As summer draws to a close on the Sunshine Coast, there is a ramping up at the kálax-ay Sunshine Coast Campus. Faculty and staff are preparing to welcome new and returning students for the 2019-20 academic year.
Orientation for new and returning students takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Instead of regularly scheduled classes, students are invited to take part in a day focused on connection and experiential learning.
Orientation programs have the potential for shaping students’ important impressions of the university and have been found to promote the retention of first-year students by enhancing their social integration into the university community. These programs also work to increase the students’ knowledge of campus support services, which is an important factor in student success.
As a small campus, the perception may be that students are very connected to one another. While that may be true within student cohorts while they move through the term, most students do not socialize with students across programs and faculties.
This year at the kálax-ay campus, students, faculty, and staff will participate in an indigenized orientation at the shíshálh Nation Longhouse. They will come together to learn about each other while participating in experiential activities focused on the land, sea, and community. It is an exciting time for students as they prepare for a new or returning semester here on the Sunshine Coast.
