UNews - New Student Orientation

Energy surges through campus with return of students

trevor.kenney — Tue, 05 Sep 2023 20:51:23 +0000

Residence buildings are full, hallways are busy, campus facilities are alive with activity — the students are back.

New Student Orientation featured Luxie as a welcome ambassador.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s 2023 Fall Term begins Wednesday, Sept. 6, and with 3,000 new students rolling into Lethbridge and Calgary campuses, and more than 8,400 students overall, the buzz of a new year has returned.

On Sunday, residence students began moving into campus housing. Residence buildings are full this fall and Housing Services was busy over the long weekend checking students in and helping families get their learners settled.

“It’s exciting to be at nearly full capacity with 960 students in residence including a record 100 international students,” says Laura Correal, Associate Director of Housing Services. “The residence experience plays such a big role in student success and student retention and the introductory activities our residence assistants have planned for students are designed to really make them feel welcome on campus and to start creating that supportive residence community that can have such a positive influence on their academic careers at ULethbridge.”

The record number of international students is not only reflective of residence but across the university. More than 1,200 international students are attending ULethbridge this fall, including more than 350 at the Calgary campus. It’s a new record that speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s commitment to internationalization and its reputation as a welcoming, inclusive, high-quality institution.

Residence buildings were teeming with activity as students moved in over the weekend.

“We’ve put a lot of work into our approach to broadening our reach into international markets, and we’ve done it in a way that’s been very intentional and with the students’ best interests in mind,” says Paul Pan, Executive Director, International. “To bring students from 90 countries to our campus is exciting and creates a campus community reflective of the ULethbridge philosophy of liberal education and creating global citizens who will benefit society throughout the world.”

New Student Orientation is another key part of the first few days of the semester, and it saw more than 1,300 registrants take part on Tuesday (Calgary campus NSO takes place Wednesday). From an opening Pronghorn Athletics Pep Rally to a welcome from new President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Digvir Jayas, keynote speaker Kacie Bosch (BA ’21, former Pronghorn athlete, coach and current after-degree student), campus tours, introductory student services sessions, faculty meet-and-greets and more, the day provided students the opportunity to get their academic journey started on the right foot.

“New Student Orientation really sets the stage for our beginning students, and we spend a lot of time making sure we are meeting the needs of each incoming class,” says Kathleen Massey, vice-provost (students). “There is so much thrown at them the first few weeks they are on campus, socially and academically, and we want to help them with that transition to post-secondary life so that they can feel confident from the outset. We want all our students to achieve success and to know we are here to support them in reaching their goals — and that starts from day one.”

Another key program launched by ULethbridge this fall was the introduction of the StartSmart Quiz, a three-year, proactive student retention initiative designed to help new undergraduate students achieve their academic goals and increase first-year student retention. All new undergraduate students were invited to complete a university readiness self-assessment quiz. While voluntary, it was an opportunity for new students to reflect on their readiness for university. The self-assessment gives feedback on seven skills that research shows contribute to university success.

Jayas, in his address at NSO, welcomed students to campus noting they were both entering their first ULethbridge terms together.

“I know many of you have travelled from across the province, Canada and the world to attend ULethbridge. So have I,” he said. “I have received a very warm welcome from everyone at ULethbridge and the Lethbridge community already and I know you will as well.”

And so it begins!

New Student Orientation takes on even more significance for first-year students

trevor.kenney — Thu, 27 Aug 2020 15:35:34 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is welcoming over 1,990 new students into the fold this fall, and the themes of welcoming, informing and lessening anxiety remain the same — even if the experience has moved online.

Asheley Cowie and her Student Affairs team put together more than 1,900 welcome boxes for new students.

“New Student Orientation (NSO) has always been a crucial first step for new students because it lays the foundation for their engagement with campus and their learning,” says Asheley Cowie, coordinator of orientation and transition in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s Student Affairs team. “NSO is a chance for students to learn how things work at uLethbridge, meet faculty and staff and other new students.

“It’s a time for new students to feel excited to be starting university and should smooth the transition to campus life and the independence that comes with this. This year, it’s even more important for students to take part in NSO given that building connections to staff, faculty and other students will be essential when learning in a primarily virtual setting.”

NSO 2020, running Aug. 31 through Sept. 8, has been designed to meet students in the virtual space, supported by a welcome box that began arriving at students’ residences earlier this week. Packed with all the essentials to get the academic year off to a great start, the boxes include:

Fall 2020-specific student services and support department resources
Commencement coin and page
Faculty-specific information and giveaways
NSO giveaways
U of L ID card (if submitted)

Current students who are part of Cowie’s transition team helped design and build the packages. Having been through the first-year experience, they lent a valuable perspective to the exercise.

“In my first year, NSO provided me with my first true sense of belonging at the U of L,” says Courtney Derksen, a fourth-year science student and current student mentor on Cowie’s team. “Attending the sessions and meeting staff and students helped me feel more confident in beginning my university experience. I hope students who receive a box feel the connection and support that I did when I attended NSO.”

With box in hand, students are sent to the NSO 2020 welcome web page where the virtual experience takes off. Once there, students are able to learn about all the available student services, given a road map to help them understand who to ask for support both in and outside of their courses and learn about the academic expectations of being a first-year university student.

