The following pre-conference sessions will be offered as part of NODAC 2024!
All pre-conference sessions are available for an additional fee, use the buttons below to learn more about the costs of each program.
Core Competency Course
Building Community on College Campuses: Exploring Culture and Access
This pre-conference NODA core competency course will explore strategies, practices, and critical components essential for enhancing access to higher education for diverse student populations. The course will be a combination of presentations, large group discussions, small group exercises and activities, and reflection. Sessions will provide participants with opportunities to explore personal identities, review and examine institutional structures and culture, collaborate with other attendees in focused conversations on specific current trends and topics related to diversity, inclusion, and access, and brainstorm practical applications. The curriculum is designed to equip you with skills and confidence to build a culture of belonging in your orientation, transition, and retention programs.
This course will teach skills, knowledge, and practices aligned with the NODA Core Competency: Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (DIA) and will focus on the foundational, intermediate, and advanced levels. You can read about the DIA Core Competency and all of the NODA Core Competencies on our website.
New and mid-level professionals are encouraged to register.
NOTE: You will register for this course through the NODA Annual Conference registration process.
Core Competency Course
Financial Management
This pre-conference NODA core competency course will cover a range of financial management topics from budgeting models and principles to procurement processes and navigating institutional policies, providing participants with a robust understanding of financial practices within their institutions. By the end of the course, participants will have an understanding of how to effectively develop, implement, and monitor budgets, ensuring ethical and efficient use of financial resources.
This course provides valuable insights and practical skills that will enhance your ability to manage financial resources effectively within your institution. Whether you are new to financial management or looking to refine your existing skills, this course will provide professional development that will advance your competency in financial management.
You can read about the Financial Management Core Competency and all of the NODA Core Competencies on our website.
NOTE: You will register for this course through the NODA Annual Conference registration process.
Orientation Professionals Institute (OPI)
The Institute is designed to serve new full-time professional staff who are responsible for orientation programming and possess less than 4 years of total professional experience.
The curriculum for the Orientation Professionals Institute (OPI) was developed and is currently guided by the standards set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS). The curriculum serves as a roadmap for professionals new to the field of orientation, transition, and retention (OTR) over a two-and-a-half-day institute. The OPI curriculum is framed to help new professionals gain an understanding of the foundations of OTR work, the student populations whom OTR programs serve, and the functional best practices that help to create effective OTR programs. The primary focus of OPI is on new student orientation and the initial transition to the institution as one of the first and foundational steps in the student transition experience which ultimately promotes student retention.
NOTE: OPI is a separate registration process from the NODA Annual Conference registration.
Graduate Student Symposium (GSS)
The Graduate Student Symposium (GSS) is a symposium designed to support masters-level graduate students by providing informational workshops, mentoring opportunities, and networking with professionals and peers.
The symposium provides sessions on a variety of topics to assist with professional development and the transition from graduate student to professional.
The Graduate Student Symposium is open and relevant for current Masters’ students, whether you are currently a graduate student working in the field or one that desires that experience in the future. During the Graduate Symposium, masters participants will gain an understanding of the field of Orientation, Transition, & Retention.
NOTE: You will register for GSS through the NODA Annual Conference registration process.