New Student and Family Programs
OTR (Orientation, Transition and Retention) Central
September 2020 Issue

  • Number of FTIAC students who completed their virtual orientation by month
    • May - 424
    • June - 1479
    • July - 176
    • May - 424
    • August - 42
  • Number of transfer students who completed their virtual orientation by month
    • April - 35
    • May - 125
    • June - 241
    • July - 108
    • August - 67
Data collection is an integral part of assessing our programs and guides us as we plan for the future. We’ve received over 1,300 responses back to our post-orientation survey, and the feedback received demonstrates the virtual orientation model we implemented this summer was effective in achieving our desired outcomes.

Some key highlights:
  • Consistently throughout the summer, over 90% of students indicated an overall “Excellent” or “Good” virtual orientation experience.
  • Students find their 1:1 advising appointment to be “Very Helpful” in finalizing their courses and addressing their questions.
  • On average, over 80% of students feel “Very confident” or “Moderately confident” that they’ll be able to connect with the campus culture at CMU.
View the snapshot of data from sessions throughout the season.
Planning for New Student Orientation sessions for the spring 2021 semester will soon be underway. At this time, we are planning to host New Student Orientation on the following dates; whether the sessions will be held on-campus or virtually is to be determined.
  • November 20
  • December 4
  • December 11
As students continue their transition to college life, we want to support them as they become better acclimated to our campus and community.

Incoming students are completing the Campus Life 101 program series in a phased approach this fall. Students will complete the following segments within Blackboard by mid-September, leading into the “Think About It” online training which will be available by the start of October.
  • College Life and the Law
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • No Zebras, No Excuses
A virtual Family and Friends Day is being planned for September 26th. A full agenda of live sessions and prerecorded experiences will be shared on our Family Central website and in the Parents and Supporters Facebook group.

That weekend we will also announce the winners of the first annual Family of the Year Award. Students can nominate their family via a video submission sharing how their family helps them stay FIRED UP in their CMU experience. For more information, please contact family@cmich.edu.
The Fired Up for Fall website continues to keep our campus community informed of ongoing updates, policy changes, other pertinent information for our students, faculty, University Communications staff updates this site frequently as changes occur.
University Communications, continues to moderate the Facebook group for new first year students. If you are interested in submitting content, please complete a short form.
Collaborating with University Communications, Parent and Family Services produces the monthly e-newsletter, Our CMU Family Edition, for parents and families of CMU students. They also convene a University-wide team of campus leaders who serve as the moderators for the Facebook group for parents and supporters. The group has grown to over 3,000 members since it launched in fall 2019.

We gladly accept submissions for content suggestions which can be sent directly to family@cmich.edu. We have a content calendar and are happy to promote your programs, services, and events to family members throughout the year.