Orientation 2017
Welcome, Class of 2021! We are delighted that you have chosen to pursue your college education with us, and we are confident that your Dickinson experience will be exceptional. FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE The Dickinson First-Year Experience is designed with you in mind. As you begin at Dickinson, we want to help you strive for academic excellence; find connections through relationships with other students, staff, faculty and alumni; develop personally; and become prepared for a life of engaged citizenship. As part of the Dickinson Four (D4), your first year will focus on “making Dickinson yours.” Who are you and who do you want to become as you explore in your first year? How will you embrace and celebrate difference—even be a bit uncomfortable with new ideas and new people? How will you become a citizen of the world, and what contributions will you be able to make? Your academic journey starts in the first semester with your First-Year Seminar. This class, taught by your academic advisor, will help you develop habits of mind and practice that enable student success, including critical thinking, analytical writing and information literacy skills. Every first-year student is a member of a First-Year Interest Group (FIG) led by an upper-level student mentor and supported by a campus staff mentor. Through activities and regular meetings, your FIG is your connection to other new students and community members who truly care about helping you find your place at Dickinson.
As Dickinson is a four-year residential college, much of your outside-of-theclassroom experience will take place in your residence halls. Your Resident Advisor (RA) lives on your floor and is there to guide and support your residential experience. We hope that you will be an active, caring, involved member of your residential community while at Dickinson. Finally, get to know your college dean, a senior staff member who works with you all four years at Dickinson. College deans can help you make the most of your Dickinson experience, whether by finding your niche or expanding beyond it, addressing concerns and celebrating accomplishments. Your college dean works with your academic advisor and other faculty and staff members to foster your success here. We know that your first year will have many highs and some lows. It will be exciting, challenging, fun at times and also occasionally frustrating. You will learn a lot about yourself and see yourself grow in ways that you did not think possible. You will learn the value of both independence and interdependence. Remember your advisor, FIG mentor, campus mentor, RA and dean are here to help, challenge and support you.
PREPARING FOR YOUR ARRIVAL We are very much looking forward to your arrival on campus, and to best prepare you for it, we have a number of important tasks for you to complete over the summer. The Orientation website (dickinson.edu/orientation) has information for both you and your family. We update the site regularly over the summer and will also be contacting you with important information sent to your Dickinson email account. Please check that account regularly.
Dickinson Gateway Access your Dickinson email as well as valuable information and services through the Dickinson Gateway at gateway.dickinson.edu. Your Gateway username and password are available on your Application Status Page. If you need assistance, contact helpdesk@ dickinson.edu or call 717-245-1000.
Forms and Surveys Before you arrive, a number of forms, surveys or placement tests need to be completed. Review the “Important Dates and Deadlines” section for details. We expect you will have completed the AlcoholEdu and Every Choice programs before you arrive on campus. These two online programs are designed to help you make a safe and healthy transition to college.
Pre-Admission Health Policy By July 1, all new students are required to complete the online health history form, submit a copy of a current physical exam (within the past 12 months), provide documentation of required immunizations and submit the completed tuberculosis risk assessment/testing form signed by their healthcare provider. To access forms, students must register for an account through the Wellness Center Patient
Portal. Instructions for registering are available via the Health Forms link in the Dickinson Gateway. Students who have not completed the forms by move-in day will not be able to directly check into their room on arrival. Contact health@dickinson.edu or 717-245-1663 for assistance.
Move-In Days International Student Arrival: Wed., August 16 Pre-Orientation Participant Arrival: Sun., August 20, 8 – 11 a.m. First-Year and Transfer Student Arrival: Wed., August 23, 8 – 11 a.m. Fall Athlete Arrivals: Check with coach for arrival date and time If your family will need overnight accommodations, we recommend you make reservations now. A list of area hotels can be found on the Orientation website. Note that you will only be able to move in on your designated day.
Academic Advising and Course Request You will begin your academic journey this summer by requesting your first semester’s courses. Calls will be made from the Advising Office July 10–14 to discuss your course requests. Please review the Orientation website and enclosed brochure, which explains when to expect your call and how to prepare for it.
