Center for Orientation, Retention, and Exploration
The Center for Orientation, Retention, and Exploration (CORE) primarily serves incoming (first-year and transfer) students and exploratory students. CORE coordinates the New to Blue: New Student Experience, assists students with navigating major exploration, and offers success coaching services. CORE is committed to keeping our Monarchs!
Confidentiality Form
Please complete a confidentiality form before your first meeting with your success coach.
Affiliated Programs & Services
New to Blue
Success Coaching & Retention
Exploratory Advising
FAQs
Orientation is the bridge between students’ admissions experience and enrolling at ODU. At ODU, our orientation is a 3-phase new student experience called New to Blue. New to Blue begins once students have paid their admissions deposit and continues through the first day of classes.
Learn more about how you can EXPLORE. DISCOVER, & RULE your new student experience.
Retention is our commitment to keeping Monarchs enrolled, engaged, and supported throughout their academic journey, utilizing advising, student support services, and tailored programs to enhance persistence and success. All of our initiatives in CORE overall support retention, but our signature initiatives are success coaching and success teams.
During the transition experience to college and through college, students may not know what major is best for them and therefore, they are Exploratory students. Exploring majors is a great opportunity for self-exploration and skill-building. Through exploration, CORE helps students identify a major that is best for them. CORE facilitates major exploration through a variety of innovative initiatives and advises exploratory students.
Success coaching is all about helping students grow their skills, knowledge, beliefs, and goals. Success coaching helps students build and connect with their success team and learn how to access strategies and resources to support their transition through ODU.
All first-year students are assigned a success coach based on your college. Your success coach reaches out via email and text message. Check your email for communication from your success coach or email us at exploration@gregorybgallagher.com.
Your success coach reaches out via email and text message. Check your email for communication from your success coach which will include a link to book your appointment. You may also email retention@gregorybgallagher.com to set up an appointment.
Advising helps ensure you are taking the right classes in the right order to complete your degree. All degree-seeking students must be advised prior to registering each semester. CORE advises exploratory students.
Sessions are generally between 20-30 minutes.
Sessions are generally between 20-30 minutes.