Allie Luker

[Infographic] Student Orientation Survey Questions

Student Orientation Survey Questions for DEI in Higher Ed

Did you know a recent survey found that when students have a great welcome experience, they’re 35 times more likely to have a positive university experience overall?

But that same survey found that only a third of students had a great orientation. As You can imagine, orientations for online students can be even more difficult for online students.

8 ways to improve the online student orientations

1. Virtual welcome activities before the semester starts

Plan welcome activities to give students opportunities to connect with others and meet their instructors.

Fun ideas for virtual welcome activity:

Meet-and-greets through video conferencing
Games (trivia, virtual escape rooms, bingo, etc.)
Online group scavenger hunts

2. Simplify all processes

Whether it’s online course registration and getting support or even just providing single sign-on, remove any obstacles.

3. Keep DEI at the forefront

Students need to know why DEI is important and how it benefits the entire educational experience for themselves and others. And make sure that they know what’s expected of them and what they should expect from you.

DEI resources:

Ebook: How to improve DEI for online learning
Ebook: Is DEI a cost or investment?
Copy & paste diversity statement template that you can edit or use as is

4. Create one location with everything online students need

Online students need one location, such as a site page or within the LMS that has everything the need, like:

Learning resources (online library, OER, tutoring, study groups etc.)
Student support information
Important dates (midterms and finals, the start and end of the semester, holiday breaks, etc.)
Hardware and software requirements
Student privacy information

5. Develop an online student ambassador program

Connect current online students with future students so that they can share their experiences and tips for success.

6. Ask students for feedback about the orientation

Use student surveys (like examples above) to improve the welcome experience.

7. Use emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is something you can use and continually improve over time. Being emotionally intelligent helps build relationships, trust, and communication, which is exactly what you need in an online learning environment.

8. Tell them about you

Help establish credibility and build trust with students by giving them some information about you. Keep it simple and don’t overthink it. Talk about your background, hobbies, education, and even a funny story about your life.

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University of Florida Student Testimonial Video

Honorlock Video Student Testimonial from the University of Florida

Recent graduate, Madi Kuokos, used several online proctoring platforms during her education at the University of Florida and she encountered similar issues with each:

The online proctoring platform was difficult to use
They were invasive and distracting
Getting support was a hassle

Then, she used Honorlock for the first time and realized it was different than other online proctoring platforms. She found Honorlock easy to use, less distracting, and getting support was quick and easy.

“Honorlock was a lot less invasive and less glitchy. It felt way more seamless and creates an easier testing experience. It just lets you take your test without any interruptions,” Madi said.

That’s because, unlike many online proctoring companies, Honorlock is focused on more than catching cheating. Honorlock creates a better testing experience that supports students while protecting academic integrity.

“Honorlock is my favorite online proctoring platform because it feels really friendly and not invasive. It allows me to be able to perform my best and not have any anxiety surrounding my exam.”

Read more testimonials about Honorlock’s online proctoring software and services

How to Measure DEI Progress in Higher Ed

Building DEI in higher education can improve your institution’s reputation, and it’s critical to recruiting and retaining students, faculty, and staff. But it’s difficult to measure the impact of DEI initiatives, leading to inaction, focusing on the wrong efforts, or an inability to provide the right resources to those who need them most.

So, how can you measure the success of DEI efforts at your institution?

This article will show you:

Start by gathering the right data

DEI-related data comes from different sources. Some data, like student demographics, likely exist, while other data will need to be gathered.

We’ll summarize common types of data to collect for:

Student Data

Student demographics

Use admissions information to gather student demographic data such as gender, race, ethnicity, and age. And collect data about student disabilities and conditions, which can impact how online education is delivered and identifies differing needs for assistive devices.

Academic performance data

Academic performance data, correlated with demographic data, can shed light on the students or groups that are more or less likely to succeed. This information can help identify opportunities to implement new DEI initiatives that support student success.

Example:

You find that 20% of your total student population and 35% of your online students have disabilities that impact their ability to engage, interact, and learn.

After analyzing their performance, you find that online students with disabilities achieve lower grades than those who attend classes on campus.

The lower grade could be due to course curriculum, but it could also be tied to accessibility issues online students encounter that can negatively impact their performance.

DEI & institutional experience data

Without asking for it, most students don’t share the impact of DEI efforts with institutions. Conduct regular student surveys to understand experiences, opinions, ideas, and awareness of DEI initiatives.

Surveys help understand why students choose a particular university or why they decided to leave – both could be related to DEI.

