Every student has gone to it and through it — orientation.
Though the incoming freshman, the class of 2008, will not directly feel the effects of semester conversion, the program that introduces them to Northeastern University will.
The Director of New Student Orientation, Caroline Mercado, said although there will not be any major structural changes to orientation. Her main concern, she said, is the staff.
The ideal orientation leader, Mercado said, is an upperclassman with co-op experience, but with the new semester structure in the summer her ability to recruit upperclassmen may be compromised.
With semesters, a co-op student would work during either summer 1 or summer 2, making it next to impossible for them to participate in the summer orientations, which will span over both summer mini semesters. Mercado said this could directly affect the strength of the program.
“Parents are interested in how co-op is integrated with academics,” she said. “I’m worried about the staff. I feel that there will be compromises.”
Taking into account the other conferences and camps that are on Northeastern’s campus during the summer months, the orientation office tries to limit the number of students in each session. Mercado said that there will continue to be eight sessions throughout the summer, with a maximum capacity of 350 students in each session.
“The size of the sessions should be maintained, 350 students is best accommodated by the facilities on campus,” she said. “This number will not overwhelm any facilities, including the dining and residence halls. We will only increase numbers if enrollment numbers are up. A group size should not be over fifteen.”
The sessions will remain to be two days long on Mondays and Tuesdays, the first being June 23 – 24. In order to compensate the earlier start date to the academic year in the fall, an additional weekend session was added. There are now a total of two weekend sessions. Last year was the first time that an orientation session was held over a weekend.
The final orientation, usually reserved for out of town and international students coincides with move-in, which used to occur in mid-September, will now be bumped up to the fourth and fifth of the month.
“More or less this year will not adversely be effected,” Mercado said. “Next year we will have to think about the calendar efficiently and more strenuously. We haven’t decided yet of a start date.”
The problem that spring semester poses is that the incoming freshman will still be in high school once NU’s final exams end. Although the academic year will end early, orientation will not be able to start early, but all options are still up in the air, Mercado said.
The saving grace for the new student orientation office, Mercado said, is the student handbook, which is produced through that particular office, has enabled the office to stay in the loop.
“We have been able to articulate to other departments what we need from them and what is going on,” Mercado said. “The student handbook is passed out in this office, which has forced offices to plan and develop key details. The whole planning cycle is now much more intensive.”
But for all of the headaches, which will most likely go away once a full year under the semester system has passed, Mercado said she is relieved in knowing her office is not alone.
“In the long run there will be better academics. At other institutions, semesters worked really well,” she said. “I think it will have a positive impact.”
