New student orientation and move-in week is very different this year at Trinity Western University's Langley campus. “We’ve had to re-think everything,” said Richard Taylor, TWU Vice President of Student Life.
The traditional orientation day for new students has been transformed into a multi-day series of virtual and in-person events called “O-Day+”.
The first event was a Campus Drive Through on September 5.
New students drive-thru tour, with car wash, games and snacks
About 100 new students and their families registered online to attend the Campus Drive Through on Saturday, September 5, choosing their preferred time slot between 9am to 5pm. Each tour lasted about 60-minutes and involved 10 different pit stops and socially distanced activities spread out across TWU’s 64 hectare Langley campus.
A TWU guide personally led each car tour on foot. Guests stayed in their cars and enjoyed a free car wash, snacks delivered to their windows, a curbside meet-and-greet with the university president, a variety of in-car games, along with take-home gifts and souvenirs.
Each pit stop was hosted by a different student experience team, including Spartan Athletics, TWU Student Association, TWU Parent and Family Network, and TWU Intercultural Programs.
TransLink 562 shuttle now stops at TWU
The tour ended at one of two brand new bus stops for the TransLink 562 shuttle bus, located within TWU’s campus to make commuting to the university more convenient.
Participants were further encouraged to drive into Fort Langley and fill out a “bingo” scorecard that required visiting each of the Fort Langley shops associated with The Spartan Club, an exclusive discount program for TWU students and staff that promotes local businesses. The completed scorecard could then be submitted at the Trinity House, TWU’s community space at Fort Langley that is open to the public.
Socially distant yet highly personal welcome
VP Taylor explained that the purpose of the event is for first-year university students to see the campus, learn about the different opportunities available to them, and get personal guidance. “In this way, it’s a personal welcome,” he said.
In overcoming COVID-19 distancing measures, Taylor said, “We try to focus more on personal connection and service.”
Making the socially distant semester more “real”
One student guide, Haley Friesen, a 3rd year Biology major, believes that it is important to take students around the university.
“It’s crazy that we’re going to be off campus so much this year, learning at our own homes,” she said.
Friesen hopes that the opportunity for students to come on campus and see where things are will make the university experience seem “more real” for new students.
Many students will be taking courses online this semester, as a result of health and safety precautions. The university campus remains open, and a small number of select classes will run in-person, with safety measures in place.
Feedback from Campus Drive Through participants revealed that new students appreciated the opportunity to meet other students, speak with the president, and become familiar with the campus.
The Campus Drive Through event was followed by residence move-in day on Sunday, September 6. Live-stream welcome events, online meetings with faculty, and virtual auditions for choir and instrumental ensembles take place on September 7 and 8.
The university’s theme for the new academic year is, “Seek the peace and wellbeing of the city.”
Read the story in the Langley Advance Times.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has five campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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