Parent and Family Orientation Information

You are joining an amazing community of students, faculty, and staff – you can see a short welcome from some of our orientation staff below. We can’t wait to meet you and assist you as you begin this new phase of your life.

Wondering what you can do to prepare for your orientation day? Here are some tips from the orientation staff!

Before coming to Campus

• Print off a parking permit and check out this parking map that shows you where to park.
• Make sure you are familiar with UA’s COVID-19 Guide, including face covering policies and other important information

What to Bring

• Comfortable shoes – orientation is all about helping you get acclimated to campus, so you will be walking around a lot!
• An Umbrella – orientation is a rain or shine event!
• Layers – sometimes our buildings can be a little cold or a little warm, so dressing in layers is a really good idea.
• Water bottle – we have several water bottle refilling stations on campus, so stay hydrated!

What to Look Forward To

Your orientation day is full of important information and some fun opportunities! Check out the full schedule (subject to change), but some of our favorite parts of the day are…

• …the Explore UA Involvement Fair, where you can chat with various campus departments and learn more about the services and resources provided for students. PLEASE NOTE – the involvement fair takes place during check in (9:00 am – 9:30 am). Arrive by 9:00 am to get the most out of it!
• …the College Life: I’m a Zip student panel, where you will hear some of our Orientation Leaders’ stories about their time so far at UA;
• …detailed Campus Information Sessions, where you can find out more about Career Services, Campus Safety, and Financial Aid and Student Accounts;
• …and, our Breakout Sessions, where you can choose what you want to learn more about!

What Families are Saying - "What was the best part of your day today?"*

• “I thought the whole day was great. I probably appreciated the NSO student team the most – they made us feel welcomed.”
• “Being with my son for parts of the day. I know he’s going to love it here.”
• “Learning about the campus – there are so many activities and resources! It will be both fun and educational for my student.”
• “The whole day really! I was prepared for a ‘long’ day but it didn’t feel long at all. I enjoyed all of it.”
• “The day was well planned and organized, lunch was very good, and the staff members were all happy to answer questions.”
• “Enthusiastic speakers! Input was valuable. OLs were awesome.”
• “Being on campus and getting the feeling that the staff and faculty really cares for the students.”
• “The OLs being a big part of the day. I think for new freshmen, this is very welcoming.”
• “Seeing my son so thrilled with UA and be treated like the most important student on campus.”
• “Being reassured that my student will have people here who care about him.”
• “Being back on campus. Akron Alumni, the whole day was wonderful, and everyone was so nice and helpful.”
• “The whole event was very well organized and paced. The involvement fair was great for my student to think about what activities to add to her experience.”
• “Knowing my daughter is excited, comfortable, and ready to begin her college life.”

*Statements collected from parent and family program evaluations from summer 2021