Reimagining OTR during COVID-19 through Transformative Practices

Abstract

COVID-19 was a catalyst that provided orientation professionals the opportunity to reimagine their programs and challenge the status quo. The University of Houston used Mezirow’s (1991) transformative learning framework and concepts from Davies’s (2017) work on transitional justice in education to make significant programmatic changes. Through the process of truth telling, critical reflection, and addressing failures, this article provides an example of applying scholarly frameworks to in-person and virtual orientation programs over the course of three orientation cycles to ensure each program is more equitable and student-centered than in the past.