Welcoming class of #Hofstra2020!

“I loved orientation, and I don't want to leave. I already knew that Hofstra was where I want to be, but this week just solidified that. It showed me that I really belong at Hofstra and it's the perfect place for me. I absolutely love it here. Orientation was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I got to start my summer with it.”   –Class of 2020 Student.

As we hit the halfway point for the summer, it is clear that the Class of 2020 is off to a great start. The new students have been finding their sense of Hofstra PRIDE, over the extensive three-day program that the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement has been diligently planning over the last year. During orientation incoming students are escorted across campus, meeting with all of the offices and resources that they will need to know about come September.

One of the big resources that the new students will learn about is the Student Success Collaborative, which is includes: Career Center, Student Access Services, Center for Academic Excellence and Center for University Advising. This Collaborative was put in place as a partnership to support students throughout their Hofstra career. By connecting academic and personal

experiences, student success collaborative ensure your success in achieving your current and future goals. Along with those offices students are exposed to are Public Safety, Title-IX, Fitness Center, HofCard, Residence Life and other fun and helpful places on campus like the Game Room and student center cafeteria. The students are encouraged to ask as many questions as they can think of to these offices, to ensure that all their questions or concerns are answered.

            A unique feature that the students at Hofstra get to partake in is the model class. Each year for orientation the incoming students all read the same book chosen by the university.  At their orientation professors lead conversations surrounding the book, allowing the new students to get a sense of what a real college class could look like. Students are very receptive to this experience and it helps them gage how they should prepare come the fall semester.

            
           We trained 20 Orientation Leaders this year to embark on the journey to make every new member of the Hofstra Pride feel as though they belong on this campus. Orientation is set in place so that the students are knowledgeable about the campus and the resources that are made available to them during their time at Hofstra.  Based on some of the reactions from students and parents at check-out, we are doing a pretty good job. We can’t wait to meet all the members of the class of 2020…Go Pride! #HofWelcomes2020

If you have any questions about Orientation contact OSLE

Had fun at Orientation? Stay updated about Welcome Week September 1-5.

Written by Tori Succi - Graduate Assistant to Director of Communications for Student Affairs

International Student Orientation: Global Mentor Perspective

On the 24th of August, 2015, Hofstra University was very glad to officially welcome the newest group of International students which were resuming for the Fall 2015 semester. This group consisted of over 300 international students from over 35 different countries. Preparations for their arrival began a year in advance, and we were finally happy to be able to welcome them.

In anticipation for their arrival, the International Student Affairs Office in collaboration with the Peer Mentor program put together a team of Global Mentors, which consists equally of both international and U.S. American student volunteers, to help the new students with the transition to living and schooling in the U.S. As a member of the Global Mentor team, I can say it was a great opportunity to meet and help new international students.
Also, for the first time the International Student Affairs office in collaboration with the Admissions Office and Provost Office and with help of the Global Mentors successfully planned and executed an airport pickup service that was available for all interested students coming in from the John Franklin Kennedy (JFK) Airport, New York. Knowing how long and exhausting international flights can be, we felt it would be nice to help alleviate some of the stress by picking them up from the airport and providing a smiling face to encourage them.
The undergraduate International Student Orientation lasted from Sunday, August 23 up until Thursday, August 27, 2015. At the arrival of the students earlier on the Sunday, there was a light pizza party to welcome them. There most of them got to meet with their Global Mentor and other international students, after which everyone proceeded to the bookstore to get supplies and enjoy a cupcake decorating party.
On Monday, the International Student Affairs Office organized a Welcome to Orientation session.  We had more of a full house here, a light breakfast, took a group photo and the rest of the day was spent getting acquainted with the campus and completing their arrival checklist. In the evening, interested students went on a bus to Target to shop for much needed supplies.
On Tuesday, most of the day was spent taking the ELP exams, which is required for every international student obtaining a degree at Hofstra. The rest of the day was spent learning about their immigration status, the Center for University Advising and resources available to them through the Hofstra Portal. Sessions on student employment and fire safety were also offered. Later in the evening, interested students went over to the fitness center for some healthy fruits and fun activities.

