Student Affairs has partnered with colleagues across the university to develop a more comprehensive and educational experience for first-year students during their first five days on campus (Welcome Days) and for the larger student body over the course of the first six weeks of the academic year (Tommie Advantage).
Welcome Days
The new Welcome Days program occurs prior to the start of the academic year and provides educational and entertaining programming for first-year students that will serve as a foundation for their college experience.
Welcome Days seeks to build community and address key topics related to students’ success as first-year students, including: academic success, alcohol use, community engagement, diversity and inclusion, and interpersonal relationships.
“All first-year students are expected to attend Welcome Days,” said Linda Baughman, dean of students. First-year students were introduced to Welcome Days and Tommie Advantage during new student orientation this summer.
View the full Welcome Days schedule.
Tommie Advantage – a path for student success
Tommie Advantage builds upon the topics and themes from Welcome Days over the course of the first six weeks of fall semester. The program includes an intentional focus on providing students opportunities to:
- Get connected on campus through programs such as The Gathering and the Fall Activities Fair;
- Connect with the broader community through programs such as the Fall Service Site Fair and the Tommies Together Volunteer Center grand opening;
- Develop academic success strategies through programs such as Getting Things Done: Developing Your Time Management Skills and Study Skills 101;
- Learn about important issues that arise for college students through programs such as the Jessica Siegel lecture on the physiology behind alcohol consumption, and a film screening and discussion on the documentary “The Hunting Ground,” which explores sexual assault on college campuses.
