Over the summer, Cortland welcomed over 1,300 new faces to campus during orientation. Both in-person and online sessions were offered to incoming freshmen and transfer students. Orientation is used to get students familiar with campus, college life, technology, college policies, and to meet a plethora of other students.
Cortland orientation is arranged by the Advisement and Transition office and headed by Gregory Diller, the coordinator of transition programs. Alongside the Advisement and Transition office, recent 2024 alum Emily Thomas served as the program assistant, and current student Julian deRoziere as the Administrative Coordinator. Both played essential roles in the planning, organization and running of the six-week program. The office also hired seventeen current Cortland students who worked as orientation assistants, helping students and families with questions, schedule changes, and sharing their Cortland experience. The orientation assistants, also known as OAs, ranged from sophomores to seniors with majors across the board, each with a wide range of different Cortland experiences to share with our incoming students.
The largest sessions were first-year in-person sessions, which were set up as two-day programs, where freshmen students got their first taste of residence hall living and stayed in either Fitzgerald or Randall Hall.
On day one, freshmen and their families were welcomed to campus, introduced to the OAs, and received important information from various campus offices. Residence Life and Housing attended to give an in-depth rundown of residence hall living, the Student Conduct Office went over dos and don’ts, and the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office talked about belonging at Cortland.
After receiving all this important information, both students and families walked down to The Bistro Off Broadway for lunch, where they were greeted by our fabulous Nancy, and got their first taste of eating at Cortland. Following an amazing lunch, students were split into smaller groups by majors, with 8-16 students per group led by an OA. These smaller groups allowed students to get to know others in their major and ask their OA questions about their Cortland experience. These small groups stayed together for the rest of the day, even eating dinner together at The Bistro, where groups filled the dining hall with laughter among each other and with the OAs.
A few of the main highlights of the first-year programs are what’s known as Lecture Hall 101, the OA skits, and Cortland Nites.
Lecture Hall 101 had students sit down in Sperry 105 to receive a real lecture from a SUNY Cortland professor. While being lectured, OAs were disguised in the crowd performing some kind of distraction to simulate problems students may come across during a real lecture hall. Distractions ranged from loud gum popping to two OAs talking, and even playing games on a Nintendo Switch. After students were given a fake quiz on the lecture material, the Learning Center came in to talk to them about the resources they offer, as well as study and note-taking strategies.
The OA skits were written and performed by all the OAs and featured them showing real situations that can happen during college and what solutions might be. The OAs covered topics such as roommate conflict, underage drinking, academic struggles, and how to create boundaries. While the skits were educational, the OAs kept things light and humorous, ensuring the crowd laughed.
To end day one, students had various options for how they wanted to spend their night. Several Cortland Nites events were set up throughout the SLC, Fitzgerald, and Randall Halls. These events included basketball, pickleball, a movie night, friendship bracelet making, and make-your-own dorm decor.
Day two was all about students’ majors and their schedules. Students and their families attended department meetings, where a faculty member from the student’s academic department went over their degrees. This allowed students to ask questions about their major, internships, and degree requirements. It was also their first introduction to a professor in their department, which opened the door for them to make connections early.
After department meetings, students sat down with a temporary advisor from their department to review their premade schedules. These meetings allowed advisors to explain their classes, look over possible transfer credits, and make any necessary schedule changes. Once students met with their advisor, their orientation was done, and they left Cortland with a wealth of knowledge they didn’t have coming in.
Cortland’s orientation program does an amazing job preparing students for their first upcoming semester at Cortland. It works to educate, inform, and connect students in a fun and enjoyable way while still hitting all the necessary points. Orientation is some students’ first time on campus and most students’ first introduction to all things Cortland. It’s a key piece in retaining students and ensuring their transition to Cortland goes smoothly. The Advisement and Transition office did an amazing job orienting all our incoming students this year, hats off to them, the OAs, and all campus staff and faculty involved in the process.