Your New Student
Orientation
Student Orientation
Parent Orientation
Parent and Student Expectations for Orientation and Beyond
Student Orientation
Orientation, coordinated by the Office of New Student Programs (ONSP), is required for all new students. Once your student has paid the required enrollment deposit, the Office of New Student Programs will know that he or she intends to attend the University of Michigan.
The Office of New Student Programs will contact your student via email when it is time to register for Orientation. Most incoming freshmen who are admitted for the Fall Term will attend the 3-day “Summer Orientation Program.” For complete details about the “Summer Orientation Program” as well as information about orientation for international students, transfer students, or freshmen not admitted to the Fall Term, visit www.onsp.umich.edu.
Parent Orientation
The Office of New Student Programs also offers an optional Parent and Guest Orientation Program for parents of freshmen admitted to the fall term. This 2-day program provides parents with the chance to learn more about the resources that the University of Michigan provides. The Office of New Student Programs offers over 30 sessions of the Parent and Guest Orientation Program during the summer, so you are sure to find one that works with your schedule. For complete details about the Parent and Guest Orientation Program, visit the Parent Orientation page of the ONSP website.
Parent and Student Expectations for Orientation and Beyond
As a family member, you are vitally important to your student’s success at Michigan. You will continue to serve as an important source of information, guidance, and advice for your student throughout the college years. We expect that your student is prepared to handle their new responsibilities as a college student beginning in orientation. We want you to be aware of the expectations that we will be communicating to each new student at orientation, and ask for your support in reinforcing these expectations. For example:
- We expect students to make their own reservations for orientation (and to make the Parent & Guest reservations as well). Students are responsible for creating their University of Michigan computing account and password prior to registering for orientation, and to keep this information safe and secure. They should not share this information with anyone.
- We expect students to attend all orientation activities. All sessions during orientation are required and programming is specifically designed to assist students with their academic and social transition to the University. Students may be dismissed from the program without registering for classes if they have missed activities and are unprepared to register for classes.
- We expect students to act as responsible adults, without the imposition of a high school-like curfew. Since students do not have a curfew in the residence halls in the fall, they are not given one during orientation. Required orientation sessions extend into the evening on both nights of the program. Additional activities designed to acquaint new students with campus and Ann Arbor are also planned by our staff. Please encourage your adult student to participate in these activities—it is a great way for them to meet new friends.
- We expect students to register for classes with the assistance of the professional academic advisors only, and not their parents or family members. It is our goal for students to build a relationship with their advisors as well as learn the necessary skills to register on their own in future terms.
- We expect students to follow all orientation rules, including rules prohibiting alcohol and drug use. Failure to comply with these rules can result in dismissal from orientation without registering for classes, or legal consequences including arrests, Minor in Possession tickets and fines, and future appearances in local courts. It is important for parents and family members to maintain open lines of communication with their adult students. Information about a student’s misconduct, academic performance, and other student records are confidential, and the University will not normally share this information with parents and family members without the student’s written consent. While it is not unusual for students to seek assistance from family members, family members may not act on behalf of or represent students in internal administrative proceedings.
We recognize the importance of communication between family members, and you still have a considerable amount of influence with your student. By talking with, and listening to, your student, you can offer information, support, and guidance. Before attending orientation, talk with your student about what it means to take on these adult responsibilities, your expectations for his or her behavior at orientation and in the fall, and your expectations for how your student will keep you informed about his or her University experience. By discussing these expectations, you can help ensure that you and your student are on the same page, and that your student fully understands the expectations of the University community.