Yes, new student orientation is mandatory. This includes completing your Lion 101 course AND attending Welcome Week.

You will be better acclimated to life at Vanguard by participating in a common process with your peers. Orientation allows you to learn about academic life, ways to get involved and meet faculty and administrators.

In the chance you cannot attend Welcome Week, please email WelcomeWeek@vanguard.edu and we will approve requests on a case-by-case basis. Thank you! 

Check-in will take place in the William J. Seymour Building. You can view the check-in/parking map on August 1.

All students will check-in and move-in for residential students will follow.

Yes! Parents, grandparents, siblings, extended relatives, and other guests are able to join for Welcome Day on the Thursday or Friday of your student's orientation.

All families and guests will have access to an online family orientation which has a variety of resources and videos. Please see the Families and Guest  Information page to access online orientation.

At this time, students and families are not required to wear masks indoors or outdoors. However, there is no shame in wearing a mask at all times to ensure your own safety.

For an overview of community expectations and health protocol for the academic year, please visit our ForwardVU webpage.

Please email us by Monday, August 15 to allow us sufficient time to prepare.

Click here to for a list of hotels that provide a discounted rate for Vanguard-affiliated parties.

At Vanguard we want you to do more than survive college and get a degree. We want you to THRIVE! This is the main reason we require orientation for all new students (freshmen and transfers).

We have structured our time in orientation to ask big questions that will frame your time at Vanguard and set you up to succeed. 

We will cover everything from our community standards to the resources on campus to the history of Vanguard. 

According to Laurie Schreiner’s work on thriving in college students, a top predictor of thriving is a student’s Psychological Sense of Community (PSC). This is why we assign you to a consistent group and have intentional group times where we share our personal stories and have silly ice breakers to help you connect. For freshmen, this group will later become your Cornerstone class peers.