Freshman orientation program begins August 28

MADISON, Wis. (Aug. 18, 2005) – Nature teams with nurture every fall semester at Edgewood College. While the foliage is busy changing colors in compliance with Mother Nature’s order, it is the call of returning students, faculty, and staff members at the college to be active in preparing incoming freshmen and their families for one of life’s biggest transitions. Sunday, August 28 marks the beginning of this year’s three-day Edgewood College Freshman Orientation program

Students attending the Edgewood College Freshman Orientation program will have the opportunity to:

Learn what is expected of you as an Edgewood College student in and outside of the classroom
Discover the Edgewood College Values
Become familiar with the Edgewood College Campus
Meet other students who will be entering in the fall
Interact with returning students, faculty and staff members
Receive information about the many campus resources available to Edgewood College students
Have fun!!

“The primary goal for the orientation program is to provide various opportunities for new students to learn strategies for academic and social success,” said Beth John, Director of Student Activities. “Orientation creates a place for incoming students to explore their similarities and differences and to build strong relationships with other members of our community.”

According to Scott Flanagan, Vice President for Planning and Enrollment, the college is expecting 285 incoming freshmen in 2005-06. Meanwhile, full-time enrollment will be approximately 1,470, a record enrollment for the sixth consecutive year.

So how does the college adapt to the increasing demands during orientation week and ensure students and their families still receive a valuable, yet fun, experience?

In addition to the entire Student Development staff and numerous other college faculty and staff members who assist with move-in efforts, there are four Student Orientation Assistants and 60 Students Orientating Students (S.O.S) Guides.

“Preparing for orientation is exciting,” said Orientation Assistant Casey Slaney, a senior psychology major, who also served as an S.O.S. Guide for two years. “Everyone puts in a lot of hard work, and it is fun to see it all come together.”

S.O.S. Guides devote three days to training and three days to orientation, while the Orientation Assistants work with the Student Development office year-round examining the mission of orientation, planning activities, and facilitating the training of S.O.S. leaders.

Research has found a student’s ability to make connections with members of the college community and feeling part of a welcoming environment that is inclusive of all people most critical to a student’s development.

“For students we design our programs so that it involves making new friends, learning about some of the challenges they will face and how to deal with them, finding out about resources and getting adjusted to a new life,” said Balistreri-Clarke. “For families and support people we also offer programs on the first day to help them to know what they can do to support their student and what to do if they have questions or concerns.”

If you have any questions regarding orientation at Edgewood College you can contact the Office of Student Activities at 608-663-2244 or stop by the office and visit the friendly staff located at Predolin 242.

Edgewood College is Madison’s only independent liberal arts college, a Catholic school with 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students. It offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, nursing, and other fields, and a doctoral program in education leadership. For more information about Edgewood College, visit www.edgewood.edu or call 800-444-4861.