Student mentors, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ staff and individual faculty members are also available to new students through a variety of virtual sessions scheduled throughout the week. The sessions include everything from how to order and pick up textbooks, student life in Lethbridge, tutoring and working on campus opportunities, to individual faculty meet and greets and more.

“Starting university is a huge transition for all new students, but it is fair to say starting university from home during a global pandemic creates additional stressors,” says Cowie. “We want students to know we created this NSO understanding they are uncertain and hopefully our support will help them get the best possible start. New students normally have a lot of questions, and this year will not be an exception, so we want to ease as many concerns and provide as much support as we can from day one.”

U of L welcomes new students at New Student Orientation

caroline.zentner — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 16:20:27 +0000

With students set to arrive for the first day of classes on Wednesday, Sept. 5, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is busy getting ready for the 2018 Fall Semester.

The annual New Student Orientation (NSO) gets things going and sets the tone for the 2018-2019 academic year. It runs Sept. 3 and 4 and serves as an introduction for new students and their families, providing information on important student services, academic expectations and general post-secondary life.

“We invest a lot in NSO because it’s a very important first impression for many of our students,” says Asheley Cowie, orientation and transition coordinator for Student Engagement. “This year, we’ve made some fairly big changes to our event through feedback from previous years. We’ve extended the opportunity for new students to meet and interact with other students and we’ve focused our campus tours on way-finding, making sure that our first-year students know where to access student services, can find their classrooms and just feel much more comfortable about getting around campus on their first few days.”

The NSO program kicks off Monday, Sept. 3 with Commencement, featuring keynote speaker Bryn Hewko, the 2018 Young Alumnus of the Year. A mentor meet-and-greet session follows that will include a scavenger-hunt type game that will help students quickly build new friendships as they learn to navigate campus.

Other feature sessions from the first day include those for international students, Understanding your permit – Studying and working in Canada, and Cultural Transition – What to expect inside and outside the classroom. Other featured sessions are Career Planning: Tips for success from Counseling and Career Services, How to get the most from your liberal education, Welcome to YQL and more.

On day two of NSO, sexologist Dr. Justine Shuey presents How to have awesome relationships, while the key to financial student survival is available in Being thrifty is nifty: How to budget and survive financially in university.

A full itinerary of NSO activities can be found on the Future Student website: ulethbridge.ca/future-student/events/new-student-orientation.

Fall 2018 enrolment numbers are strong across the institution. Approximately 2,000 new students will be starting their post-secondary studies at the U of L’s campuses in Lethbridge and Calgary. As of August 28, 2018, there is an increase in the number of Indigenous students as well as solid growth in the number of master's- and doctoral-level students.

“Our enrolment numbers are very strong and we’re excited to welcome both our new and returning students to campus,” says Kathleen Massey, the U of L’s associate vice-president (students). “With steady growth in both undergraduate and graduate students, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ continues to be a preferred destination for today’s learners and we’re here to give them an unparalleled student experience.”

Following NSO, a campus-wide Welcome Week kicks off with a pancake breakfast on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 7:45 a.m. on the Markin Hall patio. Over the ensuing days, wayfinding booths will be set up across campus to help students with any questions they might have, the Fresh-U Jamboree Festival takes place and Pronghorns women’s soccer hosts a pair of games against Mount Royal ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

Students who live in residence at the U of L will be moving into their dorms over the weekend as well. Move-in day for new students is Sunday, Sept. 2, while continuing students will move into residence on Monday, Sept. 3.

U of L welcomes new and returning students

caroline.zentner — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 19:57:54 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge welcomes all students to campus as it gears up for the start of the fall semester as classes resume on Wednesday, Sept. 6.

“We look forward to welcoming students to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, whether they are new or returning students,” says Kathleen Massey, vice-president (students). “The start of the academic year heralds a fresh beginning with plenty of opportunities to learn, become involved in campus life and benefit from our many support services. We hope students will make the most of their experience at the U of L and we wish them great success this academic year.”

Massey says a slight increase in enrolment is expected this year, with 50 to 100 more students on the U of L’s Lethbridge and Calgary campuses.

New Student Orientation, held Monday and Tuesday, serves as the kickoff to the academic year. The two days are packed with informative sessions and activities to orient new students and their families to campus life.

Dr. Mike Mahon, U of L president and vice-chancellor, along with Hailey Babb, Students’ Union president, Brendan Cummins, Graduate Students’ Association president, Michael Gabriel, U of L Alumni Association president, and Asheley Cowie, orientation and transition co-ordinator, welcome students at 9 a.m. in the main gym.

Following the official greetings, students can take part in Commencement, a ceremony to mark the beginning of their U of L experience and hear Janelle Pritchard (BN '12), the Young Alumna of the Year recipient, talk about the importance of following one’s passions, asking the big questions and understanding the impact one individual can make.

New students and their families are then free to explore campus, take in a guided campus tour, check out student services in the family lounge, learn about ways to get involved in campus life, and listen to a keynote talk by Dr. Shelly Wismath about the Liberal Education foundation of studies at the U of L.

Tuesday’s NSO session will present the ‘First Lecture’ by Dr. Andy Hakin, vice-president (academic) and provost. He’ll talk about the history and traditions associated with the U of L. Other sessions will give students the chance to find out about library services, recreation programs, learning outside the classroom and take part in a faculty meet and greet.

UNews - New Student Orientation

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