51ĀŅĀ×

BSO was BUSY this summer at 51ĀŅĀ×

This yearā€™s version of Bobcat Student Orientation (BSO) welcomed a higher number of students and family members than in recent years, implemented several new initiatives and received very positive feedback.

ā€œI appreciated the great communication and organization in preparation for and during orientation,ā€ wrote one family member of an incoming student in a survey. ā€œI walked away encouraged by the opportunities my son has at 51ĀŅĀ×!ā€

Already this summer, OHIO has welcomed 4,865 students and 5,822 family members to campus for orientation.

ā€œGenerally, each first-year orientation session brings 800 to 900 students and guests to campus, and it truly takes a coordinated campus-wide effortā€”like a well-rehearsed danceā€”to ensure everything comes together seamlessly,ā€ said Mak Olaker, assistant dean of students and director of New Student and Family Programs.

Some families even brought three generations of family members to BSO.

ā€œMy 85-year-old mother came with us and the students and staff in charge were beyond accommodating and kind,ā€ one Bobcat parent wrote. ā€œIt was an amazing experience, and we just loved our time there.ā€

Many parents and family members remarked about how organized the event was and how friendly the students, faculty and staff were at OHIO.

ā€œMother of third Bobcat attending BSO,ā€ wrote one Bobcat parent. ā€œI can't say enough wonderful things about the staff at OHIO! You truly are treated like family, and I look forward to visiting the campus!ā€

Another parent was grateful for how much information was presented to parents and family members.

ā€œThis is very different than when I went to my orientation as an undergrad,ā€ the parent wrote. ā€œI am so happy my daughter is becoming a Bobcat!

The main sessions of BSO were held in May, June and July, and overall were very successful.

ā€œThere are three more BSO sessions coming up this summer, and we are expecting that we will see more than 5,000 total student attendees by the end of August,ā€ Olaker said.

Student attendance has increased by 6.8% over last year, and the summer programs have gone well, thanks to the work of countless OHIO students, faculty and staff members.

ā€œI think BSO went well this year, especially considering all the transitions we navigated,ā€ Olaker said. Those transitions included moving orientation into a new administrative area, flipping the schedule structure and introducing new content.

ā€œOf course, none of this would have been possible without the dedication and adaptability of our student workers, campus partners and everyone who stepped up to make it happen. It truly takes a campus-wide effort to pull off BSO, and this year was a shining example of that. Across the board, I saw positive attitudes and a lot of grace extended to one another. Iā€™m looking forward to gathering more feedback and seeing whatā€™s in store for next year,ā€ Olaker said.

Nearly every facet of the University plays a role in BSO. This year, campus partners ranged from Facilities to Enrollment Management, every academic college and even the Presidentā€™s Cabinet. Offices from across campus contributed in countless ways, whether through the resource fairs, sitting on panels, presenting or hosting BSO Late Night events.

With a robust day-and-a-half schedule, it took the collective effort of hundreds of OHIO employees to make each BSO session a success.

Earlier this year, BSO transitioned into the Division of Student Affairs, where it is now under the new Office of New Student and Family Programs, which was announced during the spring semester.

As part of that transition, the BSO organizers examined all of their processes and looked for ways to continue to strengthen and improve the orientation programs.

They also implemented several new initiatives including:

• Changing the orientation schedule from a one-day/half-day model to a half-day/full-day model, improving the experience for students, families and campus partners while maximizing efficiency and reducing costs for families.
• Establishing new partnerships to streamline course registration processes and improve advising session capacity.
• Partnering with the College of Arts and Sciences and Enrollment Management to increase Placement Testing participation, ensuring students were ready for course registration.
• Partnering with Campus Recreation to promote belonging through social teambuilding activities rather than lecture-style programming
• Adding additional parent and family panels to showcase opportunities beyond the classroom, such as experiential learning, study away, campus job opportunities and well-being offerings.

ā€œWith a summer nearly under our belt, weā€™ll soon be collecting feedback from campus partners so we can continue to improve processes and efficiencies while enhancing the student and guest experience,ā€ Olaker said.

The changes this year were well received by incoming students and family members, and it was easy to see how lively and engaged the participants were at different BSO events. And most importantly, students and family gained a great deal from their experiences at OHIO.

ā€œBeyond just leaving with a course schedule, our goal is for students and families to walk away from BSO with a deeper sense of belonging, a new friend or two, knowledge of key campus resources, and the confidence that they made the right choice in coming to 51ĀŅĀ×,ā€ Olaker said.