Fact Sheet: Syracuse Welcome 2006: A Slice of SU Life

Fact Sheet: Syracuse Welcome 2006: A Slice of SU LifeAugust 23, 2006SU News ServicesSUnews@syr.edu

“Syracuse Welcome 2006: A Slice of SU Life” is Syracuse University’s award-winning orientation program for first-year and transfer students. It hits high gear this week on Aug. 23-24, move-in days for the bulk of new students. On Saturday, Aug. 26, from 5:30-10 p.m., Syracuse Welcome will host a high-profile event in Clinton Square and at The Warehouse property downtown: “Exploring the Soul of Downtown Syracuse.” Intended for a student audience, the event will introduce students to the community’s arts and cultural possibilities. Information on Syracuse Welcome 2006 events is updated several times each week at http://orientation.syr.edu. The site also contains forums, answers to frequently asked questions, forms and registration information.

Syracuse Welcome is a University-wide effort coordinated by the Office of Orientation and Transitions Services, a unit of the Division of Student Affairs. OTS staff can be reached by calling the New Student Hotline at (315) 443-1012, visiting http://orientation.syr.edu, or e-mailing newtosu@syr.edu.

The theme of Syracuse Welcome 2006 is Scholarship in Action, with emphasis on excellence, access and support, and engagement with the world. New students will be welcomed aboard by experienced student and staff volunteers, engaged in intellectual explorations, and invited to delve into the University and Central New York communities.

The University-wide planning for Syracuse Welcome — now in its fourth year — will culminate with a series of events and programs leading up to the first day of classes, Aug. 28, and continuing into the academic year.

The global dimensions of Syracuse University are expanding as well, with the arrival of more than 600 new international students (125 of them undergraduates) from more than 60 countries. International student orientation events, designed to provide cultural, immigration, legal, and health care information, began Aug. 20 and continue today.

Key academic events:

SU Shared Reading Program — This summer, all new students were required to read Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” which will be integrated throughout their orientation and first-year lectures, class assignments and discussion groups. It has also been chosen by CNY Reads as its 2006-07 community-wide reading selection. More information about “The Kite Runner,” including resources from the Syracuse University Library, is available at http://orientation.syr.edu.

Chancellor’s Convocation — Friday, Aug. 25, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Carrier Dome — In this required event, SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry President Cornelius B. Murphy will launch new students’ academic careers with words of encouragement, and Professors Tazim Kassam and Arthur Flowers will discuss “The Kite Runner.” Student leaders and University administrators will also give welcoming remarks. Lunch on the turf and performances by student groups will follow the convocation, after which families will be encouraged to leave campus.

School and College Convocations — Friday, Aug. 25, 1-5:30 p.m., various locations — Students are required to meet with academic advisors and peer advisors to finalize their class schedules and participate in school and college-specific events.

Key student life events:

From Home to the Dome: OrangeFest 2006 — Thursday, Aug. 24, 9-11 p.m., Carrier Dome — In this high-energy event, students will learn to “Rock the Loud House” and discover other SU traditions.

We’re Not in High School Anymore — Friday, Aug. 25, 6-9 p.m., Carrier Dome — This presentation by former All-American SU quarterback and relationship educator Don McPherson will cover the topics of healthy relationships, sexual assault prevention and gender communication.

Exploring the Soul of Downtown Syracuse — Saturday, Aug. 26, 5:30-10 p.m., Clinton Square and The Warehouse — Students will be introduced to SU’s ideal of engagement with the world and will learn about the arts and cultural opportunities available downtown and along the Connective Corridor. If there is severe inclement weather, this event will be moved to Manley Field House.

Residence Hall Floor Meetings, Socials and Other Events — Various times and locations — Students will build connections with each other and the University.

AlcoholEdu — Completion of this online alcohol education course, three to four hours in length, is required of all new students before they arrive. The award-winning curriculum is designed to help students learn the medical and science-based information needed to make responsible decisions regarding alcohol.

Parents Convocation — Thursday, Aug. 24, 7-8 p.m., Goldstein Auditorium, Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center — This event helps parents and families learn about Syracuse University and how to help their students succeed in the University setting.

