For new students arriving at Oregon State University, the first few weeks can be overwhelming. There are so many new things to take in at once, from new housing, new food options, a new city and the seemingly daunting task of new college courses.
But staff on the Corvallis campus at Oregon State are very serious about making these huge transitions as smooth and easy as possible. In fact, the first few weeks of school have turned into one giant celebration of all things new, called OSUWelcome 2024. Starting with the hundreds of staff and volunteers who swoop in to help families during move-in to residence halls, OSUWelcome is a collection of activities and events designed to help incoming students connect with the Corvallis campus.
Events are aimed at entertaining, teaching about campus resources and setting students up for academic success.
Lauren Skousen, in the Office of the Dean of Students, said staff and volunteers have planned more than 100 welcome events this year, focused on first year, transfer and graduate students.
“Our goal is to help students feel immediately that they are part of a bigger community here at Oregon State,” Skousen said. “We believe that in order to thrive academically, students must also feel that they have social and emotional support, and know that there is a community of faculty, staff and other students here to help as they navigate their first year at the university.”
Tuesday’s Convocation was part of a long-standing tradition of new students walking the path that they’ll take when they graduate from the university, which helps them visualize their successful completion of studies even as they get ready for their very first day of classes. Other events included academic onboarding, an end-of-summer celebration, a “damboree” with bounce houses and of course tailgaiting at the football game last weekend.
Coming up, there will be a Beaver Community Fair on Friday, Sept. 27 in the MU Quad and SEC Plaza which will introduce new students to various campus clubs, volunteer opportunities and other resources to help them feel grounded in their new community. Additional OSUWelcome events will continue through Oct. 6. Follow @osuexperience on Instagram for more.
~ Theresa Hogue
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