Regional Coordinators work year round to provide educational content and Region specific information to the NODA membership. They assist in planning the spring Regional Conferences, provide leadership and connections across state and region lines, and assist with communicating news and opportunities for members. As the Chair of the RCC, I have the privilege of seeing how much the RCs are working for NODA members and am inspired by their commitment. Our dedicated RCs contribute to NODA connect conversations, coordinate virtual and in-person networking They contribute to educational content, and drive-ins and are continuously helping their Regions connect on social media, through networks and affinity groups, and webinars. The Regional Coordinators work individually and collectively to enrich your NODA experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the field of higher education and forced some of our spring Regional Conferences into virtual formats. As the spring semester starts to wind down, there will be a spotlight on how orientation programs across the country will respond to limitations for gathering people at large events and the potential for moving in-person programs online. NODA has been an excellent resource for professionals seeking advice and connecting during this time. RCs will continue to work with the NODA Association Office to provide opportunities to creatively respond to the needs of members and the challenges we face now and in the future.

Resources Game
We created the resource game "Que Piensas,” modeled after "Jeopardy,” the popular television quiz show. "Que Piensas” provided an interesting way for parents to learn and discuss new information, and at the same time have a little fun. They absolutely loved it!

Coffee and Snack Time
After a few sessions we planned a break time, so the parents could mix and mingle, and also have time to take care of some of items on their agenda, or make work phone calls.

Orientation Leader
The parents had the all-day support of a dedicated Orientation Leader, trained to meet the needs of our Spanish-speaking parents. This all-day support enabled the Orientation Leader to grow in confidence and ability, ensure consistency throughout all the Spanish Parent Orientations, and allowed the opportunity for other staff to troubleshoot and prepare for upcoming sessions.

Please remember parents are a diverse bunch. In all cases "one size does not fit all.” It is crucial to note and realize that what works best at Northeastern might not work at another university. In New Student and Family Programs, we ask our parents what they need, and then take that information and build our Orientation program from there. Our one-day Parent Orientation might not work at every institution, but I do know it works for the Northeastern parents.

Although the above listed items are minor adjustments to our Orientation programming, our results have been astonishingly positive. Parents are highly satisfied with the services they receive, and state they had memorable experiences. There are still many other adjustments to make, but for now Northeastern will enjoy completing and having a successful Spanish Parent Orientation Season.

To ensure your ease of navigation on the new site, the NODA Association provided three live training sessions that were available for all members. If you were not able to attend a live session, you may watch the recorded tutorial video at your own convenience here (video is approx. 15 min).

In addition, all of the past training video sessions are located here.

If you have any questions in regards to training or the transition of websites, please contact the NODA Association at noda@umn.edu or 1.866.521.6632.

Thank you!
NODA Association

• Joining & Navigating Groups
• Contribute & Subscribe to Forum Discussions

Presentation Overview
This presentation will examine how the University of Richmond, a small, private university, provides its adult student population with a new student orientation program that is uniquely tailored to meet the needs of this demographic. Best practices, challenges, and future implications will be discussed in detail and the results from an annual student survey will be examined to determine the ways in which students respond to this type of programming. This presentation will also look at how a large, public institution, Arizona State University, orients its adult student population to the University by including them in the general orientation sessions with transfer students. The merits of each will be discussed and presentation attendees will be encouraged to discuss their views and current practices related to nontraditional student orientation programs.

Results from a survey administered to members of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA) will be shared and presenters will discuss the findings, including implementation strategies and the effectiveness of various types of orientation programs. In addition, attendees will be provided with an overview of current literature that explores the needs of nontraditional students on the college campus and how administrators can take a role in transforming the culture of learning and development as it relates to nontraditional students.

We will be taking registration until 8AM - EST the day of the presentation. Morning of the presentation a link and information about the presentation will be sent out to attendees.

As you can tell, NODA successfully transferred to a new website and membership portal on February 1.  The NODA membership portal brings many exciting and beneficial changes to NODA, such as the integration of interactive group forums, capabilities to grow your professional network by adding connections, and the ability to share and connect with your colleagues via status updates and wall posts—all available on a newly redesigned layout.

To assist you with this large-scale transition, and to ensure your ease of navigation on the new site, the NODA Association office will be providing a series of pre-recorded training video installments. These videos will be available online, and there is no need to sign up!

For any questions regarding trainings or the transition of websites, please contact the Association at noda@umn.edu.

Thank you!

Video 1: Logging-in & Managing Your Profile

Video 2: Interacting with your Connections

Registration Now Open

TPE is the largest international student affairs job placement service, and our face-to-face annual conference hosts more JOBS and more CANDIDATES than any other higher education placement event.

In 2012, 9,165 interviews were conducted with the 847 candidates in attendance. 94% of candidates and a remarkable 98% of employers recommend the event.

TPE 2013 will be held March 13-17, 2013 in Orlando. Register now to reserve your place!

We've created groups for regions and networks which you can join to keep up on the news that you are interested in as a NODA member. These groups will ultimately take over for our 'Listservs', so please start using them to converse with the NODA membership.

The NODA Association Office will post online training sessions that you, as a member, will be able to access. Keep an eye out for these trainings, and start exploring!