Fall 2018 Orientation at AUP

Orientation at AUP is all about new beginnings; new city, new classes and new friends. Taking place one week before the beginning of the Fall semester, orientation officially started on Sunday, September 2 with the arrival of First-Year and graduate students. Transfer students and visiting students arrived Monday, September 3 and partner students arrived Tuesday, September 4. This year, we welcomed one of the largest incoming classes in AUP history with almost 600 students, representing 61 nationalities and speaking 53 languages.

Every fall, AUP hosts a week-long orientation event that involves a number of activities to help students and their parents prepare for the academic year and get oriented with life in Paris. It includes several social events to give students the opportunity to connect with their future classmates. Academic orientation included presentations on “The Culture of AUP,” “Core Capabilities” and “Your AUP Degree, ” all aimed at preparing students for life at AUP.

Individual advising sessions were held to ensure that each student is prepared to start their first classes the week after orientation. In addition to tours of AUP’s campus, student advisors take students on a “Discover Paris” tour to help them get oriented to their new neighborhood and discover other interesting parts of Paris. This year students went with their student advisors all over the city including a visit to the Place des Voges, the Marais, a chocolate museum at Grands Boulevards, Hotel de Ville, the Canal St Martin and others. Social events during the week included the Welcome Cocktail, a night out on a Bateaux Mouche, and the annual Boat Party next to the Musée d’Orsay. The week ended with the Welcome Fair where students had the chance to learn about co-curricular activities and speak to student leaders and AUP staff about how to get involved with student government, student media, clubs, sports and volunteer work. The final event of the week was our Open Mic event. Open Mic nights are hosted throughout the school year, but the one during orientation week holds a special place in our students’ hearts as it marks a great way to create new bonds and get to know incoming and current students.

One of our favorite parts of orientation is the moment students meet their student advisor. This is an AUP tradition that connects incoming students with current students and often leads to long lasting friendships. All incoming students are assigned a student advisor who not only accompany students to various events during orientation, but also provide support throughout the semester. Incoming students are introduced to their student advisor via email prior to arrival, but orientation gives them the chance to finally meet in person. Student advisors are a valuable resource for students, and they are always happy to help their advisee by giving them tips about life in Paris and at AUP.

Parent Orientation

This year we also welcomed over 250 parents and family members who attended AUP’s Parent Orientation. This orientation provides families the opportunity to become acquainted with AUP’s academic programs and discover the resources available to enhance the student experience. During the course of orientation, families interacted with university leaders and fellow parents.

Parents were greeted by Mary McLean Evans, Vice President of Presidential Initiatives and Tim Rogers, Vice President and Director of Enrollment Management, and then were addressed by Celeste Schenck, AUP President and William Fisher, AUP Provost who welcomed them to the AUP community. The day continued with presentations about student safety and well-being by Kevin Fore, Dean of Student Development, and a Q&A panel session with staff members from different student service departments including Danielle Savage, Director of Academic, Internship, and Career Advising and Christine Tomasek, Associate Dean for Academic Administration. After these activities, parents participated in a campus tour and a lively cocktail reception to celebrate the beginning of the semester.

#BonjourAUP

Students this fall had the opportunity to participate in another AUP tradition, our yearly #BonjourAUP Instagram competition. This year we had two competitions, one for best individual photo by a new student and one for the student advisor group with the most posts. Our winners this year are first-year Tatum McDonald, who won the individual competition, and #TeamFer, led by student advisor Fernanda Sepina, whose team won the group competition. To see some of the best #BonjourAUP and other highlights of orientation, check out our Instagram account @AUPinstagram or search for the hashtag #BonjourAUP.