Orientation classes initiated into South Campus curriculum
by Tiffany Davis, south news editor

     Unlike the other TCC campuses, South Campus has not had a student orientation program for many years until fall semester 2000.
     Lonzetta Smith-Allen, South Campus director of counseling, said the need to develop orientation was proposed after concerns from students, faculty and committees about problems students were having adjusting to college facilities, programs and procedures.
     The mission of the new student orientation is to achieve excellence in the orientation and transition to the college experience, according to orientation information.
     “Our goal is to include the student orientation in the original schedule as a requirement for students,” Annie Dobbins, student advisor and instructor of psychology, said.
     “TCC would like to accommodate the needs of all of our students by offering orientation Psychology 1100 as an Internet course and providing video presentations,” she said.
     The counseling and the testing center established several goals to enrich the quality of campus life, according to information supplied by Dobbins.
     The first goal is to educate students, to acclimate students to the campus and surrounding community.
v“We also want to provide information and assistance concerning academic policies procedures, requirements, programs and registration,” she said.
     The center also wants to promote student leadership and involvement, according to orientation information so that students may become more involved in the college experience.
     Orientation is divided into three phases.
     Phase one is testing.
     During phase two counselors will orient and advise students about college.
     Phase three consists of outside assignments.
     “Phase three will be interactive and resourceful,” she said. “The students enrolled in the orientation will have an opportunity to learn many of the necessary skills to successfully transition into a college life-style because many of them do not currently have those skills.” Survival series is an addition to phase three of the orientation. Students are expected to attend at least two seminars, according to orientation information.
     Survival series is a series of seminars presented by different speakers who will speak about a variety of topics that may be useful for orientation students and other interested students.
     “Students can take this course whether they are new to TCC or just interested in finding out what TCC has to offer the students,” she said.
     “As an advisor, I suggest all students take this course because it can be beneficial to a student’s college success. It is resourceful, informative, interactive and worth one credit hour,” Dobbins said.
     Although the orientation phases have already begun, students may sign up for the spring 2001 semester over the Internet at www.tccd.net. For more information, call counseling 817-515-4558.