Proposal Submission Requirements
Please submit a statement of interest including brief author biography and interest in the project below. Authors may indicate a preferred chapter area and briefly describe their intended focus.
New Publication – Call for Authors
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.
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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.
Available Sections & Topics
Available Sections & Topics
Chapters are organized into four sections:
Section I: Foundational Systems & Structures
Evolution of the Field
– History of NODA and OT&R in higher education
– Impact of OT&R on enrollment, yield and persistence
– Introducing the thematic construct: OT&R in higher education is a series of discrete experiences that become part of a continuous process
The Arc of OT&R
– Foundations of Orientation, Transition, and Retention: the connection to institutional strategic plans and the fiscal costs of ineffective onboarding
– OT&R in higher education’s role in promoting institutional performance
Theoretical Grounding
– Student development, socialization, and acculturation theories; aligning theory with institutional outcomes.
Section II: The Retention Architect as Leader & Change Agent
Orientation, Transition and Retention (OT&R) as Campus-Wide Civic Responsibility
– Navigating silos and treating onboarding as a collaborative ecosystem
– Advocating for the resources required for high-impact engagements
Politics and Influence
– Negotiating through internal and external politics
– Change Management strategies for OT&R in higher education leaders
– Everyone’s role in enrollment management
Building Effective Onboarding Experiences
– Environmental scanning; benchmarking and ROI
– Resource allocation (staffing, budgeting, cost-based accounting)
– Supporting the broader student support network, including parents, families, and student supporters.
Section III: Operational Optimization
Evaluation and Assessment
– Setting and evaluating goals
– Moving beyond ‘satisfaction’ to assessing longitudinal outcomes and student success
Data Collection & Governance
– Multi-method strategies for collecting quantitative, qualitative, and behavioral data
– Includes strategies for cross-divisional data sharing and development and utilization of a student Data Lake
Data-Driven Decision Making
– Using data to advocate for resources at the executive level
– Creating rubrics and other assessment tools to audit program effectiveness and institutional vitality
Philosophy of OT&R Staffing
– Importance of collaboration across the institution
– Accommodating state and federal mandates
– Professional development and staff engagement
Section IV: Future Readiness
AI in the Onboarding Process
– Utilizing Generative AI for personalized communication drip campaigns
– AI-driven chatbots for 24/7 just-in-time support
– Automating administrative OT&R in Higher Education tasks
Predictive Analytics & Interstitial Risk
– Using data-informed modeling to identify students at risk of melt before arrival or attrition after the first six weeks
Future-Proofing OT&R
– Navigating the consumerization of the student experience
– Creating resilient structures that maintain human connection in a digitally-transformed landscape
Conclusion: Predictions and Opportunities
– Responsiveness to the current environment (AI, ROI of Higher Ed, political climates)
– Predictions and opportunities for the future of OT&R
Timeline (Tentative)
- April–May 2026 – Call for Chapter Authors
- June 1, 2026 at 8:00 AM EDT – Author Interest Form Due
- June–July 2026 – Proposal review and author selection
- August 2026–January 2027 – Manuscript drafting
- January–May 2027 – Editorial screening, peer reviews, and revisions
- October 2027 – Proposed Launch coordinated with NODA Annual Conference
Detailed author guidelines will be provided upon selection.
Author Expectations
- Formatting: All manuscripts must follow APA 7th Edition style for citations and references.
- Accessibility: Any tables or figures must be submitted with descriptive alt-text.
- Originality: Submissions must be original works not currently under review by other publications.
- Feedback: Participate in collaborative editorial feedback
- Deadlines: Meet established deadlines
- Outcome: Contribute to the scholarly-practitioner balance of the volume
- Intellectual Property: Your contributions will add to the resources at NODA and will become the intellectual property of NODA.