The University of Oklahoma
SOONER ORIENTATION WEEKEND 2016
Schedule preview & resource guide #justSOWyouknow
What Possibilities...
Summer 2016
WELCOME! We are your Sooner Orientation Weekend (SOW) Executive Team and we are “SOW” excited to welcome you to OU! Your transition to OU is going to be full of excitement and nervousness, ups and downs, twists and turns, questions and answers. We hope that this booklet provides you with some basic, introductory knowledge of OU and guides you in the right direction to find out more! We also hope you’ll take 2016 advantage of all the great opportunities offered during SOW EXEC Sooner Orientation Weekend (Thursday, Aug. 18 – Sunday, Aug. 21) as you get ready for your first day of class! We’ll start on the next page by offering a quick glimpse at some of the questions you might have. We hope you find it, and the rest of this booklet, helpful as you begin to prepare for this journey! Again, we are SOW excited about your decision to attend OU and we can’t wait to see you at Sooner Orientation Weekend 2016!
Front row, left-to-right: Bridgitte Castorino, Lauren Euge, Jessie Hearn, Jenna Henderson Back row, left-to-right: Zac Stevens, Jonathan Yoon, Mitchell Lucky
Any Questions? Do I need to have my own computer? Do I need to bring a car? Why are there pictures of bicycles on the sidewalk? Where do I get my books? What is Canvas? What do I need to bring to class? What is a syllabus? Can I start my own club? Do I need a gym membership? Where do I go for help? What do I use my student ID for? Where are the best study spots? Do I need to have a library card? Is it okay to walk on the grass? How much time will I need to study? How do I get around Norman? What do I do on Friday nights and the weekends? Do I have to cook for myself? What is the weather like in Norman? What is D2L? How long does it take to get from my room to my class? What is the OU chant? How do I meet my professors outside of class? Why are there so many squirrels? Where can I get my own computer or software? Do I need to get a job? I live on the 5th floor. Should I take the elevator? Are there events for me? Do I have to do my own laundry? Do I have to pay to print in a computer lab? Where can I find clubs to join? How do I know which classes to take to graduate? If I bring a car, where do I park? Why am I supposed to avoid walking under the clock tower? Do I need to have a planner? What is there to do in Norman? Where is the nearest post office? How do I get football and basketball tickets? Should I bring a bike? Will I really need to study? Where do I get a parking pass? Why are there so many questions?
Don’t worry. We are here to help.
STOP!
You probably have a lot more questions than those you saw on the previous page. And you are going to have even more in the next few months.That’s perfectly normal. Coming to college is a big adjustment, but the most important thing to remember is you are not in it alone! We cannot answer all of your questions here. But in addition to this booklet, we are planning four days of activities that will help you get more answers you need and connect with the people who can assist you in finding answers to other questions you might have. If you follow us on Twitter (@OU_SOW) you will get answers to even more questions throughout the summer! On the next few pages, you’ll find some highlights of Sooner Orientation Weekend. But these are only the highlights! Visit our website (www.ou.edu/sow) for a more complete schedule and check back often because we will continue to work with other parts of the OU and Norman communities to bring you as many opportunities as we can for that weekend. After that, we’ve included more information about different parts of campus and how they can have a positive impact on your OU experience. And be sure to familiarize yourself with the Graduation Planner which was handed out at summer enrollment.That publication is full of great information as well! You can also find an interactive online version at http://www.ou.edu/graduatesooner if you prefer.
SOW SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18
OU Move-In 2016 Most students will be moving in on this day. Check www.ou.edu/housingandfood/move-in for all of the details about Move-In 2016. Questions about OU Move-In 2016 should be directed to the Housing Office at 405-325-2511. New Sooner Convocation 4 p.m. Lloyd Noble Center Convocation is a priority event of Sooner Orientation Weekend. Parents and students should attend as OU President David L. Boren and others welcome you to the OU family in this aweinspiring ceremony for new Sooners. Students in attendance will receive their Class of 2020 t-shirt they will wear to the class photo event on Sunday, August 21. SOW Cookout & Ice Cream Social Following Convocation Walker-Adams Mall Sooners, friends and family are invited to join us in the shade for a free picnic. Be sure to stick around for ice cream served up by OU deans and directors. THESE ARE ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS! Visit www.ou.edu/sow for a full schedule!
