FACT SHEET — Syracuse Welcome 2007: A Slice of SU Life

FACT SHEET — Syracuse Welcome 2007: A Slice of SU LifeAugust 21, 2007Matthew R. Snydermrsnyder@syr.edu

“Syracuse Welcome 2007: A Slice of SU Life” is Syracuse University’s award-winning orientation program for first-year and transfer students. Syracuse Welcome 2007 shifts into high gear on Aug. 22-23, the move-in days for most new students.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the University will host “Feel the Pulse of Syracuse,” a high-profile event designed to introduce students to the vast array of arts, cultural and business venues available in downtown Syracuse. “Feel the Pulse” will move some 3,000 first-year students from the Hill to the Armory Square and Landmark Theatre areas via the Connective Corridor, introducing students to the cultural, commercial and social center of Syracuse. The journey and evening of events will connect students to the artistic, culinary and engagement opportunities that SU and the Central New York community have to offer.

Syracuse Welcome, now in its fifth year, is a University-wide effort coordinated by the Office of Orientation and Off-Campus Programs (OOCP), a unit of SU’s Division of Student Affairs. Syracuse Welcome staff and program elements have been recognized as award winners by the National Orientation Directors Association, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

OOCP 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. To reach OOCP from Aug. 21-27, call the Orientation Information Center at (315) 443-1084 or visit Room 228A of the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center.

Information on Syracuse Welcome logistics is updated several times each week at http://orientation.syr.edu. An announcement of key academic, student life and community events is available online at http://sunews.syr.edu/story_details.cfm?id=4266.

Syracuse Welcome 2007 by the Numbers — The Incoming Class

Syracuse University will welcome about 3,375 new undergraduates this fall.

First-year undergraduate students entering SU for Fall 2007: 3,100

Female 57%Male 43%

Students from traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic groups: 29% (911)Up from 28% in 2006; continues a positive four-year trend that began with 18% in 2004.

Total number of international students: 4.4% (140)Up from 3.4% in 2006; 26 countries, including Australia, China, Cote D’Ivoire, Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan and Turkey, are represented.

Students from public high schools: 75%Students from private/parochial schools 23%

Mean High School GPA: 3.6 Range of middle 50% of SAT scores: 1140-1310

New transfer students for Fall 2007: 275 Estimated — final count available in September.

Syracuse Welcome 2007 by the Numbers — A Cast of Thousands

More than 400 Syracuse University faculty, staff and alumni, and friends of the University have volunteered to assist Syracuse Welcome 2007.

About 1,700 returning students will support Syracuse Welcome:

• 26 students will serve as Orientation Leaders;
• more than 350 members of recognized student organizations, including University Union, the Student Association and Residence Hall Association, will support Syracuse Welcome programs;
• 50 students make up Los Colores, a group of Spanish-speaking move-in assistants;
• 689 students have volunteered to work 1,159 shifts for the Goon Squad, SU’s traditional team of move-in helpers;
• 162 students will serve on the Orange Crew as event staff;
• 462 students will be peer advisors within the schools and colleges;
• 155 students have been trained as resident advisors; and
• 14 students members of the OrangeSeeds Executive Board will mentor new students in leadership and community engagement.

For the first time, seven members of SU’s National Parents Board have volunteered to help new students and families move into the residence halls.

Six bus round trips per hour will carry students between South Campus and College Place.

Three staff members of Charette Brothers Inc. will be on hand to help students and families move into first-year residence halls that do not have elevators.

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

2,984 students have logged in to AlcoholEdu, the award-winning, online alcohol education course designed to help students learn the medical and science-based information needed to make responsible decisions regarding alcohol.

More than 100 students have applied for the WellsLink Leadership Program, which provides leadership training and focused academic support to first-year students of color who are not otherwise supported by opportunity programs or the athletics program.

One new fitness facility, operated by the Department of Recreation Services, will be open to students, faculty, staff and alumni in the Marshall Square Mall starting on Monday, Aug. 27.

33 new students will be supported by the Native Student Program, a Division of Student Affairs/Academic Affairs collaboration designed to assist all of SU’s native students in making a successful transition to University life. Many of those students are recipients of the Haudenosaunee Promise Scholarship.

238,082 page views were recorded at http://orientation.syr.edu from June 1-Aug. 21. These figures include 20,149 views of the online move-in pass page; 11,362 views of the online versions of new-student mailings; and 7,139 views of the interactive campus map. The site recorded 19,038 unique visitors.

4,000 Syracuse Welcome 2007: A Slice of SU Life Welcome Books have been printed.

2,000 schedule and information books have been printed for faculty and staff.

3,600 copies of the ReadySet, SU’s new system for communicating with new students during the summer, have been printed.

14,000 copies of SU’s Student Handbook, which includes neighborhood resources and Connective Corridor information, have been printed.

20 additional recycling bins have been placed around campus.

26 lightpole banners have been raised on North and South campuses to welcome new students and their families; Welcome banners have also been placed on each residence hall and on the Hildegarde and J. Myer Schine Student Center and the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Student Center.

2,000 Syracuse Welcome student volunteer shirts will be distributed.

600 balloons will be placed around campus to welcome students and their families.

200 Syracuse Welcome bulletin boards have been created to provide daily updates and event schedules.