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Features: August 12, 2002
New Students "Navigating Rensselaer
& Beyond" in Week of FYE Activities
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| Gary Gold |
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Starting classes, meeting peers, and exploring
new geographical areas all at once can seem intimidating
for many new college students. But it doesn't have to be
that way — at least, that's what staffers in Rensselaer's
Office of the First Year Experience (FYE) believe. By keeping
this year's incoming freshmen busy with the "Navigating
Rensselaer & Beyond" (NRB) program of events Aug.
19-25, they plan to introduce the students to each other
and the community in a lasting and meaningful way.
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"The idea is that just before
the new students start classes, they will know a bunch
of people with whom they have some things in common.
And they should have some sense of where they fit into
the Rensselaer community. That is most important."
— Nicole Qualtieri —
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Just before moving into their dorm rooms
and eating dinner at a kickoff barbecue on Aug. 20, new
freshmen will have registered for the upcoming week's events
based on their preference, explained Nicole Qualtieri, assistant
dean in the Office of the FYE. So when students sign up
for the variety of cultural, historical, and community services
activities being offered, they will be getting to know colleagues
with whom they share the same likes and dislikes.
They can, for example, spend a day with
other outdoorsman at Camp Sloane in Lakeville, Conn.; join
forces with the staff of The Polytechnic to create a special
section covering NRB; work with fellow volunteers on a Habitat
for Humanity home in the community; or see a musical in
Saratoga with other theater lovers.
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