Our History

According to The Flat Hat, the Academic Year began with an opening ceremony in the Wren Chapel with an enrollment of 175 men. An annual reception was held by the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) for students, teachers, and “friends of the institution.” This seems to have been the closest thing to what we would call now “New Student Orientation”. It included speeches by local priests, the College President, and professors on the Honor System, school pride, and “the many-sidedness of college spirit.”

The annual YMCA reception became a joint reception with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) for all students, male and female, as well as faculty and townspeople. The Presidents of the YMCA and YWCA gave addresses. Students and alumni gave musical and comedy performances. It was a much less formal event than in years past, allowing students to get to know one another. Most activities on campus were organized by the YMCA and YWCA. The “Y’s” prints handbooks for new students annually. The first women’s fraternity on campus was founded: Chi Omega.

In 1933, an official Orientation program was started for women only, sponsored by the Women Students’ Cooperative Government (WSCG) and the YWCA. Freshmen women were divided into small groups led by junior and senior women. WSCG handbooks were distributed. Freshmen were taught about college life, tradition, and the honor system. Freshmen and transfer women were paired up with “big sister” upperclassmen.

All freshmen began going through New Student Orientation. Students with last names starting with A-K registered for classes on Monday, and the latter half of the alphabet registered on Tuesday. Freshmen were given a handbook, a freshman guide, and tickets to a local theater. Picnics were held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday by faculty advisors, who took their groups around the lake. President John Stewart Bryan welcomed the freshmen class in PBK Hall on Wednesday night. Upperclassmen were appointed as aides to help familiarize freshmen with the campus. Freshmen were given lectures on the use of the library and the Honor System. The YMCA and YWCA sponsored a dance in Blow Gym.

The Orientation schedule began with counseling tests for freshmen and transfer students. The first day consisted of meeting with the administrative staff, a service held by the Inter-Religious Council, a meeting with the Honor Council and Student Government, and a Theater Open House. On the Second Day, Thursday, a Pan-Hellenic mass meeting was held, as well as a dinner for all of the students together. Separate meetings were held in the evening for female and male students. Half of the new students registered for classes on Friday morning, and the other half registered on Saturday morning. A pep rally was held on Friday night. On Saturday, there was a movie screening, a football game, and a reception with the President. Orientation ended with swimming and recreation in Blow Gym on Sunday night. 

Orientation began with new students being met at their dorms by sponsors and group leaders, now commonly known as Orientation Aides (OAs). They were brought to a freshman class meeting with a welcome by President Paschal. The next day, Sunday, new students signed the Honor Code in the Great Hall. Afterwards, there was an open house at the Campus Center. On Monday night, Colonial Williamsburg held a movie screening and candlelight reception. On Thursday, new students registered for classes, and a meeting on “interest groups” (now known as the Club & Org Fair) was held on Thursday night. Throughout the week, there were general class meetings which addressed the various aspects of college life, the honor code, academic requirements, the library, physical education, and Greek life. Informal dances were held every night.

Orientation groups were made coed. A new approach was taken to Orientation, which emphasized getting students more familiar with themselves through student development activities. Orientation lasted 4 days, ending on a Tuesday night with Interest night, where new students could learn about all of the clubs

New Student Orientation was referred to as “Camp William & Mary”. New students were given booklets with the schedule of programs and presentations upon moving in. They were also given campus maps and Health Center Handbooks. Orientation ended with registration, where freshmen lined up based on their social security numbers to register for classes.

The Vice President of Student Affairs turned the first-year orientation committee into an office of its own, pulling Orientation into the Office of First Year Experience (FYE). The office expanded to support first-year students of all stripes, not just those who have just left high school. W&M includes transfers, exchange students who may not spend more than a semester or two at the university, and students in their second year participating in the St Andrews Joint Degree Programme.

The Initiative Director role was created to provide first-year students with additional social and educational opportunities focused on five programmatic topics: academic, community, health & wellness, engagement, and distinctive students (first-generation and transfer students).

COVID-19 introduces virtual components into New Student Orientation and encourages Orientation Aides to get creative when it comes to making socially distant icebreakers and teambuilders. This also the start of what we now know as Transition Coaches with our Remote Mentor program kicking off in spring 2021. 

FYE was expanded and renamed Student Transition Engagement Programs (STEP). The scope includes not only Orientation but also Transition and Persistence efforts to better support specific student populations. The program has added additional student leader roles to assist in planning and executing programming for peers, helping them navigate and succeed during their transition into and through university life.

Professional staff in STEP doubled with the addition of two new Assistant Director roles focused on Orientation and Undergraduate Transition. The original Assistant Director role was refocused to support Undergraduate Student Persistence and Distinctive, or Affinity, Student Populations.