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Week One welcomes new students

Karl Olson '08
August 31, 2006

Each year, during the last week of August, first-year students and their parents drive onto campus with packed vehicles and high anxiety. Their meticulous search for just the right college, which included numerous questions, hours of travel time and stressful nights, is over. Arriving on campus for orientation, or Week One, first friendships are born and fears are calmed. New students spend his and her first week learning as much as possible about St. Olaf, a place they now will call home.

"Orientation takes longer than one week," says Associate Dean of Community Life and Diversity and Buntrock Commons Director Tim Schroer. "It's a process for that lasts all of first semester and more."

While some schools hold orientation in the spring or summer, St. Olaf waits until just before Labor Day weekend for all students to move in and see the campus before registration or information sessions begin. Although students received a binder crammed with welcome letters, deadlines and email passwords in July, the best way to prepare students is in person. "Students need to basics to get off on the right foot," says Schroer.

Week One includes events from registration sessions and adviser meetings, to more social events like an opening semi-formal dinner and PlayFair, a large group ice-breaking activity. The schedule stays fairly constant, but this year there are some changes for the parents.

In years past, parents have organized residence hall rooms and attended a final program where faculty dress in academic regalia and the president addresses both parents and students before asking parents to say goodbyes. But this year, before the program, parents have the opportunity to receive more information during sessions on topics like financial aid, student culture and resources available to students.

"It's important to give parents as much information as we can about what their child is doing academically and socially," says Schroer.

Week One goes by quickly, but by the end of the week students are feeling comfortable on campus. Staff and faculty want new students to be armed with enough information so should there be a problem they know where to go. The effectiveness of this orientation is quite high. Based on the number of students who transfer, "I think we have a pretty good track record of keeping students here at St. Olaf," says Schroer. This year appears to be no exception.

Contact Carole Engblom at 507-786-3271 or leigh@stolaf.edu.