SOAR program sheds light, offers guidance

By Elizabeth Alvarez , On-Line Forty-Niner

Thursday, November 5, 1998

For most, it will be the first contact new students will make with Cal State Long Beach and it will assist in providing a smooth transition from one destination to the next. It is CSULB's Student Orientation Advising and Registration program, devised to build a solid foundation for incoming freshman.

"We want to empower the students with information, give them the type of tools necessary, so that they can build a strong ground and be excited about coming to CSULB," said Randy Zarn, director of SOAR.

The day begins at 9 a.m. in Brotman Hall. Here 200 to 300 new students meet President Robert Maxson, Zarn and current CSULB students. Throughout the day, students are advised on how to register for the math and English placement exams and the components of a baccalaureate degree.

With the help of advisors, new students develop a schedule by choosing classes while using the "SOAR phone room" to register. SOAR participants leave with a print out of classes and a photo identification.

"Students leave happy. They know they're not wasting their time," said Josh Garcia, student assistant for SOAR.

"One-stop shopping is what it is," said Bill Boylan, assistant director of SOAR.

SOAR places emphasis on policies, procedures and general education requirements. After receiving math and English placement scores, students are advised on courses that would be most appropriate for their first semester.

Transfer students receive GE advising based upon their certification status.

Freshmen and transfer students are provided with an updated

open-class list and receive advisement for all majors. Transfer students are encouraged to attend SOAR on the dates that have been designed specifically for a particular major or college.

Students are automatically enrolled for SOAR II as part of the $45 fee.

Freshman Shahrokh Sheik, who went through SOAR this year, refers to CSULB as "a happening place."

"I think SOAR was good because it got people to come out here and pre-register," Sheik said.

Answering 30 calls in less than one hour, Sam Padilla, student assistant at SOAR, answers questions as he gathers registration information and inputs data into the computer. Updating the list of students registered to attend SOAR is a weekly job for Padilla. It is essential the workshops do not get overbooked so the departments know specifically how many classes to reserve for SOAR students.

The entire campus makes SOAR happen.

"SOAR belongs to the university. We just coordinate the whole thing," Boylan said.

Enrollment Services works to provide transfer students with a summary of their transfer work the day of SOAR.

CSULB is the third largest in participation of the orientation programs in all of California, right behind UC Berkeley and UCLA.

Due to the growing student body and the mandatory advising policy, SOAR accommodates more and more students each year.

For fall 1998, CSULB enrolled 28,647 students, up 837 or 3 percent over fall 1997, according to Enrollment Services. In fall 1996, it became mandatory that all first-time freshman see an advisor before being allowed to register. The majority of first-time freshman receive their mandatory advising through SOAR.