Student Life Orientation
a. General Description:
Student Life Orientation (SLO) works with the office of Undergraduate
Admissions to coordinate Texas A&M University's New Student Conferences. SLO provides
student involvement opportunities through the Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP), a
volunteer student organization. With the guidance of SLO staff, these students plan,
implement, and staff six informative & entertaining programs for new students during
their conferences. SLO also plans, coordinates and implements the First-time Aggie Contact
Team (F.A.C.T.), an outreach and retention effort which is conducted during the second
month of the Fall & Spring semesters. In keeping with the mission and goals of the
Offices of the Dean of Student Life, the Division of Student Affairs, and Texas A&M University,
SLO has a commitment to reaching out to the underrepresented populations among the new
students.
b. Target Audience:
Primary target audience of New Student Conferences
- newly admitted students (Freshmen and Transfers)
Secondary target audience of New Student Conferences
- the families of the newly admitted students
Primary target audience of the F.A.C.T. program
- the student in his/her first semester at Texas A&M
Primary target audience of AOLP
- the student leaders who participate as AOLP executive committee members
- the three-hundred Aggie Orientation Leaders
c. Delivery of Services and
Programs
The New Student Conferences provide most incoming students with their
first Texas A&M experience through programs that are planned throughout the year and
presented at the conference. The students meet with and explore the academic and student
services areas that they will be dealing with throughout their matriculation. The
Conferences also allow students to meet new people while attending educational and
informative programs. These programs provide knowledge on the traditions of Texas A&M,
financial aid, academic decisions, honors programs, on- and off-campus living, student
involvement, and registration.
The New Student Conferences also contain educational programming for
the families of new students, usually including one or both parents. These programs run
concurrent to the student programs and, in some cases, students and families attend the
same program. The Aggie Orientation Leaders host a Parent Social which includes a panel of
current students available to answer questions presented by the attending family members.
The Offices of the Dean of Student Life Director’s staff present a morning program on critical
issues for new students (alcohol, hazing and student conduct) and an evening program on
developmental issues that affect the new student and his/her family.
- First-time Aggie Contact Team (FACT):
The First-time Aggie Contact Team attempts to contact all new students
in the Fall and Spring semesters. Both student and faculty/staff volunteers contact new
students by phone. Callers use a prepared script and follow a prescribed referral process.
Referrals are then processed by SLO staff. After FACT calling is complete, a report is
formulated and delivered the Vice President for Student Affairs. The suggestions and
recommendations that come from the report are used to revise and improve the program each
year.
- Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP):
The Offices of the Dean of Student Life Orientation provides leadership
development for students involved with the AOLP. AOLP executives provide the services of
planning New Student Conference programs as well as selecting and training Orientation
Leaders (O.L.s). The O.L.s provide service to Texas A&M University and the new
students by attending and helping with NSC programs in any way they are needed. The
programs that the O.L.s are involved with are Check-in, Parent Socials, Mixer and
Energizer, Campus Tours, and Howdy Barbecue.
The Aggie Connection is a Student Life newsletter that is published
each semester and sent to families of first semester Aggies to keep them informed about
Texas A&M. The Aggie Connection collaborates with various offices on campus to obtain
articles of interest to the parents of new students.
The Parent Handbook is published annually to provide families of new
students with information about the Texas A&M University campus and its resources.
Each year the handbook is revised to reflect changes in the TAMU community. It is funded
partially from ads that are placed in the handbook.
d. Marketing of
Services and Programs
The New Student Conferences are marketed through the literature that is
sent out from Admissions. The brochure, Now That You’re Admitted…,
informs the new students about the conferences, including available dates and helpful
hints. The webpage, which can be found at http://studentlife.tamu.edu/slo/nsc/nschome.htm,
gives the prospective students another resource to find out more about New Student
Conferences.
- First-time Aggie Contact Team (FACT):
The First-time Aggie Contact Team is marketed in a variety of ways. The
Orientation Leaders (O.L.s) that volunteer throughout the summer for the New Student
Conferences are required to make four hours of FACT calls in order to fulfill their O.L.
requirements. The All-University calendar carries an advertisement for FACT, as well as The
Battalion. The Aggie Hotline is another medium that is used to market the First-time
Aggie Contact Team.
- Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP):
The AOLP is marketed through the Whoop!Start (student handbook),
New Aggie News (newsletter that goes out to newly admitted students), and the AOLP
webpage, found at http://studentlife.tamu.edu/slo/aolp/default.htm
. During the Public Relations (PR) week, the AOLP executives recruit for and market the
Aggie Orientation Leader Program through ads in the Battalion, table tents, and
information sessions.
The Aggie Connection is marketed at the Student Life Resource table
that is set up at the Resource Table portion of New Student Conferences.
