Board report focuses on Frosh O
ANDREW THAGARD
Assistant News Editor
Student body president Brooke Norton and chief of staff Jonathan Jorissen will present student government's suggestions on Freshman Orientation to the Student Affairs Committee today at the Board of Trustee's meeting in Palm Springs, Calif.
"We really think that there are a lot of things we could do to make it [Freshman Orientation] a better program," Norton said.
Norton and Jorissen are recommending centralizing the leadership of Freshman Orientation and increasing the budget and scope of events for the weekend event to the Board.
As the situation stands, no one person oversees all aspects of freshman orientation. Because dorms, First Year of Studies and various campus organizations have events scheduled over the extended weekend, the potential for schedule conflicts exists, according to Jorissen and Norton.
"There's no one person that it all goes through," Jorissen said. "If one person was in charge, it would smooth things out quite a bit."
The two are recommending the creation of such a position through Student Activities. The full-time, paid position would allow someone to oversee all aspects of freshman orientation and would report to Student Activities, Residence Life and The First Year of Studies.
The commissioner would also be advised by students and work with a University Freshman Orientation committee — something that student government is also recommending the Board create.
In addition to having a central commissioner, student government is advising the Board to make Freshman Orientation commissioner-training courses a one-credit class. Separate classes, taught by the Freshman Orientation leader and students who have been previously involved, for dorm and campus-wide commissioners would be offered. Norton and Jorissen also want to incorporate diversity training into the course.
"It would make it a little more attractive to be a commissioner if you're getting a one credit course out of the deal," Jorissen said.
Based on student focus groups and meetings with Student Activities, Residence Life and Eileen Kolman, dean of the First Year of Studies, student government is recommending changes in Freshman Orient-ations activities. Student advisors Paul Cruickshank, Claire Reisinger and Tomas Raaf were also influential advisors in the process, according to Norton.
Norton and Jorissen are suggesting that the weekend include cultural and community service components. The group wants to add an event that celebrates cultural diversity and another that promotes service in the South Bend area. They recommend adding a service project Sunday afternoon after the orientation Mass.
"It's really important to our University and Catholic social tradition to do something for the community," Norton said.
In order to accommodate the additional activities, Norton wants to allow all freshman to move into their dorms on Thursday — a day earlier than currently allowed — and use that day for dorm orientation.
In addition to the weekend service project, Norton and Jorissen would like to offer incoming freshman the opportunity to do community service in their hometowns through Notre Dame alumni clubs in an Urban Plunge-style program.
"We do have alumni networks and we hope to utilize these networks for freshmen students," Norton said.
To accommodate the changes in orientation, student government is asking the board for an increase in the budget. Specifically, the report calls for raising the per student dorm allowance for orientation from $5.25 to $10 to $15. The current allowance of $5.25 for the weekend of events is small compared to the $6.25 allotted for the Junior Parent's Weekend luncheon, according to Jorissen.
"A lot of dorms overspent [last year] and are in a bad financial situation as a result," Garrison said. "This should alleviate the problem."
Although it is not officially a part of Freshman Orientation, student government is requesting $100,000 in funding for the concert held the second weekend of school. Last year's concert, featuring Nine Days and SR71 among other bands, cost in excess of $100,000 and was funded by various campus organizations. The $100,000 request would be in addition to the money these organizations provide.
"We think since it's the second weekend of school that it has a lot to do with first impressions of Notre Dame," Norton said. "We want to talk not only about Freshman Orientation but also the whole experience."
Norton and Jorissen have made some adjustments to the presentation as a result of their October report to the board on off-campus life concerns that was met with indifference from the trustees. For this report, the pair is making a more personalized presentation without power point and is allotting more time for questions.
"This time we've put more effort into the presentation," Jorissen said. "Hopefully the Board will be receptive."
All News Stories for Thursday, February 7, 2002