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19
SOW SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
College Orientation Programs 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Various Locations) Visit our website in August for the most up-to-date schedule of college orientation programs! If you are unsure about what you want to declare as a major, we’ll have a session for you too! Transfer Student, First-in-Family, Commuter Student, Small Town Student Orientations 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Dale Hall Choose the session that’s right for you and come meet other students, faculty and staff who will help welcome you to OU, give you important information and answer your questions! Multicultural Programs and Services Orientation 3:00 p.m. Dale Hall Find out about the different support services and involvement opportunities provided by African American, American Indian, Asian American, and Latino Programs and Student Services.This orientation is open to all students and families. Come meet staff, faculty and student leaders and find out information on how to be successful with your transition to OU! SOW Chill & Involvement Fair 7 p.m. South Oval Join us on the South Oval for all kinds of fun stuff! Free food, prizes, games, music, giveaways and over 100 student organizations that will be on hand to help you get involved at OU! THESE ARE ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS! Visit www.ou.edu/sow for a full schedule!
SOW SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 20 Norman Bus Tours 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Busses will load north of Walker-Adams Mall See what Norman has to offer! This 45-minute tour shows you the local spots that make Norman unique, and the familiar places you’ll know from home.Tours leave at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.! Intramural Sports Preview 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Walker-Adams Mall & Volleyball Courts Join us for flag football, basketball, sand volleyball, Spikeball and more! Meet the Fit & Rec team that runs our Intramural Sports Program to learn how you can be involved this year! Campus Corner Preview 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Campus Corner (north of Campus on Boyd Street) Take a tour of Campus Corner and enjoy free food, cold drinks and prizes! Nite @ the Union (Presented by the Union Programming Board.) 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Oklahoma Memorial Union Ballroom Enjoy free food, games and prizes at this must-see event! Visit www.ou.edu/upb for more details. Late Night Target Shopping Event 9:30 p.m. – Midnight Target Super Store Free busses to and from Target, with gifts and snacks! Pick up items for your room or your backpack during this exclusive after-hours shopping trip. Busses depart from and return to Walker-Adams Mall approximately every 30 minutes. THESE ARE ONLY THE HIGHLIGHTS! Visit www.ou.edu/sow for a full schedule!
SUNDAY, AUGUST 21
SOW SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
Class of 2020 Picture 5 p.m. The Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Join us for the freshman class tradition,The Class Picture, on historic Owen Field. Students living in the residence halls should come with your RA. (Please note, some floors will have their community meeting prior to the Class Picture.) Students not living in the residence halls should park at the Asp Avenue Parking Facility, which is attached to the Gaylord-Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and enter through Gate 1 at the south east corner of the stadium. Wear the Class of 2020 t-shirt you will get for FREE at New Sooner Convocation on Thursday of SOW! THESE THESEARE AREONLY ONLYTHE THEHIGHLIGHTS! HIGHLIGHTS!Visit Visitwww.ou.edu/sow www.ou.edu/sowfor foraafull fullschedule! schedule!
UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY It’s important for you to connect with people you have something in common with. But it’s also important for you to meet people that have different perspectives than you do and to attend events that help you broaden your horizons. With students from all 50 states and more than 100 different countries, it’s safe to say that you’re part of a very diverse community. We love that OU takes great pride in the recruitment and development of students who are committed to strengthening our campus community, and the Office of University Community is a big part of that effort. We encourage you to find out more about the Office of University Community by visiting their website at http://www.ou.edu/community.html Last year the university implemented a mandatory 5-hour community-building experience for new students.The program focused on helping us learn from other people’s perspectives and how we can improve our relationships with each other.The program opened the door for some great discussions both during and after the experience and has helped people connect with each other in very meaningful ways.There are two ways for you to fulfill this mandatory requirement: 1) attend Camp Crimson this summer (congrats if you already did this!) 2) attend a separate 5-hour experience once the fall semester begins.You will receive more information about this option in the fall semester. We can’t wait to see what kind of positive impact you have on the OU community!