The Parent Handbook is distributed at New Student Conferences to the
families of new Aggies.
e. Collaborative Efforts
New Student Conferences:
The New Student Conference Committee is made up of representatives
from a wide variety of areas that are instrumental in assuring that the new students
receive all of the information they need. These offices are:
- Student Life Orientation - advise the Aggie Orientation Leader Program, which provides
the student volunteers that help with the programs
- AOC Deans - the Academic Operations Committee includes the college undergraduate deans.
Representatives from this group participate in the planning of new student conferences.
- Admissions - this office has primary responsibility for recruiting and admitting new
students to the university.
- Corps of Cadets - recruit new members.
- Student Life - this department provides services for parents of students, as well as
having responsibility for the student life rules.
- Honors and Scholarships - provides honors courses and manages various honor programs and
scholarships.
- Office of Professional School Advising- provides guidance to students who eventually
plan to attend a professional school (law, dental, medical, or veterinary school).
- Financial Aid - present a program at the NSCs that inform new students who are receiving
financial aid about their options and responsibilities
- Food Services - provide refreshments for Parent Socials, Mixers and Energizers, food for
Howdy Barbecue, and a facility for Mixers and Energizers
- Aggie Orientation Leader Program - provide the student volunteers needed to successfully
run New Student Conferences
- Student Government - represent student needs & concerns. SG president serves as MC
for the NSC welcome program.
- Residence Life - coordinate conference housing for new students and their families while
they are here for their Conference, as well as presenting a session for students who will
be provided on-campus housing as new students
- University Center - provide technical support and appropriate space in the MSC and
Rudder during the NSC programs.
- Measurement and Research Services (MARS) - conducts evaluations of all programs and
compiles the results. These results are then forwarded to the appropriate office and used
to assess the program.
First-time Aggie Contact Team (FACT):
The First-time Aggie Contact Team collaborates with current
students, faculty/staff, and the Vice President of Student Affairs.
Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP):
The AOLP collaborates with current students, faculty/staff, and
various areas that provide services to the Texas A&M community.
Aggie Connection:
The Aggie Connection collaborates with various offices on campus.
Parent Handbook:
The Parent Handbook collaborates with area businesses and academic,
as well as extra-curricular, organizations and offices at Texas A&M University. The
relationship that exists is one that informs the recipients of the publication about their
businesses and offices through ads that these businesses and offices place in the
Handbook. The advertisements cover fifty percent of the cost of producing the Parent
Handbook
Federation of Texas A&M University Mothers’ Clubs:
Mothers’ Club representatives attend and are introduced at
each Parent Social. Mothers of new students are encouraged to join their local
Mothers’ Club.
f. Evaluation and
Assessment
Two years ago the New Student Conference Committee commissioned the
office of Measurement and Research Services (MARS) to direct an NSC assessment. The
program is on-going and includes surveys of new students attending the freshman NSC in
1997 and 1998; new students attending the transfer NSC in 1998; and parents attending the
freshman NSC in 1998. The information from the surveys is tabulated by MARS and presented
to the NSC Committee in the fall. This information is used to plan programs and update the
Conference schedule.
In addition, SLO surveys FACT callers after the calling cycle and Aggie
Orientation Leader Program members. Both of these surveys help to determine training needs
and assess the effectiveness of the programs.
g. Resources
Personnel
- Coordinator, Student Life Orientation (SLO) - Responsible for coordinating the
University's New Student Conferences and various publications. Develop the orientation
process. Oversee the Orientation office and supervise the Assistant Coordinator,
Administrative Secretary, and two graduate assistants.
- Assistant Coordinator, SLO - Advise the Aggie Orientation Leader Program (AOLP). Assist
with the new student conferences. Maintain the SLO and AOLP web pages.
- Administrative Secretary, SLO - Provide office management. Assist with New Student
Conferences. Maintain the office budgets. Supervise two office workers. Respond to
questions about the department and university services. Provide clerical support.
- Graduate Assistants, SLO - Assist in the advising of AOLP, the editing of publications,
and the implementation of conference programs.
- Student Assistants, SLO - Answer phones, sort mail, type memos, letters and documents,
assist administrative secretary.
h. Primary Obstacles
- Part of SLO’s budget comes from the New Student Conference Fee which is collected
by the Office of Admissions, specifically from funds collected from new students as a
"New Student Conference Fee." Although the University’s funding cycle is
based on a September 1 through August 31 fiscal year, allocations from Admissions do not
become final until April or May. This means that the majority of the spending for the New
Student Conferences is made without a final budget in place. Budget planning is not
possible under the current allocation practice.
- It has become increasingly difficult to reserve consistent space in the Memorial Student
Center and Rudder Tower due to other conferences being given priority. Every time a room
changes, new NSC programs have to be produced, which is an expensive and time-consuming
process.
- Because the actual New Student Conference involves so many facets of the University,
many individuals are interested in being involved planning and making decisions about the
NSC program and related publications. Unfortunately, some of these individuals represent
competing interests.
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