St. Joe’s student orientation for the Class of 2026 will be fully in-person this summer for the first time since 2019. Organizers hope to include students from the University of the Sciences who, while admitted to that university, will begin their college careers as St. Joe’s students after the two schools officially merge on June 1.

In pre-pandemic summers, orientation was overnight and spread across two days. Last year, new students spent a day on campus as well as participated in activities online. 

“Last year, even though we were in-person for the program, we did feel like we needed to still maintain some level of an online program,” said Beth Hagovsky, Ed.D., director of student leadership and activities. “We offered an online portion of the program, and it worked.”

This summer, students will choose from one of four possible dates to attend orientation on Hawk Hill: June 23, 24, 26 or 28. Course registration will take place online in July, instead of during orientation, because of data transfer issues related to the merger, Hagovsky said.

A modified online option may still be offered for those who are unable to attend in June for any reason, Hagovsky said.

Since the merger will not take effect until June 1, USciences students cannot be officially invited to orientation until that date, Hagovsky said. 

“We will hopefully welcome those students and their families to campus for one of the sessions,” Hagovsky said.

But the USciences students may only be offered one or two sessions to attend, Hagovsky said. 

“We really want to be able to focus on them while they are here,” Hagovsky said. “Since their numbers are smaller than ours, if we have them spread out over two sessions, they will have more of an opportunity to get to know each other, and we will have a better chance to provide them with the resources related to their experience.”

USciences has an undergraduate population of 1,372 students, compared to St. Joe’s undergraduate population of over 4,000 students.  

Mac Castellano ’23, who is one of two student coordinators for this year’s orientation, said he has had to adapt to a different orientation each year. 

“This one, it’s going to be much different also,” Castellano said. “I thought it was going to be more like how my first one was when I was a freshman, but now that we have to deal with the merger, it’s adding some effects that we weren’t really expecting.”

Thomas McBride ’23, the other orientation coordinator, said the merger has posed challenges, but the goal is to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.

“Because this is a merger, we’re trying to collaborate as much as we can,” McBride said. “So USciences and St. Joe’s students will be sprinkled in through every session together. We’ll be doing it together.”