STUDENT LIFE Getting involved is a very important part of your OU experience. It will supplement what you are learning in class, help you develop skills to prepare you for the future, and connect you to something bigger than yourself. Here are just some of the offices that can help you find what to be involved with at OU. Please visit their websites to learn more about how to get involved. Student Life - http://ou.edu/studentlife (Campus Activities Council, Greek Life, McNair Scholars, Multicultural Student Life, Orientation & Transfer Programs) Gender & Equality Center - https://www.ou.edu/content/studentlife/diverse_communities/gec.html Lead & Volunteer - http://www.ou.edu/leadandvolunteer/ Residence Life - http://www.ou.edu/housingandfood/hcsa/ Student Government Association - http://www.ou.edu/sga/ Union Programming Board - http://www.ou.edu/upb/
Other opportunities Nearly every major has a student organizations associated with it. This is a great way to meet other students who are interested in the same academic area as you. There are also many cultural, faith-based, and interest-based organizations.Visit rso.ou.edu and click on “Active Student Organizations� to find the list of more than 400 student organizations here at OU.
CAMPUS EVENTS Sooner Orientation Weekend is only the beginning of all of the fun in store for you this year! There are so many other events throughout the year you will enjoy! In addition to the ones listed here, be sure to become familiar with OrgSync (visit rso.ou.edu and click the link) so you can stay up-to-date on campus events throughout the year. Here is just a small sampling of some of those events. American Indian Student Association 103rd Annual Spring Contest Powwow Each spring semester, the American Indian Student Association hosts the OU Spring Contest Powwow. This is the longest running student-led Powwow in the United States. Please visit American Indian Student Life for more details. Blackness and Sexuality An on-going dialogue with students and scholars about issues of sexual orientation, gender expression and other issues surrounding sexuality as they relate to the Black community. College Bowl OU’s very own version of quiz bowl, this pop culture trivia competition offers teams of OU students the opportunity to go head-to-head in order to take home the title of College Bowl champion. Day of the Dead Street Festival Come celebrate with OU as we host one of the largest Day of the Dead Street Festivals in the state. There will be live music, free carnival rides and food trucks from across the state to celebrate this holiday honoring those who have passed. This event occurs in late October.
Homecoming One of the university community’s favorite traditions, Homecoming captures a unique sense of Sooner spirit in a week of activities, culminating with the Homecoming parade, football game and royalty coronation. Latino Flavor Latino Flavor is a free annual event allowing the OU Family to experience Latino culture in a delicious way! This student led event is filled with food and entertainment from all over Latin America. Miss Indian OU Pageant Every spring, this pageant provides an opportunity for one Native woman to represent the OU community and win a scholarship provided by the American Indian Alumni Society.This pageant is sponsored by the American Indian Student Association. Please visit American Indian Student Life (Oklahoma Memorial Union 370) for more details. Mosaic: Social Justice Symposium This event provides a space for University students, faculty, staff, and alumni to learn and discuss contemporary issues of social justice through presentations, research, and discussion forums. For more information visit ou.edu/ studentlife/mosaic or email gec@ou.edu. Stompdown The Stompdown step show is one of the largest African American student events hosted at OU. Bringing together people from Oklahoma,Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Louisiana, the Stompdown audience is comprised of nearly 1,500 students, faculty/ staff, alumni and surrounding communities. Stompdown will be in April of 2017. University Queer Tour The Gender + Equality Center and the LGBTQ Program Advisory Board invite you on a journey through OU, LGBTQ style. See the SOW schedule online (www.ou.edu/sow) for more information or register now by emailing gec@ou.edu. This is just a small sample of events going on throughout the year at OU. We are sure you will find many events that will help you learn, grow, connect and have fun during your time here!
