When the latest batch of Brock students is welcomed to campus Sept. 4, the University wants to ensure they have what they need to hit the ground running.

Through its New Student Welcome ceremony, Brock hopes to offer a healthy dose of inspiration mixed with useful information to help get the school year off on the right foot.

The ceremony, which starts at 8:45 a.m., will kick off this year’s Academic Orientation. The hour-long session will feature an address from University President Gervan Fearon, as well as an alumni keynote speaker and presentations on other information on the academic culture and expectations of the University.

For Brian Power, Brock’s Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President, Academic, the addition of the New Student Welcome represents an opportunity to create a tangible starting point for students to reflect on when sitting in the same surroundings used for Convocation.

“We hope this will help students to get their bearings academically and will be a great opening to our Academic Orientation day,” he said. “We want students to understand what it means to be a part of Brock, and we can’t wait for them to join us.”

With all new Brock students invited to attend the event, a crowd of between 2,000 and 3,000 is expected to take in the New Student Welcome before breaking into small faculty- and program-specific groups throughout the rest of the morning.

Some of the topics to be discussed in the welcome session include clarifying the academic code of conduct and presenting the University’s mission, vision and values.

Mary Ann Tierney, Brock’s Acting Manager of Student and Community Experience, said the event will help students to make the initial connections on campus that helps to ease their entrance into post-secondary life at the University.

“Academic Orientation is a great opportunity to meet faculty and upper-year students,” she said. “It’s also a fantastic way to meet other new students who are sharing the same experience and are also new to Brock.”

In addition to the morning sessions, orientation activities specific to Concurrent Education students and co-op students, as well as sessions designed to assist students in using Brock’s library will take place throughout the afternoon.

Aside from the essential academic components that are the focus of the day, Tierney hopes the time together will also inspire students to embrace their new roles at the University and in the region.

“We want to create a specific welcome to encourage them to be involved in the greater Brock community and to represent us well both in Niagara and as they travel around the country and overseas,” she said. “This is the first step of their academic journey, and we want to walk alongside them every step of the way.”

Academic Orientation is part of Brock’s Welcome Week activities, which also include fun events and socials, volunteer opportunities, the Brock University Students’ Union’s BadgerFest and more.

To learn more about the New Student Welcome and Academic Orientation or to register, visit the Academic Orientation website.