First-Year Orientation

  • PROS onstage at orientation

First-Year Orientation

Summer Orientation

We are excited to have you join our University community. Orientation provides you with the information you need to make the most of your Rowan experience. 

Summer Orientation for first-year students beginning classes in the fall term will be held in June and July. Orientation is a required, two-day, on-campus, in-person experience. Students will (optionally) spend the night in a residence hall on campus. This allows students to experience our residential learning environment prior to move-in for the fall term, and more time on campus to meet other incoming first-year students while exploring campus resources. Even students who plan to commute in the fall are encouraged to stay on campus during orientation as the program goes very late into the evening on the first day and starts very early in the morning on the second day.

Students will also have some Online Education Requirements to complete in addition to the in-person orietnation experience.

Summer Orientation (for fall term first-year admits):

  • Session I: Thursday, June 22 & Friday, June 23, 2023
  • Session II: Monday, June 26 & Tuesday, June 27, 2023
  • Session III: Thursday, July 6 & Friday, July 7, 2023
  • Session IV: Monday, July 10 & Tuesday, July 11, 2023
  • Session V: Thursday, July 13 & Friday, July 14, 2023
  • Session VI: Monday, July 17 & Tuesday, July 18, 2023
  • Session VII: Thursday, July 20 & Friday, July 21, 2023
  • Session VIII: Monday, July 24 & Tuesday, July 25, 2023
  • Session IX: Thursday, July 27 & Friday, July 28, 2023

Orientation Reservations

Orientation is a great opportunity to learn more about your new University community. Campus offices and departments come together to welcome new students and their parents & adult family members to share information about student resources and campus policies & expectations at these few select times of the year. Don't miss this opportunity - it only happens once in your college career!

Prepare for Summer Orientation

  1. Set up your NetID and DUO. If you haven't already done so, visit netid.rowan.edu, click the "Other Login" button to set up your NetID for the first time. Follow these instructions for more help.

  2. Stay up to date using your New Student Checklist. Log in to your Admissions Status Page to view your personalized checklist and complete important tasks to be ready for your first semester at Rowan.

  3. Confirm your major. You are eligible for academic advising for the major in which you were offered admission to Rowan University. This major is listed in your admissions materials and the Orientation invitation email. If you would like to change your major, please email admissions@rowan.edu with your name, Banner ID number, and desired major prior to completing your orientation reservation.

  4. Reserve your orientation date. Dates with space available for your major will be shown in the orientation reservation system. Orientation registration is connected to your Admissions Status Page, and uses the same login information. Make sure to login using your personal email address and password, not with your Rowan NetID. Please reserve your orientation date as soon as possible for best selection of dates as sessions do fill up.

  5. Attend orientation! After orientation, continue working on any remaining New Student Checklist items and Online Education Requirements.

  6. Get ready for Welcome Week in the fall. Rowan has a tradition of welcoming all students back to campus before the start of each semester. During Welcome Week, you will find programs and activities to give you a taste of campus life and connect with current student leaders. 

Reserve Your Orientation Date

If you are unable to attend one of the on-campus orientation sessions, please contact our office at 856-256-4041 to make arrangements for registration in September or our online orientation program.

Parent & Family Orientation

For each orientation session we offer a concurrent Parent & Family Orientation program. Students and their parents & adult family members follow separate orientation schedules.

Here's what you will experience by participating in the online Parent & Family Orientation:

  • an overview of the University;
  • presentations about your student's adjustment to college life at Rowan;
  • information about financing college, safety, and Rowan Thrive Well-Being;
  • and information about commuting or living on campus.

The Rowan student must make Parent & Family Orientation reservations as part of their orientation reservation process. Please discuss with your student whether or not you would like to participate in Parent & Family Orientation. The Rowan student will be asked to enter the number of guests participating in orientation on the online system as well as a contact phone number and e-mail address for any parents or adult family members participating.

Ask Us
If you have additional questions about Parent & Family Orientation, please contact Parent & Family Connections at 856-256-4596 or the Office of Orientation and Student Leadership Programs at 856-256-4041.

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Ask Us

If you have additional questions about orientation, please contact the Office of Orientation and Student Leadership Programs at 856-256-4041, @RowanOSLP on Twitter, or the RowanOSLP facebook page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is orientation required?
All incoming undergraduate students are required to attend a new student orientation program. Orientation programming is specifically designed to assist students with their academic and social transition to the University.
How do I pay the orientation fee?
Your undergraduate orientation fee will be applied to your Rowan student account.
Is there a fee to spend the night on campus?
There is not a specific charge to spend the night on campus during the orientation program. Orientation fees are based on the length of the program - meals are the greatest expense. The 2-day orientation program is $220 whether or not you choose to spend the night on campus. Up to two parents or adult family members may attend Parent and Family Orientation included in these fees.
What if I cannot attend the scheduled in-person orientation dates?

We strongly encourage all students to participate in the in-person on-campus summer orientation program. This allows you to become more familiar with campus, meet other incoming students, and be more familiar with University resources before classes begin.

If you absolutely cannot attend an available scheduled summer orientation date, please call our office at 856-256-4041 to discuss options. You may be able to attend our final fall orientation program prior to the beginning of classes, or complete the online orientation course. In either situation, you would need to complete many new student tasks on your own over the summer to stay on track to begin Rowan in the fall term.

When do I register for classes?

New incoming first-year students are registered for their fall term classes by their academic advisors. You will select your own courses and register for them in Self-Service Banner for future terms.

Your fall class schedule is optimized for your major. If you are an Exploratory Studies student, you schedule is designed to be flexible and cover common course requirements for a variety of majors.

Students will review their fall schedule with the advisors at orietnation, but schedules may change throughout the summer based on advanced placement credit and other factors, so be sure to view your schedule in Self-Service Banner again prior to the begining of the fall term. You may make changes to your schedule through the add/drop period, typically the first week of classes.

Should my parents attend Parent and Family Orientation?

Student attendance at orientation is required, but parents and family members can choose whether or not to attend. The majority of students do register family members to attend Parent and Family Orientation. Please discuss this with your family, as the student needs to register family members for orientation when completing their orientation reservation.

Please note that students and their parents & adult family members follow separate orientation schedules, you will not be together for most parts of the program in order to provide specific information for families and timely information for incoming students.

Do parents spend the night for 2-day orientations?

We do offer two days of Parent and Family Orientation content during 2-day orientation programs. On-campus housing is not available for parents and family members (like it is for students).

If family members are not within commuting distance, many choose to stay in local hotels.

If you are unable to attend both days of the 2-day Parent and Family Orientation program, we recommend attending the first day as it has more workshops for parents and family members. Remember that students are required to attend both days to fulfil the undergraduate orientation requirement.