Faculty & staff data

Compensation data

Compensation data should be readily available within HR and accounting systems. Gathering this information can highlight potential gaps or biases and should be part of this initial audit.

However, it’s important not to jump to conclusions based on compensation alone. When evaluating compensation differences, leaders must take into account any outlying factors tied to individual compensation packages.

Example:

A compensation analysis shows that some female instructors in the business

department aren’t compensated as well as male instructors with similar years of employment at the institution. Additionally, after digging in further, you find that Black females in particular are compensated less than White females.

Is this gap due to biases, or were other factors taken into consideration when assigning compensation?

Other factors that can impact compensation include performance, the number of classes each instructor teaches, departmental research grants and donations, and fundraising, among other factors.

Understanding this information helps determine whether gaps in compensation are due to potential bias or not. In this scenario, start by looking at individual performance reviews for the department’s female and male instructors with similar years of experience and who teach the same number of classes. Look into the other factors listed above. If all factors are equal except salary, this may point to a bias.

Scenario A: 12% of the female performance review scores were below average, while only 10% of male performance reviews were below average.

In this scenario, the difference between the percentage of females and males who received below-average scores is relatively small. While these scores may not be the sole reason behind the compensation gap, they could be a contributing factor.

Consider the individuals or teams behind the reviews. Are they judging individuals differently based on biased beliefs that cause lower scores for one segment?

Scenario B: 45% of White females received above-average performance reviews, and 37% of Black females received the same.

The percentages in Scenario B is significant, which could indicate potential bias against Black female instructors. Dig into this information to determine what factors may be contributing to the compensation gap. True performance is acceptable, but inherent biases against capability related to race are not.

Demographic data

Most institutions have faculty and staff demographic data available within the systems used for HR purposes.

Understanding demographic information at every level is important because an institution may have a diverse workforce as a whole but still struggle in key areas, like diversity in positions of leadership. An institution may be diverse in terms of race or ethnicity, but there could also be gaps in the number of male and female employees.

Leadership diversity data

It’s important to understand if an institution’s leadership team is truly diverse. Gather data around employee demographics and positions of leadership to identify any gaps that exist in leadership roles.

DEI training data

This information could be tricky to gather, depending on the level of past DEI training. Some institutions use the LMS to test knowledge based on information covered during training, but others may consider watching a video as training.

Regardless of type, gather any available data about DEI training, such as:

Number & frequency of DEI-specific training sessions
Number of hours total each quarter/year
Scores & ratings for DEI training exams
% of employees that completed DEI training
% of managers that completed DEI training
% of senior leadership that completed DEI training

Employee experience data

Like with students, conducting surveys regularly with faculty and staff helps understand opinions, expectations, awareness, and understanding of DEI efforts. It uncovers information that might not otherwise be available and gives employees a voice in developing DEI initiatives that meet their needs.

A few ways to segment employees for surveys:

Institutional data

Aside from the data for students, faculty and staff, leaders should also look to gather institutional information that can be used to improve DEI efforts.

Budget & financial impact

Data from operational and institutional efforts can help teams understand the financial impact of DEI initiatives, the gaps that exist, and the allocated budget.

Spending for DEI initiatives

Gather data about the average spend on DEI initiatives each year.

DEI’s impact on recruiting and retention

Example: DEI may improve employee engagement, which can lead to better retention rates. How much does this save in reduced turnover and new employee training? Evaluate and measure every aspect of improvement DEI creates.

Recruitment & retention data

Look at the percentage of diverse candidates and how they progress through different levels in the hiring process.

Next, determine which levels need to improve and which are in good standing. Set realistic goals to maintain and improve these levels, starting with the lower levels.

Employee retention

The examples below are a brief look at data to gather about the retention of diverse employees and leaders. Are there any areas of employee retention that are weaker than others? If yes, dig into why.

Number/percent of diversity:

Employees who leave the institution before [number] days.
Employees that have been at the institution for at least [number] months/years.
Leaders who leave the institution before [number] days/months.
Leaders who have been at the institution for at least [number] months/years.

Find strengths & weaknesses

After gathering the data you need data, look at your strengths and weaknesses.

Do student surveys indicate that all students feel welcomed and included?
Are there compensation gaps for certain groups of employees?
Is the student population diverse? Is it diverse in a balanced way?
Are faculty members trained properly?
Is the leadership team diverse?

Set goals

Once a bigger picture of DEI initiatives emerges, the next step is to set goals that outline where the institution should be and the potential impact of achieving this desired state. It’s important to be specific and realistic about goals, milestones, and timelines.

