Freshman orientation - college freshmen receive assistance

National Catholic Reporter, Sept 24, 1999 by Pamela Schaeffer

John Carroll University in suburban Cleveland presents "psychosocial skits" based on common social and emotional problems. By an informal measure of success, Lisa Heckman, director of student leadership, said it works. "Every year, at least once during an orientation, students stand up and talk in front of their peers about problems they've had," she said. "To me, that's validation in and of itself."

John Carroll, where nearly 90 percent of the students are Caucasian, also wraps some "diversity. training" into orientation. "One of our goals is to orient students to the university; another is to sensitize them, to make them aware of issues they may be encountering," she said.

At Xavier University in Cincinnati, efforts to welcome new students begin with "move-in," when upperclassmen greet arriving freshmen to move their belongings into dorms. "Parents don't have to lift a thing," said Kimberlie Goldsberry, director for leadership and orientation. That evening, students gather in an open field for a large, interactive "group bonding" activity called Playfair. "A group comes in and facilitates it for us," Goldsberry said, conducting directed activities that give students a chance "to meet countless numbers of people."

On Sunday, day three of a four-day program, students are invited to a retreat at an off-campus center, followed by a dance that evening. On Monday, the office of academic affairs hosts a convocation

As at many Catholic schools, one of the biggest struggles at Xavier is talking to students about the school's spiritual heritage without setting their minds adrift. "How to articulate that" in an engaging way -- what comprises the Jesuit tradition -- "has been a straggle for many years," Goldsberry said.

This year the staff developed a video presentation of students talking about what the tradition means to them: caring for persons, service, becoming men and women for others, she said. The entire orientation program is called Manresa, after the town in Spain where Ignatius of Loyola had the spiritual experience that changed his life and led him to form the Society of Jesus.

Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., have built volunteer service programs into orientation. "Our mission statement, our Catholic heritage and tradition really permeate our whole orientation program," said Frederick Lorensen, director of freshman development and student services. This year, as part of orientation, some 200 students helped out in four to five projects around the city. At Rockhurst, nearly 300 students, virtually the entire freshman class, along with upperclassmen, faculty, staff and alumni, do cleanup projects in the urban area surrounding the school.

Using the city

Other schools using small classes as a way to help freshmen succeed include the University of Notre Dame and the University of San Francisco, which models its program partly on DePaul's. At San Francisco, Sacred Heart Sr. Theresa Moser, assistant dean for academic services, said the faculty members are encouraged to develop courses that attract students with catchy titles and use the city as a learning resource. For example, one course in the university's Freshman Advantage program, When the Fat Lady Sings: Opera in San Francisco, includes attending performances. Another, Poetry in San Francisco, culminates in dinner with a local poet.