The Geneseo Administration has decided to transition from a summer to a fall orientation model, beginning in Fall 2021. This decision was made in order to create a more inclusive environment and an overall sense of ease as the fall semester approaches, according to Senior Director of Student Life Chip Matthews.
Freshman orientation allows incoming students to spend several days familiarizing themselves with the Geneseo campus and community. Historically, freshman orientation is hosted throughout the summer as groups of students are invited to campus. They move in later in August.
“I think COVID-19, you know, certainly forced the issue, but we've been looking at it for a number of years … many institutions do a fall model orientation,” Matthews said.
The fall orientation model avoids the travel of students to and from campus multiple times in a short period of time.
“If you have a summer orientation, you're really asking people to come back to Geneseo twice in one summer, and that means you might not be able to work,” Matthews said. “It also means there's going to be travel expenses. And so, I think one of the things that was really a catalyst for it was just to try to be more equitable and, more empathetic to people's travel and expense.”
For Fall 2021 orientation, the envisioned event will be a hybrid of online and in-person interactions. Matthews said that there will be virtual activities for students to do in the summer, to promote the health and wellness of incoming students.
According to Matthews, there will be three orientation phases. Starting in July, incoming first year students will be given information to listen to through podcasts. Then, in August, students will be given a Canvas course to acclimate them to the college experience. Finally, in late August, around the last Thursday or Friday before classes begin, Geneseo plans on having in-person student activities that will replace the college’s previous “Weeks of Welcome.” Matthews noted that the dates are not concrete and are subject to change considering the pandemic.
“The podcasts will serve to inform the incoming students of the most essential information about entering Geneseo, where they can listen to wherever they are over the summer, whether it be the beach, at work, or driving,” Matthews said. “As far as the canvas course goes, we plan to have around eight-minute videos for the students to watch. We’re hoping that we can create an engaging virtual experience, conduced with an in-person experience.”
In lieu of the College’s normal Weeks of Welcome, there will be an in-person form of orientation for incoming students that is still being developed by the College.
“The Weeks of Welcome are one of the most important facets of orientation,” Matthews said. “If you talk to our first-year students from this year, you’ll hear that this is one of the things they missed out on because of the pandemic because we couldn’t have everybody gather together. I really hope that enough people get vaccinated so that we can arrange in-person activities and have a better handle on the virus.”
Matthews said that Student Life is discussing creating a second Weeks of Welcome event for current first years who were unable to experience a typical orientation in Fall 2020.
“I think that orientation is one of the most important things to help a student get started on their academic career. And we are going to work really hard to try to make it so that people are educated about Geneseo, and how to be a successful student, but also to connect the students,” Matthews said.