New Seawolves Welcome Week Fosters Growing Sense of Community

Transfer Student Convocation is one of the many events and activities that make up New Seawolves Welcome Week.

College life is full of milestone moments. Picking your major. Your first college class. Your last final exam. Interviewing for and perhaps even landing your first full-time job. Walking across the graduation stage.

However, the moments no one talks about are those first moments as a college freshman. Emotions are high; some people have never been away from home before. Some miss their siblings. Some cannot get comfortable in a dorm bed. And, it can be lonely.

While we often put emphasis on milestone moments, it is this first touchpoint with the college experience that sets the stage for the entire experience. That's why Stony Brook University's New Seawolves Welcome Week has become a critical part of welcoming the newest incoming class to our campus community.

"New Seawolves Welcome Week serves as a vital onramp for incoming students, easing their transition into Stony Brook University life. By introducing them to campus resources, academic expectations, and the broader university community, it helps foster a sense of belonging," said Arnika Edwards, assistant athletics director of Student-Athlete Career and Leadership Development. Edwards shared that participation in Welcome Week significantly reduces anxieties about starting college, builds a strong foundation for academic success, and creates lasting friendships.

Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of StudentsRic McClendon explained that New Seawolves Welcome Week is designed to allow for a smooth transition into Stony Brook.

"New Seawolves Welcome is an exciting start to every Seawolf's journey into Stony Brook. This annual tradition that occurs on many college campuses is an experience that brings new friendships, engages students with faculty and staff, and prepares students as they transition into the University," he said.

New Seawolves Welcome Week is a week that is chock full of activities meant to get students more comfortable being on campus, as well as integrating their families into the college experience. After new student move-in, SBU Weeks of Welcome (SBU WOW) kicks off with a Welcome Family BBQ on the Staller Steps, which will be held Monday, August 19 and Tuesday, August 20 from 12 to 3 p.m.

An annual tradition, Community Service Day is one of the highlights of Welcome Week.

The week also includes the new student and transfer student convocations, Community Service Day, workshops on navigating life at Stony Brook (for both residents and commuters) as well as everyone's favorite event of the week, Wolfie's Welcome.

In addition to the mandatory workshops, Stony Brook University has put together optional events that range from fitness classes - like spin and guided meditation - to large scale outdoor inflatables and arcade games, movie screenings, murder mystery parties and arts and crafts. These workshops and events are designed to have something for everyone, allowing new students to make friends and meet new people that have similar things in common.

View the full schedule of events.

While New Seawolves Welcome Week is an important opportunity for all students, Chen Zhu, peer assistant leader of Stony Brook University New Student and Transition Programs, noted that it is also a really important time for new international students to interact with their new classmates.

"For international students, it is an opportunity to break down media stereotypes. When I participated in this event, I realized that the media often reports the most sensational news, rather than the complete objective truth," Zhu said.

However, it's not just about students. Edwards explained that New Seawolves Welcome Week is just as beneficial for faculty and staff when it comes to getting to know the newest members of our campus community.

"For faculty and staff, engaging with new students during Welcome Week is an opportunity to showcase the university's commitment to student success, build rapport with the incoming class, and gain valuable insights into student needs and perspectives," Edwards said.

Added McClendon, "This is a great opportunity for staff to flex their work schedules to connect and engage with new students and welcome them to Stony Brook. New Seawolves Welcome Week is a major university program and we strongly encourage faculty and staff to participate. It is important to help shape campus culture at the start of the semester."

To that, McClendon is encouraging faculty and staff members to get involved by volunteering for New Seawolves Welcome Week events. He noted that it is a way to show new students how wonderful the Stony Brook University Campus Community is, while allowing them to feel a sense of independence, encouragement, inclusion and pride in their new community.

"At Stony Brook, we take pride in working together to ensure our faculty and staff take advantage of this unique opportunity to welcome new students. We work together to engage with students by facilitating workshops led by faculty and staff, volunteering at high-energy evening programs, and opening our offices to provide services before the first day of classes," he said.

- Emily Cappiello

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