Monday, January 30, 2012

Spring Orientation 2012!

This post is long overdue, but I think I owe you some pictures and evaluation of Spring Orientation, which was waaaaay back at the beginning of January on the 6th day of 2012.  Spring Orientation is always crazy, because our time frame for planning is much smaller than over the summer.  Here's how it goes down:

  • Mid October:  I set the date for Orientation (this is easy, as it's always the same day for Spring Orientation every year - the Friday before Spring semester classes begin).  
  • November:   I hire three student coordinators to work as interns for the whole year (and summer) on Orientation.  
  • December12:  The student coordinators and I hire 18-20 Orientation Leaders (OLs) for Spring Orientation
  • December 13-16: Frantically prepare for our first training for OLs.  There's no time!
  • December 19:  We hold our first training for OLs
  • December 23 - January 1:  Holiday Break!  
  • January 2:  Come back to work, frantically prepare for second OL Training
  • January 3:  Five hour OL training
  • January 4 - 5:  Do everything else for Orientation (i.e. stuff folders, create nametags, create and update all session sheets & binders, etc. etc. etc.)
  • January 6: Orientation!

It all moves very quickly and there is little to no room for breathing.  But this year we pulled it off without a hitch - Orientation was definitely a success, with about 140 students attending out of 150 students registered (which is a really good ratio, and better than normal!).

Here are some highlights from the day, which was structured very much like our Summer 2011 Orientation:
Smiling faces of Ashley, Candice & Emily at the check-in kiosk
Some new students going through the Student Involvement Fair to pick up info on how to join various student organizations
Jacqueline & Ashley's group on campus tour - looks like it must have been a sunny day with all of that squinting!
Chuck & Logan's Group (The "Legendary Avengers") posing in Jack Rhodes Study
The Spring 2012 Orientation Leaders - Aww... aren't they cute?!?
 Check out the story behind those awesome "Super OL" t-shirts here.