New Student Orientation Schedule 2024

Pre-Orientation For International Students (PO4IS)

Attendance is mandatory for those who require a visa to study in the United States.

Events STARRED and in BOLD are mandatory events for new students.
Schedule subject to change

8:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M.
Move-In and Orientation Check-In

It’s time to check-in for Orientation (including students who moved in early!) Parents and families check in here, too. Get your room key, MacPass (student ID), name tag, schedule, and class t-shirt here.

More detailed Move-In Day instructions will be shared in August.

10:00 A.M.–2:00 P.M.
Resource Fair

Leonard Center Portico

Stop by our resource fair to meet staff from the Disability Resource Center, Student Employment & Payroll, Information Technology Services, the Sustainability Office, Career Exploration, and more.

11:00 A.M.-1:00 P.M.
Zero Waste Lunch

Leonard Center Fieldhouse

Enjoy an all-campus lunch with fellow new students at the Leonard Center Fieldhouse.

1:00–1:45 P.M.
Café Mac Tour: Navigating Food Allergies and Celiac Disease

Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, Café Mac

Brought to you by the Disability Resource Center and Café Mac leadership. Learn about inclusive food accommodation practices available to students dining on campus. This orientation event is for students and parents/guests who manage food allergies, celiac disease and medical diets. The event includes a tour of Café Mac that highlights need-to-know information: where to find ingredient labels at each food station, sourcing gluten free items, and a discussion of food safety practices. A question and answer session with General Manager Amy Tomes and Executive Chef Chad Plotnik will be part of the tour. Staff from Disability Services will be available to talk with students and families individually after the event.

2:30–3:30 P.M.
*Scottish House Meeting #1

Various Locations- Check Nametag

Incoming students are divided up into orientation groups called Scottish Houses. Each house is led by student Orientation Leaders (OLs). The name of your House will be communicated to you via email during the summer and can be found on your Orientation name tag. Look for the sign with your Scottish House’s name.

4:00-4:30 P.M.
Orientation Welcome

Leonard Center, Field House

President Suzanne Rivera will welcome new students to the Macalester community. 

4:30 PM-5:30 P.M.
Welcome to Your Life at Mac

Leonard Center, Field House

Your journey at Mac has begun! Discover how to get the most out of your Orientation experience, learn expectations for being a member of the Macalester community, and hear from your Orientation Leaders.

5:30-7:30 P.M.
Dinner on Your Own and Family Farewell

Families will be able to have dinner with students at an off-campus location of their choosing and say farewell during this time.

8:00–9:00 P.M.
Community Floor Meeting #1 OR Transfer Social

Residence Hall Floor Meeting: Begin to cultivate your residential community by getting to know your floormates and your Resident Assistant (RA).
Various Residence Halls

Transfer Social: Join fellow transfer and exchange students for an evening social.

9:00–11:00 P.M.
Evening Social Program

Location to be Announced

9:00–10:15 A.M.
*Scottish House Meeting #2

Various Locations – Check Name Tag

During this House Meeting OLs will help frame the Orientation experience for new students and lead the group in community-building activities.

10:30–11:45 A.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Academics/First-Year Course Meeting OR Transfer/Exchange Orientation Workshop

First-Year Course (FYC) Meeting: Welcome to your initial First-Year Course (FYC) meeting. Get to know your FYC professor, learn about the course, and sign up for an academic advising appointment.
FYC Classrooms – Check Your Nametag

Transfer/Exchange Orientation Workshop: Gather with fellow transfer and exchange students to learn about resources for transfer and exchange students.
DeWitt Wallace Library 206

12:45 P.M.–3:15 P.M.
*Academic Advising Block #1

Faculty Offices

Meet with your FYC professor at your appointed time to discuss your class schedule and academic plans. Advising appointments for first-year students will be arranged during the FYC meeting at 10:30 a.m.

12:00–2:00 P.M.
Academic Programs /Advising & Lunch for Transfer and Exchange Students

Library 206

This session is an opportunity for exchange students to meet with Director of Academic Programs & Advising and staff from the Registrar’s Office to make sure you’re prepared for your academic advising appointment. Bring your questions about registration and class selection! Lunch will be provided.

