1. Mandatory New Student Orientation - Policy 8.28
AGC Presentation November 14th, 3-5 PM Student Center

2. Team Members Ongoing Orientation Management Team Members:
AGC Committee:
Ennis Young, Psychology
Evan Macklin, Student Orientation Jenna Hess, Disability Support Services Jodi Gee, Exercise Science
Lori Cook, Admissions and Enrollment
Lynnae Selberg, Advising and Transfer Center Michael Couch, Financial Aid
Ongoing Orientation Management Team Members:
Danielle Nyland, Lakeshore Campus Eric Mullen, Enrollment Management
Erin Busscher, Advising and Transfer Center Francisco Ramirez, Admissions and Enrollment Jose Mora, Enrollment Center
Katie Hughes, Advising and Transfer Center Kurt Meinders, Information Technology Marisol Blanco, College Success Center Nathan Hamilton, Information Technology Thalia Guerra, Student Life
Theresa Frieberg, Advising and Transfer Center

3. Policy Statement
All students new to GRCC who are seeking a degree or certificate are required to attend a mandatory New Student Academic and Financial Advising session prior to enrollment in courses.
HS GPA > Option to complete online orientation or attend in-person
HS GPA < Must attend in-person*
Transfer students who have earned 12 credits are exempt from this policy.
*For extenuating circumstances, students can request to complete the online orientation.

4. Policy Background
Policy was approved by AGC in April 2013; Effective for Fall 2016 start.
Policy was proposed based on data collected from the following sources:
CCSSE
SENSE
External Benchmarking

5. Students Served Summary – Three Year Review (Fall-Start Only) Format
2015
2016
2017
Grand Rapids In-Person
Standard
2,519
3,114
3,249
Express
124
373
232
Lakeshore In-Person
N/A
282
244
Online Only/Online & In-person
706 | 1,590
504 | 1,042
Total
2,643
4,475
4,229

6. Students Served Summary – Three Year Review (Winter-Start Only) Format
2015
2016
2017
Grand Rapids In-Person
Standard
133
167
682
Express
N/A
285
Lakeshore In-Person 64
Online Only/Online & In-person
122 | 231
Total
1,153

7. Learning Outcomes Academic Planning:
Navigate the college catalog, MTA, & transfer guides
Identify mandatory course placements as well as prerequisites
Financial Planning
Types of financial aid
Identify important dates (FAFSA deadlines, tuition deadlines, etc.)
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements
Semester Readiness
Campus Technology - Online Center, Student , Blackboard
Navigating Campus - Raider Card, parking, tutoring services, etc.
Starting Strong! - Implications of not attending class, code of conduct, etc.

8. Proposed Policy Change
All students new to GRCC who are seeking a degree or certificate are required to attend a mandatory New Student Academic and Financial Advising session prior to enrollment in courses. Excluded from this policy are students who transfer in 12 credits taken at another college. New students who enter with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher will have the option to participate in an online version of the New Student Academic and Financial Advising program. An appeal may be made to participate in the online version if the student has extenuating circumstances and cannot attend the in-person event (e.g. currently deployed in the military, only taking classes at a distance, etc.). These appeals need to be submitted in writing to the Director of Admissions and Enrollment.

9. Theories/Literature Support
Theory of Student Departure also known as Theory of Integration (Tinto, 1993)
Theory of Student Involvement (Astin, 1984)
Transition Theory (Schlossberg, 1995)
Maslow Hierarchy of Needs

10. Key Findings & Benchmark Information
IRP Report - October, 2017
Students who attended an in-person orientation experience were more likely to persist from fall to winter and fall to fall.
Students who attended an in-person orientation experience enrolled in more credit hours each semester.
Nearly 66% of the students that had the option to do online or attend an in-person session, chose to attend the in-person orientation.
A random sample (n=33) showed that 60% of students who completed the online orientation for Fall 16 ended up meeting with an academic advisor one on one after they completed the online orientation.
MCCSSA Report - April, 2017
Gogebic, Montcalm, Jackson, GlenOaks, Northwestern Michigan, and Delta all require in-person
Lake Michigan currently pursuing mandatory orientation.

11. Questions and Feedback
Please direct any additional feedback, suggestions, or concerns to Evan Macklin by Tuesday, November 28th.
Evan Macklin,