First-time freshmen and transfer students gathered in ĢƵ’s Carl M. Hill Student Center Ballroom today to attend the 2018 New Student Orientation.
Students, as well as parents, were given an introduction to ĢƵ, as well as an overview of important policies, procedures and resources to help them transition into their new campus home. Those who attended were offered one-on-one advisement by the Office of Admissions, Academic Advising, the Office of the Registrar, Residence Life, Financial Aid, Bursar and the Cashier’s Office.
“ĢƵ is continually moving forward. We have already met and are exceeding the requirements needed for our five-year management improvement goal for 2021,” ĢƵ President M. Christopher Brown II said. “For the first time, ĢƵ is offering freshmen and transfer students a more comprehensive Spring Orientation. This is key. We want to make sure that every student receives the proper welcome and the information they need to matriculate successfully, regardless of which semester they come in.”
This year, the new orientation included Parent University, a seminar for parents of new students on “how to let go.” The class gave parents tips on how to let their new students soar. Students also attended sessions on the “Road to College Success,” “Social Media Etiquette” and “Disability and Resource Services.” Transfer students were also offered new break-out classes that were tailored specifically to their needs.
“We’re trying a new way to recruit, retain and reach students. Our mission is to continually recruit a qualified pool of diverse students to the University. Orientation helps ensure that these students are knowledgeable about what the University has to offer,” Justin Mathis, assistant vice president of enrollment management, said.
ĢƵ’s admissions office has worked tirelessly to recruit students not only from Kentucky, but surrounding states Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana.
“I heard about ĢƵ at the Black Expo in my hometown of Indianapolis as a sophomore in high school. I saw the band perform and loved them. I talked to a lady at ĢƵ’s table and the school met all of my requirements. I felt like ĢƵ was a good fit for me,” Jayla Borgan, a ĢƵ freshman, said.
“I transferred to ĢƵ from Hampton University, in order to attend a smaller school that is closer to hometown, Cincinnati,” Kiyah Mattison, a Kentucky State freshman transfer, said.
For many of the students attending the orientation, it was an opportunity to take advantage of ĢƵ’s scholarship program. Jim Boklage, an Army veteran that came out of service in 1976, applied and was awarded the Donovan Scholarship, which provides persons aged 65 and older an opportunity to become students by waiving tuition and fees for academic classes.
“I’m attending ĢƵ because I can with the financial help of the Donovan Scholarship. It’s perfect for me because the University is local, and it offers classes in music production and engineering that other universities like the University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville do not have,” Boklage, a ĢƵ freshman, said.
For more information on New Student Orientation, contact Justin Mathis via email Justin.Mathis@kysu.edu or phone at (502) 597-6813.