Prioritize steps to maintain & improve

After identifying what’s working and what needs improvement, focus on the areas of opportunity. How can these be addressed in order to meet the DEI goals?

Data example for online students

For this example, assume that the data indicates two things about online students:

85% feel welcomed and included because of the student orientation
35% believe that the online course content doesn’t isn’t accessible

What are the next steps?

Overall, the student orientation is in good standing, but real priority is improving the accessibility of online course content. You’ll see in the steps below that efforts for each can benefit the other.

Prioritize the accessibility of course content

1. Make quick accessibility updates while planning longer-term efforts. LMS admins can make changes to global LMS settings that impact the online course experience for a large number of students, such as:

2. Define longer-term efforts

While the quicker changes are being implemented, prepare longer-term efforts, such as:

3. Use student surveys about the orientation to serve a dual purpose

While 85% of students indicated that the orientation process made them feel welcomed and included, there are likely still some ways to improve. Adding questions about accessibility to the surveys can help students see that their well-being and needs are important, right from the beginning of their relationship with the institution.

Surveys serve two purposes:

DEI measurement in action

Measurement goes beyond just analyzing the impact of DEI initiatives. Collecting and analyzing the right data provides valuable insight to help refine and improve initiatives that directly impact reputation, recruitment, retention, resources, and revenue – the 5 Rs.

Ultimately, allowing institutions to deliver an exceptional educational experience for students and an elevated teaching experience for instructors.

Read our recent blog if you’re wondering what to expect from educational technology and online learning in the near future.

2023 Higher Ed Online Learning Trends

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Allie is an experienced marketing professional with an extensive focus in higher education technology. She is passionate about creative solutions that drive innovation and positive results for organizations.

DEI Thought Leadership

How to Adopt DEI Best Practices in Online Learning | Honorlock session | 2023 ICAI Annual Conference

A recent survey of chief online officers published by Quality Matters predicted that by 2025, programs that blended on-campus and online learning will become the norm for students. As institutions rapidly adapt to meet these demands, they are met with a challenging question: how will they ensure that they are creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments for their students?

Hear from Elisabeth Greenwood, Instructional Technology Specialist and Chair of the Academic Affairs DEI task force at the University of Central Florida, and Jordan Adair, VP of Product at Honorlock, as they discuss:

How to overcome the challenges of establishing and using DEI in online learning
Ways to use DEI in online courses to improve student engagement
Steps to create equitable learning environments

Speakers

On Demand

Honorlock General Counsel Selected to The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Miami 2022

Honorlock online proctoring company's general counsel selected to Legal 500

Honorlock legal team recognized among the most influential global in-house general counsel

Boca Raton, Fla. (September 23, 2022) – Michael Chrusch, Honorlock, Inc.’s General Counsel, was recognized as a top in-house general counsel leader by The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Miami 2022, the respected independent guide to the world’s top firms and lawyers.

In his role, Chrusch oversees all legal and compliance work for Honorlock, including acting as a strategic business partner to protect and promote the Company’s interests in contractual matters with customers, sales contracts and vendors, employment law, and compliance matters as Honorlock experiences rapid growth. In addition, Chrusch has also been actively involved in supporting Honorlock’s expanded services.

“I am truly honored to be recognized by The Legal 500 as part of the Miami GC Powerlist for 2022. This prestigious award brings together the most influential and innovative legal minds that are driving business forward,” stated Chrusch. “Being recognized exemplifies our team’s commitment to providing stakeholders with ongoing support and innovative solutions as Honorlock continues to grow.”

Chrusch has over 25 years of experience serving as general counsel for public and private companies across a variety of industries, including technology, telecommunications, staffing, and banking. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida, a JD from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, a Masters of Accounting from Florida Atlantic University, and holds an executive MBA from Harvard Business School.

About GC Powerlist

The GC Powerlist highlights the most cutting-edge and innovative general counsels and senior in-house legal counsels in the world following a comprehensive research process. The research is based on feedback from clients, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivaled experience in the legal market.

Click here to view The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Miami 2022.

About Honorlock

Honorlock is a remote proctoring company that’s dedicated to creating a better testing experience for higher education institutions and corporations. We’ve dedicated ourselves to making the technical online proctoring experience simple, easy, and human.

The result is a proctoring solution that brings integrity, humanity, confidence, and positive outcomes to the testing experience.

Media Contact
Kim Skatrud
952.807.2794
Kimberly.Skatrud@PadillaCo.com

Allie Luker

Allie is an experienced marketing professional with an extensive focus in higher education technology. She is passionate about creative solutions that drive innovation and positive results for organizations.

