Inside Iowa State
January 22, 1999
New program helps first-year students acclimate to campus
by Anne Dolan
A new program to help first-year students acclimate to Iowa State and to Ames will be launched Aug. 19-22. New Student Days, sponsored by the orientation office and the vice provost for undergraduate programs, will include sessions and tips for adjusting to academic, personal and social aspects of Iowa State. About 3,000 new students are expected to participate, according to Liz Kurt, who is coordinating the program in the orientation office.
The goal is to enhance new student success by helping them get off to a good start. Kurt said similar programs at other universities have proven successful in making students feel welcomed and more confident about their school and their ability to do well.
Current students will assist in the program. "We also will rely on help from faculty and staff to achieve our goals, Kurt said.
Kurt said the August program will build on what students learn during Iowa State's June orientation sessions. New students will receive training in things such as campus computer technology; e-mail accounts; the Access Plus system and ISU Cards, including the debit feature. They also will receive suggestions on study skills, time management and faculty expectations, as well as information about campus service units such as student health and public safety.
The days will include fun and team-oriented activities, including community service projects on campus and in Ames, and a campus-wide scavenger hunt intended to help students learn the campus layout.
Kurt said later this spring, faculty and staff will have opportunities to get involved in department-level activities being planned for the weekend. There also will be a resource fair and other specific programs for faculty and staff to get involved in.
About 200 student leaders are being recruited to organize small teams of students during New Student Days. Applications are available at 110 Alumni, residence hall desks, the Student Answer Center in Beardshear and the Student Activities Center, Memorial Union. The application also is available online at http://www.iastate.edu/~studays/. Applications are due at 5 p.m. Jan. 25.
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