Weeks of Welcome kicks off Aug. 20
Events coordinated by New Student and Family Programs help students find home at Virginia Tech.
From Aug. 20-30, Weeks of Welcome will help more than 7,000 new Hokies transition into life at Virginia Tech.
Weeks of Welcome, organized by New Student and Family Programs, kicks off the co-curricular student experience. More than 70 back-to-back events will welcome new students and orient them to the Virginia Tech campus and community.
“Our goal for Weeks of Welcome is for students to really feel ‘this is home’ — that sense of home we talk so much about here at Virginia Tech,” said Heidi Angle, assistant director of marketing and communications for New Student and Family Programs. “We want them to meet other students with the same interests or get out of their comfort zones by trying something new. That’s what makes Weeks of Welcome so successful — there’s something for everyone.”
Events vary in group size, theme, and content. A paddleboarding excursion may have 12 participants, and the Hokie Hi Spirit Rally, the annual rally during which the aerial “VT” photo of the incoming class is captured, invites the full Class of 2028. Many events are coordinated in partnership with other campus organizations, including Recreational Sports, Student Engagement and Campus Life, the Dean of Students Office, Cranwell International Center, VT Engage, and academic colleges.
From a Rec Sports Boot Camp to Donuts, Deans and Dogs, a meet-and-greet with college deans and therapy dogs, each curated activity gives students an opportunity to learn about campus resources while connecting with other students and community members.
Maeve Marley, program coordinator for New Student and Family Programs, encourages students to view the initiative as an opportunity to get one’s bearings in a holistic sense.
“I hope Weeks of Welcome helps students feel settled on campus and welcomed by campus,” said Marley. “They have opportunities to meet other new students and learn about the various resources and opportunities available to them, even if they’re not ready to use them. There’s so much here for them to utilize, and we don’t expect them to remember everything, but we hope when the need arises, they’ll have a sense of where to go.”
Many events pop up on campus in high-traffic areas, but others are held in locations that aren’t immediately obvious to students on campus, such the Blacksburg Farmers Market. The New Student and Family Programs team minimized the number of simultaneous events so students can attend all the events they’re interested in.
Select Weeks of Welcome events are mandatory:
- Upon move-in, new on-campus students will receive individualized schedules with information about College and Academic Success Sessions and Residential Well-being community meetings.
- New students living off campus, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets students, and student athletes will receive additional instructions about their required events.
For all other events, students can attend as many or few events as they want.
Meredith Etheridge, a New Student and Family Programs intern who assists with the planning and execution of the weeks’ events, recommends planning out a schedule ahead of time. The full schedule is available on the Hokies On Track app, including event locations, descriptions, and a tool to save events of interest.
“Campus seems so big when you first arrive, but Weeks of Welcome is a great place to start,” said Etheridge. “It’s a great way to get oriented, meet new people, and learn about life at Virginia Tech.”
Learn more about Weeks of Welcome in the New Hokie Guide in the Hokies On Track app.
