Guidebook Meets: Seattle University Balances Virtual and In-Person Orientation for Diverse Student Populations

Navigating the post-pandemic landscape of higher education means constantly rethinking what orientation looks like. Seattle University's orientation team manages this complexity across quarterly enrollment cycles, serving everyone from first-generation students to commuters to transfer students, all while honoring their Jesuit commitment to sustainability and ensuring no printed schedule ever hits the recycling bin.

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Seattle University's Student Population By the Numbers

• 1,000 first-year students and 300 transfer students enrolled each fall.
• 30-40% first-generation students requiring specialized onboarding support.
• 50% BIPOC students representing significant demographic shift from predominantly white institution.
• 20% commuter students needing different resources than residential students.

What You'll Learn

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In this 55-minute webinar, Nicholas (Director of Orientation Programs at Seattle University) shares strategies for evolving orientation in a post-pandemic landscape, including:

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Post-pandemic evolution: returning to in-person orientation

• Transitioning from fully virtual orientation (2020-2022) back to in-person summer programming in 2024.
• Decreasing enrollment melt rate by several percentage points through early in-person connection opportunities.
• Maintaining virtual programming accessibility alongside in-person sessions for flexibility.
• Recording virtual sessions for YouTube to accommodate different time zones and schedules.
• Balancing New Normal celebrations with student fatigue and anxiety management.

Quarterly orientation model: serving year-round enrollment

• Operating on quarter system (not semesters) requiring fall, winter, spring, and summer orientation cycles.
• Hosting traditional summer/fall programs plus quarterly onboarding for new student cohorts.
• Running Ignite First-Year Leadership Program to extend orientation beyond traditional timeframe.
• Adapting programming scope and scale for different quarterly enrollment sizes.
• Maintaining consistency while accommodating varying student needs across entry points.

Diverse student support: meeting varied demographic needs

• Supporting 30-35% Pell-eligible students with financial resource awareness programming.
• Partnering with Mosaic Center (student DEI office) for BIPOC student-specific sessions.
• Creating Commuter Connections Family Kickoff event in August for 20% commuter population.
• Highlighting food pantry, financial aid, and housing resources for students with economic challenges.
• Ensuring non-targeted identity groups still feel included while uplifting underserved populations.

Technology and sustainability: mobile-first approach

• Eliminating printed schedules entirely in favor of orientation mobile app.
• Aligning with campus-wide Laudato Si' Action Platform for Jesuit sustainability values.
• Spending less on Guidebook annual contract than previous printing costs.
• Making instant schedule updates via laptop without reprinting materials for rain locations or room changes.
• Providing QR codes at check-in tables and in welcome sessions for immediate app downloads.

Student input and iteration: building with feedback

• Engaging 40-45 orientation leaders as primary sounding board for program ideas.
• Hiring senior orientation coaches (OCs) for year-long January-October professional staff roles.
• Conducting session-by-session debriefs after each overnight orientation to identify improvements.
• Collecting post-event surveys immediately to capture fresh impressions and actionable feedback.
• Making real-time adjustments like Elsa meme references when content doesn't land with students.

Schedule organization: reducing information overload

• Chunking resources into categorized lists (Academic, Parent/Family, Health & Wellness) instead of 800-item dump.
• Listing group meeting times as single time block with room details in description (not 25 duplicate entries).
• Using all-caps "REQUIRED" next to mandatory session titles for quick scanning.
• Creating separate parent/family supporter track to filter relevant programming for families.
• Sending group numbers via Slate text messages on first day to help navigation.

Personalization and choice: choose-your-own-adventure programming

• Structuring 80-90% of in-person schedule while building in rotation and fair options.
• Offering housing, financial services, and Mosaic Center rotation sessions at different lunch times.
• Recording student-only sessions without families present for personal connection opportunities.
• Partnering with 50+ clubs to host no-adults-in-the-room August socials for interest-based connection.
• Using Slate email/text logic to send targeted messages (commuter-specific content to commuters only).

Engagement tracking: formal and informal monitoring

• Conducting post-event surveys quickly to capture close-time-frame impressions.
• Adjusting schedule based on feedback like "I'm tired, need more room time, schedule too packed."
• Tracking app download statistics and engagement metrics to validate technology investment.
• Monitoring required event attendance like 850-student class photo (up from 200 first year).
• Balancing quantitative numbers with qualitative student interaction observations.

Resource accessibility: centralized mobile information

• Copying/pasting website content into categorized app lists for easy mobile access.
• Matching Gen Z learning style preferences through information chunking in mobile format.
• Enabling families to access schedules, resources, and updates without printed materials.
• Providing 80%+ of check-in arrivals already having downloaded app night before.
• Sending push notifications for event reminders and last-minute location changes.

Who Should Watch This Webinar

• University orientation directors managing quarterly or trimester enrollment systems.
• Student affairs professionals supporting first-generation and commuter student populations.
• Orientation teams balancing virtual accessibility with in-person connection opportunities.
• Higher education leaders committed to sustainability and paperless operations.
• Campus program coordinators seeking student input for continuous improvement.

Real Results from Seattle University's Orientation Evolution

Learn how Seattle University's approach achieved:

• Several percentage point decrease in enrollment melt after returning to in-person orientation.
• Complete elimination of printed schedules saving more than annual Guidebook contract cost.
• 80%+ app adoption rate before students arrive on campus for orientation.
• 850 student participation in class photo tradition (up from 200 first year).
• Cross-generational satisfaction with mobile app from Gen Z students to Boomer families.

Featured Speaker

Nicholas Cubita is the Director of Orientation Programs at Seattle University, where he recently completed his third year in the role. A Seattle U graduate student alum who earned his master's degree on campus, he returned to lead orientation through post-pandemic transitions including the return to in-person programming in 2024. He oversees traditional summer/fall orientation, quarterly programs for winter/spring/summer cohorts, and the Ignite First-Year Leadership Program for continued first-year engagement.