Great Beginnings: Pre-Orientation Online Registration for New Students

Maryville College Founded in 1819, MC maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). MC is located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville. Total Fall 2015 enrollment of Average freshman class is ~350.

Great Beginnings? ( not so much! ) Student Development organizes the event Four Saturday sessions in June & July Publicized as attendance REQUIRED Attendees – 80 to 100 students per Saturday session Groups of students rotating through a series of events

Advising/Registration A 30-minute session with a faculty advisor in the computer lab Paper advising folders Online Math Placement Test required prior to attending Course seats saved (supposedly) Class schedule viewed as …

Great Beginnings? What it really looked and felt like….

Herd ‘em in

Slap a schedule on ‘em

Herd ‘em out

Main Issues Math placement tests not completed on time Self-Service accounts created during advising session Advising time impacted if IT problems encountered Faculty often advising out of their area Parents were shut out of the process Advantage given to students in first sessions

As a Result Stressful experience due to technology issues Poor first impression regarding technology & competence Students not active participants in the process Fall freshmen advisors unhappy with quality of schedules Parents unhappy being excluded and with resulting class schedules Out of town/state students disadvantaged if unable to attend

Taming the Sacred Cow “Perhaps most significantly, a SEM Community face can help to move students out of a passive institution, where things out of their control happen to them, and into a community place where people work with them to meet their needs.” Aacrao connect, AACRAO Publication “SEM: Transforming Higher Education,” 3/18/13 article “Community: The 4 th Face of SEM” by Stanley Henderson, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Life, University of Michigan-Dearborn.

“ Pre-Orientation Registration program: turning high school seniors into engaged college freshmen” Students proactively plan and prepare for orientation advising Students prepared/knowledgeable about curriculum and registration Demand for computer labs diminished and fewer network complications Demand for extensive advising lessened AACRAO College & University publication, 2013, Reed T. Curtis and Zackary W. Underwood, academic advisors, University College at UNC Wilmington.

Building Consensus – Inside/Out Informal discussions with Faculty, Division Chairs, Deans, VPs Introduced the idea of online registration Exposed fears and shared solutions to address concerns Emphasized benefits to all concerned Formal meeting with the key stakeholders (and key hold-outs)

Proposed Solutions Initial Math & English placements based on ACT/SAT scores Online registration site on the Registrar’s webpage Fall schedule templates for every major area of interest Open online registration in late May for ALL deposited students Monitor registration schedules submitted vs placements Schedules not approved until the first advising session

What it looks like……. HTTP :// MARYVILLECOLLEGE. EDU / ACADEMICS / REGISTRAR / REGISTRATION / HTTP :// MARYVILLECOLLEGE. EDU / ACADEMICS / REGISTRAR / REGISTRATION /

How It Works No more paper folders IT tech-check session prior to advising session Advisor from every academic division represented Generic Self-Service advisor account (Dr. An Advisor) Class seats saved upon submission of a fall schedule Schedule approved at the first advising session (summer or fall)

Advantages to the College IT training done by IT staff Registration guided by the Registrar’s Office Manual processes reduced and efficient use of resources Registration completed by mid-summer Course demand information available earlier Early clues for deposited students likely to withdraw

Student Goals & Outcomes Students incentivized to deposit early Fairness and equity for ALL students Students more knowledgeable & actively engaged Opportunity for parental inclusion & communication Technology expectations of students met Better first impression of efficiency and competence

Sink or Swim?

Results Attendance at Great Beginnings = 85%

Results Attendance at Great Beginnings = 85% Registration completed = 91%

Results Attendance at Great Beginnings = 85% Registration completed = 91% Enrollment of out-of-state students = increased by 15%

Results Attendance at Great Beginnings = 85% Registration completed = 91% Enrollment of out-of-state students = increased by 15% Complaints about student fall schedules = Negligible

Results Attendance at Great Beginnings = 85% Registration completed = 91% Enrollment of out-of-state students = increased by 15% Complaints about student fall schedules = Negligible Faculty satisfaction = 100%

Student Survey Results Historically, the Advising/Registration session has ranked #3-4 out of the seven Great Beginnings events.

Student Survey Results Historically, the Advising/Registration session has ranked #3-4 out of the seven Great Beginnings events. For two years in a row, students have ranked the Great Beginnings Advising/Registration session as their #1 best event of the day!!

Student Survey Results Historically, the Advising/Registration session has ranked #3-4 out of the seven Great Beginnings events. For two years in a row, students have ranked the Great Beginnings Advising/Registration session as their #1 best event of the day!! TRUE ADVISING has been witnessed at what has finally become a Great Beginning for new first-year students!

Questions

Contact Information: Kathi A. Wilson, Registrar Maryville College Maryville, TN