1:00-3:00 P.M.
Languages Fair

Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Smail Gallery

Want to know more about learning languages at Mac?  Please join us at the World Languages Fair. Chat with our language faculty, learn about study and travel opportunities that span the globe, and enter a drawing to win gift cards to Macalester’s favorite local Middle Eastern restaurant.

1:15-2:00 P.M.
Wellness Breaks Session #1

Various Locations

Take a pause from Orientation, practice a little self-care, and learn how to maintain health and wellness at Mac.

2:15–3:00 P.M.
Life at Mac Workshops Session #1

Various Locations

Join us for a series of interactive workshops on a variety of topics that will give you the information and tools you need to succeed at Mac.

3:30–4:30 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Supporting Members of Our Community

Leonard Center, Fieldhouse

Our This Matters at Mac series highlights the values and practices that are most important to our community. This session will give an overview of the many resources at Macalester, how to access them, and building your personal support team for your time at Mac.

4:30-5:30 P.M.
Scottish House Meeting #3

Various Locations – Check Name Tag

Engage in dialogue and activities connected to the TMAM session with your Scottish House.

8:00–10:00 P.M.
Evening Social #2

Location to be Announced

9:00 A.M.–3:30 P.M.
*Advising Block #2

Faculty Offices

Meet with your FYC professor at your appointed time to discuss your class schedule and academic plans. Advising appointments for first-year students will be arranged during the FYC meeting on Friday at 10:30 a.m.

10:00–11:00 A.M.
International Student Gathering

Kagin Commons, First Floor

This gathering celebrates the international student community at Mac and is an opportunity for students to connect with each other, as well as learn about resources and support networks for international students at Macalester and in the community.

11:00–12:00 P.M.
BIPOC Student Gathering

Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, The Loch

Join the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice (LSC) in the Loch for a BIPOC Gathering. The gathering will be an opportunity to be in community with other BIPOC students and to learn about the resources the Lealtad-Suzuki Center offers. This space is intended for any student who identifies as Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of Color. We look forward to seeing you there!

11:00–11:45 A.M.
Wellness Breaks Session #2

Various Locations

Take a pause from Orientation, practice a little self-care, and learn how to maintain health and wellness at Mac.

1:00 P.M.–2:00 P.M.
Disability Student Gathering

Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, The Loch

Interested in connecting with other disabled students at Macalester? This event is a space to build community with new and returning students. 

2:00–3:00 P.M.
First Generation College Student Gathering

Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, The Loch

This session is intended for first generation college students, who are the first in their family to attend college. As you begin your college experience, join us with others who are on this journey, and learn about the people and resources that will support you from orientation to graduation.

2:15–3:00 P.M.
Life at Mac Workshops #2

Various Locations

3:30–4:30 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Health & Wellbeing

Leonard Center, Fieldhouse

At Macalester, we understand that the choices you make about your wellness and wellbeing can significantly impact your success in college. This session will discuss the importance of care and making educated decisions about your physical, mental, and emotional health.

4:30–5:30 P.M.
*Scottish House Meeting #4

Various Locations – Check Name Tag

Engage in dialogue and activities connected to the TMAM session with your Scottish House.

8:00–10:00 P.M.
Evening Social #3

Location to be Announced

8:45 A.M.–12:00 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Community Engagement – BLUE GROUP

Kagin Commons, Alexander G. Hill Ballroom

Organized by the Community Engagement Center (CEC), this session will introduce students to local community engagement sites, neighborhoods, and key Macalester partnerships. Students will learn how the CEC engages with community partners to build mutually beneficial partnerships, honor community knowledges, and uphold decolonial and anti-racist practices. Students will be assigned to either a morning or an afternoon session based on Scottish House assignments (see your Orientation name tag). Please be prepared for short walks outside (rain or shine) and reach out to the Center for Disability Resources should you have accessibility needs or concerns.

10:00 A.M.–12:00 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Campus Scavenger Hunt – ORANGE GROUP

Various Locations

In partnership with the This Matters at Mac session about Supporting Members of Our Community, each Scottish House will team up to complete a scavenger hunt to learn more about the various resources that Macalester provides for students – follow the clues to find a prize at the end! 

12:00–1:00 P.M.
Unconventional Start to College Lunch (Gap Year, Exchange, Transfers)

Weyerhaeuser Hall, Weyerhaeuser Boardroom

This luncheon is for students who took a gap year(s) after high school, who transferred to Macalester, or who are attending Macalester as exchange students. Students who attend can reflect on their experiences and meet and connect with other students.

