New Student Orientation
Welcome Week
Orientation is mandatory for all new students. Please clear your schedules for August 24-26, 2018.
We are excited to greet you on Friday, August 24. Orientation programming is still being finalized. Below you will find a sample schedule based on Orientation 2017. Final details will be updated August 1.
There are so many exciting things awaiting you once you arrive. Welcome Week (Orientation) is an essential part of making a successful transition into our community, so clear your calendar and make plans to attend. Once you arrive, you will be introduced to student life at Vanguard via orientation. Orientation is a three-day program that assists new students get acquainted with one another and acclimated into university life on our campus.
Don’t miss your chance to be known and to get to know your new peers!
Welcome Week FAQs
- Is Orientation Mandatory?
- When do I arrive?
- Should my whole family come?
- I have a conflict that I cannot change. What do I do?
- How do I notify you if I have a special request (additional assistance, food allergy, etc.)?
- Where do I check in?
- My parents need a hotel for the weekend. Where should they stay?
- What Do I Need to Pack?
Is Orientation Mandatory?
When do I arrive?
We have a staggered process for arrival, so please look out for a notification regarding your arrival time. View the general orientation schedule
Should my whole family come?
We understand that coming to college is a family affair and welcome all members of your family. There will be a prayer at the end of dinner. That signals the end of our family portions of the weekend. Please remember to register anyone who will join you for dinner or the Family Orientation when choosing your arrival time.
I have a conflict that I cannot change. What do I do?
Please fill out the Orientation Absence Request form. Completing the form does not excuse you automatically. Regardless of your reason, we cannot reverse the orientation fee and it will appear on your billing statement.
How do I notify you if I have a special request (additional assistance, food allergy, etc.)?
Please email Lindsay Ahlquist by August 1 to allow us sufficient time to prepare.
Where do I check in?
My parents need a hotel for the weekend. Where should they stay?
The following hotels provide a rate for Vanguard-affiliated parties:
Ayres Hotel & Suites
Distance from Vanguard: 1.6 miles
325 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.549.0300
Guest Services: Complimentary wi-fi, parking, and shuttle service within a 3-mile radius.
Go to hotel website
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Distance from Vanguard: 2.1 miles
3131 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.557.3000
Guest Services: Complimentary breakfast for one person, wi-fi, and parking. Shuttle service to John Wayne Airport (SNA) and within a 5-mile radius.
Go to hotel website
Candlewood Suites
Distance from Vanguard: 5.3 miles
2600 S. Red Hill Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
949.972.2576
Guest Services: Fully equipped kitchen, complimentary wi-fi and parking.
Go to hotel website
What Do I Need to Pack?
View our packing list for 2017 here.
Orientation and Thriving
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 have split our educational portions of the weekend into three sessions: Academic Talks, Student Life Talks, and VU Talks. Each of these sessions will be broken into small talks based on the very successful TED model.
Topics we will cover:
- Your Invitation to Your Education
- Investing in Your Best Asset (YOU)
- The Cost of Dropping Out
- What is Identity?
- What is Community?
- What is Integrity?
- Spirituality in College
- Living a Life of Service
- Lions for Life
We will also cover everything from our community standards to the resources on campus. On Sunday we will bring the Vanguard and community resources to you with a Welcome to the Neighborhood Expo and Block Party. The block party is your first opportunity to connect with returning students in a casual way prior to school starting. In between we will split up into small groups to have a deeper connection and explore the transition of entering 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, have silly ice breakers to help you connect, and spend a lot of time in social situations during orientation. For freshmen, this group will later become your Cornerstone class peers.