Where it all begins: raising the curtain on 2016 Orientation

The excitement and anticipation of a new academic year has arrived at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) as nearly 2,300 first-year students prepare to complete their transition to university.

Orientation activities take place Tuesday, September 6 and Wednesday, September 7. Students will experience two full days of campus-welcoming programming and the final chapter to a summer-long series of programs for first-year students and their families.

The 2016 Orientation theme is SOAR – a nod toward encouraging students to discover and soar as they begin their university years. As is tradition, the theme will be heavily infused into the Wild Goose Chase – an annual friendly inter-faculty competition featuring group activities on Day 2 of Orientation (Wednesday, September 7). At the end of the Orientation, one of the seven faculties is awarded the coveted trophy, Stanley the Goose.

Orientation objectives for new university students:

• Discover how to get involved and engage with the wider university community.
• Familiarize themselves with services available to support student success.
• Learn about the history and traditions of the university.
• Meet their peers, upper-year students, and faculty and staff at the university.
• Navigate the campus and learn their way around.
• Understand the academic expectations of being a university student.

Complementary Orientation sessions are also provided for international students, students with disabilities, mature students, graduate students and pathways students.  

Quote
“Orientation is intended to make each new student feel welcome in their new community as they begin this exciting new chapter of their lives. There is a very strong participation rate in group activities. Our program helps incoming students learn about academic expectations, how to get involved, and understand the value and importance of teamwork as part of the university experience.”
-Scott Dempsey, Director, Student Experience, Office of Student Life

Quick Orientation facts:

• 150 upper-year student volunteer Orientation leaders have completed two full days of job-specific training covering Access for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) customer service training, and the Mindsight mental health awareness online training module developed by Dr. Wendy Stanyon, Associate Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences.
• All university ambassadors complete the RISE program, a Bystander Intervention program designed specifically for students to foster a safe and inclusive campus community.   
• All students take part in First Year Me – an interactive theatrical production written and developed by students and staff that discusses sexual assault, bystander intervention and consent, along with topics such as social anxiety, drug and alcohol use, academic integrity and inclusivity.
• Dozens of staff, faculty and upper-year students take part in the Ask Me program. Volunteers will be stationed in high-traffic areas on campus to answer questions and help students find their way around campus during their first few days of the semester.
• The Get Involved Fair on the first day of classes (Thursday, September 8) showcases all of the student-led clubs and societies on campus.

Orientation’s first phase is the mid-August iBegin program, where students and parents come to campus to learn about the university’s programs and services, and meet with faculty and staff.  

For more information about Orientation, email askme@uoit.ca or call the Office of Student Life at 905.721.8668 ext. 3833.

Media contact
Bryan Oliver
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 6709
289.928.3653
bryan.oliver@uoit.ca