Inclusive Excellence in Action: Orientation Advising
Written by: Deborah Dada | Graduate Student, Management of Aging Services | Graduate Assistant, Office of Community and Culture, Division of Institutional Equity, UMBC
To an outsider, orientation advising may seem like a routine process of course selection and schedule planning. In practice, however, it is a carefully structured experience that centers connection, shared learning, and collective belonging, long before students ever step into their academic journey. As an international graduate student and Orientation Advisor, I have experienced orientation advising from the inside. Seeing firsthand the collaboration and intentionality behind each advising session inspired me to share the story behind the program.
Behind the scenes, orientation advising at UMBC is powered by a diverse team of graduate students, faculty, and staff who come together each semester to guide incoming students through one of the most critical transitions in higher education. Leading this effort is Laszlo Korossy, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Advising, Outreach, and Assessment in the Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising. Since first serving as an orientation advisor in 2015, Dr. Korossy has remained deeply committed to the work drawn by its immediacy and impact.
“In teaching, you plant seeds and hope they grow years later, but in advising, you see the impact right away.” – Dr. Korossy
Dr. Korossy recalls working with a student who initially appeared disengaged during orientation advising. The student gave brief responses and showed little excitement about his schedule. Through continued conversation, Dr. Korossy gently probed further to understand his hesitation. That moment of curiosity revealed something important: the student was also an athlete and was not fully connected to his intended major and courses. Rather than simply finalizing a schedule, the advising session became a moment of exploration. Together, they reworked the student’s course plan and introduced Wolof, a West African language course he had never encountered before. The idea of studying something so different and so distinctive on a resume sparked immediate excitement for the student.
“It gave him something that made him stand out, and you could see the shift immediately.” – Dr. Korossy
For Dr. Korossy, moments like this capture the essence of orientation advising: not just helping students choose courses, but helping them see new possibilities. “It was one of those moments where you realize you can change a student’s trajectory right there,” he said.
While these one-on-one interactions are central to the advising experience, what is less visible is the intentional work that happens among advisors themselves. Orientation advising is not only about supporting incoming students, but it is also about cultivating a collaborative, inclusive environment among those delivering the experience.
Following the shift to virtual advising during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Korossy helped reimagine the program’s structure to better support connections among the advisors. Rather than working in isolation, advisors are now brought together in shared virtual spaces, allowing them to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and build a sense of community.
“We wanted to create something that felt collegial, a space where advisors could learn from each other, talk to each other, and feel like they were part of something bigger.”
This sense of community is especially important given the advising team’s diversity. Each year, the program recruits dozens of advisors from a wide range of academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds, including many international graduate students. Rather than viewing this diversity as a challenge, Dr. Korossy sees it as one of the program’s greatest strengths. “We lean into that diversity and see it as a feature, not a bug,” he emphasized. “When you take the time to learn from different perspectives and adjust your practices accordingly, that’s when the real impact happens.” This philosophy shapes not only how advisors work together, but also how they engage with students.
Advisors are trained not just in academic policies and systems, but in essential human-centered skills: how to listen actively, ask meaningful questions, and create space for students to feel heard. For many graduate student advisors, particularly those in STEM fields, this experience offers a unique opportunity to develop soft skills that are not typically emphasized in their academic training. “We’re giving them something they might not get elsewhere,” Dr. Korossy noted.
This environment fosters a strong sense of belonging among advisors themselves, one that naturally extends to the students they serve. As one of the first meaningful points of contact for incoming students, orientation advisors play a critical role in shaping first impressions and setting the tone for a student’s experience at UMBC. “First impressions matter,” Dr. Korossy said. “We’re often the first people who sit down with students and talk to them one-on-one about what their time here will look like.” That responsibility is not taken lightly. Advisors are encouraged to meet students where they are, whether they arrive excited, uncertain, or disengaged, and to create an environment where they feel supported from the very beginning.
I have had the opportunity to work alongside the orientation advising team over the course of three orientation advising periods. Before each advising day, advisors come together to reflect, share updates, and discuss strategies to best support incoming students. Those conversations reinforce a shared commitment to helping every student feel welcomed and supported from their very first interaction with UMBC.
At its core, orientation advising reflects UMBC’s broader commitment to inclusive excellence. It is not simply about ensuring that students are enrolled in the right classes, but about helping them see themselves as part of the campus community.
“Belonging is what drives whether students stay or leave,” Dr. Korossy explained. “We want to give every student the best possible chance to succeed not just academically, but personally.”
That commitment extends to the way the program continues to evolve. Through ongoing assessment, feedback from both students and advisors, and a willingness to adapt, the orientation advising team is constantly refining its approach to better meet the needs of a diverse student population.
“We never just repeat what we did the year before; we’re always asking, ‘ What can we do better?”
Ultimately, orientation advising at UMBC is a process and a practice. One that requires intentionality, reflection, and a genuine commitment to people.
As Dr. Korossy put it, “Inclusion and belonging don’t just happen. You have to take concrete steps to create them.”
And at UMBC, those steps begin long before the first day of class, starting with the people who guide students every step of the way.
Share Your Inclusive Excellence Practice
Across UMBC, meaningful work is happening every day to advance equity, inclusion, access, and belonging, often in ways that may not always be visible. Through the Inclusive Excellence Storytelling series, we aim to highlight these efforts and create opportunities for shared learning across our community. We invite students, faculty, and staff to share initiatives, programs, or practices that reflect a commitment to Inclusive Excellence. This may include work in curricular innovation, inclusive pedagogy, community engagement, student support, policy development, or other efforts that foster connection, equity, and belonging. Your story can help inspire others and contribute to building a more inclusive and connected UMBC community.
To share your story, please email Culture@umbc.edu with a brief description of your initiative and your contact information. A member of our team will follow up with next steps.