By Sean Park
Most incoming students at the 糖心vlog视频 are introduced to campus life and resources by staff in Orientation & Transition Programs. When the coronavirus pandemic halted in-person advising and orientation sessions this year, however, the OTP team knew it had to rally and re-engineer its programs to deliver this vital information to new students virtually.
鈥淲e want to make sure incoming students are still getting the right information to succeed at UW Bothell,鈥 said Carrie Newman, assistant director of Orientation Programs. 鈥淗aving live online sessions gives students an opportunity to connect with each other and feel a sense of belonging to the Husky family.鈥
Taking puppy steps
All incoming students will now go through a series of checkpoints to finish their orientation process online. Some steps are asynchronous, i.e., students can complete them at their own pace. Others are live, or synchronous, sessions where students can connect, in real time, with campus resources and other new students.
The first checkpoint is UWB 101, an asynchronous information session explaining UW Bothell culture, where things are located on campus, and what services and resources are available to students.
鈥淐lasses are resuming in the fall,鈥 noted Newman, 鈥渁nd safety is a top concern.鈥
Once students complete UWB 101, they can sign up for a synchronous virtual Advising and Orientation session during which they can interact with current students as well as other new students. The OTP team is also present to answer questions and provide additional information to ensure students are feeling comfortable and knowledgeable about available services and resources.
Next, transfer students then meet with their academic advisers in a group setting, while first-year students meet with advisers in one-to-one appointments
鈥淥ur goal with the advising and orientation process remains the same,鈥 said Newman. 鈥淲e hope students start to feel connected to campus, know the resources and opportunities available to them, and become ready to register for classes.鈥
After students register for classes online, the final checkpoint is to attend Welcome Week during the first week of autumn quarter. Welcome Week 鈥 which will also be virtual this autumn quarter 鈥 features many programs and activities to help students start making connections within the UW Bothell community and building their own Husky experiences.
Unleashing the Dawgs
Concurrently, incoming students can also sign up for Husky+, a new program designed to put students in charge of how they will engage with the campus community. 鈥淲e like to look at it as orientation 鈥榰nleashed,鈥欌 said Newman.
Husky+ features a variety of virtual sessions on topics ranging from student activities and study abroad to budgeting and job opportunities.
鈥淎 big goal of this program is to help incoming students network with each other and learn from those who have gone through the process before them,鈥 said Newman. 鈥淎nd they have an opportunity to win prizes based on their level of participation!鈥
Tri Nguyen (STEM 鈥20) is a project assistant in Student Engagement & Activities who helped organize the Husky+ session Maximize Your Husky Experience with Clubs. 鈥淲e want students to know about the many clubs we have on campus and that they鈥檙e still active despite physical distancing,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here is a club for almost everyone, but we also want new students to know they can start their own.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that this session gives students a feeling of camaraderie with SEA and the campus,鈥 Nguyen said, 鈥渁nd that they鈥檒l want to get involved as soon as they begin their journey here.鈥
Each Husky+ workshop is held multiple times throughout the summer so students can attend when it best fits their schedules. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 great about Husky+ is that students can choose what they want to learn more about, when it works for them,鈥 said Newman. 鈥淓veryone has different interests, and this format enables them to pick and choose what鈥檚 important for them.
鈥淯W Bothell has so many resources that during in-person orientation, we don鈥檛 have time to cover everything,鈥 she said. 鈥淲ith Husky+, we have the opportunity to have many more touch points than we regularly can cover in person.鈥
