Welcoming new students to campus

At the end of every spring semester, most of the student population at UNI returns home for the summer, but their mass exodus opens the door for a whole new wave of incoming Panthers to visit campus for summer orientation.

2,329 incoming students, to be exact.

Throughout the month of June and in the early weeks of July, incoming freshmen and transfer students are welcomed to campus as they schedule their classes for the fall, meet other new students and get to know their new home away from home.

The Summer Orientation Staff unrolls the welcome mat. This staff of more than a dozen students sacrifices half of their summer to serve as a welcoming crew and ensure that UNI makes a spectacular first impression on its newest residents.

“Orientation is a fun way to inform, prepare and, most importantly, welcome students and their guests into the Panther family,” says Sarah Rudy, a student at UNI who currently serves on the Summer Orientation Staff.

Talk to Rudy or any of the other Summer Orientation Staff members and you’ll understand why they’re eager to be an integral part of the incoming student experience. Each one beams with the Panther pride you’d expect from them.

Tuesday, July 12 was the final summer orientation session for this year, but the festivities for new students don’t end there.

UNI Now is a program designed to help new students get acclimated with campus during their first few weeks at UNI. Events and activities are held for freshmen and transfer students interested in engaging with peers and exploring the campus.

It’s just another way UNI takes care of our students.