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• Academic Excellence
• Administrative Excellence
• Effective Orientation
• Internship and Practicum
• Job Placement Assistance
• Personal and Financial Counsel
• Pre-Enrollment Assessment and Testing
• Sector Involvement
• Student-Centric Core Value

Summary

Effective Orientation

Private Career Colleges often have a high proportion of students who have been out of secondary or post secondary education for more than five years. Therefore, an effective orientation should be built on three pillars: a thorough student understanding of the college’s expectations of them, the inclusion of a student calendar and/or handbook and a Student Success Strategies course.

Many private career colleges have discovered the importance of communicating attendance requirements, dress code and other common workplace expectations to students. A well designed student handbook can be of great value in communicating such student responsibility. Colleges who clearly communicate such expectations tend to have higher graduation rates.

Orientation sessions/modules can be an effective way to ensure that students have the information required to help them succeed in their chosen program of study. For example, information about college attendance policies, personal budgeting, effective time management strategies and study techniques can help provide a solid foundation for student success. Typically, Student Success Strategies are presented in a stand alone module that is incorporated into the academic calendar.

Case Study

Effective Orientation

CompuCollege is a large multi-campus operation that has implemented a comprehensive  two-week, twenty-hour Student Success Strategies module that is an integral part of every course offering.  According to Debra Johns, Vice-President for Operations at CompuCollege Atlantic Region, “emphasis is placed on thinking about achieving success from Day One.  This module stresses the importance of developing non-technical skills to enhance personal, academic, and career success.  These skills include effective goal setting, understanding learning styles, practical time management, memory and test taking techniques, maintaining motivation, efficient note taking along with money management and writing techniques.”

Included in this module is an in-class visit from CompuCollege Financial Services Representatives during the first week.  Here students are able to improve their financial literacy,  as well as their understanding of student loan processes and payment options.  Personal budgeting is also taught within the module and students receive a copy of Dan Baker’s The Debt Free Graduate as well as a student portfolio or Passport.

Innovative Ideas

Effective Orientation

Here are some student orientation strategies and initiatives that your private career college might adopt:

1. Develop a Student Calendar and/or Handbook for your college. There is a good chance that you already have most of the material readily available. Decide what elements are most important to cover and go for it! We would recommend starting small by using a manual or laser printer and by ensuring that the handbook focuses on clearly communicating expectations and responsibilities to students. Once your first calendar and/or handbook are developed, start a file for additions to next year’s version.
2. Give students a pocket folder (Student Passport) to help them keep important documents organized. Request that the folder be brought to any meeting with the college’s financial or business personnel. Develop a “check list” of contents that should be kept in the folder and paste it inside for reference.
3. Incorporate a Student Success Strategies module or course into every program of study. At a minimum, budgeting and study techniques should be covered. For colleges that use self-paced learning, consider holding a one or two day workshop to cover this material. The goal of the course is to give students some basic tools to help them succeed.