Young enrollees in dual credit programs often have little understanding of college culture, and orientation sessions for high school graduates may not be appropriate for or accessible to these students. This session highlights the online video orientation used at McLennan Community College for its High School Pathways Program.

1. Identify key topics for a dual credit orientation 2. Identify benefits of an online format 3. Explain simple process for creation and maintenance of orientation 4. Present policies/practices relevant to requiring and enforcing the orientation 5. Discuss secondary uses of orientation videos

The rising number of high school students, some as young as 14, enrolling at McLennan Community College led to concerns that these young students might not possess the fundamental knowledge of processes and culture necessary to succeed in a collegiate environment. Do the students know how to drop a course? Do they know when it is advantageous or disadvantageous to do so? Do they understand the potential impact dual credit courses may have on future financial aid? Do they even know how to access student email? The orientation designed for high school graduates, which functions well for its target audience, addresses topics irrelevant to dual credit students yet ignores other issues of high importance. In addition, students who are from rural areas, are very young, or are from low socio-economic backgrounds often experience transportation issues that prevent them from attending the face-to-face component of the orientation. Our solution—a mandatory, online orientation specifically designed for students dual enrolling while in high school. Consisting of a series of short videos, the orientation was produced using basic software programs. As an added advantage, the videos may be used in other venues to educate the public and publicize the program.