ASU’s Orientation Program Focuses on 4 campuses, 1 University

A new orientation season is approaching Arizona State as the university focuses on the four campuses.

Each of the four campuses: Polytechnic, Downtown, West and Tempe will be hosting their own orientation programs in the spring.

While incoming freshman are not required to attend orientation, it is expected that they do in order to register for classes and become familiar with their campus.

 ”The goal of the orientation programs is to provide keys to academic success for incoming students so it is important that each campus have their own orientation sessions to reach as many of the incoming students as possible, ” new Orientation Program Coordinator for ASU’s downtown Phoenix campus, Leslie Feldman, said

The orientation programs on the four campuses allow students to interact with current ASU students who are known as Student Orientation Leaders (SOLs).

“They gave us a perspective of ASU from a students point of view and it was nice to hear what they would do in Tempe for fun and what classes were easy and those that were not so easy,” current ASU freshman Katherine Richardson said.

Current ASU student and Polytechnic Executive SOL, Joe O’Connell said that it helps the students become more at ease with things.

“I think they (SOLs) contribute by being someone that students are comfortable talking to about the things that are really important to them,” O’Connell said. “I find that the students are much more open to conversation when it is just them and I.”

The downtown campus located in Phoenix, faced challenges of presenting the newly established campus to incoming freshmen.

“One of our greatest challenges was the fact that at the time our programs were held at the Mercado and the UA Auditorium because of the amount of space that we needed,” ASU student and downtown campus Executive SOL, Leigh Troutman said. “At the end of the day we would provide tours, however, at the time many of our new buildings were incomplete so to be able to show incoming students where they would be living and taking classes at was really difficult.”

With the construction of Taylor Place and the Walter Cronkite school completed, incoming freshmen, who will call downtown Phoenix their new home, will now be able to finally experience campus life.

For those students who can’t make it to ASU for orientation, they have the opportunity to attend out-of-state orientation.

ASU offers orientation programs outside of Arizona that allow students to attend orientation on a smaller scale.

Out-of-state orientations are similar to the in-state orientation, only there is no parent or student panel with SOLs.

“Out-of-state orientations are held during the same months as the in-states, but are shortened schedules and do not run all day like an in-state program,” ASU Tempe Orientation Program Coordinator, Julie DiBacco said.

Students still register for classes, meet with academic advisers and are allowed to get their sun card.

ASU’s out-of-state orientation costs $225 per student and $65 per guest, while in-state orientation costs $100 per students and $40 per guest.

Even though ASU does have the luxury of providing out-of-state orientation, DiBacco said, “They (students) should attend orientation, even those that are far away should come to campus for a campus tour as well as orientation because then they are not limited to one weekend, instead they are able to view their campus and town.”

In state orientation at ASU allows students, depending on their major, to a limited number of orientations they can choose from.

Each orientation is geared toward a student’s major as they are allowed to register for classes and speak with academic advisors to plan their class schedules.

ASU also encourages parents to participate in their student’s new academic life style by viewing presentations for supporting their student through academic success at the university.

 ”I have heard from other students that orientation calms a lot of fears and puts the student more at ease with the transition from high school to college when a student attends in state orientation,” DiBacco said.

Guest article contributed by Nathalie Cano
Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication         

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