STAR shines brightly for new students

For 25 days this summer new students walked the campus at VCU with STARs in their eyes.

The Student Testing Advising Registration program, or STAR, was started in 1974 to help new students get their path into the academic life off to a smooth start.

“It’s a summer academic orientation program,” said Lelia Brinegar, director of first-year student services.

Because of a high percentage of commuter students at VCU, university officials decided to develop a one-day orientation program that could easily fit into a new student’s summer schedule.

A TYPICAL DAY

Students who attended STAR began the day by taking placement tests. Based on those results students met with an adviser and signed up for classes. Students also went on campus tours, ate in campus dining facilities, received their identification cards and purchased meal plans.

One of the biggest benefits is that “they walk away with their fall schedule,” said Brinegar.

“The one-day program fits a commuter lifestyle,” said Timothy Reed, director of University Student Commons and Activities in the Division of Student Affairs. The program is a “one-stop shopping thing,” Reed said.

New students were divided based on their intended major, or they attended their STAR session through the College of Humanities and Sciences if they had not yet declared a major.

“The president wanted a program where every freshman would have time to meet with an adviser,” said John Borgard, associate dean for Humanities and Sciences Student Advising.

Henry Rhone, vice provost for student affairs, said the most beneficial aspect of the program is the “non-rushed way,” in which students can decide what courses they want.

“They can sample the university,” he said.

THE FULL EXPERIENCE

There is also a day-and-a-half option known as “STARry Nights.” Students who wanted to experience a more thorough introduction to campus life attended this program.

STARry Nights took place the night before a given STAR program date and gave students the chance to experience a night in a dorm and a broader view of on-campus life.

“It (STARry Nights) gives them (new students) a broader view of VCU as a whole, more so than the one-day program,” said Brinegar.

The $55 fee for STARry nights covered room rent for one night, various meals provided by the dining hall and a VCU T-shirt.

HOW THE WHOLE FAMILY CAN BENEFIT

Of the 3,200 freshmen and 1,500 transfer students, more than 4,000 students will have attended STAR after the fall session; 3,300 of those students attended the program in the summer. Each day about 200 students were introduced to the school and acquainted with its procedures and policies.

“The simplicity of the schedule and classes (made it beneficial),” said incoming freshman Josiah Moody. His father, Garry Moody, took advantage of the parent information sessions included in the STAR program.

Family members attended various activities including a campus tour, an open forum with current students, an information fair where all business issues can be handled and a presentation on financial aid.

There was also a program called Conversation with the Cops, in which representatives from campus safety talked with parents and answered their questions about safety on campus. This was a popular program because many students come from non-urban areas and their families are concerned about safety in a city, said Brinegar.

Some faculty members think that the STAR program could be improved to help new students adjust to college.

“[We] probably need to do more orienting students with student life issues,” said Reed, adding that STARry Nights is geared more to that aspect of a new student’s life. Two days would be more beneficial to new students in the future, he said.

“I think we’re needing to evaluate if we have enough days and times set aside. We are growing rapidly as a university,” Rhone said.