New Honorlock Advocates from UCF, Georgia Tech, Seton Hall

BOCA RATON, Fla. (July 18, 2022) – Honorlock is delighted to announce the newest members of our Advocate Program. Our program provides higher education administrators, instructional designers and faculty with the opportunity to share their best practices and thought leadership on topics such as academic integrity, educational technology, supporting student success, and online teaching and learning.

Our newest advocates have already contributed their expertise and made meaningful contributions to the program. In June, Elisabeth Greenwood, Instructional Technology Specialist at the University of Central Florida, spoke about accessibility during an Honorlock webinar. Additionally in June, Paul Fisher, Associate CIO & Director TLT Center at

Seton Hall University, shared his thoughts on academic integrity during a webinar hosted by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Join us in extending a warm welcome to:

Elisabeth Greenwood is an Instructional Technology Specialist at the Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida. Joining UCF in 2006, she heads the technical support team for online courses at UCF and provides faculty consultation and training. Elisabeth works closely with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at UCF, with an emphasis on student accessibility and accommodations for online courses.

Shakis Hall is an Instructional Designer for GA Tech University in Atlanta, GA. She has over 8 years of experience working in Higher Education. Shakis assists in the development of online courses, facilitates new student and TA orientations throughout the year. She enjoys being a part of the process, creating effective learning experiences for all learners.

Paul E. Fisher Jr. has served Seton Hall University in the Teaching, Learning, and Technology Center since 1997, became the director in 2005, and was named the Associate Chief Information Officer in 2010. Paul is responsible for supporting Seton Hall in the thoughtful use and integration of technology into the curriculum and across functional business units. He provides direction for instructional design, digital media services, classroom and event support, user support, web development, technology strategy and assessment.

Read Paul Fisher’s customer testimonial about Honorlock’s proctoring platform and services.

About Honorlock’s Advocate Program

The Honorlock Advocate Program celebrates our customers and our shared values. This program provides members the opportunity to further their careers as thought leaders in higher education on topics such as academic integrity, educational technology, supporting student success, online teaching and learning pedagogy, and more.

About Honorlock Online Proctoring Company

Honorlock is an online proctoring company that is revolutionizing the way academic institutions and corporations protect online exams and support student success. While many online proctoring companies simply aim to catch cheating, our purpose is to uphold honesty and integrity. With an advanced proctoring platform and on-demand services, Honorlock makes the technical proctoring experience simple, easy, and human.

Allie Luker

Allie is an experienced marketing professional with an extensive focus in higher education technology. She is passionate about creative solutions that drive innovation and positive results for organizations.

Building a Foundation of Accessibility in Online Learning

How can we ensure that online learning is inclusive for all students, regardless of disability or condition? It’s time we evaluate if our institution’s courses and degree programs support ease of access and align with student demands. During this webinar, you’ll hear from experts on how to support accessibility in online learning.

Join Elisabeth Greenwood, Instructional Technology Specialist and active member of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice group at the University of Central Florida, and Jordan Adair, Vice President of Product at Honorlock, for a deep dive into the importance of laying a foundation of accessibility for today’s students. We’ll discuss:

What accessibility means in higher education today
How Honorlock has been instrumental in supporting accessibility
The importance of designing & building online programs with accessibility at the forefront
How to conduct an accessibility audit of your online learning technology

Speakers

Elisabeth Greenwood is an Instructional Technology Specialist at the Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida. Joining UCF in 2006, she heads the technical support team for online courses at UCF and provides faculty consultation and training. Elisabeth works closely with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at UCF, with an emphasis on student accessibility and accommodations for online courses.

Jordan Adair is the VP of Product at Honorlock that leads product development initiatives. Jordan believes in delivering a solution that empowers instructors and improves the student experience. He began his career in education as an elementary and middle school teacher. Jordan has a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations from Florida Atlantic University.

With more than 15 years of experience within Higher Education, Allison serves as the Account Executive for the Northeast region. In her role, Allison partners with institutions dedicated to improving student learning through their test-taking experience. Prior to Allison’s time in EdTech, she served students in roles as Learning Specialist and Academic Advisor from a large R1 University to a small private Jesuit campus. Throughout her on-campus experience, Allison supported students beginning with their incoming student journey all the way to graduation through Summer Bridge Programs, mentoring and tutoring programs, study skill success courses and countless workshops. Allison earned her Master of Science in Higher Education from Syracuse University and her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from SUNY Buffalo.

Looking for more higher education and online learning resources?

Check out our blog, eBooks, whitepapers, and more.

