Excitement is building as Wittenberg prepares to welcome 536 new students for four days of special programming designed to ensure a smooth transition to college life. The university’s annual New Student Days (NSD) gets underway, Aug. 16, and features multiple events intended to acclimate incoming Tigers before the start of classes on Aug. 20.
New students will arrive on campus Thursday, Aug. 16, where they will first enjoy an all-campus move-in experience, in which faculty and staff assist student orientation assistants (OAs) in helping students move into their assigned residence halls.
“Wittenberg is a community of learners, so it makes sense that we always come together as a community to help our incoming students feel a part of our family from their first moments on campus,” said Carol Nickoson, director of student involvement.
Following the official move-in, students will attend various programs and participate in several activities including:
- Meeting 1:1 with faculty advisors.
- Meeting their resident advisors (RAs).
- Participating in residence hall gatherings.
- Attending social events to connect with fellow classmates.
Parents will also have the chance to learn more about life on campus through special programming.
After students have settled into their new home, the campus will unite again at 3 p.m., Aug. 16, for the traditional Welcome Ceremony in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation (HPER) Center. The event features presentations from several campus divisions, including welcome remarks from President Michael L. Frandsen and Dean of Students Casey Gill. The day’s programming will end with a show by hypnotist Jim Wand at 10 p.m.
On Saturday, the popular annual Witt Olympics and Casino Night events will take place, along the Wittenberg football Red & White inter-squad scrimmage, theater performances, and the 11th annual New Student Service Plunge.
Service beyond one’s self has been a core component of the Wittenberg experience since the university’s founding in 1845, and the New Student Service Plunge reflects this tradition as it introduces new students to the possibilities and opportunities of Wittenberg’s unique community service graduation requirement, as well as to the significance of service as part of a well-rounded liberal arts education, and to the work of the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement, which Ohio’s former Lieutenant Governor called a model for how universities and communities should work together.
The plunge will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Service experiences will include a variety of outdoor and behind-the-scenes tasks that help local non-profit organizations.
“Creating intentional linkages to our mission, which speaks to compassion, service, creativity and integrity, helps students to see the power of the Wittenberg experience firsthand,” said Jon Duraj, associate dean of students for student success and retention. “It also exemplifies the ‘all in’ attitude that has always defined our approach to student success at Wittenberg.”
For the full NSD schedule, click here download the Guidebook app from your mobile device's app store for the most up-to-date information about New Student Days. Students and families can also follow all NSD happenings using the hashtag #WittLink.
