Student Orientation
Online Orientation
Otero's Online Orientation program is designed to provide new students with an introduction to Otero College procedures, academic programs, financial aid, and student affairs. It is strongly recommended for new students to take this Orientation program so you can get familiar with the campus and find out about all that Otero has to offer.
The Online Orientation contains video and text as well as short questionnaires for different sections. Students should expect the Online Orientation to take 30 minutes to an hour to complete.
How to reset portal password or log in for first time
In Person Orientations
College 101
For full time, first time and transfer students who are seeking an AA, AS or AGS degree. Takes place on August 22, the first Monday of Fall Semester.
Full time first year or transfer students will spend their first day of class in the College 101 orientation, learning the ins and outs of how to be a successful student. Students will meet in the McDivitt Gym at 8:30 a.m. They will then break out into small groups and learn about important features found in their student portal, D2L content and the purpose of a syllabus. Additional sessions will cover learning styles, study tips, plaigarism policies and campus resources. Lunch will be provided in the cafeteria and will be provided to students who do not have a meal plan.
The following Tuesday will not have any scheduled orientations for first year students, but can instead be spent visiting the Learning Commons, TRiO, or other areas on campus to get assistance with textbooks, schedule changes, and any other questions they might still have.
Q: Who is required to attend?
A: All full time, first time and transfer students who are degree seeking in AA, AS, or AGS pathways.
Q: What about high school students?
A: Students will need to complete the online orientation and review the resources online (e.g., D2L, Navigate)
Q: What about students taking only online courses through CCC Online?
A: Students will be instructed to complete the online orientation and review the resources online (e.g., D2L, Navigate)
Q: What if I can't attend?
A: Students will be instructed to contact Cedric Quintana, Student Success Coach at (719) 384-6860 or cedric.quintana@otero.edu, if they are unable to attend. Waivers will be granted on a case-by-case basis and other activities may be assigned.
Q: Will there be a virtual College 101 option for high school students or non-traditional students.
A: Students who cannot attend the College 101 sessions in person will need to complete the online orientation if they have not done so.
Q: Will there be a condensed evening session?
A: No, students will need to complete the online orientation if they have not done so.
Q: When and where will students meet on Monday and Tuesday?
Students will meet in the McDivitt Gym on Monday at 8:30am to be divided into their groups, and will then proceed to their assigned classroom with leadership staff.
Sessions will run from:
9 a.m. – 9:50 a.m.
10 a.m. – 10:50 a.m.
11 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.
Lunch
On Tuesday, students may visit the Learning Commons, TRiO, or other areas on campus to get assistance with textbooks, schedule changes, and any other questions they might have.
Q: Will evening classes meet as scheduled?
A: Yes.
Q: What will be covered in the College 101 sessions?
A:
- Portal, D2L, and Syllabus
- Activating student emails
- Signing up for alerts
- Important tabs in the Student Portal
- Microsoft Office 365
- D2L Features
- Plagiarism and Turnitin
- Learning Styles Assessment and Study Skills
- Link learning styles to study strategies
- Discuss resources like Grammarly, Quizlet, Talk to Text, etc. And workshops offered on campus through the Learning Commons, AIM, and TRiO
Q: How long will each session be?
A: 50 min
Q: How many students will be in each session?
A: Approximately 20-22 students per group.
Q: Where will sessions meet?
A:
- McBride 115
- McBride 118
- McBride 119
- McBride 120
- McBride 122
- McBride 125
- Humanities 112
- Humanities 113
- Life Science 103
- Life Science 112
Q: Will groups rotate between locations?
A: Yes. Students will rotate to different classrooms for each session.
Q: Will attendance be taken?
A: Yes.
Q: Will lunch be provided?
A: All students will eat in the cafeteria. Students who do not have a meal plan will receive meal tickets for the orientation.Sophomore Experience
All full time sophomore students who are seeking an AA, AS or AGS degree. Takes place on August 23, the first Tuesday of Fall Semester.
While first year students are spending Monday participating in the College 101 orientation, sophomore students will have an extra day to settle in and prepare for classes. They can visit the Learning Commons, TRiO, or other areas on campus to get assistance with textbooks, schedule changes and any other questions they might still have.
On Tuesday, sophomore students will participate in the Sophomore Experience orientation. Students will meet in the Rizzuto Banquet Hall at 8:30 a.m. and will participate in sessions that will help sophomores prepare for graduating and transfering to 4 year universities. Sessions will include showing students how to perform a degree audit through DegreeWorks, ensuring that they are aware of what classes they need to prepare for.
Q: Who is required to attend?
A: All full time sophomore students who are degree seeking in AA, AS, or AGS pathways.
Q: Will there be a virtual option for students who cannot attend?
A: No.
Q: When will students be participating in the Sophomore Experience?
A: Students participating in the Sophomore Experience will have an extra day to settle in on Monday. Between 8 am and 12 pm they can visit the Learning Commons, TRiO, or other areas on campus to get assistance in preparing for upcoming classes.
On Tuesday, students will then meet in the Rizzuto Banquet Hall at 8:30 a.m. to participate in Sophomore Experience workshop.
Sessions will run from:
9 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.
Lunch
Q: Will evening classes meet as planned?
A: Yes.
Q: Where will Sophomore Experience sessions meet?
A: Rizzuto Banquet Hall
Q: Will attendance be taken?
A: Yes.
Q: Will lunch be provided?
A: All students will eat in the cafeteria. Students who do not have a meal plan will receive meal tickets for the orientation.
Q: What will be covered in the Sophomore Experience sessions?
A:
1. How to perform a degree audit.
2. Preparing for graduation
3. How to successfully transfer credits/degree
4. How to get involved in activities both on and off campus
Orientation Video Playlist
Have you already taken our online orientation but need to rewatch some of the videos? Check out our student orientation playlist below to find the videos you need.