. OLs continued supporting their students through both online and in-person activities. They coordinated with the University Activities Board to help sustain continued community building and engagement through a virtual Orientation while modeling safe social distancing practices for incoming students.
Although Orientation weekend may be over and classes in full swing, for the first time ever OLs will be continuing their work with new students through the Continuing Engagement program. Forty-six of our OLs will maintain their roles working with incoming students to help them make the most of their Growth Mindset Planners, check in with them about new or changing needs, and keep support resources in close reach. We are excited not just to welcome but also continue to support, the incoming class of 2024!