Virtual orientation enables a hybrid approach to new student and family orientation with Advantage Design Group^®. As we imagine tomorrow, what is the future of student and family orientation? Can we go back to “normal,” or is there a way to build confidence and strengthen connections with a balance of high-touch and high-tech strategies to meet expectations? Yes, we can - and we are.  

This session features Larry Cloud, Director, and Mary Elliot, Graduate Assistant, of New Student Orientation at the University of Georgia (UGA). They have adopted a hybrid approach to orient new students and their families from admission through enrollment. Their real-life story is a model you can follow and apply to any onboarding scenario. These presenters explore three strategies for a hybrid orientation approach that leans on People, Processes, and the Advantage Orientation^® platform.  

"We use Advantage Orientation^® as an introduction to UGA to supplement in-person orientation. Online orientation modules are mandatory. Orientation is part of our culture and has always been a requirement," Larry explains. 

This fall, over 6,300 students and nearly 400 family members completed the online modules, and over 6,000 students participated in in-person orientation at UGA.

Larry expounds on the primary benefits of using Advantage Orientation^® as the digital hub of UGA's highly successful onboarding system, which includes: 

• Personalization 
• Efficiency 
• Flexibility 
• Expandability 
• Accessibility 

Among the system's built-in features is the ability to create personalized content tracks for different audiences, such as: 

• First-Year Students 
• Transfers 
• International Students 
• Veteran Students
• Distance Learners 
• Parents & Family Members 

Request the recording of this conference session and learn how the New Student Orientation team from UGA is innovating a new student experience with online orientation. You'll take a tour of their online orientation and review quantitative outcomes. 

As presented at the 2021 NODA National Conference 

NODA, Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education