SKIP TO PAGE CONTENT
Menu

WT New Student Orientation Sessions Set to Begin May 30-31

StudentsFAC
Chip Chandler May 14, 2024
  • Community
  • Featured

WT New Student Orientation Sessions Set to Begin May 30-31

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

 

CANYON, Texas — As one herd of West Texas A&M University students moves on, another will start gathering over the summer.

Following the end of the 2023-2024 academic year with May 11 commencement ceremonies, New Student Orientation sessions will begin May 30 and 31 for incoming freshmen. Seven are scheduled through Aug. 19 and 20, and several sessions are already full.

“We are excited to welcome our incoming freshmen to WT during New Student Orientation.  Our staff and student leaders have been busy preparing since January to introduce these new students to the campus, culture, traditions and family of WT,” said Amanda Lawson, senior director of orientation and academic success.

The overnight programs introduce new students to the campus and community. All new freshmen are placed in small groups with a current student leader.

Orientation includes information on academics, campus resources, campus life, technology, traditions and more. Students also will meet with an academic adviser and register for classes on the second day.

Orientation fees will be included with fees paid during the students’ first semester; no additional cost will be charged for students and families for orientation.

Students also will meet with Connect Coaches on the second day, a group of more than 70 WT staff members, as well as some faculty and graduate assistants, who are paired with each student.

Family orientation sessions are offered on the second day of each NSO, offering a companion experience for guests and family members of new students attending orientation. Spanish-speaking staff and print materials will be available.

Families also can attend an informal social hour at 6:30 p.m. on the first day of each NSO at Sad Monkey Mercantile, 9800 Texas Highway 217, near the entrance of Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

“Our family sessions are designed to answer any questions from parents and family members to help their student transition to WT,” Lawson said. “Our WT families play an important role in supporting our students, and we want to provide them with the resources and information they need.”

To attend, interested students must visit wtamu.edu/nso to complete a pre-orientation information module and select a date.

Up to 150 students can be accommodated at each session. Sessions are a day-and-a-half long and can either include all six of WT’s Colleges or three of the colleges at a time to offer students more flexibility in scheduling.

Upcoming NSO sessions will include:

Online orientation sessions also are available for high school students enrolled in dual-credit courses through WT’s Pre-University Programs, and for students who wish to enroll temporarily before returning to their home institution.

Engaging and retaining the best students is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised nearly $160 million.

 

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

 

 

—WT—