Institute pre-orientation suspended; programs still host specific sessions
By: Meredith McGrady
Issue date: 9/2/08 Section: News
With new traditions joining old during orientation, The DePauw Institute, a pre-orientation program aimed at helping specific students groups adjust before orientation, was a tradition canceled this year.
The University Web site states that the program exposed the students to "academic and social challenges they may face in college and acquaints them with the support services that will help them."
Vice President Neal Abraham said the program was "paused" this year but individual programs for most of the special groups that Institute served-Bonner Scholars, LEAD scholars, international students and Information Technology Associates-still took place.
"We did a study last year and decided that we had gotten so big trying to be many different things at once for different subgroups that we decided we would take a pause on most of those. Special programs [had] pre-orientation if they wanted it or needed it," Abraham said.
Sophomore Jackie Melusky attended the program as a freshman. "I'm kind of disappointed that it got eliminated. It was successful for me," she said "It helped me prepare for college."
International freshman Aishwarya Subbaraman came to campus early for international pre-orientation. She said she thought the program offered to international students this year sufficed in orienting her to DePauw and to the American collegiate experience.
"It was a nice couple of weeks," Subbaraman said. "Before I came, I thought, 'What are we going to do for a whole week?'"
Subbaraman said that when the other students arrived on Aug. 23, she was comfortable.
First generation college students were one group usually invited to Institute in the past who didn't come to campus early this year. Stephen Shinault, a first-generation college student, arrived the same day as the majority entering class. Shinault stated that he didn't feel at a disadvantage.
"I'm a pretty social person, so it wasn't hard," Shinault said.
Former DePauw Institute coordinator Allison Cath could not be reached for comment.
The University Web site states that the program exposed the students to "academic and social challenges they may face in college and acquaints them with the support services that will help them."
Vice President Neal Abraham said the program was "paused" this year but individual programs for most of the special groups that Institute served-Bonner Scholars, LEAD scholars, international students and Information Technology Associates-still took place.
"We did a study last year and decided that we had gotten so big trying to be many different things at once for different subgroups that we decided we would take a pause on most of those. Special programs [had] pre-orientation if they wanted it or needed it," Abraham said.
Sophomore Jackie Melusky attended the program as a freshman. "I'm kind of disappointed that it got eliminated. It was successful for me," she said "It helped me prepare for college."
International freshman Aishwarya Subbaraman came to campus early for international pre-orientation. She said she thought the program offered to international students this year sufficed in orienting her to DePauw and to the American collegiate experience.
"It was a nice couple of weeks," Subbaraman said. "Before I came, I thought, 'What are we going to do for a whole week?'"
Subbaraman said that when the other students arrived on Aug. 23, she was comfortable.
First generation college students were one group usually invited to Institute in the past who didn't come to campus early this year. Stephen Shinault, a first-generation college student, arrived the same day as the majority entering class. Shinault stated that he didn't feel at a disadvantage.
"I'm a pretty social person, so it wasn't hard," Shinault said.
Former DePauw Institute coordinator Allison Cath could not be reached for comment.
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