The arrival of a few thousand new and returning students on Bellarmine University's campus over the next several days should be an impressively smooth process, thanks to planning that began not long after last year's new students settled in.
Much of the focus over the next week will be on welcoming 670 new students - and their families - beginning Saturday, as residential freshmen move into their residence halls and all first-year students take part in matriculation and convocation to mark the formal start of their college experience. New students often need extra help finding their way around, and this is an area where Bellarmine's mission-driven focus on hospitality becomes very apparent.
"Our entire community is thrilled to welcome the newest Knights on Saturday, with over 150 student leaders arriving over the past two weeks in order to prepare," said Dr. Helen Grace Ryan, vice president for student affairs. "It’s a big day for our incoming students and their families. We want to ensure their transition to college is not only smooth, but fun, memorable and full of Bellarmine hospitality. We want these students to gain a sense of purpose and belonging right away. Everyone is so excited to welcome the Class of 2022!”
GETTING THE CAMPUS READY
Bellarmine's new student orientation is a five-day marathon of activities planned for students by students. Last November, a leadership team of seven students was hired to begin planning all aspects of orientation. In February, they began training 125 additional students who round out the orientation team.
During the summer, the university's facilities management team plays an important role in getting campus ready. They inspect every classroom and residence hall for any needed repairs or worn-out furniture, perform maintenance on heating and cooling systems, freshen up paint where necessary and repair pavement along roadways and in parking lots. This year, students and faculty will enjoy the benefits of a new chiller in Pasteur Hall, a new boiler in Kennedy Hall, a renovated Kennedy-Newman lobby and an upgraded lounge area in Centro's Treece Hall near Café Ogle.
New exercise equipment was installed in the SuRF this summer, including four new elliptical machines.
Information technology staff spent the summer upgrading classroom and lab computers with new software and new equipment, and inspecting classroom technology to make sure it's functioning properly. They've also worked throughout the spring and summer to issue new student identification cards and create student accounts in the One Bellarmine system as freshmen completed their enrollment. Meanwhile, the
W.L. Lyons Brown Library's staff worked during summer to review the online databases that students can access through library vendors and process faculty requests for new instructional materials.
The university's public safety officials inspected every fire suppression system, fire extinguisher, smoke detector, emergency phone and portable defibrillator on campus. They reviewed emergency plans - one of our requirements as a designated
StormReady campus - and conducted training sessions on emergency preparedness.
The Office of Financial Aid is doing last-minute follow-ups with students who still need to accept aid or finalize their awards. They'll have staff available to answer financial aid questions at check-in central on Saturday and at the Centro Takeover event that's part of orientation on Wednesday.
"We’re open and available to answer any last-minute questions and help out all of our students – and we have candy," said Heather Boutell, director of financial aid.
WELCOMING OUR NEWEST KNIGHTS
The arrival of freshmen on Saturday marks a major transition for the admissions team, which will shift their attention to building next fall's class of 2023. Their last big job for this year's class is to help at check-in on Saturday morning.
"It is always an exciting time to greet the incoming class," said Tim Sturgeon, dean of admission. "It's an especially exciting year for me because my youngest daughter is a member of this class, so my wife and I will become empty nesters. It is also a little bittersweet. We have been working with many of these students and families for several years and now we get to hand them over to our faculty, student affairs and residence life teams."
As freshmen check in and arrive at their residence halls with their families, a move-in crew of returning students, faculty and staff members will swarm to help them carry their belongings to their new rooms. After they settle in, students and their families will sign a matriculation book and have the opportunity to meet Bellarmine's president, Dr. Susan M. Donovan. That evening, the newest Knights will take part in a convocation ceremony.
A Convocation Mass - on Sunday, August 19, at 11:30 a.m. - is a kickoff Mass for first-year students and their families, including a special blessing for students, parents, faculty, and staff for the coming year.
Continuing through Wednesday, new students will progress through orientation programs in the same groups they'll see in their
BU 100 first-year focus course, which all new students will take during the fall semester. One of each orientation group's student leaders will also be their student instructor in that course, working alongside a faculty or staff instructor.
During orientation, more than 85 faculty and staff members will play a role in facilitating some portion of the student-led program.
On Wednesday, the last day of orientation, more than 800 new students, faculty and staff will leave campus for community service projects throughout the Louisville area. This will be the first of many service projects throughout their college life, as that's a core piece of Bellarmine's mission.
Even Bellarmine's
Alumni Association - which won't welcome this year's freshmen as new members for several years - plays a role in making the newest Knights feel welcome. The alumni staff will be at Wednesday's Centro Takeover event, highlighting the ways the Alumni Association's work benefits current students, including a mentoring program that pairs students with Bellarmine graduates, an online
Alumni Knight Network and funding for scholarships.
On Saturday, August 25, the entire Bellarmine community will celebrate the start of a new academic year with evening fireworks in the quad.
STARTING COLLEGE THE RIGHT WAY
"There are few times as exciting as new students starting their college careers," said Dr. James Breslin, dean of student success. "The
Student Success Center at Bellarmine is committed to supporting and empowering all students to take ownership of their own learning as they begin their Bellarmine experience and make four-year plans for success."
The programs offered by the Student Success Center are often as reassuring for parents as they are helpful for new students. Breslin offered this information for parents who might worry about their student once the semester is underway:
- Peer to peer mentoring opportunities empower your student to take ownership of their own learning.
- Bellarmine offers a cohesive, cross-departmental network of support, designed to ensure your student has all the resources they need to succeed (the university has even won awards for this).
- Academic advisors are a great resource for your students as they navigate a new academic world.
- BU 100 instructors and peer instructors are great resources for your students as they engage and find their place at Bellarmine.
- The Student Success Center provides peer tutoring and writing services that many Bellarmine students use to enhance their success in the classroom.
As new students settle into a routine, they'll want to begin thinking about future internships and - ultimately - a career or graduate school.
"'Begin with the end in mind' is our mantra as we start another school year," said Dr. Lilly Massa-McKinley, director of the university's
Career Development Center. "This summer, we sent out postcards to all incoming first-year students and invited them to set up a career advising appointment. Dozens of students met with us to talk about all the opportunities Bellarmine has to offer to support their career development. We'll be at the Centro Takeover event on August 22 and we're hosting a Part-Time Job and Internship Fair in the quad on August 30."
To help students succeed in their courses, library staff
adjusted their hours for the fall semester, including late nights on weeknights, plus expanded weekend hours.