PRE-ORIENTATION ADVENTURES Dickinson’s Pre-Orientation (Pre-O) Adventure Program is an optional twoand-a-half-day, small group themed experience for first-year students. Roughly half of our incoming class chooses to participate in Pre-O. Students will participate in one of 24 programs designed for 10-20 students each. Combining experiential education, team building and fun, each program introduces new students to other new and current students, faculty and staff. Students participating in Pre-O programs will be in a FIG associated with that program. Pre-O Adventures occur August 20 – 22, before the start of Orientation. Students
participating in Pre-O will move in on Sunday, August 20, from 8 to 11 a.m. Family orientation and welcome will continue throughout the day. Students going on one of the outdoor WILD trips will prepare to leave campus around noon on August 20. Campus-based programs will begin at dinnertime. These programs are fee-based and cost $275. The fee includes food, accommodations, activities, supplies and transportation to and from campus during the program. Scholarships are available. Registration for the 2017 Pre-Orientation Adventure Program begins May 15 and closes July 1 at dickinson.edu/orientation.
2017 Pre-Orientation Adventure Programs More detailed information on each program can be found on the Orientation website. •
A Creative Writing Experience
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A Sustainable Adventure: Place Matters
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Behind the Scenes: Theatre at Dickinson
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Change the World: A Service Leadership Training Experience
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College Cuisine, Carlisle and Climbing (C4)
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Dance at Dickinson
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Food for Thought at the Dickinson College Farm
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Pawsitively Perfect: The Dickinson College Dog House
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Bike Touring on the Allegheny Passage
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Social Justice at Dickinson: Discovering Your Social Justice Story
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Wilderness Introduction to Life at Dickinson (WILD) – 12 options
ABOUT ORIENTATION Orientation is designed to help you join our community and become a bit more familiar with our academic, residential and social expectations. You will find this to be a very busy and sometimes tiring time, with a lots of new information coming your way, and we understand that. Remember: You don’t have to learn everything in four days, but instead learn how to identify the people and resources at Dickinson that are available to help, support and challenge you over the next four years. Specifically, Orientation will: •
introduce you to college-level writing and thinking through the First-Year Seminar
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connect you with your faculty advisor and college dean
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introduce you to your FIG mentor, campus mentor and other new students in your group help you become familiar with people, programs and resources that are important to college success
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assist you in identifying the ways that you will contribute to our campus community, the Carlisle community and the wider world
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allow you to embrace the differences you discover on our global campus
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and help you develop a sense of the history and traditions that make this place unique.
IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES With so much to do before you arrive at Dickinson, we want to help you keep track of everything. We have included a list of important dates and deadlines below. Complete by May 31 •
Disability Disclosure (if relevant)
Complete by June 12
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Pre-Orientation Registration (optional)
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Summer Advising Session Prep Form
Complete between July 10 & 14
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Area of Academic Interest Survey
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Academic Advising Process
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Disability Accommodations Request (if relevant)
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Notify Dining Services of plans for fall semester employment
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Emergency Contact Information
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First-Year Seminar Selection Form
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Media Relations Form
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Religious Preference Form (optional)
Complete by July 1 •
Create SALT Account
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Financial Aid Recipient Information Form
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Health Forms
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Host Family Request Form
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Housing Survey/Selection Form
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Language Background Information
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Music Background Information
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Placement Testing: Chemistry, Languages, Mathematics and/or Music
Contact Us If you have any questions, please call the New Student Programs office at 717-245-1555 or email orientation@dickinson.edu. We are here to help make your preparations for and arrival at Dickinson as smooth as possible. We look forward to welcoming you to our distinctive community.
July 17-24 •
Course Request Period
August 9-25 •
Schedule Adjustment Period
Complete Part I by August 21 and Part II by October 1 •
AlcoholEdu online course (available July 15)
Complete by August 21 •
Every Choice online program (available July 15)
Complete by September 11 •
Academic Integrity online class (available July 15)
Find additional information outlining First-Year Seminar selection and academic advising, plus links to the Gateway, where forms are accessed, at dickinson.edu/orientation. Follow @DsonSLCE on Twitter and Instagram for content leading up to and during Orientation.
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