Hampshire College

Mission Statement

The college’s orientation program is designed to support new students as they begin their journey at Hampshire. We aim to create opportunities and offer experiences that are directly informed by the educational philosophy and practices of the college, and through which students will be able to engage their passions, challenge their beliefs, and continue to grow intellectually, socially, and emotionally.

Goals and Methods

The primary goal for new students is that they feel supported by and connected to the people and resources in the Hampshire community. Specifically, we aim for the program to:

• Promote engagement with the values of our community

• Establish and care for students’ basic needs

• Provide accurate and relevant information about life at Hampshire College

• Explore what it means to “live together well” in a community

• Begin difficult and important conversations that arise from living and working together in diverse communities

• Offer opportunities for new students to connect with each other and build friendships

• Provide students with time to process and reflect, and to share their fears and anxieties in a supportive environment

• Lay the groundwork for continued learning, exploration, and social networking through the first-year program

Program

The orientation program is comprised of several key components. Students are organized into orientation groups based on their academic tutorials. Though group activities will not relate to the tutorial topics directly, the continuity of the groups throughout the first semester allows new relationships to continue to develop.

Each student has opportunities to participate in a day-long interest-based activity of their choice, led by orientation staff. These activities take students out of their orientation groups and encourage them to build other new relationships.

Program activities encourage students to begin to engage with intellectual life and the campus community. Orientation uses these themes as opportunities to encourage dialogue between students and to begin to familiarize them with the breadth of resources and support that are available in each of these areas. In addition, activities designed by the orientation leaders support these goals through small group interactions.