Important Logistics for the University Community:

Orientation Website — Students, faculty and staff should go to http://orientation.syr.edu for information regarding Syracuse Welcome. The site is updated daily and includes checklists of what to bring, things to do prior to arriving, answers to commonly asked questions, and the new-student orientation schedule.

Placement Exams — Most first-year students are required to complete the mathematics and, if applicable, Spanish or French placement examinations online during the summer at http://orientation.syr.edu. Schools and colleges provide students with information on which tests are required. Students enrolled in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computing Science (ECS) complete the mathematics exam sent during the summer with their registration packets.

Move-In Information — Although the official move-in day is Thursday, Aug. 24, many students have requested a move-in pass for Wednesday, Aug. 23. Beginning July 17, all first-year students were invited to log onto http://orientation.syr.edu to select a move-in day and print a “move-in pass.” The deadline to print a move-in pass was July 31; after that date, students are assigned an Aug. 24 move-in pass. University personnel and the volunteer “Goon Squad” and “Los Colores” will assist students with move-in on Aug. 23-24 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Room assignments and roommate information have been sent to new students by the Office of Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services.

Class of 2010/11 Online Community Forum — Throughout the summer, students have participated in a student-facilitated online community forum at http://orientation.syr.edu.

The Syracuse Welcome 2006 Welcome Book — The “blue book” guide to orientation was sent to all new students in August. Its contents are available online at http://orientation.syr.edu.

Orientation Information Center (OIC) — The Orientation Information Center (OIC), a central resource for anyone with questions, concerns or need for assistance, will be open in Room 228A of the Schine Student Center Aug. 23-28. The telephone number is 443-1084.

“Cuse ’10 & ’11 Slice of SU Life” — This online publication is the Class of 2010 and 2011 new student e-newsletter, sent to students during the summer and during the academic year with important updates on first-year schedules and programs.

Syracuse Welcome 2006 By the Numbers — The Incoming Class

Syracuse University will welcome about 3,345 new undergraduates this fall.

Total entering first-year students for Fall 2006	3,095
Female	1,719	56%
Male	1,376	44%
From public high school/other	2,335	75.4%
From private/parochial schools	706	22.8%
Mean High School GPA	3.6
Mid Range/Mid 50% SAT score	1140-1310
Total number of students of color	863	27.9%
Total number of international students	110	3.6%
Total number of students from NY State	1,240	40.1%
Transfer students for Fall 2006	250 (est.)

The actual number of transfer students will be available in September.

Syracuse Welcome 2006 By the Numbers — A Cast of Thousands

More than 400 Syracuse University faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University have volunteered to assist Syracuse Welcome 2006.

About 1,800 returning students will support Syracuse Welcome, including:

350 members of recognized student organizations, including performers;

26 students will serve as Orientation Leaders;

51 students make up Los Colores, a group of Spanish-speaking move-in assistants;

656 students have volunteered for the Goon Squad, SU’s traditional move-in helpers;

151 students will serve on the Orange Crew as event staff;

439 students will be Peer Advisors within the schools and colleges;

155 students have been trained as Resident Advisors; and

14 students sit on the OrangeSeeds Executive Board, which is seeking 22 new students to sign up as OrangeSeeds for mentoring in leadership and engagement.

30 New Student Send-Offs have been coordinated nationwide by the Office of Alumni Relations.

2,279 students, 91 percent of the incoming class, have completed AlcoholEdu.

More than 30 countries are represented by new international undergraduate students. Twenty-nine new students are from South Korea, 11 from Canada, and an unprecedented 13 are from Kazhakstan.

36,210 visits and a total of 166,841 page views were recorded at http://orientation.syr.edu from June 23-Aug. 16. These figures include 4,729 views of the interactive campus map, 3,473 views of the page on “The Kite Runner,” and 5,269 views of the schedule.

7,000 Syracuse Welcome 2006: A Slice of SU Life Welcome Books have been printed.

6,000 Syracuse Welcome lanyards will be handed out.

1,400 Syracuse Welcome student volunteer shirts will be distributed.

1,600 Information Station Packets have been distributed.

15,000 copies of SU’s Student Handbook, which includes neighborhood resources and Connective Corridor information, have been printed.