On Wednesday, the new students got to find out about even more learning resources available to them through an Academic Success Seminar coordinated through the Center of Academic Excellence and a session on Academic Integrity coordinated through the Dean of the Honors College, the Writing Center and the International Student Affairs office. They also had the pleasure of having their first Hofstra class which was centered on the novel Topdog Underdog.  During lunch, the students had the chance to gather other useful information from the Resource Fair. The afternoon was filled with sessions on being healthy and safe as well as relationships in the U.S. Later in the early evening, all the new international students were invited to the International Student Welcome Reception, were they were given an official welcome address by the Vice President of Student Affairs, W. Houston Dougharty and Provost Gail Simmons and also got to meet faculty and staff members. Later that evening, there was an ice cream social, where interested individuals came to unwind in the game room. During this event, I got to bond with my mentees over air hockey, and ice-cream, which was an awesome experience.
On the last day of orientation, Global Mentors met up with their mentees who had not completed their checklist and later in the evening, there was an Alumni Panel, where past students came to talk about their experiences at Hofstra.
In general, the whole orientation turned out to be very successful and exciting, not just for the new students but everyone that was involved including myself. I got to make new friends, create memories and help out with so many little things, the whole experience turning out to be very rewarding for me. It can be very different at first as an international student, and this is something I know firsthand, as I am one myself. So I look forward to getting to know my mentees better and helping them out in any way I can.

Guest Blogger: Tamunomiesiya LongJohn, Global Mentor

Gina Arfi: Head Orientation Leader

Hello Class of 2019!  

I hope you have been enjoying your first few official days of summer.  My name is Gina Arfi and I am one of the Head Orientation Leaders here at Hofstra's amazing New Student Orientation Program.  I'm writing to report that we have already had three fantastic weeks of Orientation, and our staff cannot wait to see what the next five weeks of Orientation hold!  Our staff is made up of eighteen Orientation Leaders, two Head Orientation Leaders, three Graduate Orientation Leaders, and three Welcome Week Coordinators who have all been working hard since February to bring you a fun-filled three days at Orientation.  We have designed the program to make it easy to meet a lot of new incoming students and give all our soon to be first-years lots of opportunities to experience our beautiful campus.  Our Orientation Staff is eager to help you all and answer any questions or concerns that you may have.  Our goal is to get you excited about attending Hofstra in the fall and we are excited to get to know you.  So with that, welcome to the Pride Class of 2019, and we can't wait to see you soon!

P.S. - Be sure to check us out at our New Student Orientation Facebook Page throughout the summer!

Class of 2017 Orientation

Summer is underway here at Hofstra, and while many students have left campus to pursue summer jobs or internships elsewhere, the Class of 2017 is arriving little by little each week for New Student Orientation. There are eight sessions of Orientation that run from Tuesday to Thursday every week. Our staff of 20 student Orientation Leaders have already led two groups of 250 new students around the university to ensure the incoming class is prepared and feels well-equipped to navigate Hofstra in the fall!

During Orientation, students are introduced to a variety of campus resources and departments to help educate them about all that Hofstra has to offer. This includes everything from campus safety to getting involved in clubs and activities, and even a model class based on this year’s common reading book, The Good Food Revolution, by Will Allen. The model class is taught by a university faculty member and lets students get an idea of how a college class session will feel. This year, the focus of the common reading follows a campus-wide initiative on sustainability. Students can even spend an hour working in a vegetable garden during their time at Orientation to further their environmental involvement! 

Although Orientation is only three days long, it is jam-packed with important information for new students. Furthermore, the program provides an exciting glimpse into the life of a Hofstra student. New students have the opportunity to meet friends, sign up for clubs, and get a taste of living in a college residence hall. We’re looking forward to welcoming the rest of the Class of 2017 as the summer continues!

Guest Blogger, Henry Schwartz, Head Orientation Leader