Inside NODA’s Professional Development Toolkit For Orientation Leaders

       

Inside NODA’s Professional Development Toolkit For Orientation Leaders

Date & Time: Thursday, February 5 ~ 2:00-2:30pm (Central)
Location: Online (Zoom)

🔗 Click here to register

Overview

2026 Goals: Supporting continued professional development for orientation, transition, and retention professionals.

NODA is excited to partner with Innovative Educators (IE) to expand professional development opportunities for NODA members in 2026. Through this collaboration, all NODA members now have complimentary access to 36 on-demand webinars, offering flexible learning designed to support professionals at every career stage.

These on-demand webinars were carefully selected by NODA member volunteers serving on the Educational Initiatives Committee, ensuring the content aligns with the real needs, challenges, and priorities of our members. The curated webinar topics include:

• AI and technology for student success and operational efficiency
• Orientation, onboarding, and first-year experience programs
• Leadership development and team management
• Student retention, persistence, and equity
• Student support, mental health, and wellbeing

Join NODA and Innovative Educators for a collaborative 30-minute webinar highlighting this partnership and showcasing how these on-demand learning opportunities, alongside NODA’s broader professional development offerings, can support individual growth, staff development, and program success.

Participants will also receive an overview of how to access the on-demand webinars through NODA Connect, including how NODA members are integrating these resources into staff training and professional development plans with no additional cost or separate login required.

Whether you are new to the field or a seasoned leader, this webinar will help you better understand how NODA’s professional development offerings support your work and how IE resources can complement your campus efforts.

Not yet a NODA member?
This session offers a clear look at the value of membership and the resources available to support you, your team, and your institution.

Objectives

• Describe NODA’s professional development offerings for 2026 and how they support orientation, transition, and retention professionals
• Identify ways to leverage the 36 complimentary Innovative Educators on-demand webinars for staff development and program improvement
• Recognize how the NODA and Innovative Educators partnership expands NODA members’ access to professional development that supports OTR professionals

Join us to learn how orientation can become a powerful foundation for belonging—and why that matters now more than ever.

Who Should Attend?

This webinar is ideal for professionals who support student success and engagement:

• Administration
• Deans, Vice Presidents, and Presidents
• Directors
• Enrollment Management
• Managers & Supervisors
• Online Learning Professionals
• Parent & Family Program Administrators
• Student Affairs
• Student Services Professionals

Meet The Speakers

Melissa Durant Melissa Durant has worked in the Professional Development department at Innovative Educators for 14 years. As Facilitation Director, she oversees webinar topics, speaker coordination, and presentation planning, and partners with clients to plan and customize their professional development sites.   Lisa Dela Cruz Lisa Dela Cruz is the Director of Education for NODA, where she partners with volunteers to deliver professional development for orientation, transition, and retention professionals. She oversees a variety of educational programs including institutes, symposia, and courses, and she brings over 15 years of experience supporting higher education professionals and college students.    Jo Turcotte Jo Turcotte serves as NODA’s Director of Membership and Operations, overseeing membership recruitment, retention, and onboarding. Her work includes marketing, sponsor engagement, and managing NODA’s association management system (AMS). Jo brings over 10 years of experience supporting associations.