Western Kentucky University
EN-2: Student Orientation

For first-year students, WKU offers M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan, WKU's five day extended orientation program for first year residential students. M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan provides new students with the opportunity to move to campus a week early--before upperclassmen arrive, before classes begin--to get acclimated to campus, find out where their classes are located, and begin building social support networks. The program strives to assist new students in making a successful academic, as well as social, transition from home and high school to college at WKU, integrating aspects of social and environmental sustainability through peer-to-peer and group workshops on physical and mental well-being in school. M.A.S.T.E.R Plan also incorporates several social events throughout the week to engage students in sustainability. Resource Conservation hosts a Zero Waste Cookout to engage new students and parents in waste diversion. This event typically has an attendance of 200-1,000 people. Resource Conservation has also been involved with the M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan Carnival. In 2019, they engaged at least 300 students in waste reduction games including "Score with Recycling" and "Reusable Ring Toss". M.A.S.T.E.R. Plan concludes with a campus-wide community volunteer day - Big Red's Blitz. Students volunteer with a variety of local nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity, Operation Pride (a community beautification initiative), the Office of Sustainability and Resource Conservation. In 2019, the Big Red Blitz team worked with the Office of Sustainability to break ground on the construction of a new community garden on campus. All incoming first-year students are offered the opportunity to participate in M.A.S.T.E.R Plan activities. In 2019, 2,714 students, 75.13% of the incoming cohort, participated.

Data provided by Nick Haught, Assistant Director, WKU Housing and Residence Life, and Stefanie Estes of WKU Institutional Research.