Orientation/Welcome Week 2008

Frequently Asked Questions

I came to campus this summer and registered for classes. Wasn't that Orientation?
Do I have to come to Orientation/Welcome Week?
Do I have to sign up for Orientation/Welcome Week?
Is there a fee for Orientation/Welcome Week or Parent and Family Orientation?
What do my parents and/or family do while I’m at Orientation/Welcome Week?
When should my parents plan to leave SPU to go home?
Where can my parents stay the night?
How many people can I bring to Orientation to help me?
What is the purpose of Orientation/Welcome Week?
When do I get my SPU ID card?
Are meals provided for students during Orientation/Welcome Week? What about parents and families?
I need a ride from the airport. Can someone pick me up?
I need disability accommodations for Orientation/Welcome Week. What do I do?

That was Orientation/New Student Advising. The Orientation program continues in the fall as Orientation/Welcome Week. Orientation/Welcome Week is a different program that includes many more opportunities to meet new and returning students, as well as an official induction into the SPU community.

As a new student at SPU, you are expected to attend all Orientation programs, including Welcome Week. Depending on your status, you may attend programs specifically intended for you.

If you are a 2008 high school graduate, plan to attend an Orientation/New Student Advising event, as well as Orientation/Welcome Week.

If you are a transfer student or a non-traditionally aged student, you will need to attend an Orientation/New Student Advising event and a special, two-hour Welcome session on Sunday, September 28, at 3:30 p.m. This event, called Transfer Express, is designed for the experienced college student, providing the ins and outs of SPU to keep you informed. You are, of course, welcome to attend any of the Orientation/Welcome Week programs during the week.

Yes! All new students should register for Orientation/Welcome Week.

No, there is not a fee for new students, or for parents and families. It’s our welcome gift to you!

Parents and families need to be “orientated” to SPU too! That’s why a special program for parents and families runs concurrently with Orientation/Welcome Week.

While many of the events are separate, students and their parents will participate in some of the same events. Parent and Family Orientation Schedule.

The parent and family program ends on Friday afternoon, September 26. Parents can plan to leave Friday evening or Saturday morning.

Guests (including parents and families) are not allowed to stay in the residence halls during the first week. Parents and families should plan to stay in a hotel or motel for the nights they stay in Seattle. List of local hotels and restaurants.

You don’t need to bring anybody with you to help you move into the residence halls or apartments. Plenty of returning students will be helping with move-in!

You’re welcome to bring your parents, siblings, or grandparents to experience with you the excitement of moving to college, but we ask that you limit yourself to four guests. Please make sure they register so we know they’re coming.

TThrough Orientation/Welcome Week, the Office of Student Programs strives to create a welcoming, inclusive, and fun experience, assisting students and families learn about educational opportunities, campus resources and services, and developmental issues.

We focus on the successful integration of our new students into the SPU community, and provide support as they and their families face new intellectual, spiritual, and developmental challenges.

If you attended Orientation/New Student Advising on campus during the summer, your SPU ID cards, otherwise known as a Campus Card, will be available when you arrive for Orientation/Welcome Week.

Residence Hall students will receive their cards when they check in to their residence hall.
Students living in campus apartments and houses or commuting from off campus can pick up their cards at Orientation Central on the first floor of the Student Union Building.
Students who did not get their pictures taken over the summer should visit University Services during the first couple of days of Orientation/Welcome Week to get their picture taken and receive their card.

Starting with dinner on Thursday, September 25, all meals will be provided for students who are on a meal plan.

Dinner on Thursday, September 25, and lunch on Friday, September 26, will be provided, free of charge, for all students not on a meal plan, and for parents and families. All other meals may be taken in Gwinn at an additional cost or at any of the many area restaurants.

Students arriving by themselves on Thursday, September 25, via airplane, bus, or train can make arrangements for transportation from the airport or station to SPU by calling the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 206-281-2021 or emailing admissions@spu.edu.

Students should plan to arrive in Seattle between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. All SPU transportation arrangements must be made by September 12.

Students traveling with their families will need to arrange their own transportation from the airport or station. Here are three choices available in the Seattle area:

Shuttle Express: 206-622-1424
Yellow Cab: 206-622-6500
Far West Taxi: 206-622-1717

Any new student or guest needing disability accommodations should contact Disability Support Services at 206-281-2272 or disabilityservices@spu.edu by September 5, 2008, to ensure accommodations. All requests received after September 5 will be accommodated if possible.