This presentation, hosted in cooperation with the Canadian Association of College & University Student Services, features a discussion and demonstration of online orientation and the impact on student success.

The Big Sky Experience at the University of Montana (UM) is a recognized community immersion experience. The program, designed to address new-student retention and persistence, played a major role in raising UM’s status from the US public flagship with the highest enrollment decline to within reach of the institution’s all-time retention record.

So, if new student transition programming was so successful, why add an online orientation? Why now?

Adding the right online orientation solution to the student onboarding process solved many problems:

• Replace physical space limitations to host important sessions with unlimited “space” to provide information in a more engaging way.
• Provide training for sensitive topics that is accessed privately (not in a group setting) to reduce activations and encourage completion
• Appeal to a more diverse student population with more relevant orientation content, including Traditional Age, Transfer, Adult, and Military-Affiliated students.

Student Satisfaction Ratings Soar

Today, UM’s online orientation is personalized to every student, uniquely presents the institutional brand, and delivers interactive and video-rich content to any device. Since launch, student satisfaction ratings have soared, especially among previously underserved student populations. The system has added another layer of flexibility and creative delivery options, positioning the University of Montana to stay on pace to exceed enrollment goals well into the future.

Our special student groups all reported higher levels of satisfaction than traditional incoming students, so that’s an excellent indicator that satisfaction will continue to rise as we develop more personalized content. 

Request this Recording to

• Learn from Devin Carpenter, Director of New Student Success, University of Montana
• Explore the strategies and decisions behind the development of online orientation
• Tour UM’s online orientation like a student
• Understand how technology automates processes and improves efficiency
• Engage in Q&A to get your chat questions answered
• Discover a virtual orientation model you can follow