Seamless Transition: An Integrated Approach to New Student Onboarding

Edited by Dr. Jeanine Ward-Roof & Dr. Dennis Wiese

NODA – The Association for Orientation, Transition and Retention (OT&R) in Higher Education invites chapter proposals for a forthcoming publication, Seamless Transition: An Integrated Approach to New Student Onboarding.

This volume represents a defining shift in the field—from orientation as an event to OT&R as an integrated, continuous institutional process.  Moreover, the core philosophy of this book is built on the reality that a student’s journey is a continuous narrative in the OT&R process, and how OT&R professional are charged with navigating the gaps between interventions and driving the institutional significance of OT&R.  As higher education navigates enrollment pressures, shifting demographics, accountability metrics, decreasing perceived value of higher education, and emerging technologies, professionals must move beyond program coordination to become architects of student persistence and institutional vitality while aligning with the University mission and strategic plan.  This book formalizes that shift.

Join us for a virtual information session: April 7, 2026 at 2:00 pm CT.

Purpose of the Book

Seamless Transition positions Orientation, Transition, and Retention (OT&R) as:

• A continuous narrative across the student lifecycle
• A campus-wide civic responsibility
• A strategic lever for enrollment yield and persistence
• A data-informed, theory-grounded professional practice

The text will combine scholarly grounding with operational guidance and will be accompanied by a Digital Resource Hub featuring adaptable templates, tools, and applied resources.

We seek scholar-practitioners who can bridge theory and implementation while advancing the strategic significance of OT&R within institutional ecosystems.

Who Should Submit?

We welcome proposals from experienced professionals representing:

• Public and private institutions
• Community and technical colleges
• Minority-serving institutions
• Large research universities and small liberal arts colleges
• Cross-divisional collaborators (i.e. Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Institutional Research)
• OT&R and related content experts

Co-authored submissions are encouraged.

Desired Chapter Characteristics

Selected chapters will:

• Ground arguments in relevant theory and research
• Integrate institutional strategy and fiscal implications
• Provide operational frameworks, models, or rubrics
• Move beyond institutional case studies to offer transferable insight
• Include actionable tools or applied examples where appropriate

This publication is not a collection of program descriptions. It is a field-defining volume that advances OT&R as institutional strategy with a blended constellation of theory, research and practice.