Introducing Students to "A World of Opportunities" at Meredith
By Tonya Winchester, FYE Co-Director and Ann Gleason, Dean of Students
Meredith College's orientation program is a campus wide effort to prepare and support new students in their transition to college and to the Meredith experience.
Planning for August orientation for freshmen and transfer students (of traditional and non-traditional age) begins as early as January of the same year. The Orientation Planning Committee, chaired by co-director for First Year Experience Tonya Winchester, includes participation from dedicated staff, faculty, and students from across the campus representing a variety of divisions, departments and student organizations. In order to have a successful, comprehensive orientation program, involvement and participation in the planning and implementation of activities and events are needed from all members of the campus community.
During orientation, over 150 student leaders and the majority of full-time faculty, staff and administrators are involved in welcoming new students.
Orientation 2005 features a theme of "Meredith: A World of Opportunities" which relates to the College's major events theme of "Our World, Our Responsibility: Contributing to Positive Change Around the Globe." On Saturday, August 13, the first official day of new student orientation, Meredith welcomes new students and their families to campus. The day of activities ends with a campus wide barbecue. During the next three days, before classes begin on August 17, new students are involved in a whirlwind of activities such as meeting with their student advisor and faculty advisor, touring the library, getting to know other students in their advising groups and in their residence halls, picking up their laptop and receiving technology training, learning more about how to be a successful student in and out of the classroom, and finalizing their academic schedules.
This year, Dean Rebecca Bailey created the artwork featured on orientation t-shirts. Members of the campus community will be invited to view this artwork and purchase an orientation t-shirt if they are interested. (An emp_all message sent in early August allows staff, faculty or others to view the artwork and purchase a shirt).
We appreciate all of the assistance that the Orientation Planning Committee receives while we prepare for the arrival of new students in August. Please contact Tonya Winchester, co-director for First Year Experience, at wincheto@meredith.edu, with feedback and suggestions so that we may continue to enhance the experience for new students and their families.
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Former Duke women's assistant coach Amy Olsen has been named the first varsity Cross Country coach at Meredith College.