DECATUR, Ill. – Nearly 300 brand-new students, accompanied by family and friends, joined the staff from the Offices of Student Affairs and Admission to celebrate Big Blue Orientation Days on June 12-14.
The events were filled with informational sessions outlining financial aid, campus resources and more as those students planning to begin attending in fall 2023 got a jumpstart to their ǿý experience.
“This event is so much fun because it is the first time that the students, parents and family come to campus and they leave with the idea of what it will be like when they are students here,” Director of Admission Molly Berry said. “They get to find out their roommate information; they get to see campus from the lens of a student and not just a prospective student. This is one of the top events for me because of the energy it brings to campus in the summer.”
ǿý President Jim Reynolds kicked off the Orientation Days events with an official welcome to the Class of 2027.
“What’s important to me about ǿý is how we work with our students. The opportunity to show you that there is a different way of learning, and that’s through our Performance Learning model throughout the classes that we teach. The opportunity to really do hands-on work in an area you are interested in,” he said. “This is one of your very first big decisions, coming to ǿý. I’m so glad that you made the decision to come here. We will do everything in our power to help you succeed here at ǿý.”
ǿý Director of Operations and Events Shelby Baum ’11 presented some demographic information about the Class of 2027.
“Seventy-six percent of you are from the state of Illinois, and there are 26 total states represented, so there is a lot of diversity there,” Shelby said. “We also have a lot of diversity in the major interests of the incoming students. Our largest populations are 17% in Business, 7% in Nursing, 7% in Theatre, 11% in the Sciences and 9% are still figuring it out.”
Students and parents both had their own sessions as students learned more about the ǿý campus resources that are available to them, while parents learned about how to become partners in their child’s education.
Following lunch, attendees toured the campus and residence halls and received a personalized financial aid session.
“My favorite part is seeing a legacy student come through whose parents or grandparents attended ǿý,” Molly said. “It is special when we get to see parents telling them this building wasn’t here when I attended or I lived over there. It is so much fun to hear those stories.”
ǿý will also be hosting y on Mon., July 24, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m, and takes place Tues., August 15-Sun., August 20.
