Help Choose the Title of a Book about College Success!
Hey SK family! We are super duper excited to announce that we are working on putting together a book that will include essential tips for succeeding in college as a first year student. The awesome part is that it will cover the stuff that they might not tell you at orientation. You know, those questions you’re afraid […]
The Red Rover Orientation Activity
Moving students from online connections to offline engagement is a goal of Red Rover. We want to help you find people who are excited about the same things as you within your community and then help you go do stuff around those interests. Facilitating connections around shared interests builds a sense of comfort which according […]
Newsletter: November 2010
As the month of November wound down to a close, we found ourselves reflecting on the things for which we are thankful. In a world of increasing digital noise, we are most grateful for the meaningful relationships and serendipitous discoveries that new technologies can bring. Stay tuned—in the next few months, we’ll be […]
Connecting at Georgia Highlands College
Here at Red Rover, student engagement is pretty much our raison d’être. From the moment a bright-eyed high school kid starts thinking about admissions essays, through the college years and beyond, we want to provide the tools and opportunities for students to get involved—to build relationships, to contribute, and to be successful. That’s why we […]
The First Year Experience Curriculum
Although the vast majority of first-year students are using Facebook and Myspace, and spending a great deal of time on the web, many still aren’t familiar with the web tools that are most conducive to enhancing their education. Helping students develop positive digital identities sets them up for success in an increasingly digital age – after […]
Newsletter: August 2010
Summer is winding down, and it’s time to pack away the beach gear and bust out the textbooks. The incoming freshmen of 2010 are settling in for their first year of college, so this is the perfect time to reach out and welcome them to campus and the Red Rover Student Directory. Here are some […]
At Student Orientation, Don’t Forget About Bridging Social Capital
The Bystander Effect is a well-known psychological study conducted by Bibb Latane and John Darley that grew out of the stabbing death of Kitty Genovese in 1964 while eyewitnesses looked on but did nothing to help. According to Wikipedia: …individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency situation when other people are present. […]
Orientation Before Orientation: The New Work of First Year Social Network Development
We exist in overlapping, intertwined social networks: family, friends, neighbors, church groups, hobby acquaintances, Christmas card friends, etc., etc. It’s an old human thing, we’ve always been that way. We get emotional well-being from close family and friends. We get growth from topic groups. We need well-being first, then growth, it’s Maslow’s hierarchy. When a […]
Engagement & The Tale of Two Grateful Dead Shirts
As 1,200 students filed into the room for my talk, I planted myself by the front door with a few orientation leaders and we became the informal welcoming crew. We greeted the students with smiles and good morning wishes. I commented on cool or unique clothing I saw as a way to personalize the greeting and make […]
First Year Disorientation: Retention and Community in Higher Education, Part 1
I grew up in Minnesota and went to college at the University of Oregon. In high school, I had an incredible group of friends. I was never the cool guy per se, but I felt appreciated, influential, and comfortable. My first year in Oregon was a social mess. I was lonely and often depressed. In […]