Pre-Orientation Booklet

PRE-ORIENTATION PROGRAMS

WELCOME CONGRATULATIONS NEW ZAGS! Gonzaga University offers you five optional, fee-based PreOrientation Programs that take place before New Student Orientation Weekend. Each Pre-Orientation Program focuses on a different aspect of the Zag student experience: holistic education, social justice, promoting diversity, spiritual growth and opening yourself to new adventures. This is a great opportunity to explore your Gonzaga community, make friends, move in early and develop your mind, body, and spirit. Registration for all five programs opens Monday, May 18 until Friday, June 12, 2015. Students may only participate in one program. Check out what each program has to offer.

See you in August!

SAVE THE DATE Orientation Weekend

Friday, August 28 – Monday, August 31, 2015

CONTACT US: Gonzaga University, First Year Experience Programs

502 East Boone, Ave, Spokane, WA 99258

(509) 313-4016, orientation@gonzaga.edu

GONZAGA OUT OF BOUNDS (GOOB) SPOKANE GOOB July 24 – 26, 2015 $250

outdoors@gonzaga.edu gonzagaoutdoors.gonzaga.edu

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Spokane GOOB is an outdoors program limited to 30 students, and takes place July 24 - 26. The weekend is full of outdoor fun and adventure right in Gonzaga’s backyard. Activities include kayaking on the Spokane River, hiking Mt. Kit Carson, a high-ropes course and other exciting activities. Evenings are spent camping at Lake Coeur d’Alene, making s’mores and spending time with other first year students and upper division adventure guides.

MONTANA GOOB August 23 – 27, 2015 $425

outdoors@gonzaga.edu gonzagaoutdoors.gonzaga.edu

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Montana GOOB is a fun and exciting program limited to 75 students, and takes place August 23 - 27. You’ll meet at Gonzaga and travel by bus to spend four nights camping on the Clark Fork River in beautiful Western Montana. Each day students break into three groups to embark on a full day excursion with upper division student guides. You’ll raft through the class II-III Alberton Gorge, mountain bike the Trail of the Hiawatha and hike to scenic Heart Lake. Each afternoon we will re-group at our base-camp at the Montana River Lodge to enjoy a dinner prepared by the student guides. Students will return to campus just in time for the New Student Orientation.

GOOB is a fantastic way to meet other students, learn about Gonzaga, and become acquainted with the outdoor recreation opportunities in the Inland Northwest before you even start school!

REALITY CAMP August 23 – 27, 2015 $225

realitycamp@zagmail.gonzaga.edu gonzaga.edu/realitycamp

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Reality Camp is a five day Pre-Orientation service immersion program that provides first year students with opportunities to form communities, serve with local nonprofit organizations, and visit sites in Spokane and the surrounding community. The Reality Camp program serves as a springboard for students wishing to jumpstart their experience at Gonzaga in a fun-filled, caring environment.

CONNECT with fellow students, faculty and staff, and build lasting friendships over the week while getting to know your new home in Spokane.

SERVE with over ten different community partners and non-profits.

IMPACT the city of Spokane, challenge yourself, and jumpstart your social justice education at Gonzaga.

“…my experience at Reality Camp propelled me into a better understanding of myself and my new home at Gonzaga.”

–Olivia Schneider

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN DIVERSE GONZAGA ENVIRONMENTS (BRIDGE) “BRIDGE helped me feel like I belonged at Gonzaga. It helped me with the transition both physically and emotionally.”

–2015 BRIDGE Counselor, Manny Lopez

August 23 – 27, 2015 $70

umec@gonzaga.edu gonzaga.edu/umec

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The Unity Multicultural Education Center UMEC) offers the Building Relationships in a Diverse Gonzaga Environment ( BRIDGE) program. BRIDGE is a five-day Pre-Orientation program; designed to assist multicultural and first-generation college students with their transition to Gonzaga University and Spokane. BRIDGE introduces students and parents to multiple campus resources, including key staff and faculty. The program’s personalized approach empowers students with essential knowledge and understanding to help them successfully adjust to the college life while building lasting friendships.

