Keene State Ready To Welcome Students On Campus

Danielle Scadova and Lynsey Beatrice have had the days circled on their calendars since the start of summer. The two 2015 Keene State Orientation Coordinators along with a staff of 46 students, faculty, staff and alumni will roll out the red carpet for more than 1,100 new, first-year and transfer students during Welcome Days from August 26 - 29.

Helping Students Make the Transition to Campus Life

Unlike past years when all new students came to campus in August, Orientation 2015 also took place in June. Those sessions enabled new students to get acquainted with the campus, contribute community service hours and get valuable information.

All new students will reconvene on campus for Welcome Days, a more informal session leading up to their first day of class on August 31st. In addition to learning about academic and community expectations and finalizing schedules, students will interact with faculty, staff, resident assistants, residence directors and orientation leaders. “It’s just so nice to be able to ease them into what seems like a small campus to us, but is an unfamiliar environment to them,” said Scadova, a senior from Keene who will graduate in December with a degree in economics.

Fun, Welcoming Activities for Students

Several fun activities are planned to help students acclimate to campus. Welcome Week begins on Wednesday, August 26 with move-in day when the campus community, including Admissions, student government, Greek organizations, and members of the Student Activity Council all come out to help students move into their dorms. A barbeque called Hootie’s Cook-Out Welcome takes place in the afternoon. Other events include a community service activity as well as a presentations related to diversity and sexual violence prevention.

While Welcome Days is a fun and exciting way for new students to mingle and make friends, Scadova and Beatrice along with their staff understand it can be a difficult time for some new students. “It can be overwhelming that’s why we train our staff to keep an eye open for those students who are a little overwhelmed, struggling or homesick,” Scadova said.

“I think it’s really rewarding to give back to new students and help them with their transition,” added Beatrice, from Sutton, MA, who graduated last May with a degree in French. “The orientation experience has made me learn and love so much about the campus.”

One of the highlights of Welcome Week is Clap In, when members of the Keene State and Keene community line up along Appian Way to welcome the new students as they walk to new student convocation. “We clap for new students when they arrive during Welcome Week, and clap for them when they leave following their graduation,” said Beatrice. “It’s an experience that makes students feel like their experience as Keene State students has come full-circle.”