An advisor’s perspective: the new student’s onboarding experience when registration occurs within two weeks before the start of the semester

The purpose of this study was to examine the new student onboarding experience when
course registration occurs within the last two weeks before the start of the semester. This
qualitative study explored this process from the perspective of the advising staff at an Ohio
community college. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was selected to investigate the
first-hand account of this occurrence, and participants were interviewed to determine the study’s
findings. Questions that guided the study were these: (a) What is the profile of the “Just in Time”
college student when onboarding before their first semester? (b) How did the new student’s
enrollment timeline affect their advising experience? (c) What role does the advisor play in
introducing resources and services designed to integrate and retain new students? This study also
focused on Tinto’s Integration Framework Theory.
New students’ onboarding experience is impacted by their arrival to college inside two
weeks before the semester based on the participants’ feedback. Being ill-prepared academically
and understanding onboarding nuances, such as financial aid, are considered barriers for some
new students arriving just before the semester. Participants were consistent in their assertion that
many new students registering for classes just before the start of the semester are challenged to
obtain the appropriate resource and service details the college provides. Advising appointments
are shortened during this timeframe and participants struggle to connect with new students and
deliver content that would place students on a successful pathway.
The study’s findings indicate participants believe new students would benefit from
starting their onboarding and course registration at least one month prior to the start of the
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semester. Community college administrators may benefit from this study’s findings, and
suggestions, as the institution attempts to strengthen student success rates and institutional
integration techniques through their onboarding steps.