Even with the recent adjustment to fall semester, MSU leadership has not given up on the authentic Spartan experience every freshman dreams of and has created plans to host their annual fall welcome week extravaganza virtually.
Tammye Coles, associate director of student life, leadership development and fall welcome, said they originally developed several different options for their programs that each depended on the state of the coronavirus, whether fully in-person, hybrid or fully virtual.
While the department of student life is historically the head of welcome week planning, the body of the event is made up of organizations and spaces across campus. With this year being different than past years, Coles said she pulled everyone together to analyze similar institutions' programs and practices and come up with their final framework.
Coles said they aimed to offer different types of activities with social and physical engagement aspects to them, so that it's easier for those who may not be able to come to campus anymore, whether international or domestic, to try and build community and connection through the virtual world.
They also worked to address factors such as internet restrictions in certain countries and WiFi failures, so that there is never a lack of opportunity for students to access the materials.
What's on the schedule?
According to the department of student life website, the schedule for fall welcome week lists an array of activities dated from Aug. 27 to Sept. 16 on eastern time (EDT). Coles said these events are always subject to change.
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The date and time for the Student Parents On a Mission (SPOM) and Student Parent Resource Center Welcome are still to be decided.
On top of this overall schedule that can be viewed in depth on the student life website and the MSU phone app, Coles said each student will receive an individualized schedule that is unique to them and their university profile.
"Let's say you're an international, JMC student with a disability," she explained. "Those things are coded in your profile, and so your individual schedule will give you information or programming that will be associated with those characteristics."
Focused on inclusivity
Coles said this is an unique opportunity, and they are trying to set the atmosphere for it to happen smoothly. She wants all students, especially those who are new to the MSU lifestyle, to try and take part in the process.
She said she recognizes the challenges many of the incoming freshman may be facing because of COVID-19 after having lost some of their long anticipated elementary education closing rights of passage like senior prom, senior skip day and commencement. She said that she understands they may be feeling like this, the sense of having things taken away, is happening to them again.
"In the (department) of student affairs and services, one of the things that we live by is that we inspire Spartans to grow," Coles said. "When you come to college, part of the reason you come (here) and you stay (here) is because you grow as an academic scholar, you grow as a person, you grow as a young professional. ... The quest for you is to grow, change and transform and to become better than when you started here."
"Part of that becoming better, becoming more civically engaged, becoming a more prepared person to go out and be a strong, civic-minded global citizen, is that you have to engage in the process," she said. "Part of that engaging in the process is going and doing something that may make you feel a little bit uncomfortable, as well as engaging in something that you're not used too or that you don't particularly like. The ability of a person to reach beyond ... is a skill that will carry them through anything."