1:45–5:00 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Community Engagement  – ORANGE GROUP

Kagin Commons, Alexander G. Hill Ballroom

Organized by the Community Engagement Center (CEC), this session will introduce students to local community engagement sites, neighborhoods, and key Macalester partnerships. Students will learn how the CEC engages with community partners to build mutually beneficial partnerships, honor community knowledges, and uphold decolonial and anti-racist practices. Students will be assigned to either a morning or an afternoon session based on Scottish House assignments (see your Orientation name tag). Please be prepared for short walks outside (rain or shine) and reach out to the Center for Disability Resources should you have accessibility needs or concerns.

2:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Campus Scavenger Hunt – BLUE GROUP

Various Locations

In partnership with the This Matters at Mac session about Supporting Members of Our Community, each Scottish House will team up to complete a scavenger hunt to learn more about the various resources that Macalester provides for students – follow the clues to find a prize at the end! 

7:00–9:00 P.M.
New Student Talent Show

Kagin Commons, Alexander G. Hill Ballroom

Watch your classmates demonstrate their talents or show off your own at this annual talent show!

 

9:00–10:00 A.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Sexual Respect and Title IX

Leonard Center, Field House

This session will focus on empowerment and respect and was crafted to be trauma-informed, but we still offer a Content Warning for topics of sexual health, respect, and violence. Please prioritize personal wellbeing at this time and reach out to your Orientation Leader with any questions or concerns.

At Macalester, we believe in creating a culture that values consent, healthy relationships, and bystander intervention. In this session, we’ll explore sexual respect, bystander intervention, helpful resources, and options for response. Attendees will identify resources available through the Title IX and Nondiscrimination Office, the Hamre Health and Wellness Center, and Ramsey County SOS.

10:00–11:00 A.M.
*Scottish House Meeting #5

Various Locations – Check Name Tag

Engage in dialogue and activities connected to the TMAM with your Scottish House. This meeting will also serve as a closing session for the Scottish House group.

11:00–11:45 A.M.
Life at Mac Workshops Session #3

Various Locations

Join us for a series of interactive workshops on a variety of topics that will give you the information and tools you need to succeed at Mac.

11:00–12:00 P.M.
LGBTQIA2S+ Student Gathering

Ruth Stricker Dayton Campus Center, The Loch

This gathering celebrates the LGBTQ+ community at Mac and is an opportunity for students to connect with each other and learn about resources and support networks on and off campus.

1:00–1:45 P.M.
Wellness Breaks Session #3

Various Locations

Take a pause from Orientation, practice a little self-care, and learn how to maintain health and wellness at Mac.

2:00–3:00 P.M.
*This Matters at Mac: Equity & Community Responsibility

Leonard Center, Field House

Here at Macalester College, we believe campus inclusion, equity and belonging is everyone’s responsibility. The purpose of this session will be to support and empower you, as students, to begin to explore the principles of equity, inclusion and social justice as it relates to your own social identities and joining this beloved Macalester community. This session will work to deepen your understanding of the values of the Division for Institutional Equity, as well break down the division’s campus services, supportive offerings, and ways for you to get involved.

3:00–4:00 P.M.
*Scottish House Meeting #6

Various Locations – Check Name Tag

Engage in dialogue and activities connected to the TMAM with your Scottish House. This meeting will also serve as a closing session for the Scottish House group.

4:00–5:00 P.M.
Orientation Closing: Class Picture & T-Shirt Giveaway

Shaw Field

Celebrate the end of orientation with a t-shirt giveaway and class picture out on Shaw Field!

5:00–7:00 P.M.
Macalester Spirit Night: Women’s Soccer Game

Stadium

8:00–9:00 P.M.
*Community Floor Meeting #2

Residence Halls

Connect with your Resident Assistant (RA) and floormates to continue to get to know each other and learn about being a member of a residential community.

First Day of Classes

11:30 A.M.–1:00 P.M.
First Thursday—Opening Convocation

Leonard Center, Alumni Gym

Opening Convocation serves as the official opening of the academic year. Doors open at 11 a.m. and the program begins promptly at 11:30 a.m. A complimentary lunch will follow the event!