The University Record, August 13, 1996
Welcome `96 features Convocation, Escapade andmuch more for incoming students, their parents
By Rebecca A. Doyle
Students in the incoming class will get a new message this year at the New Student Convocation, scheduled Aug. 28, according to Jennifer J. Bucklin, student services associate in the Office of New Student Programs (ONSP) and coordinator of the Welcome to Michigan program.
But it won’t be the traditional convocation message that has focused on wiping the slate clean and a new beginning. Theodore L. Spencer, director of undergraduate admissions, will brief the students on a profile of the incoming class and their accomplishments. They also will hear from Interim President Homer A. Neal about building on the successes they have already had and how the University can give them the opportunity to do that.
The New Student Convocation, one of the Welcome to Michigan activities, also includes music by The Friars, an address by Michigan Student Assembly President Fiona A. Rose and an introduction to “The Victors” with the Michigan Marching Band.
In all, Welcome to Michigan ’96 incorporates more than 250 activities planned for new students and their parents and sites that will provide information and a welcoming atmosphere.
Schools and colleges have planned activities that range from a scavenger hunt to tours and open houses. Workshops with titles such as How to Get Better Grades and Have More Fun; Are you a Twister, Dunker or Nibbler? and Breaking into the Major League: A Game Plan for Academic Success are offered Aug. 29-Sept. 1.
A new addition this year, Bucklin says, is a session tailored for transfer students. A panel of students who transferred to the U-M will answer questions and talk about their own experiences, and an abbreviated orientation session also is scheduled. Definitions, landmarks and terms unique to the U-M will be explained, and areas like the Fishbowl, Diag, CCRB and the Cube will be pointed out on an optional campus tour that follows an informal ice cream social.
ONSP also has published and mailed to incoming students a brochure that lists things every new U-M student should rememberand a suggested list of what to do to get ready for fall classes.
Highlights of the 1996 program are the convocation and Escapade, an evening of free food, entertainment and activities at the Michigan Union Aug. 28; academic program open houses and activities Aug. 29; the annual Community Plunge, a day of service in Ann Arbor, Aug. 30; Global Village Day, ethnic and international entertainment and cuisine on the Diag, Sept. 1; and workshops designed to expand on and supplement information students receive during orientation Aug. 30 and Sept. 2.
For more information or a complete list of events, call ONSP at 764-6413, or visit the ONSP office, 3011 Student Activities Building.
