The majority of first day classes for 35,000 undergraduates are being replaced by orientation activities. UBC’s student development team is helping organize the expansion - photo by Martin Dee

UBC Reports | Vol. 55 | No. 8 | Aug. 6, 2009

Imagine that: UBC plans a big new orientation day

By Randy Schmidt

Get ready for a major change this fall on UBC’s Vancouver campus. Orientation day, called Imagine UBC, has become much bigger: the majority of undergraduate classes have been replaced on the first day of school for more than 35,000 undergraduate students. In their place, faculty and staff will turn their attention to a wide range of new first-day activities designed to connect students with their professors and classmates to find the support they need for starting campus life, finding out more about their major, or getting ready to graduate. It’s a format UBC Okanagan has modeled since its inception in 2005.

Until this year, Imagine UBC, already thought to be the largest one-day student orientation in Canada, has replaced 100-level classes with orientation activities for about 5,000 first-year students each fall.

“This is a large campus, with many opportunities, but it can also be overwhelming for new students,” says Margot Bell, Associate Director of Student Development on the Vancouver campus. “Our goals are for students to feel welcomed and excited about their decision to come to UBC.”

Traditionally new students come to campus on the first day and meet up in small MUG groups (My Undergraduate Group) organized by a shared common class, and led by a senior student from their faculty. Throughout the day they meet their deans, take a campus tour, attend a student success workshop with a professor and visit the main event carnival, with more than 200 booths that showcase student life and services. A highlight for many is a high-energy pep rally that has the entire incoming class assemble for speeches and wild faculty cheers.

Cecilia Huang, a recent Science graduate who now works for the Student Development team, recalls her first day on the Vancouver campus. “Coming out of high school, you have this vision of what it is going to be like. The first day was so fun– it really fulfilled that vision.”

Programming for first-year students will remain the same, but the university now plans to build on it with the expansion to include transfer and returning students.

“We started to see a couple of hiccups,” says Bell. “We rely on 750 student leaders to run the event. But their classes were running as usual, so we were asking them to miss class. We also recognized a real gap for transfer students who weren’t coming into 100 level courses.”

And with the challenges was a growing campus understanding that students would benefit from support for the many other transitions they make in their four years.

“There was a lot of campus consultation leading up to Senate approval this year,” says Bell. “Frankly, it is an institutional statement about the importance of orientation and transition programs. We’re hoping it is not business as usual, where faculty members have to worry about the first day of classes. Rather, they can now put their energies to welcoming all returning students.”

What will the day now hold for returning students?

Assoc. Prof. Fred Cutler is helping organize a research session, a debate and a reception for Political Science majors. “In the past, we’ve had no events to provide orientation and inspiration for our new majors – about 250 per year. That’s our main objective with Imagine day this year.”

Senior Instructor Mary Lou Bevier, Dept. of Earth and Ocean Sciences, says her department is looking forward to having more than 150 returning students participate in a degree program advising session and a department barbecue.

“This should be a fun event and an opportunity to get to know new people, to say hi to familiar faces, and to get student questions answered about advising, department facilities, clubs, and other aspects of life around EOS,” says Bevier.

Leanne Perry, Campus Life Coordinator at UBC Okanagan believes the broader approach has paid off for all levels of students at the Kelowna campus orientation day, called Create. “The day allows upper-year students to attend the afternoon activities and new transfer students to experience the entire Create program. Students can spend a full day on campus getting ready for class.” Nevertheless, making this move for a student population of more than 35,000 students on the Vancouver campus reflects a major shift that has other North American institutions watching.

“This is a massive undertaking for UBC but it will pay off immediately in the way students enter and re-enter the institution,” says Janina Montero, Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). “Undoubtedly, this will be a model and an inspiration to many universities and a clear sign that with courage, teamwork, and imagination, large and complicated efforts like this one can be brought to spectacular fruition.”

The recently graduated Huang draws on her own experiences to offer advice to students getting ready to come to UBC this fall.

“As a new student, come in with an open mind. Don’t be afraid to connect with people, because there are so many others who are also new. Make good use of all those trying to reach out to you.”

For listings of departmental orientation events this year, visit www.events.ubc.ca. For information on Vancouver orientation programs for international students, graduate students, and parents, visit: http://www.students.ubc.ca/newtoubc/orientations.cfm. For information on Kelowna campus orientations, visit: http://web.ubc.ca/okanagan/students/newtoubc/orientations.html.