The offices of orientation and admissions are trying to make the admission process more convenient for incoming students and their parents this summer, but some students said they were unaware of the new services.
Staff from both offices have relocated to the bottom level of the UofA Bookstore for the summer to give more immediate assistance to students and parents attending orientation sessions, said Sabrena Jameison, the assistant director of the office of orientation.
The move allows orientation staff to more easily assist parents and future students with problems like late check-in, and questions are directed to the bookstore throughout orientation as well, Jameison said.
Iman Rosario, a deaf studies freshman, said her parents would have gone to the bookstore with the questions they had, but they were not aware that orientation staff were located there.
The office of orientation also changed the time and location of the student club and organization expo to coincide with the distribution of students’ math placement scores during orientation sessions, Jameison said.
The office of orientation wanted to try something different from past years to showcase student organizations and thought the Student Recreation Center would be an ideal location, Jameison added.
Many students said they found it difficult to take full advantage of the expo.
“”We had already been going from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., which is a long day, but I had to go eventually to pick up my math scores,”” Rosario said.
“”There were only religious clubs – I really wanted to find an art club on campus, but I didn’t see anything I was interested in,”” said Megan Travers, a pre-pharmacy freshman.
The office of orientation tries to make the organization expo as diverse as possible, but many student clubs and organizations aren’t available to attend all of the summer orientation sessions, Jameison said.
In addition, the office of admissions has hosted monthly online chats since January to answer the questions of students before they arrive on campus for tours or orientation, said Scott Cason, the director of marketing in the office of enrollment management.
Cason said the chats allow parents and students to communicate directly with admission and orientation directors.
“”Participants of the chat ask about the nuts and bolts, like the status of their application and Residence Life questions,”” Cason said.
The chats give immediate feedback by the appropriate person to questions new students may feel nervous about, said Chris Ousley, manager of marketing in the office of enrollment.
The chats are advertised on the admissions’ Web site, Cason said.
“”I would use the chat, because it is online and I don’t know who else to go to for questions,”” said Claudissa Simmons, a veterinary science freshman.
While the chats are a beneficial tool for incoming students prior to orientation, thereafter students should use the resources they were exposed to during orientation, especially their advisers, Cason said.
