UofL gears up to welcome new students
August 2nd, 2007
The University of Louisville’s 3,700 freshmen and transfer students will likely form their first impression of college life at UofL before classes even start.
Between Aug. 16 and 19, they will take part in Welcome Weekend, a tradition that started five years ago and continues this year with a new program and events.
Welcome Weekend is intended to introduce UofL students to civil, academic, personal and social (CAPS) aspects of the university, while providing fun, engaging activities that allow them to make personal connections with faculty, staff and other students, said Christy Metzger, coordinator of First Year Initiatives. Part of Undergraduate Affairs, First Year Initiatives is playing a key role in Welcome Weekend this year in an effort to ease freshmen’s transition from high school to college and transfer students’ transition from another institution to UofL.
“At Welcome Weekend, we want students to make connections with folks from around campus so they have a support and success network which will help them to develop and be successful across the four CAPS areas,” Metzger said.
Welcome Weekend activities are geared to focus on one or more of the CAPS areas. Six activities, which all students are expected to attend, focus on all four. Among those are unit open houses, where students can meet faculty and staff from their intended areas of study; the president’s coffee and dessert reception; and “Different People, Same World,” a workshop to help students find their place in a diverse university.
There also will be a CAPS ceremony at the new student convocation. Students will receive CAPS baseball hats as “starter caps on the road to reaching their goals and donning that graduation cap in a few years,” Metzger said.
Cookouts and other activities, such as a Night on the Town at Fourth Street Live, a rooftop party at the Floyd Street garage and a drive-in movie in the Multipurpose Room in the Student Activities Center, are scheduled throughout Welcome Weekend.
“Faculty and staff are encouraged to attend any of our events, and we’re currently in our push to recruit volunteers,” Metzger said.
Student leaders of RSOs also are encouraged to attend events so new students can interact with upperclassmen and learn about student organizations, she said.
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Welcome Weekend
