First-Year Students Get a New Student Welcome

The University of Arkansas will officially welcome home thousands of first-year students with a New Student Welcome, to be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, in Bud Walton Arena. This year’s event includes student speakers and a student master of ceremonies. Burger Bash, a party with food and entertainment, will follow the event in The Gardens near Bud Walton.

While past student welcome events have been more formal in nature, with faculty and administrators donning regalia, the new version will be less academically focused and welcome all new students with a pep-rally like event.

“We want students to feel at home here at the University of Arkansas,” said Provost Sharon Gaber. “Their academic experience and earning a degree are of the utmost importance, and are the reasons students come here. However, there is much more to a student’s life than just the classroom. We want them to learn about all aspects of student life in a New Student Welcome.”

The event will be held in Bud Walton Arena to signify that this is also where students will be during commencement. Introducing first-year students to upper-level faculty, staff and administrators, the new student welcome is designed to celebrate first-year students’ entry into the university.

Students will have a chance to interact with deans and faculty members as well as visit with representatives from registered student organizations in the area around the Bud Walton Arena Concourse before the event gets fully under way.

This year will mark the second time the parents’ reception is a part of the event. “Our goal is to engage as many people as possible to really emphasize the focus on students, their experiences and their successes here at the University of Arkansas,” said Quincy Spencer,  director of New Student and Family Programs.

“Parent involvement can be crucial to student retention and success, so we wanted to invite parents as an added way to support, reach and encourage our students,” said Alison Leach, assistant director of New Student and Family Programs. The parent reception will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Tommy Boyer Hall of Champions within Bud Walton Arena.

Students attending New Student Welcome will hear from several of their peers. Master of Ceremonies Abby Brumfield, a senior from Springfield, Mo.; Mike Norton a senior from Lincoln, Ark.; and Tori Pohlner, president of the Associated Student Government, will talk about their own University of Arkansas experiences and offer advice to the group of incoming first-year students.

Chancellor G. David Gearhart, Provost Gaber, and Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Danny Pugh will also speak to the students..

When the ceremony is over students will walk to The Gardens where they will find plenty of food, fun and friends at Burger Bash.

New Student and Family Programs is working on a live stream of the New Student Welcome event. Details are still being worked out. For more information prior to the Sunday event please visit nsfp.uark.edu