What is Family and Friends Orientation?

Family and Friends Orientation at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is designed to help you, a family member or friend of the student, understand more about what UCCS has to offer your student and what you can do to help. This orientation is separate from your student's orientation and is meant to assist you with your own unique questions and concerns related to having your student go to college.

Our friendly staff will lead you through your day and answer any questions you have during orientation. Your orientation and your student's orientation will take place during the same time frame. We will help you to meet up with your student at lunch and at the end of the day.

You do not need to register for Family and Friends Orientation. Your student should list how many guests he or she will bring on the student reservation form. Please note that no more than two guests per student are permitted due to space limitations. If your student needs to bring more than two guests please call 719-255-3098 for details.

Family and Friends Orientation Checklist

In order to ensure that you are prepared for Family and Friends Orientation please complete the following items prior to arriving on campus:

1. Talk with your student about what you have questions on. Your student might already know the answers to some of your questions.

2. Be prepared to spend a majority of orientation away from your student. Helping your student to be independent is difficult. We understand this. We also know that you cannot be with your student in classes. To help your student begin to learn the UCCS campus and meet other new students, we separate our student and parent orientations so that each of you can learn what you need to be prepared.

3. Remind your student to do everything on the student checklist. Transfer, freshman, and military and veteran students have different items they need to take care of prior to orientation. If your student needs help, call the Orientation Office at 719-255-3098.

4. Relax! Orientation is busy, but it's a fun day for you to learn more about your student's new school. We will do our very best to make sure that when you leave UCCS you will feel confident that your student made the right choice to attend here.

Family and Friends Orientation schedule

Please note that this is a sample schedule. Your actual schedule may be slightly different. The Freshman Family and Friends schedule is first, followed by the Transfer Family and Friends schedule.

Freshman Family and Friends Orientation Schedule

Check-in and Breakfast
Pick up your orientation materials and enjoy a bite to eat on us!

Welcome
We start your morning off right with an introduction and warm welcome from our Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Enrollment Management, Homer Wesley.

Now that your student is a Mountain Lion
This presentation will cover a variety of topics, including an overview of the day, information from the Financial Aid Office and Student Financial Services, and what your student can do with their Lion One Card.

College Academics 101
Ever wonder how your student will be able to complete all the credits before graduation? We will take a few minutes and talk with you about our Student Success Office advisors and briefly discuss with you the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and what this means for you as a parent or family member. We will conclude by talking with you about our amazing Freshman Seminar class and what it can do for your student.

Campus Safety
A representative from Public Safety and a representative of the Dean of Students Office will talk with you about how your student can stay safe on campus.

Travel to meet with students An OWL will take you to your student(s)
During this time staff will accompany you to meet up with your college students prior to the next activity.

IDs (with students)
A staff member will take you to meet your student and then there will be time for your student to obtain a Lion One Student ID.

Lunch (with students)
Enjoy a delicious meal provided by Sodexo catering. Faculty and staff will be joining you to talk with you about UCCS.

Housing and Commuter sessions
During this time you will be separated into groups based upon if your student is planning on living on-campus or off-campus. Information will be tailored to what you need to know depending on where your student is living.

Resource fair, campus tours, bookstore open
You will end your day with the chance to ask any unanswered questions to office representative at the resource fair. Extended campus tours will be going on during this time and will be announced in the Resoource Fair every 10 minutes.

Future Mountain Lion Resident Info
Interested in on-campus life? Meet with Residence Life staff and learn about the different room types, application process, and see a tour room.

Transfer Family and Friends Orientation Schedule (times will vary)

Check-in time & Resource Fair
Welcome
Money matters
Public Safety
Student Life
Families and Students split
Campus Tour
Break
Transitioning to Transfer: How to continue to help your student help themselves (Parents and families only)
Student Panel (Parents and families only)
UCCS Academics: Advising, FERPA, how classes transfer, how to purchase books, etc. (Parents and families only)
Now that you're in the Mountain Lion family (traditions, Parent Association (Parents and families only)