On Demand

Humanizing and Securing the Remote Testing Experience

Maintaining humanity in the middle of remote testing experiences can be difficult. But there are techniques and technology that can ensure student success while securing your exams.

Join Peter Burrell, Associate Professor at the University of Cincinnati, to hear his successful journey from in-person to online learning and assessment.

Peter will discuss how he:

• Educates students on the importance of academic integrity
• Prepares students for success and reduces online test anxiety
• Uses online proctoring to support, scale, and secure online testing

Afterward, join Honorlock for a brief demo of how its unique online proctoring solution creates a better testing experience that supports faculty and students while protecting academic integrity.

On Demand

Introducing Our New Honorlock Advocates for May!

BOCA RATON, Fla. (May 9, 2022) – Honorlock is thrilled to announce the following leaders in education as the newest member of our Honorlock Advocate Program! We are excited to extend a warm welcome to:

Elisabeth Greenwood is an Instructional Technology Specialist at the Center for Distributed Learning, University of Central Florida. Joining UCF in 2006, she heads the technical support team for online courses at UCF and provides faculty consultation and training. Elisabeth works closely with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at UCF, with an emphasis on student accessibility and accommodations for online courses.

Katie Jacobson has designed and developed a variety of soft skills training programs on topics such as team building, listening, conflict resolution, change management, leadership styles, and other organizational development topics. Ms. Jacobson began her career at PLNU by leading a team of instructional designers in the Office of Instructional Technology (OIT). Over the years, she has broadened the scope of services including faculty development opportunities, administration and support of Canvas (the campus LMS), and support for a variety of other instructional technologies such as Turnitin, Honorlock, Pronto, and Canvas Studio.

Samba Diop is a digital learning specialist with over eleven years of experience in higher education, managing learning management systems, and other academic technologies. He focuses on providing leadership, support, advocacy, services, and programs to enhance teaching and learning. Samba is passionate about exploring new technologies and developing processes to support the use of those technologies.

About Honorlock’s Advocate Program

The Honorlock Advocate Program celebrates our customers and our shared values. This program provides members the opportunity to further themselves as thought leaders in higher education on topics such as academic integrity, educational technology, supporting student success, online teaching and learning pedagogy, and more.

About Honorlock

What is Honorlock and how does it work?

Honorlock provides online proctoring software and services to higher education institutions and organizations. Our on-demand online proctoring solution combines AI and live test proctors to support students and faculty while protecting academic integrity. Used by several of the largest universities in the US, Honorlock is dedicated to providing world-class service and 24/7/365 support.

Interested in seeing more higher education and online learning trends and tips? Check out our articles, eBooks, videos, and webinars.

Allie Luker

Allie is an experienced marketing professional with an extensive focus in higher education technology. She is passionate about creative solutions that drive innovation and positive results for organizations.

Beyond the Pandemic: How to Implement and Use Online Proctoring

Students today are demanding to have either fully online courses or a combination of in-person and online learning. Join our panel of experts from Cleveland State University, Point Loma Nazarene University, and the University of Arizona as they discuss how they’ve accommodated student demand for more online learning post-pandemic.

During this webinar, our panel of higher education leaders will:

Provide insights into the challenges they faced with online learning post-pandemic
Discuss the challenges they foresee going forward
Demonstrate how implementing Honorlock’s online proctoring solution has helped them ensure academic integrity

Speakers

On Demand

8 ways to improve the online student orientations

1. Virtual welcome activities before the semester starts

Fun ideas for virtual welcome activity:

2. Simplify all processes

3. Keep DEI at the forefront

4. Create one location with everything online students need

5. Develop an online student ambassador program

6. Ask students for feedback about the orientation

7. Use emotional intelligence

8. Tell them about you

Read more Honorlock customer testimonials

Sign up below for more online proctoring and higher education resources.

Allie Luker

Start by gathering the right data

Find strengths & weaknesses

DEI measurement in action

Allie Luker

Speakers

Elisabeth Greenwood

Jordan Adair

About GC Powerlist

About Honorlock

Allie Luker

Elisabeth Greenwood

Shakis Hall

Paul Fisher

About Honorlock’s Advocate Program

About Honorlock Online Proctoring Company

Allie Luker

Speakers

Elisabeth Greenwood

Jordan Adair

Allison Laske

Amy Vazquez

Katie Jacobson

Samba Diop

About Honorlock’s Advocate Program

About Honorlock

What is Honorlock and how does it work?

Allie Luker

Speakers

Katie Jacobson

Rebecca Cook

Caryn Lanzo

Rick del Rosario