Aug. 29, 2011

Every year, Shawnee State University has grown, adding more courses of study and adding more students. This year nearly 4,700 students are enrolled.

Records indicate that 1,433 students and 1,001 family members participated in orientation activities in the summer during 11 sessions offered from June to August at SSU.

Both students and parents are invited to sessions with different agendas in the afternoon culminating in housing tours. Every freshman is required to live on campus.

"College is such a big transition for both students and family members, we try to develop our orientation sessions for both the student and the family," said Dale Taylor, coordinator, Student Academic Assessment Services and program assistant.

This is the first year that transfer orientation dates were included in the orientation schedule. Eighty-five students participated in the orientation sessions specifically fashioned for transfer students.

In 2010 orientations, 1,313 students participated which was also a record year. In 2000, 531 students participated in the orientations while in 2005, 980 students participated in orientation activities. During the past decade, orientation participation has grown from a little more than 500 students to nearly 1,500 students.

Although many participants were from Ohio, students from a multitude of countries and states participated in Orientation 2011. Some of the countries include China, England, Morocco, Russia, Pakistan, Spain, Germany, the Phillipines, Armenia, Italy, Kenya and Honduras. New students from states such as Pennsylvania, Maine and Maryland also participated.