New Loyola Program Gets an Earlier Start

Loyola University Chicago's new orientation program calledFreshman Experience gets an early start, even though someparticipating in it are still on waiting lists for other schools.

"We run the risk of bringing some students in who are wait-listed elsewhere," said Steven R. DiSalvo, executive assistant toRev. John J. Piderit, S.J., Loyola's president. "But if we canexpose them to the university culture and the city culture, it wouldbe very difficult to walk away."

One of the area's most comprehensive new programs, Loyola'syearlong effort began right after the Fourth of July with 10successive small-group course registration sessions for newcomers.They signed up for classes, met and shared activities, on campus andin the city, with other students, faculty and staff.

"It is not enough to get your students here," explained Loyolaspokesperson Stephanie Kerch. "You have to retain them. Whenstudents have a very strong positive freshman experience, they tendto stay and to do better."

That positive experience is more likely to result when studentsshare a strong sense of community, DiSalvo agreed.

When registered students arrive for orientation later thismonth, that event will be, in effect, a first reunion for the 1,100out of Loyola's 1,250 first-year students expected to haveparticipated in the earlier events.

"We invited them based on the order in which the deposit camein," DiSalvo said. "That was intentional," he added, to reward earlydeciders with a wider selection of courses, dormitory rooms and theopportunity to select a roommate.

To appeal to students' electronic enthusiasms, a tour of campuscomputer facilities included an opportunity to go immediatelyon-line.

"When we take ID photos this year, we are going to use a videocamera and download it onto our mainframe e-mail system," DiSalvosaid. "Any student who has an e-mail account can call up the studentdirectory for classmates' addresses and pictures. And everyincoming freshman gets an e-mail account."

From last year's freshmen, DiSalvo said, Loyola advisers hadlearned that "many of their questions were answered when they . . .were able to talk to some upper class students."

The two-day schedule included campus tours and presentation,math and English placement tests, and afternoon meetings with thefreshman dean and with peer advisers to discuss course options,scheduling and freshman survival tips.

"I really like the late afternoon and evening portion ofregistration," DiSalvo added, "when students travel by bus fromLoyola's North Side campus to the Water Tower, for a walk to theriver and back to an ice cream social at the university's water towercampus.

"By beginning students' academic life by bringing them into thecity, we are making a strong statement. We are saying that weencourage them to become a part of the city to enhance their academicexperience at Loyola."

Plans for the rest of the yearlong Freshman Experience includesubsidized low-cost tickets to cultural, social and athletic eventsin Chicago, faculty lectures on academic majors and career choices,special attention both to academically "at risk" students and to highachievers "who report difficulties," meetings with peer advisers,community service projects, spiritual retreats and seminars topromote the philosophy of Jesuit education.

Will the Freshman Experience make a difference for students orfor Loyola?

Officials will be listening to students' reactions to find out,analyzing their academic performances and measuring the program'saffect on Loyola's student recruitment and retention.