Friday Focus: Ready or not, here they come!
July 22, 2021
— Ali Knabe, interim vice chancellor for student affairs
In student affairs, we spend the summers eagerly waiting for the fall semester, when we get to meet our new group of incoming students. Sometimes we think, “ready or not, here they come!” But, we are ready!
From a student’s first interaction with admissions to when they cross the stage at graduation, student affairs staff are here and ready for the journey. An essential part of the journey is New Student Orientation (NSO). NSO is an opportunity for UAF to put its best foot forward to welcome new students to our community (both in person and virtually). During NSO, staff, faculty, and students come together to introduce new students to a variety of important programs and services that will support them in their upcoming academic careers. And most importantly, NSO is a time to share with students our values of creating a culture of respect, diversity, inclusion, and caring at UAF. This year NSO will be held Aug. 18-21, 2021.
Just like how orientation is not a “one-and-done” program, a new student’s transition to college doesn’t end when classes begin. Students will continue to adjust to the challenges of collegiate life. Student affairs and our academic partners strategically integrate transition experiences into the college journey to increase student retention and success. Some of the programs include efforts around time management, study skills, building healthy relationships, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Actively participating in NSO is critical for facilitating a student’s transition to UAF. Attending NSO provides new students the opportunity to:
- Understand how to get engaged with the campus community.
- Learn about campus resources, including advising, writing centers, and tutoring.
- Find information on student employment opportunities.
- Hear from faculty about what to expect during your academic career.
- Connect with other students and make new friends, learn what it means to be part of Nanook Nation and so much more!
NSO also offers several opportunities for family members. During the concurrent Parent and Family Orientation, attendees will hear from various university administrators, faculty members, and current students about working with the university to best support students’ success and learning. We welcome and strongly encourage university faculty and staff to attend the welcome barbeque, followed by the parent reception in the Pub , to help answer questions parents may have about what to expect for their college student.
We have planned all summer, cleaned the residence halls, stuffed welcome bags, and we are ready to build, shape, and enhance the student experience at UAF. We are ready and excited to welcome all students to UAF!
Friday Focus is a column written by a different member of UAF’s leadership team every week. On occasion, a guest writer is invited to contribute a column.