Innovative Educators Webinar: Bridging The Equity Gap: How Online Orientation & Success Workshops Empower California Students

Date: February 26, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Register Here

As institutions increasingly develop online services, is there an equity benefit to having these services available online? Examining case studies and data from partner California institutions, join Innovative Educators for a 1-hour presentation that will demonstrate that when online orientation is paired with online student success workshops, institutions see increased persistence and improved academic performance among minoritized students, thereby helping to close equity gaps. This is a partner presentation that will share insights about Innovative Educator’s Go2Orientation and StudentLingo resources.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the equity benefits of providing online orientation and student success workshops for minoritized students
  • Analyze case studies from partner institutions to identify the impact of online orientation and student success workshops on persistence and academic performance.
  • Evaluate the role of online services such as Go2Orientation and StudentLingo in supporting minoritized students and closing equity gaps.
  • Develop strategies for implementing or enhancing online orientation and student success workshops to promote equity and student success.

Speakers

Meg Foster

Student Success Educator, Innovative Educators


Meg Foster is a First Year Experience Instructor at Piedmont Virginia Community College and serves as an Online Learning & Design Specialist and Consultant for Innovative Educators. An educator dedicated to student access and success, Meg has over sixteen years of online and campus-based FYE teaching experience. While at Reynolds Community College, Meg developed orientation programming for online and on-campus students and supported the Center for Teaching and Learning. Her areas of research include best practices in online learning, college preparation, enrollment and retention. She has presented at numerous national conferences on issues related to college student success.

Celeste Guarneri

Associate Director for Leadership Programs, ArtCenter College of Design


Celeste works in student affairs allows me to connect with students from the onboarding process and orientation to degree completion and graduation. Her passions lie in helping others and in building communities that are resourceful, engaging, and empathetic. Currently, her work is focused on program development and creating content that provides students with experiences that broaden their soft skills and promote self-reflection. She has developed an online orientation, expanded student leadership opportunities, managed multiple social media accounts, and hosted numerous virtual workshops and experiences. In addition to coordinating orientation, she supervises and trains student leaders connected to student government, orientation, and all student clubs.

Alex Pecoraro

Director of Sales & Partnerships, Innovative Educators


Alex Pecoraro has over 9 years of experience working in Higher Education at various institutions across the U.S. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Mesa University and a Master’s of Education from Ohio University. Alex has a passion for helping others forge a successful path forward. In her current role, Alex supports clients understanding IE services so that colleges and universities can envision how these services might meet their needs.