2008 New Student Orientation

Components and Learning Outcomes

"The goal of New Student Orientation is to support the continuous process of integrating new students into the academic, cultural, and social climate of California State University, Northridge."

Cal State Northridge offers a comprehensive one-day New Student Orientation Program for first-year students prior to the beginning of the fall semester. The New Student Orientation Program offers students the opportunity to become familiar with some of the faculty and staff from the CSUN campus and student orientation leaders, who support and mentor new students as they begin their CSUN journey. At New Student Orientation, students will become familiar with the campus and be introduced to student services, university requirements and expectations, first-year planning, diversity education and the opportunity for networking with other incoming students. In support of this goal and with recommendations from the Orientation Advisory Committee (OAC), the following components with specific learning outcomes have been created.

Component: University Welcome

An on going goal of the New Student Orientation Program is to convey the purpose of higher education and the mission of Cal State Northridge. Opening remarks will be scripted in to insure continuity of message.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will express familiarity with the purpose of higher education and begin to identify how it relates to their educational goals.

back to top

Component: Matador Today Show

This component is a video/talk show format that will be interactive and engaging style that will introduce new students to key service areas of the campus, focused on main points that the service offers first year students. Each service area will be introduced and spoken about by various orientation staff, leaders and coordinators, where they will prompt questions, show pre-taped video clips of services that will ultimately lead to answers. Pre-taped video clips will provide depth informational content. This component will promote the learning of the resources designed to introduce them to support services at CSUN as well as help new students succeed.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will express familiarity with key campus services and resources that are available to them.
  • New Students will be able to identify areas and be able to state services available within these areas.

back to top

Component: Steps to Academic Success

This component will be presented by staff members from a college advising center. A template will be created to provide basic information and follow-up reinforcement of the student's academic advisement. The template will then be personalized to incorporate specific college information, including students' major of interest information. Key components will include a refresher introduction to the college structure including principle leaders, general awareness of important forms and deadlines taking control over one's own education, an overview of Solar/Portal, an introduction of the 4-5 year completion strategy for graduation and resource information.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will be able to identify the college in which their major exists and identify resources available to them from the college.
  • New students will be able to identify how to add/drop classes online
  • New students will develop a familiarity with the Schedule of Classes and the University Catalog and know the location of their major of information within the catalog.
  • New students will be able to estimate their time to graduation and understand their major requirements for graduation.
  • New students will understand the importance of the Portal.

back to top

Component: Classrooms & Community

A continuing component, Classrooms & Community will feature a panel of 3-5 students, which will highlight their individual success stories of how they are achieving their academic goals. A trained faculty or staff member facilitator will provide an interactive discussion regarding the university classroom, including differences between high school and college, appropriate classroom conduct, meeting faculty expectations, ethical issues - cheating, plagiarism (including using the Web and internet resources for cheating), and campus community standards. A focus of the student facilitation will be a discussion of adult responsibilities, credit card information, sexual assault, student records, and FIRPA rights.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will be able to identify the differences between the high school classroom, university classroom and appropriate classroom conduct.
  • New Students will develop an understanding of student success strategies from peer discussions.
  • New Students will be familiarized with the universities academic expectations.
  • New Student will be introduces on how to protect them selves from identity theft and money management and become familiar with credit card information.
  • New Students will be introduced to CSUN's sexual assault policy and how to protect and educate themselves in accordance to AB 1088.

back to top

Component: Clubs & Organizations Fair

A continuing component, the fair consists of representatives from the campus clubs, organizations and campus service areas. It is an opportunity for new students to explore co-curricular involvement opportunities and a chance to further investigate the available campus services.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will be able to identify co-curricular opportunities that they may be able to take advantage of during their college experience.
  • New students will be able to interact with peers from a diverse representation of campus clubs & organizations, and to begin to identify those, which they may wish to join.

back to top

Component: TAKE Program Small Group Discussions

In its eighteenth year, TAKE is an evolving program of skits that are written, produced and performed by student peer educators on challenging social issues that college students may face today. Specifically issues that surround Body Abuse, Relationships, Prejudice and Transition will be addressed. There will be an interactive question and answer segment separating each skit. A facilitated discussion will occur immediately afterwards incorporating smaller groups. The TAKE small group discussions are facilitated by specially trained student Orientation Leaders in tandem with a member of the TAKE cast. Students have the opportunity to further explore the issues presented in TAKE in a smaller environment. With the help of the facilitator, more in depth discussion and further questions and probing will occur.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will develop a basic understanding of some of the issues they may face as developing adults in a college environment.
  • New students will be able to understand and identify various areas resources that can assist in overcoming a social issue that is prevalent in a college student's life.

back to top

Component: Group Meetings and Transitions

These meetings will include icebreakers and activities that will allow students to feel more comfortable in their new surroundings and with their Orientation groups. Meetings will be designed with strategic probing questions in order to encourage interaction between students and orientation leaders. In these group meetings students will be provided with campus facts and information, lead to key locations students should be familiar with on campus, and informed of services/classes offered in the buildings pointed out. There will also be opportunities for students and group members to share informal information about college life and discuss any concerns that students may have. Orientation leader will be prepared to answer any questions that students may have or provide guidance as to where a student can be better assisted. This group will allow students to develop an initial network of support at CSUN through interaction on the day of Orientation, during Welcome All Matadors Week and the Presidents Celebration, and will follow-up with contacts on emails and informal gatherings from orientation leaders/mentors.

Learning Outcomes:

  • New students will be able to establish at least one interpersonal connection with a peer of sufficient depth.
  • New students will be able to identify at least one peer who could serve as a resource and support that would continue after New Student Orientation.
  • New students will be able to express familiarity with the physical layout of the campus.
  • New students will be able to identify the location of campus buildings, parking structures and lots, and more specifically where their classes will be held.
  • New students will be able to identify location of business resources on campus and other major resource areas such as the Klotz Student Health Center (SHC), the Oviatt Library, the University Student Union (USU), and the Student Services Building.
  • New students will be able to identify their new orientation leaders as support systems within the university.

back to top