Fall Welcome
The College of Arts and Sciences welcomed 558 freshmen students to Western Michigan University for the 2015-16 academic year. During Fall Welcome, a four-day program assisting incoming freshmen with academic and social transitions into college life, students were led throughout campus with student ambassadors, met their CAS advisors and participated in social activities with their classmates. Faculty leaders worked with their students throughout welcome week to prepare for a semester that includes amazing speakers and service-learning opportunities with the purpose of exploring all that CAS and WMU have to offer. Incoming students also met with Dr. James Cousins, interim associate dean, and a panel of faculty, staff and students with varying expertise. Panel members included Dr. Michael Nassaney, Dr. David Benac, Dr. Kathryn Docherty, Dr. Cynthia Running-Johnson, Ms. Karen Steen, and Ms. Samantha Macy. Each member participated in Academic College Kickoff, where students were provided with a live question-and-answer session that included the option to tweet questions to the CAS advising office.
Cousins believes “Fall Welcome is important because it highlights our commitment to student success and sets the tone for the upcoming year. Events like Academic Kickoff and Buster’s Buffet give incoming freshman the opportunity to meet and interact with faculty outside the classroom in a friendly, collegial atmosphere. These connections are important because they form lasting impressions that can make a real difference to a student’s academic career. Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are internationally recognized for their scholarship but also highly accessible, a feature few research universities can lay claim. Welcome Week activities highlight this in a very public way.” Cousins also described the benefits of coordination. Throughout the week, students work with, engage and become friends with students from other colleges. “The resources and opportunities within the University community are nearly limitless. We are proud of the accomplishments and equally proud of our ability to contribute to the education of some truly outstanding students.”
The programs receiving the most incoming students are psychology, biomedical sciences, criminal justice and biology.