New Student Programs and Parent Relations
Student Center 2nd floor, Suite 265
Telephone: 404/413-1570
Fax: 404/413-1572
Web: www2.gsu.edu/~wwwnew
Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Monday – Friday
Overview
The Georgia State University Office of New Student Programs and Parent Relations is committed to recruiting, retaining and developing students. This is done by introducing new students to Georgia State, offering orientation programs that facilitate their integration into curricular and co-curricular life, providing programs that enhance student development through involvement and leadership opportunities, and offering programs that integrate parents and families into University life.
The Office of New Student Programs and Parent Relations reaches its mission by implementing the following programs: Incept: New Student Orientation, Panther Welcome, Freshman Convocation, Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society, Tau Sigma Transfer Honor Society, Freshman Connections, T.O.A.S.T. (Targeting Outstanding Achievements of Student Transfers), Family Weekend, Parents Association, and Parents Programs.
Programs and Organizations
- Incept: New Student Orientation
is the official Georgia State University new undergraduate student orientation program. At Incept, new students are introduced to numerous areas of Georgia State life, which will assist them in their successful transition into the University community. From Enrollment Services to Student Affairs, and Auxiliary Services to University Police, students learn information from different departments and divisions from across the University. They hear from Financial Aid, One Stop Shop, Registrar, Bookstore, Undergraduate Studies, Intercultural Relations, Student Organizations, Student Advisement Center, etc. New students also get to meet University staff and faculty members and receive a tour of Georgia State’s unique urban campus in downtown Atlanta. Another benefit of attending Incept is the connections new students make with their fellow classmates and also the connections they make with seasoned student leaders who assist them through their Incept experience. At the end of the Incept day, students receive academic advisement and register for their classes.
Incept: New Student Orientation is mandatory for all new freshmen and strongly encouraged for all new transfer students. There are several formats for the Incept: New Student Orientation program, each designed to meet the specific needs of new students. Incept offers one-day and two-day Orientation programs for new freshman students and offers one-day and ½-day Orientation programs for new transfer students. There is also a special parent and guest Orientation which runs concurrently with all student Orientation programs.
- Parents Association
The Georgia State University Parents Association is an organization that provides parents of Georgia State students with a special connection to the University. The Association provides parents with an opportunity to remain actively involved with their student as they journey through the college experience together. Parents who join the Association have special access to Georgia State and the many events Involvement Opportunities
and programs that happen each day on campus. The organization strengthens connections by providing publications, programming, and a variety of ways for its members to become involved.
The Parents Association is led by an executive board comprising parents of current Georgia State students. The executive board makes decisions on events, programming and policies relevant to the growth and expansion of the Parents Association. Executive board members are chosen in spring semester. The Parents
Association holds at least one general membership meeting a year and several executive board meetings each semester. The Parents Association maintains a website and an online list serve, and publishes several newsletters during the academic year to keep members informed and connected to the Association.
- Family Weekend
The purpose of Family Weekend is to gather students and their families together to enjoy a weekend of fun, food and family each fall on the Georgia State campus. With events such as parent discussions, information sessions, real-life classroom experiences, and day trips in the city, the weekend allows families to get a feel for the Georgia State experience and explore historic downtown Atlanta. The fun continues with activities for the entire family, such as caricatures, spin art, basketball, and a blue-and white breakfast with the University President. Following in tradition, the Parents Association always sponsors the Saturday outdoor barbecue lunch; and during this event, the cheerleaders and Pounce, the University mascot, treat Family Weekend participants to a special pep-rally. Family Weekend is held in early October each fall semester. Registration for Family Weekend opens in August.
- Freshman Convocation
Freshman Convocation is a formal induction ceremony of the freshman class each fall semester into the academic community of Georgia State. Just as graduation commencement serves as a ritual marking the completion of study, convocation is a ritual to signal the beginning of a college career. The University President presides over this event and leads students in the reciting of the freshman pledge and in the freshman medallion ceremony. The ceremony is attended by the President, Provost, College Deans, Student Government President and many distinguished faculty and staff members. Convocation is traditionally followed by a post-Convocation reception for all student attendees and their parents and guests in the Student Recreation Center.