LIVING WELL One of the most important aspects of college life is balance. As a college student, it’s very important to make time for physical, emotional and spiritual wellness, so you can perform at your best intellectually. Here at OU, we have a lot of ways for you to find balance. FITNESS & RECREATION The Fit & Rec team provides countless opportunities for you to build a healthy lifestyle. Whether you are looking for fitness classes to take, intramural sports to play, or if you want a place to work out, they have you covered. They operate our on-campus recreational center, our intramural sports programs, and provide lots of health and wellness programs and education throughout the year. Learn more at http://www.ou.edu/far.html HEALTH & COUSELING SERVICES OU’s clinic staff consists of board-certified, licensed physicians, physician assistants, a nurse practitioner and medical assistants offering a full spectrum of care in family medicine, sports medicine, and disease prevention and treatment. The Counseling Center offers individual, group, and couples counseling among other services. Counselors are there to help people resolve existing problems, prevent potential problems, and develop new skills that will enhance their lives. For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/healthservices.html
Your health is important to us! Use these resources to learn how to live well at OU!
ACADEMIC RESOURCES Have we mentioned yet that college might be tough? Your classes should challenge you, which will help you grow and prepare you for life after college. But just like with everything else, you are not in it alone! There are many academic support services to help you succeed in the classroom. In fact, there are so many that we don’t have room to dive into them all in this booklet. So let us refer you to two great resources: 1) The Graduation Planner, produced by the Graduation Office and provided to all students when they come for their summer enrollment appointment, is FULL of information that will help you prepare for and succeed in the classroom. 2) The website http://www.ou.edu/content/graduatesooner/resources/html, which is also produced by the Graduation Office, is basically a quick reference to some of the key academic resources here at OU. It has information about getting advised, selecting a major, study skills, tutoring, and much more! Now wait. We know some of you may be thinking back to high school. Maybe at your high school, tutoring was only for students who were failing.That’s not the case at OU. Here at OU, tutoring is for all students—whether you’re struggling to figure things out, trying to raise your grade a little, or hoping to perfect your understanding of the material. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of all the various resources available for you.
Family Members We have great resources for you too! Sooner Parents (info on this & next page) Family Session on Thursday of SOW iTunesU course at https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/ ou-parents-101/ id688814242
Greetings from Sooner Parents! Welcome to the University of Oklahoma! As parents of OU students already know and parents of incoming OU students will soon learn, OU is an exceptional place. Rich in heritage and tradition and committed to academic excellence, OU emphasizes a strong sense of community and university pride so that every student feels like a part of the OU family. As parents, we can continue to support our college-age children even when they are away at school. We can encourage them to set goals, and to develop relationships with professors and staff members and take advantage of the many resources and student opportunities available at OU to assist them in reaching their goals. Sooner Parents, OU’s parents association, provides many helpful resources for parents as well as scholarships for students whose parent(s) are members of Sooner Parents, and support for a variety of student services and organizations across campus. If you have not already done so, I invite you to join Sooner Parents online at parents.ou.edu and follow us on our Facebook page. The primary goal of Sooner Parents, in addition to providing parent resources, is to keep OU parents informed about important dates, announcements, opportunities for your student on campus, and opportunities for you as well. Please feel free to reach out to me or any of our volunteers with questions, comments or concerns regarding your student’s OU experience. Sooner Parents is your association, and we are here for you! We all know how quickly time passes. I am confident that your family’s experience at the University of Oklahoma will be as positive as my family’s has been. Again, I encourage you to join Sooner Parents, and to contact me if you any question about the association. BOOMER SOONER! Mike Kaufmann Sooner Parents President Norman, Oklahoma parents.ou.edu Mike.Kaufmann-1@ou.edu
Join online at parents.ou.edu!
Sooner Parents keeps you connected and enhances the OU student experience! • • • • •
Monthly member-only e-mail blasts Early notification of Dad’s Day and Mom’s Day dates Access to purchase identified home football tickets Local discounts Opportunities to volunteer and more!
Visit parents.ou.edu for more information and resources!
Join in on the fun and get more information! @UofOklahoma @OUStudentLife @OU_SOW @OUClassof2020
The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. www.ou.edu/eoo For accommodations, please contact Student Life at (405) 325-3163.