SFU expects busy orientation week as enrolment jumps
Liesl Jurock, Student Life Coordinator, 778.782.4476, lrjurock@sfu.ca
Stuart Colcleugh, PAMR, 778.782.3219, colcleugh@sfu.ca
More than 2,700 students are expected to take part in the activities at SFU’s Burnaby and Surrey campuses, says student life coordinator Liesl Jurock. “We have record numbers this year across all our campus programs,” she says.
The record turnout is due in part to increased enrolment at the university. As of Aug. 18, close to 5,200 students had registered for first year, well ahead of the university’s target of 4,889 and more than last year’s intake of 5,169 first-year students.
But Jurock says students are also attracted to orientation because they understand the benefit of getting involved in the university community.
“Orientation is voluntary. But more and more students opt to take part because they realize that they’ll meet new friends and save hours of time by learning where everything is and figuring out how SFU works,” she says.
Orientation participants will get to partake in a drumming café, an icebreaker where students try to meet as many other students as possible in 30 minutes, campus tours, and informative sessions from their faculty, university services and senior students, says Jurock.
And for students moving into residence, there are even more benefits, she says. Members of the SFU Clan football team will be on hand to help students tote their belongings into their new rooms. At the end of the week there’ll be a luau dance and a hypnotism session with Boris the Hypnotist, Jurock says.
Orientation will be followed by SFU’s Week of Welcome during the first week of classes, Sept. 2-5, with further activities including a giant scrabble game, club fairs, barbeques, inflatable games and carnival activities including a dunk tank and other events.
Orientation Schedule Highlights:
SFU Burnaby:
Aug. 26 - Residence move-in (with football team assisting) - 9:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Aug. 27 - Mother of All Icebreakers - 9:45-10:15 am in Convocation Mall - featuring SFU's mascot McFog the Dog
Aug. 28 - Drum Cafe - 9:15-10:00, 10:45-11:30, 1:15-2:00, 2:45-3:30
Aug. 27 & 28 - Services Fair (booths with staff reps and students milling about) - Wed 10:15-1:00, Thurs, 1:15-2:15
As well as campus tours, and various sessions in classrooms led by students, staff, and faculty both days.
SFU Surrey:
Aug. 27 - Drum Cafe, 10:50 - 11:40, on the Mezzanine
Aug. 28 - Mother of All Icebreakers, 10:00 - 10:45