Summer 2001

Volume 3 Number 3
A publication of Macon State College

MSC Orientation: More Than a Campus Tour

For New Students, Attending Orientation Is the First Step Toward College Success

By Renee Pearman

Tim Vick leads new summer term students on a tour of the campus, which is part of orientation.

Jennifer Johnson took her invitation to orientation at Macon State College very seriously. So much so that she asked her mother to join her. It had been two years since Jennifer graduated from Putnam County High School, and the idea of enrolling in college was exciting but also a bit frightening.

By the end of morning orientation for summer term, Jennifer was feeling more at home in Macon State's new Student Life Center. She had registered for classes, paid her fees, purchased her books, received her parking decal and student ID, learned where her classes would meet and made a new friend ÐÐ Tim Vick, director of Academic Services.

"It wasn't so long ago that I was sitting where you are now," Vick told Jennifer and the other MSC newcomers at the beginning of orientation. "If you're looking for a friend on this campus, come to me. I know exactly what you're going through."

Timothy Patrick Vick arrived on the MSC campus in 1996 as a 43-year-old freshman who wanted to study information technology. He had retired from the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Forces after 21 years of service, and he was looking for a second career.

During his four years as a student at Macon State, Vick received two degrees (associate of science in business administration and bachelor of science in information technology) and was elected president of the Student Government Association, president of the college's chapter of Phi Beta Lambda, president of the student chapter of the Association for Information Technology Professionals and vice chair of the Student Advisory Council to the Board of Regents, the governing body of the University System of Georgia. He also earned membership in the international student honor society Phi Theta Kappa, made the President's List every semester and worked part-time as a peer tutor.

So, when Vick offers new students suggestions on how to succeed in college and when he encourages them to get involved in campus life outside the classroom, they tend to listen because they recognize that he is speaking from experience. That's what made him an ideal choice for director of Academic Services, which includes student orientation and advising. He also supervises the Academic Resource Center where help is available to students via computer assisted learning and one-on-one peer tutoring.

Lots of Questions

Jennifer Johnson was impressed with Vick's advice. "I'm glad I didn't miss this," she told her mother, Barbara Johnson, who took off from work to attend orientation with her daughter.

"Macon State's orientation is a very good program," Mrs. Johnson said. "I think we've learned that there is a good support system for students here. Jennifer now knows where to go and who to go to when she needs help. I'm very impressed with what I've heard here today."

Jennifer is following in the footsteps of her four brothers who are attending colleges in Atlanta, Alabama and Tennessee. "I've been working since I finished high school two years ago, but now I'm ready to start college because I want to do something with my life," she said. "I'm glad I came to orientation because although I've been on this campus before, I'm still learning my way around. I think this will make things easier for me when classes begin."

The first day of classes can be stressful for anyone, according to Vick. "Students might not know where their classes are located, they might not know where to park, they might still need to purchase books or supplies, they don't know where the advising offices are or where they need to go to get their student ID. Those questions and many more are answered at orientation."

Tina Gantt, a beginning freshman, and Jennifer Bowdry, a transferring sophomore, did not really want to spend a late spring morning at an orientation session, especially when classes did not begin for another few days, but they also had lots of questions about where to go, who to see and what to do.

"This kind of helps you get the feel of being a college student," Gantt said of the half-day session. "I wanted to find out where my classes are and get the feel of the teachers here and know where the counselors are in case I need help later on. I'm glad I came today."

Dr. Myra Jackson, interim associate vice president for Student Affairs believes attending orientation is an important first step for new and transfer students at Macon State.

"Orientation serves as our official welcome to students coming to Macon State College for the first time," Jackson said. "Our orientation program promotes student interaction with their peers who are experiencing similar excitement, anxiety and anticipation about beginning or extending their academic pursuits. Plus, it connects students new to campus with orientation guides, advisors, staff and faculty who want to help them adjust to the MSC environment.

"During orientation we introduce students to a plethora of representatives from student organizations and campus offices as well as administrators who explain the services provided at the college. We also tell students about the academic, co-curricular, career and personal services we provide, and we take the students on a tour of the campus."

Dr. Sue Leslie, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, tells students to view orientation as a map, of sorts. "To be successful and to eliminate stress as much as possible, it is helpful to know one's way around a new situation," Leslie said. "We would not try to drive to a completely unfamiliar place without consulting a map. Orientation is a student's 'map' through the college experience. It is at orientation that some of the mystery is taken out of the new college experience, and very important information is distributed."

Student-Friendly

Vick attended orientation in the fall of 1996, and he learned all that Jackson and Leslie mentioned, plus something that would prove to be very important four years later ÐÐ how to cover the same amount of information in half the time.

Now that all student services-related offices are located in the Student Life Center, which was completed last fall, those attending orientation can register, pay fees, be advised, buy textbooks, get parking decals and IDs, meet career counselors, pick up information about campus organizations and grab a snack all under one roof.

"I have tried to make the orientation sessions as student-friendly as possible," said Vick, who assumed responsibility for orientation programs last fall. "We don't just load them up with handouts, a campus map and T-shirts, although the T-shirts have certainly been a hit. We introduce them to our staff, give them a tour of the campus, share study tips with them, tell them about all the resources available on this campus and guide them through registration and advising."

Orientation sessions for new and transfer students are scheduled several days before each semester begins: in early January for spring, in late May for summer and in July and August for fall. Invitations are mailed to students who have applied and been accepted to Macon State College. New students pay an orientation fee, which funds the program.

"For our new and transfer students, attending orientation is just as important, in my opinion, as attending the first day of class," Vick said.

"In addition to seeing an academic advisor and selecting classes for their first semester with MSC, we inform students of the many opportunities available to them at Macon State. We cover student services offered, tips and techniques on how to be a successful student, student rights and responsibilities, and we have a very informative session on how to create a program of study by comparing the MSC core curriculum requirements to the student's particular degree area.

"And, one of the most important outcomes of orientation is to encourage each new student to identify at least one person on campus -- a faculty or staff member -- to whom they can go for help. Our faculty and staff are eager to engage students, and it is this contact that sometimes helps students over any rough spots they may encounter. We strive to let the students know that they do not have to go through this alone."

Good Starting Point

At the summer orientation, attendees met Dr. Tom Isherwood, vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the faculty, who shared the history of the college and more words of advice.

"All of our faculty, staff and campus resources are here to help you be successful students. We want you to be successful. We want you to make it. If you're successful, then we're successful," Isherwood told the students. "And, one thing I want to encourage you to do is become involved while you're here simply because college is more fun the more involved you are in student life."

Lynn McCraney, director of Student Life, then told them how to get involved. She listed student organizations, intramural sports and campus/community events, and she reminded them that Macon State has a wellness center and health clinic.

They also spent time with Ann Loyd, director of Student Services, who told them about the college's career center, co-op and internship opportunities, career and personal counseling services, and Lunch & Learn seminars that cover everything from how to deal with test anxiety to how to deal with credit card woes.

"I think the most important benefit I received from orientation when I first came here was knowing that I was not the only one who was new to the process and that there were people on campus who were truly interested in making sure my experience at MSC was positive," Vick said. "The faculty and staff I met at my orientation session five years ago continue to be the people I contact now when I encounter a student who can benefit from their help."

"The presentations from Student Services and Student Life also let me know that there is more to college than the classroom experience. In addition to the excellent classroom offerings, I found out that there are many opportunities for learning outside the classroom," Vick continued. "That's what I want our new students to know about Macon State College. I want their experiences here to be as terrific as mine were as a student, both in the classroom and outside the classroom, and I think our orientation program is a good starting point."