New student orientation is now mandatory for all first-time students.
“We feel that it’s important for incoming freshmen who have not attended college before to get a full view of what to expect while they are here,” said Sara King, coordinator of Student Recruitment and Outreach. “We work with a lot with at-risk students. A lot of times they don’t make it into their second year because they are not fully prepared.”
All new students must attend or a hold will be placed on their record until the student has completed orientation, according to Beverly Cage, director of Student Leadership and Campus Life.
“The big part of the program is the collaboration with student enrollment services. It helps the students be more successful knowing there are resources on campus,” Cage said.
Throughout the workshops, students will learn about Campus Life, the Student Success Center, WebDMC, Canvas and financial aid.
“It’s an extremely collaborative effort between the student affairs and the academic programs here on campus. The student enrollment center and the Student Leadership office work very closely together,” King said. “Del Mar College is known to be one of the only community colleges here in Texas to have a mandatory orientation.”
Each workshop is based on a student’s individual degree plan. Students in the Division of Health Sciences & Professional Education, Division of Business, Industrial and Public Safety Education will have their orientation from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 19. Students in the Division of Arts and Sciences will have theirs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21. For more information, visit www.delmar.edu/New_Student_Orientation.aspx.