Developing Community

Building Connections Year-Round

Regardless of a student's class year or experience, STEP supports the development of community relationships, the enhancement of personal well-being, and the exploration of academic and co-curricular interests.

Academic Connections

Inspiration for Academic Connections come from our Initiative Directors and students across the university landscape. Events, like "Positivity Rocks" and "Romaine Calm: A Veggie Study Break in Swem Library" during final exams were inspired by the creativity from the Directorate team. While our "Faculty Favorite Forever" initiative, where students recognize faculty members who have made an impact on them during their first year, was inspired from student feedback and data asking for more opportunities to connect with faculty inside and outside the classroom.

Center for Community Development

The Center for Community Development (CCD) is a resource center and creative planning space located in the Campus Living Center for student leaders engaged in peer support.

Community Connections

Community Connections are created by our Initiative Directors to support the orientation, transition, and/or persistence of a distinct (or unique) student population, such as military/veterans, first-generation, low-income, gap-year, transfer students, military kids, etc. Striving to promote student belonging and individual flourishing, our Initiative Directors collaborate with university partners to celebrate "National Transfer Week", "National First-Generation College Student Day", "Month of the Military Child", and other such events.

Transition Thursdays

Hosted weekly by two of our Transition Coaches, these events provide new-to-W&M students the opportunity to find community, meet up with their individual TC, and have some fun. There may even be a bit of learning along the way about opportunities and resources because each week's program embeds at least one aspect of the Find Your Experience transition curriculum into its design.

Weeks of Welcome

The first few weeks of each semester are filled with events that encourage all students, regardless of class year or graduation date, to explore and engage in your surroundings ... on your own time table. William & Mary's Weeks of Welcome series highlights the opportunities that exist across the university to get involved, make new friends, and explore the values that ground our community.