New course helps orient students to new life, responsibilities of college

Fort Scott, Kan. -- A new course at Fort Scott Community College designed to help first-time college students adjust to college life recently completed a test run, FSCC officials said this week.

A nine-week college orientation course that began in mid-January helps new full-time FSCC students with their college careers. A Student Orientation Committee at FSCC developed the course, which teaches students about such topics as campus life, FSCC policy and procedures, study skills, FSCC administration, course management, software, diversity, budgeting, financial aid, career exploration, and life skills.

The class met two times a week for 55 minutes in the college's Maximized Individual Learning Laboratory (MILL) to listen to introductions and presentations from members of the Student Orientation Committee and other guest speakers. Each student received one credit hour for participating in the class, according to FSCC MILL Director De Ann Welch.

Welch said she found the course to be successful in getting students acquainted with FSCC and college life in general, and that many students found the course to be interesting.

"We did find the information presented helped new students become familiar with FSCC," Welch said. "I think the students enjoyed the guest speakers the most. In particular, our Mayor Dick Hedges came and spoke on motivation and overcoming obstacles."

Other than Hedges, the class had other guest speakers during the spring semester who spoke on a variety of topics, Welch said. Jill Warford, the executive director of the Gordon Parks Center of Culture and Diversity, spoke about Parks and the subject of diversity; UMB Bank representative Jamie Armstrong spoke about proper budgeting; and Southeast Kansas Mental Health representative Kelly Ferguson spoke about life skills.

Welch added that the most rewarding aspect of her involvement in the course was learning about the diverse range of first-time students who chose to attend FSCC.

"I enjoyed getting to know the students personally," she said. "You learn where they are from, why they are here at FSCC, and their career aspirations."

The course recently concluded for the spring semester, as students prepare to take a week off from college classes to enjoy spring break, which begins Monday and runs through March 21 at FSCC. The orientation class will begin again on the weekend (Friday and Saturday) before fall classes begin at FSCC, and will also take place the first weekend after classes begin, Welch said.

FSCC officials also are planning to possibly get parents involved in the orientation course later this year, and to incorporate other events and activities into the course schedule this fall as well, Welch said.

"We hope to get some parent participation by holding it on Friday before school starts," she said. "We will have a dinner on Friday night and we are hoping to include some fun activities like a scavenger hunt and some ice breakers."