On Jan. 19, the Office of Student Activities (OSA) held Spring 2010 orientation for new incoming students.
Activities the students participated in included a Welcome Reception, an M Center Information Session, and appointments with their advisers.
OSA places a very high importance on new student orientation.
“The purpose of orientation is to create a sense of belonging for students,” said Courtney Young-Law, Director of Community Life and Student Activities. “There are a lot of resources available but people need help navigating them.”
New students also participated in a Mills Meeting, which was led by orientation leaders.
Most of the orientation leaders are transfer students themselves, according to Young-Law.
Young-Law estimates there are about 50 new students — one is a first year and the others are transfers.
She said on Jan. 18 that about 63 percent of the new students are resumers over the age of 23 and 67 percent are from the Bay Area.
Besides the activities that took place Tuesday for new students, OSA will be hosting a continued support group with both an academic and a social aspect.
“The support group is geared to transfer students. It is to make sure they have ongoing support throughout their first semester,” said Young-Law.
In addition, OSA has planned various “Weeks of Welcome” activities intended for new and continuing students.
The activities include, but are not limited to, a New Student Excursion on Jan. 22, a Cowell Club Night Launch Party on Jan. 26 and a Second Saturday Extravaganza co-hosted by the Black Women’s Collective on Feb. 13.
Residential Life has also been preparing for new students to arrive in the residence halls; residential assistants in the first-year dorms are planning more activities for their Living Learning Communities (LLC).
“All communities in residential life start with a new community meeting,” explained Monique Young, Director of Residential Life. There will also be new RAs added to the Ethel Moore dorm, and for the Spanish and French LLC.
