New Ideas for Inclusive Orientation Programs: A Focus on Class
Student Success Orientation, Transition and Retention Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education Mid-Level New Professional
December 16, 2019 | 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Please note: The times are listed in Eastern
This session is free for members of the Socioeconomic and Class Issues in Higher Education and Orientation, Transition and Retention Knowledge Communities through January 17, 2020. For more information about pricing (and how to make sure you're getting the appropriate discount), please read below the course description.
The goal of this session would be for attendees to hear from professionals across institution types on strategies to build inclusive communities with a focus on socio-economic equality being ever present in the programs, jargon and initiatives presented to new students.
Having an understanding of how we welcome new members of our communities is a critical component of higher education. Specifically, with the changing dynamics of who is “coming” to campus, inclusive language and practices enables students to have an increased sense of belonging. The varying institution types in higher education can impact this sense of belonging, but it is still an important part of welcoming new students. One way we can create spaces that are not as inclusive as we intend is through our unwritten financial expectations for new members of our communities.
New Student Orientation/Welcomes are intended to be a time to build community, but often these programs can make certain students aware of their socio-economic status through institutionally-sponsored programs. This unintended consequence can work against the community orientation, transition and retention programs seek to develop when welcoming new members to their community.
This session will highlight ways campuses can build inclusive communities with new students, specifically focusing on inclusive practices related to student’s socio-economic status. In the webinar, a combination of higher education scholar-practitioners (a combination of university faculty, office directors and program managers) will share best practices across institution types used to welcome a diverse array of students with a socio-economic inclusive focus. The panel will discuss why inclusive socio-economic practices matter in welcoming new students and their families, ways campuses support students from varying SES backgrounds to engage in campus and practices that prevent students from lower SES backgrounds from engaging in campus.
Learning Outcomes
After attending this webinar participants will:
- understand ways to use socio-economic inclusive practices in with new student welcome programs;
- understand how socio-economic status may present for new students at various institution types;
- have an idea of 2-3 programs they can reference to better equip their own campus with effective tools to welcome students across the socio-economic diaspora;
- have methods to better understand student programming needs during orientation; and
- understand the critical importance of developing inclusive programs from the time students show interest in a college/university and the role of these programs increasing student sense of belonging.