Student Affairs

Welcome Week Events

Please encourage new students to attend the events below.

You can see ALL 75+ events on welcome.appstate.edu and on Engage

• Tues, Aug 12, 7-10pm, Sunset on Sanford
• Sanford Mall (yard games, KONA Ice, inflatables, Boone Photo Booth, fire pit, Twist the Balloon Man, personalized license plate key chains)
• Wed, Aug 13, 7-10pm, Movie on the Mall: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Sanford Mall (movie, giveaways, BINGO, popcorn, yard games, KONA ice, picnic blanket giveaway for first 100 students starting at 7pm)
• Thurs, Aug 14, 8-11pm, Mountaineer Welcome
• Kidd Brewer Stadium (App State spirit, popcorn and soda, movie on the field)
• Fri, Aug 15, 9pm-12am, AppSpectacular & Boonearoo
• Sanford Mall & Varsity Gym (live music, free food, KONA ice, giveaways, bounce houses, etc.)
• Sat, Aug 16, 4-6pm, Fraternity & Sorority Life Cookout
• Sanford Mall (FSL meet & greet, burgers, and hot dogs)
• Sat, Aug 16, 8-11pm, Party in the Union and Summer's Last Square Dance
• PSU (PSU resource fair, silent disco, arcade, stuff-a-plush, BINGO, NouN Improv show, arcade games, cupcake decoration, glow laser tag, Photo Booth, etc.)
• Sun, Aug 17, 9-10:30am, Spiritual Life Fair
• Plemmons Student Union (involvement fair)
• Sun, Aug 17, 2-5pm, Club Expo
• Holmes Convocation Center (clubs & orgs involvement fair)
• Sun, Aug 17, 2-5pm, Ringing the Founders Bell
• Durham Park (bell-ringing, professional photos, block A lapel pinning, KONA ice)
• Sun, Aug 17, 2-5pm, Trek to UREC
• Student Recreation Center (UREC open house, giveaways, games)
• Mon, Aug 18, Doors 7/Show 8, APPS Presents: Binchtopia
• Appalachian Theatre on King St
• Tues, Aug 19, 3-6pm, Appapalooza
• Sanford Mall (inflatables, dunk tank, Twist the Balloon Man, caricature artist, yard games, make-n-takes- personalized street signs, Boone Photo Booth)
• Wed, Aug 20, 7-10pm, Live on Sanford
• Sanford Mall (live music)
• Thurs, Aug 21, 6-8pm, Meet the Greeks
• Solarium (NPHC & MGC)
• Fri, Aug 22, 6-9pm, Pop Star Night
• Sanford Mall (music, DJ, dancing, crafts, giveaways)

More information can be found on the Welcome to App website. 

Faculty Civic Champion Program

Community-Engaged Leadership’s AppVotes program has been awarded a grant for nonpartisan student voter engagement efforts*! As part of this grant, we are rolling out our Faculty Civic Champion program! All instructors, regardless of classification, are encouraged to participate. Through this program, instructors have the opportunity to:

• Foster a civically engaged & informed campus community
• Build skills to dialogue across difference
• Choose from opportunities that work best for them & their courses
• Be rewarded for their commitment & effort

According to the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education 2020 App State NSLVE data report, 93.7% of eligible App State students were registered to vote, and 55% of those registered cast their ballots during the early voting period. With your support, we aim to further educate students about their voting options and continue to increase voter turnout within our campus community.

Each civic learning opportunity you include in your classroom will allow you to earn Civic Champion Points. The amount of points that you earn will translate to your Faculty Civic Champion level, which has an associated reward. Click here for more info & details about how to sign up.

*The Students Learn Students Vote Coalition’s Ask Every Student (“AES”) initiative, a national, nonpartisan, joint initiative that supports higher education institutions to implement, institutionalize, and scale strategies to help campuses ask every eligible student to participate in our democracy, has awarded App State a grant to implement innovative student voter registration strategies within its campus community, in order to work toward 100% student voter registration rates.

“This year’s grant process was very competitive, and all grantees chosen have demonstrated a strong commitment to integrating nonpartisan voter engagement into their campus communities,” said Sithara Menon, the Campus Engagement and Support Coordinator for the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, which leads Ask Every Student in partnership with AES Steering Committee members the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and Voter Friendly Campus. “We’re very excited to support them in growing their already-impressive efforts.”

For any questions related to this program, please contact Ashley Vinson ([email protected]).

Leadership Workshop Series

Do you have students who are interested in leadership development? Send them to our leadership workshop series! CEL is launching a new experience for students to engage in personal and professional development through workshops focused on a variety of topics: leadership styles, values exploration, resilience, emotionally intelligent leadership, and goal-setting. Our first set of workshops will take place September 15th, 17th, and 19th in Three Top Mountain (room 169) of the Plemmons Student Union. Students should register on engage! 

Session times and locations vary so students are encouraged to sign up for the workshop that best fits their schedule needs. The learning outcomes of our first workshop, Leadership Styles, are as follows:

• Gain an understanding of Leadership Styles.
• Utilize the True Colors Assessment.
• Reflect on how different leadership styles foster a better understanding of self and others.
• Reflect on how the True Colors assessment helps inform personal leadership style as a tool for self-awareness. 

If students complete all five (5) workshop topics, at the end of the semester they will be awarded a certificate! For questions or more information about this, email Kaleigh Del Greco ([email protected]).  

Orientation 2025/Welcome to App

🌟Orientation 2025: Welcoming Our Newest Mountaineers and Their Families🌟

Orientation season is in the ‘neer future, and we're excited to welcome new students and their families to App State! Whether you're directly involved or want to stay informed, here's what to know about the upcoming summer!

📅 Key Orientation Dates:

• First-Year (Boone Campus – 1-Day Sessions): June 2, 6, 9, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23, 24, 26
• Transfer (Boone Campus – 1-Day Sessions): May 30, June 13, June 27, August 11
• Overnight Orientation (Special Populations – First-Year & Transfer): July 10–11, July 14–15, July 17–18. Note: These include Day 1 programming by New Mountaineer and Family Engagement (NMFE) and a traditional campus-wide Orientation on Day 2.
• Hickory Campus Sessions: June 3, August 6, August 12
• App State Online Orientation: Asynchronous AsULearn Course available May 9 – August 8

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parent & Family Orientation: Family Orientation provides family members with insights into student success, campus life, and current student experiences, led by university administrators, faculty, and current students. Family Orientation takes place on the same dates as the student sessions. Participation is optional, and families must register separately after their student has registered for orientation. Limit 2 guests per student.

💬 We'll be reaching out to individual departments soon to explore opportunities for involvement. Your support - whether through direct participation or by helping create a welcoming environment - greatly contributes to the success of these programs.

🔗 Learn more or check session details: orientation.appstate.edu and families.appstate.edu/family-orientation

📍 Welcome to App Programming: Don’t forget—our Welcome to App programs! From community events to academic workshops, these experiences will help students build connections, explore campus, and start their Mountaineer journey strong. Welcome to App Committee Meetings will start soon (get Yosef ready!)

💛 Thank you for all you do to support our incoming Mountaineers and their families. Let's make Orientation 2025 a memorable experience for our new Mountaineers and their families!

With Mountaineer Pride,

-The NMFE Team!