First Year Experience staff member Fotokalafi Vea practices giving a tour of the UAA campus to her colleages as the team ramps up for summer tours. Photo and caption by James Evans/UAA
First-Year Experience, previously known as New Student Orientation, provides resources and support for students new to UAA – all by UAA students themselves. Student leaders run orientations, provide campus tours, answer calls and questions and more, directly interacting with new students.
The support that First-Year Experience provides doesn’t stop at the beginning of the semester, instead continuing year-round.
“I feel like it's important that they know us so that in the middle of the semester, there's follow through,” said First-Year Experience orientation leader Bay Baqi.
The team said that UAA students providing this support makes a difference, because they’ve gone through this experience before. Not only that, but since the First Year Experience team is made up of current students, they’re in the same spaces that new UAA students are.
“If they recognize us, they can always like just come up to us … because we're also students here at UAA,” said First-Year Experience orientation leader Gerricka Cowan.
First-Year Experience also provides support for international students.
Orientation leader Fotokalafi Vea said, “We understand that process and we understand how alone they can feel and how scary it is to like step out of your home country.”
Adding to that, Aidan Jackson, another orientation leader, said, “We center students of marginalized identities and we make sure that they know the resources that are here to support them specifically, like Multicultural Student Services.”
The team said that through this job they wanted to create a sense of community at UAA, where students could feel supported.
“Prior to having this position, UAA was just a school to me. I came for my class and then left right after. And now it's become more of like a community where I can get support … and now in turn, I can give support to the new students that are coming on campus.” said New Student Orientation Manager Jocella Thompson.
The orientation leader positions also aren’t exclusive to veteran students of UAA. Orientation leader Hanlin Feng was with UAA for only one semester before she joined the team. Through her job she was able to learn more about UAA. “You learn everything, then you can help others,” she said.
The team said that during this time of the year, they often get questions from students about who their academic advisor is and where to receive their WolfCard. Students can receive their WolfCards from Eugene Short Hall or the Consortium Library.
One thing that the team recommends for incoming students looking to prepare before coming to campus is to take their placement tests, which can be found online. UAA has placement tests for both writing and math that help place students in courses that best fit them.
The team also said that the UAA campus is open during the summer. She said that coming in before classes start is a great way to find everywhere you need to go before the first day of school.
First-Year Experience has many events coming up that they encourage new UAA students to attend:
New Seawolves Belong
Friday, Aug. 18, 5 - 7 p.m.
Multicultural Student Services, Rasmuson Hall 106
This event is a way to connect with new students and get to know Multicultural Student Services while enjoying fun games and food!
Resource Fair
Wednesday, Aug. 23, 1. - 3 p.m.
Student Union Cafeteria
Get to know UAA departments and local organizations who are here to support students during their time with UAA.
Campus Kickoff 2023
Saturday, Aug. 26, 1 - 4 p.m
Student Union parking lot
Campus Kickoff is UAA’s celebration to kick off the beginning of the school year. Meet UAA departments, student organizations, community partners, and more!
First-Year Experience also provides Howl Days, which are orientation sessions for new students. All in-person Howl Days are currently full, but virtual or self-guided virtual options are available.
Students can also sign up for a 1:1 appointment with an orientation leader by sending First Year Experience an email at uaa_orientation@alaska.edu.
First-Year Experience offers campus tours by appointment most weekdays. Students who have signed up for an in-person Howl Days will already have a campus tour included.
More information and resources from First-Year Experience can be found at https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/first-year-experience.
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