University of California, Davis
EN-2: Student Orientation

All incoming undergraduate students and their family members have an opportunity to participate in Transfer, First-Year and International and National Orientation. Sustainability, while not a formal aspect in the multiple Orientation programs, is informally used throughout.

Students and their families receive a basic introduction to Sustainability and Nutrition Services in Dining Services in a presentation given by the Director of Dining Services.

In the residence halls and dining commons, sustainability bulletin boards and other communication materials include information about sustainable features of the buildings and programs, waste sorting information, tips to save water and energy, and information about materials to bring for a sustainable stay (energy star rated appliances, reusable water bottle and utensils, etc.).

Sustainability is also emphasized when students move in to the residence halls. Student staff and volunteers help divert cardboard and expanded polystyrene to recycle stations, and show residents where to properly dispose of their waste.

Fall Welcome events begin once the new students have moved into the residence halls (a few days before academic instruction begins) and continue until early October. The events are designed to introduce new and current students to UC Davis. Several events at the Fall Welcome prominently promote sustainability. The Campus Resource Fair invites campus departments to table and provide information about resources to all new students. Annual participants include the sustainability staff from Student Housing and Dining Services Sustainability, Office of Sustainability, and Transportation & Parking Services.

Student Housing and Dining Services coordinates sustainability programs to engage incoming residence hall students during Fall Welcome. These programs serve as an introduction to the sustainability program and provide information about how to get more involved. Example programs include a sustainability and nutrition tour of the Dining Commons, Resident Garden @ Segundo tour and bouquet making event, and t-shirt bag upcycling workshop.

Resident Advisors in the halls conduct opening floor meetings with residents where attendance is mandatory. In these meetings, they include information about what waste streams are offered and where to locate these bins.

Graduate Student Orientation (GSO), sponsored by Graduate Studies, is an intensive social and academic overview for new graduate students, comprised of workshops, panel discussions, and social activities designed to help new students prepare for some of the expected and unexpected side effects of graduate school and become familiar with the various university services available to graduate students.

All incoming graduate students are strongly encouraged to register for orientation held in September, although this is not mandatory. During the lunch break of orientation, there is a Graduate Student Resource Fair where students can learn about campus services, clubs, associations and resources, like the Office of Sustainability, Transportation Services, and more (see second page of attachment for map of all tabling participants from the 2019 orientation).

More information can be found on the following websites:

Undergraduate Student Orientation: http://orientation.ucdavis.edu/first-year/

Fall Welcome: http://fallwelcome.ucdavis.edu/

Graduate Student Orientation: https://grad.ucdavis.edu/node/40608/