Orientation Week is already underway at Saint Mary’s College, with move-in for the class of 2028 completed on Thursday. Roughly 407 students make up the class of 2028 this year, slightly below the enrollment of the class of 2027 of 422 students, which was the largest class in recent history.
Sarah Dvorak, dean of enrollment management and marketing, believes the decrease in enrollment could be attributed to “the troubled rollout with the FAFSA overhaul and continued troubles the government is having for many families to even submit their FAFSAs.”
Today, Saint Mary’s faculty and staff will provide a full day of programming for students and families to become acclimated and welcomed on campus. The programming will be concluded by the Power of the SMC Community ceremony, led by College president Katie Conboy, which gives current students the chance to “share stories of community and welcome to our newest members” according to associate dean of students Shay Schneider.
“Following this ceremony we will have our traditional events of closing the circle with student leaders and new students followed by the well loved first walk down the Avenue — where new students get to take their first walk together down the Avenue while their parents, family, friends and members of the college cheer them along,” Schneider said.
Saturday will continue Saint Mary’s programming for the students, including various introductions to different services and campus life and opportunities to hear from College staff, upperclass students and alumnae. Saturday will conclude with the annual BelleFest, a celebration of incoming students, and Domerfest, a tri-campus welcome to the community party.
Schneider believes the Saturday programming will be most important for incoming students to participate in as they are inducted into the Saint Mary’s community.
“While I feel [the programs and events] are all important, as we have worked very hard to come up with a schedule that will be the most helpful in this transition for students and families, I would have to say all of the mandatory Saturday programs are the most important for students as they will receive valuable information and begin to build relationships through these sessions,” Schneider said. “I would also say it's important for students to push beyond their boundaries and participate in any/all social activities throughout the weekend as this is where they will start to make connections with classmates and other Belles.”
Sunday will mark the end of welcome weekend and orientation with optional activities for incoming students to partake in. Some of these activities will include a nature walk, yoga and class tours led by upperclass students. The last mandatory activity for incoming students will be Saint Mary’s annual College Convocation, started in 2022, and the community celebration of Belles Bash.
Mona Bowe, executive director of retention strategies, describes the College Convocation as a casual and celebratory event. It will begin with remarks from the dean of admission, Conboy and the senior lecturer in the department of communication studies, Susan Baxter. The announcement of the Saint Catherine Award for exceptional leadership, participation in service activities and representation of the high ideals of a Catholic education will also be announced. The ceremony will conclude with the exchanging of class pins between incoming and returning students.
“Convocation is a celebration of each and every one of our new members of the family, the newest Belles to join our ranks. It’s an opportunity to hear some great and fun facts of who they are as a class, and for them to get to know, even if it’s briefly, at least one more Belle as they exchange pins. I share a suite with Shay Schneider, associate dean of students, so I know all the hard work, by many people, that has gone into planning a great orientation program,” Bowe said.
With all of the hustle and bustle Orientation Week brings for incoming students, Bowe encourages them to “stop and literally smell the roses,” because their four years on campus will be over sooner than they realize.
“The beginning is always full of nervous excitement while you settle into a routine and get used to all the ‘newness’ around you. So be patient, give yourself grace [and] give others the same grace … Before you know it, you will be back here your senior year, getting ready to walk up the stairs in front of Le Mans to receive your diploma,” she said.
Bowe offered congratulations to all incoming students on starting their Saint Mary’s journey, stating, “I can't wait to see how you make Saint Mary's your own, and how you leave your mark.”