Identity Development – Community Building – Lasting Relationships Navigating Gonzaga A PARENT PROGRAM is also offered to parents of BRIDGE participants to expose them to campus resources. Parents will have a designated group of BRIDGE counselors who will offer insight about campus life and supporting their student from afar.

FIRST YEAR RETREAT August 25 – 27, 2015 $40

umin@gonzaga.edu gonzaga.edu/umin

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Deepen community and your spirituality as you begin your time at Gonzaga University. First Year Retreat invites 55 students on a retreat to connect with one another while exploring and growing through their college transition. Upper division leaders will share their stories to help move participants to become whole, dynamic and faithful followers of God in college. Make new friends, grow in your faith and encounter the Gonzaga community at its finest. This is a two night/three day experience at Gonzaga’s Retreat Center, Bozarth Mansion.

You will explore what it means to be a Zag, how your passions can serve the community and how God is connected to your world.

First Year Retreat doesn’t end when you leave Bozarth Mansion! As a part of the University Ministry community back on campus, you will be invited to join a small group, known as CLC’s. You’ll see your friends at frequent reunions, community service opportunities, and will attend CLC gala in April!

“The First Year Retreat helped me find my footing in the new adventure of college! The experience was also awesome because we got to be vulnerable to complete strangers who then became friends.”

-Hannah Weickart

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT INFO. Online registration for all optional, fee based Pre-Orientation Programs will be open Monday, May 18 - June 12, 2015 on a first-come, first served basis at: http://commerce.cashnet.com/pre-orientation Payment will be charged at the time of registration. If you are unable to make a credit card payment, please contact the individual Pre-Orientation Program immediately to make alternate arrangements. Scholarships, based on financial need, are available for students on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Gonzaga Out of Bounds—Spokane: $250 • Gonzaga Out of Bounds—Montana: $425 • Reality Camp: $225 • BRIDGE: $70 • First Year Retreat: $40 FOR QUESTIONS & MORE INFORMATION, you may contact First Year Experience Programs at orientation@gonzaga.edu or call (509) 313-4016, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. PST.

PARENT & FAMILY OFFICE In addition to student orientation, Gonzaga offers a unique opportunity for family members to learn about their role in the Zag Family. Parent & Family Orientation runs concurrently to New Student Orientation, August 28 - August 30.

If your student attends a Pre-Orientation program, you are invited to an informal ice cream social with Q&A. This event for parents, families, and students will take place on Thursday, August 27th once a student returns from his or her Pre-Orientation program.

For family members planning to stay in the Spokane area during Pre-Orientation, there are plenty of sites and activities to stay busy! You can find almost everything the Spokane community has to offer at www.visitspokane.com.

This is just the beginning of what we hope will be a wonderful journey for your entire family. At Gonzaga University we recognize the important role of parents in a student’s college experience. We hope to work with parents to promote student academic and personal success.

For more information about the Parent and Family Programs, contact the Parent & Family Office at (509) 313-4154, parents&family@gonzaga.edu or visit www.gonzaga.edu/parents.

GONZAGA’S MISSION STATEMENT Gonzaga University is an exemplary learning community that educates students for lives of leadership and service for the common good. In keeping with its Catholic, Jesuit, and humanistic heritage and identity, Gonzaga models and expects excellence in academic and professional pursuits and intentionally develops the whole person -- intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Through engagement with knowledge, wisdom, and questions informed by classical and contemporary perspectives, Gonzaga cultivates in its students the capacities and dispositions for reflective and critical thought, lifelong learning, spiritual growth, ethical discernment, creativity, and innovation.

The Gonzaga experience fosters a mature commitment to dignity of the human person, social justice, diversity, intercultural competence, global engagement, solidarity with the poor and vulnerable, and care for the planet. Grateful to God, the Gonzaga community carries out this mission with responsible stewardship of our physical, financial, and human resources.