Typically, a university welcome week consists of free events, entertainment and activities for students to engage with the campus in between attending their first classes, but at Indiana Wesleyan University students become accustomed to campus through a weeklong experience before classes of officially begin.
The IWU campus is populated by almost solely freshman during their new student orientation. The event used to take place the weekend before classes, but has been expanded to a 10-day period starting with freshmen move-in the weekend before Labor Day.
This expansion has created what students describe as a “summer camp” experience. Students are divided into groups lead by upperclassmen and are guided through the welcome week both by them and a detailed itinerary.
Some events, like Passport Day, are designed for freshmen to familiarize themselves with the campus, while other events are meant to connect students with one another and make IWU feel like home.
Dean of the Chapel Dr. John Bray said welcome week is “an incredible experience.”
“The transition to college is always challenging and we want to help prepare students as well as we can for this new adventure in their lives,” Bray said.
Jessica Brinkley, just one of more than 800 students joining IWU this semester, is a pre-med major who said she has always felt at-home on the campus. The support of alumni and enrolled undergraduate students in her hometown of Fishers has allowed her to create a network of people on campus. Even so, Brinkley is enjoying new experiences as well.
“My favorite part so far has been the first night with our unit,” she said. “You get to know people in your hall and the RA (resident assistant) and establish connections. It really makes you feel like you have a safety net.”
Associate Dean of Student Engagement Ian Slater said the 10-day experience is integrative and is designed to give options for all types of students.
“Whether someone is introverted or extraverted, we try to include something for everyone,” Slater said. “It allows each student to find their own sense of belonging and success.”
While students aren’t attending their other courses during the new student orientation events, they are going to First Year Experience (FYE) classes led by peer educators. The population as a whole is divided into groups for their FYE courses during the welcome week and remain in that group while they continue to meet throughout the semester like a normal course, which will then be taught by a faculty member.
In addition, there are faculty-led workshops for freshman to chose from that allows them to take their insecurities with the college experience head on. Workshops that focus on anxiety, stress management, organization, faith, finances, study habits, identity and growth are offered to incoming freshmen.
“It’s a psychological transition,” Slater said. “We try to weave in as much as we can.”
Throughout the week students will have the chance to go to campus organized cookouts, luaus, bike rides and canoe retreats with a service project on Friday, Sept 1, before classes begin Tuesday, Sept 5.
Article originally appeared in the Marion Chronicle-Tribune on Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2017.