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Bonner Orientation
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Bonner Orientation Examples
It is highly recommended that schools plan a multiple-day Orientation for Bonner students with ample opportunities for community-building. See examples below for more information regarding agendas and activities.
Christopher Newport University: Historically, Christopher Newport University's Bonner Orientation used to take place on the Sunday after the "Welcome Week," and just before classes started. This half-day Bonner orientation after a long and exhausting "Welcome Week," offered limited time to students to grasp and understand the information being dispersed. With that in mind, the 2021 Bonner Summer Interns, with the guidance of Bonner Director Vanessa Buehlman and Bonner Coordinator Jessie Deal, decided to make Bonner Orientation a 2-day event. The event occurred the weekend before Welcome Week with activities such as learning about a community from an asset-based approach, community-building activities for the new cohort, a luncheon with community partners and shadowing current Bonners in the program acting as their orientation leaders. This decision was a huge success, and now they use this model.
Lindsey Wilson College: Lindsey Wilson's Bonner Orientation spans over three days, intentionally integrating community building, a community partner fair, and other fun activities.
Maryville College: The staff believe that the orientation they host is an important retention tool for their students. They bring every student who is new to the Community Engaged Scholar (CES) program onto campus starting the Sunday before Freshman Orientation. They specifically choose Sunday to allow an easier day for working families to help students move onto campus. The orientation is held over the next three days, integrating components that set up the "scholars" for the rest of their journey into what Community Engagement is. They intentionally keep students busy to lessen the amount of time they are able to miss home, and to increase the amount of time they get to know their cohort and campus before being thrown into the whirlwind of Freshman Orientation. In this orientation, they include opportunities for service, learning about the program and the local area (including time to visit service sites and speak with representatives), and general community building. Their student Leadership Team leads most of the sessions, and Senior Interns play a large hand in planning and guiding the vibes of orientation.
Simmons University: New Simmons Bonners arrive on campus three days earlier than other first year students. The first day, students move-in and join a community dinner in their honor, celebrating the launch of the program. Students then spend the next two days learning about the Boston area, exploring the city, volunteering at local organizations, and Simmons University and all it has to offer. Itinerary included below.
University of Mississippi: The University of Mississippi Bonner Leaders Program organizes Bonner Orientation as a three day experience that occurs the week before fall semester classes begin in August. Each year, they work with their colleagues in Student Housing to approve the incoming Bonner first years for an early move-in date on the Sunday before the Orientation begins. Students are informed of Orientation dates in their Bonner acceptance contracts sent in April / May and receive periodic reminders over the summer. Students are also instructed to bring important identification documents with them that are required for student employee hiring at the University. The Orientation prepares students for their Bonner journey with workshops built around team-building, Bonner program structure and requirements, HR onboarding and timesheet instructions, and visits to their Bonner first year community partner sites. The planning team also designed "Assessment surveys," which informed their decision to alter schedules for future years, including omitting some activities and incorporating more breaks for students.
Siena College: Orientation can be a great building block for students campus-wide, so consider involving more than just First Year students. Some campuses have created longer, more intensive programs involving not only first year students but students in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. At Siena College, Bonners participate in the annual Summer Gear Up Orientation.This is a week-long orientation (sometimes, longer) that began in August of 2013 through the generous support of a Siena donor (so it can also be a great funding opportunity). Summer Gear Up is a chance to integrate new students into the center and campus and help them understand the work that Siena College does. The staff and student leaders of the Center for Academic Community Engagement then offer a variety of trainings, social activities, reflection and service opportunities throughout the orientation program, which students can engage in. Some of them are all group events, building a sense of community across programs and years. Others are tailored to the developmental levels of students.
Bonner Program Handbook Examples
The Bonner Program handbook is a great way to introduce students to the core expectations of the Bonner Program. It can also serve as a physical supplement to orientation materials and activities. Click on the link below to view different schools' Bonner Handbooks.
Bonner Program Handbook Examples
