Skip to content
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign In
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
  • More
  • Sections
    • News
    • Advice
    • The Review
  • Topics
    • Data
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Finance & Operations
    • International
    • Leadership & Governance
    • Teaching & Learning
    • Scholarship & Research
    • Student Success
    • Technology
    • Transitions
    • The Workplace
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Special Issues
    • Podcast: College Matters from The Chronicle
  • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Virtual Events
    • Chronicle On-The-Road
    • Professional Development
  • Ask Chron
  • Store
    • Featured Products
    • Reports
    • Data
    • Collections
    • Back Issues
  • Jobs
    • Find a Job
    • Post a Job
    • Professional Development
    • Career Resources
    • Virtual Career Fair
    Upcoming Events:
    College Advising
    Serving Higher Ed
    Chronicle Festival 2025
Sign In
Students

Colleges Go Online to Help Orient Nontraditional Students

By Kathryn Masterson August 22, 2017

As the number of nontraditional students grows, colleges may find that the usual in-person orientation programs don’t always work. More colleges are creating online orientations for these students, says Joyce Holl, executive director of NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education.

To continue reading for FREE, please sign in.

Sign In

Or subscribe now to read with unlimited access for as low as $10/month.

Don’t have an account? Sign up now.

A free account provides you access to a limited number of free articles each month, plus newsletters, job postings, salary data, and exclusive store discounts.

Sign Up

As the number of nontraditional students grows, colleges may find that the usual in-person orientation programs don’t always work. More colleges are creating online orientations for these students, says Joyce Holl, executive director of NODA, the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education.

California State University-East Bay is one of those institutions. It has developed an online orientation for transfer students, who tend to be older and have more family or work responsibilities.

The university also offers an in-person, three-quarter-day orientation for transfer students. But many students have said it is difficult to take the time for that, says My-Lan Huynh, assistant director of student life and leadership programs. Now they can choose the online option.

Revised-1orientation-IDEALAB_iStock-185271404_O.jpg
How to Make Orientation Stick
How do colleges reach new students with the messages crucial to their safety and academic success?
  • Revamping Orientation for Parents
  • The New, Improved Orientation

The online program covers academic requirements and self-assessments of readiness for upper-level classes; social issues, like what to do if they see a student being bullied; and what extracurricular activities are available on campus.

The benefits of online orientation include:

Flexibility. That is the biggest benefit, Ms. Huynh says. Cal State-East Bay has more transfer students than first-time freshmen (2,371 compared with 1,596 in fall 2016) and many are nontraditional students who have jobs and child- or elder-care duties. The online orientation takes six to eight hours and can be done in multiple viewings.

Ability to regain information. Once classes start, students can go back and access the information again when they need it. That helps them cope with the volume of new material they need to absorb.

Personalization. The program allows for a customized orientation based on what a student’s interests and how much he or she already knows. It also allows the university to provide more information for students who need it. For example, if a student answers questions about academic honesty that indicate he or she does not understand the concept well, the program gives additional explanations and resources.

The biggest challenge for East Bay’s new orientation has been making sure the students have the right technology (browser and software) to support it, Ms. Huynh says.

The program, which was encouraged but not mandatory this year, has grown in popularity since it was introduced, in 2014, with about half of incoming transfer students now choosing online over in-person orientation. This year, for the first time, the number of students choosing the online option, 1,023, was more than the number attending in person, 991.

ADVERTISEMENT

In fall 2018, orientation will be mandatory for all transfer students. Administrators are discussing whether the online version will be required, with the in-person version offered as a supplement, or if students can choose which orientation to complete.

East Bay officials are also considering making the online orientation available for all students, transfer and new, as a supplement to the on-campus orientation, so that they can access information at any time.

A version of this article appeared in the September 1, 2017, issue.
Read other items in How to Make Orientation Stick.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
Share
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Email
About the Author
Kathryn Masterson
Kathryn Masterson reported on the almost-$30-billion world of college fund raising for The Chronicle of Higher Education. She also covered other areas of higher-education management, including endowments.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

More News

Protesters attend a demonstration in support of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, March 10, 2025, in New York.
First Amendment Rights
Noncitizen Professors Testify About Chilling Effect of Others’ Detentions
Photo-based illustration of a rock preciously suspended by a rope over three beakers.
Broken Promise
U.S. Policy Made America’s Research Engine the Envy of the World. One President Could End That.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Tucson, Arizona—Doctor Andrew Capaldi poses for a portrait at his lab at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. CREDIT: Ash Ponders for Chronicle
Capaldi Lab—
Research Expenses
What Does It Cost to Run a Lab?
Research illustration Microscope
Dreams Deferred
How Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Are Derailing Young Scholars’ Careers

From The Review

University of Virginia President Jim Ryan keeps his emotions in check during a news conference, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 in Charlottesville. Va. Authorities say three people have been killed and two others were wounded in a shooting at the University of Virginia and a student is in custody. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The Review | Opinion
Jim Ryan’s Resignation Is a Warning
By Robert Zaretsky
Photo-based illustration depicting a close-up image of a mouth of a young woman with the letter A over the lips and grades in the background
The Review | Opinion
When Students Want You to Change Their Grades
By James K. Beggan
Photo-based illustration of a student and a professor, each occupying a red circle in a landscape of scribbles.
The Review | Opinion
Meet Students Where They Are? Maybe Not.
By Mark Horowitz

Upcoming Events

Chronfest25_Virtual-Events_Page_862x574.png
Chronicle Festival: Innovation Amid Uncertainty
07-16-Advising-InsideTrack - forum assets v1_Plain.png
The Evolving Work of College Advising
Lead With Insight
  • Explore Content
    • Latest News
    • Newsletters
    • Letters
    • Free Reports and Guides
    • Professional Development
    • Events
    • Chronicle Store
    • Chronicle Intelligence
    • Jobs in Higher Education
    • Post a Job
  • Know The Chronicle
    • About Us
    • Vision, Mission, Values
    • DEI at The Chronicle
    • Write for Us
    • Work at The Chronicle
    • Our Reporting Process
    • Advertise With Us
    • Brand Studio
    • Accessibility Statement
  • Account and Access
    • Manage Your Account
    • Manage Newsletters
    • Individual Subscriptions
    • Group and Institutional Access
    • Subscription & Account FAQ
  • Get Support
    • Contact Us
    • Reprints & Permissions
    • User Agreement
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037
© 2025 The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Chronicle of Higher Education is academe’s most trusted resource for independent journalism, career development, and forward-looking intelligence. Our readers lead, teach, learn, and innovate with insights from The Chronicle.
Follow Us
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • facebook
  • linkedin