The Student Experience Office (SEO) in Student Affairs is welcoming new undergraduate students to the Queen’s community through First-Year Foundation, a year-long program that has launched this summer.

First-Year Foundation is a series of online and in-person events and activities aims to support the incoming class with their academic and social transition to university, help them build community, and find their path to success.

It includes the Next Steps website, a one-stop hub of information, Raftr, a digital community platform exclusively for first-year students, summer webinars, and FYF 100, a self-directed "course” of modules in the OnQ system.

Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR) returns to an in-person format this year. First-year students, their families, and supports are invited to spend a day on campus, July 7-10, 15-16, that includes faculty-specific and transition information sessions, student panels, residence and ARC tours, a services and resources fair, and more. Registration is open now.

To begin and end the year strong, first-year students are invited to register for the QSuccess mentorship program and get matched with a trained upper-year peer mentor. Through weekly one-on-one meetings, students can get guidance on developing academic skills, enhancing their wellbeing and connecting to campus resources and communities throughout their first year.

Fall Orientation, which runs Sept. 3-11, is also part of First-Year Foundation. University Orientation and Faculty Orientation activities are online and in-person; class-wide events include Residence Move-In, a welcome event, the first week of class, a club and resource fair, a concert, and a sidewalk sale.

Students can determine which orientation programs they should register for here. For incoming students living off-campus, the First Year Off-Campus Community (First-year OCC) is an upper-year-student-led group that works to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for first-year students who are not living in residence.

Parents and supporters of first-year students are encouraged to attend SOAR for specific sessions just for them, to join their students on webinars, and to check out the Parents and Supporters webpage for links and information about supporting their student’s transition to Queen’s.

Learn more about First-Year Foundation, SOAR, and all first-year transition and support programming here.