Within University Communication’s Corona Virus Information Center, there is now a portal for incoming students.

The page includes information about policy changes, date changes, and deferment opportunities for students entering this fall. There is also a link to virtual visit opportunities. Coming soon will be important information for students entering in 2021 terms. This site is updated frequently as changes occur.

174 students participated in our first LIVE Virtual Orientation program on April 14, April 21, May 1, and May 8. The survey was distributed on May 10th and has a 35% completion rate as of May 25, 2020.

Key highlights from the report:

• Over 95% of respondents indicated an “Excellent” or “Good” overall impression of their Virtual Orientation program.
• Approximately 96% of students felt the program increased their confidence in understanding their academic expectations.
• Almost 90% of students indicated their virtual 1-1 appointment with an academic advisors as “very helpful” in addressing their questions and 95% of students indicated their academic advisor helped them feel more connected to CMU.

All New Student Orientation sessions, from now until August 7th are now being offered as virtual experiences. We did not want to delay our on-boarding process, but instead begin the important transition to CMU. We recognize many incoming students and their families are struggling through the pandemic, but we hope their virtual orientation helps take their mind off of the present and reminds them about their exciting future at CMU.

We are offering a mix of synchronous/live sessions, asynchronous/self-paced learning, and connection to resources through virtual or phone-based appointments. In the opening hour of the live session, new students hear from student leaders, a featured speaker, and gain an overview of all CMU has to offer. In the second hour, we break students out into smaller virtual environments lead by an advisor and mentor to review important academic information. Students are able to interact with one another in the advising team meeting. From there, students receive an appointment with an academic advisor to be able to register for their courses.

View the Virtual Orientation homepage.

We hope you will take some time to review the FAQ page we created for virtual orientation. Some key points we would like to draw your attention to:

• Do we have to do the virtual orientation, or can we reschedule for a later date?
  We highly encourage you and your student to participate in the virtual session and then come for a campus visit when safe to do so. We are planning special on campus opportunities for students who complete their orientation online.
  
  If you’d prefer, you can absolutely schedule for an in-person orientation date for late summer (989-774-6629). The in-person orientations beyond June 25th are still scheduled, but we will continue to monitor guidance from public health officials.


• We registered for Family Orientation. Will my parent or family member be charged a fee??
  No, the fee is only applied once a parent or family member attends an in-person orientation.

University Communications, in partnership with multiple departments, launched a Facebook group for new first year students. In just a couple of weeks time, the group has over 700 members! If you are interested in submitting content, please complete a short form.

The Engagement and Employability Study at CMU found that 88% of students reported talking to family members about campus involvements, with 65% indicating if their family did not support organizational choice they would not continue involvement. This presents family members as vital influencers of how students choose involvements and make meaning of those experiences. Parent and Family Services, a function of the Office of Student Success works with University Communications to produce a monthly e-newsletter to parents and supporters of CMU students. Additionally, a University-wide group of campus leaders serve as the moderators for a new Facebook group for parents and supporters. We recently launched the Parent and Family Services Newsletter & Facebook Content Submission Request Form, an on-going form that we will use to collect submissions for content for either the newsletter or the Facebook group. We have a content calendar and are happy to promote your programs, services, and events to family members throughout the year.