Orientation Service Needs of Newly Admitted Students of College of Agriculture Education in Mampong Ashanti of Ghana

Abstract

The study was a descriptive survey undertaken to find out the orientation service needs of newly admitted students of College of Agriculture Education, Mampong Ashanti. Four hundred (400) newly admitted students in the 2013/ 2014 academic year were sampled for the study through the use of purposive and proportional stratified random sampling techniques. A self-made questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents and analyzed through the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The students expressed the need for general information like date of establishment, mission, vision, rules of conduct in the institution and academic information like programmes offered, courses offered, course lecturers, examination rules, grading system and calculation of cumulative grade point average. They also indicated need for information on students' support services like sports and games, library services, hall facilities, counselling services, clubs and societies and vacation attachments. Career information like job prospects after school and available job vacancies were also needs expressed by them. Their most preferred modes of presentation of orientation service programmes were lectures and campus tours. It was recommended that orientation service programmes should address these expressed needs of students.