- Panther Welcome
Panther Welcome is the official Georgia State University fall welcome program. Panther Welcome is planned by a Universitywide committee and is spread out over the first two weeks of fall semester. The annual welcome program begins with new freshmen move in and traditionally ends with a Labor Day Pool Party at Indian Creek Recreation Center. Traditional welcome event favorites are Freshman Convocation, Georgia State Idol, and the annual Student Organization Street Fair.Panther Welcome is designed for both new and returning students and welcomes more than 18,000 students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni each year.
- Ask-Me-Booth Program
The Ask-Me-Booth program is a Georgia State tradition and takes place the first week of classes during fall and spring semesters. Several booths are set up across the downtown Atlanta campus where students new to the University can stop by, ask questions, and get directions as they navigate their way around their new college home. The booths are staffed with faculty, staff and current students who volunteer their time in an effort to make the transition smooth for all new members of the Panther family each semester.
- T.O.A.S.T. (Targeting Outstanding Achievements of Student Transfers)
In an attempt to recognize the accomplishments of transfer students at Georgia State, the Office of New Student Programs and Parent Relations hosts an annual T.O.A.S.T. luncheon each spring semester. Created in 1998, the T.O.A.S.T. program is designed to honor transfer students who have gone beyond expectations and have excelled at Georgia State both inside and outside the classroom. Typically, transfer students are less likely to become actively involved in the University community; students recognized through T.O.A.S.T. have defied those odds and have made a significant impact at Georgia State. University administrators, staff and students are asked to submit nominations each spring of “T.O.A.S.T.-worthy” students. Transfer students are recognized by their nominators and presented with a token of honor for their outstanding achievements during a T.O.A.S.T. luncheon. Transfer students nominated for T.O.A.S.T. must have a 2.5 GPA or higher.
- Alpha Lambda Delta: Freshman Honor Society
Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD), established in 1924, is a national honor society for first-year students. The Alpha Lambda Delta chapter at Georgia State fosters students’ professional and personal development through scholarship, service and leadership opportunities. The organization typically holds monthly meetings and offers a variety of service projects and social events. Alpha Lambda Delta provides several opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills, both at the club level as a member of the executive board and at the national level as a representative on the National Council.
Students are invited for membership if they have achieved a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, are in the top 20 percent of their class during their first term, and are enrolled full time. In addition, the student must be in good academic and judicial standing with the University. Once a student has been inducted into the Alpha Lambda Delta honor society, she or he is a member for life.
- Tau Sigma: Transfer Honor Society
Tau Sigma is an academic honor society designed specifically to recognize and promote the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. The Tau Sigma chapter at Georgia State fosters transfer students’ professional and personal development through scholarship, service, and leadership opportunities. The organization holds regular meetings and offers a variety of service projects and
social events. Tau Sigma provides several opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills.
To qualify for membership a student must transfer with the equivalent of at least one full year’s academic credits. Once at Georgia State, the student must obtain at least a 3.5 GPA or rank among the top 20 percent of all transfer students during his or her first semester of attendance at the University.
- Inceptor
Inceptors provide direct assistance to new students and their guests at Georgia State through the Incept: New Student Orientation program. Inceptors receive more than 100 hours of training during the spring semester to prepare for their role as orientation leaders. Through this training, Inceptors gain an understanding of orientation, curricular and co-curricular life, and the mission of Georgia State.
Inceptors assist with all orientation events and play a vital role in facilitating the adjustment of new students to the campus and community. Additionally, Inceptors participate in various Universitywide programs and events throughout the year. A team of 20-25 Inceptors is selected each fall semester, and they serve in their position the following calendar year.
- Honor Society Executive Board Member
Both Alpha Lambda Delta and Tau Sigma honor societies are led by student leaders who serve on the organizations’ executive boards. These student leaders guide events and activities throughout the year and ensure that membership in both these groups is an interactive and engaging experience. The executive board of each organization is selected in the spring semester from the incoming new membership.
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