Welcome Weekend!

Summer tends to be a slower time for interesting news to post to our alumni bases… no athletics events, no student achievements, less faculty activity. But, come August, there is a new influx of great activity and events, worthy of liking, posting and sharing. Of course, first is freshmen orientation/move-in/welcome weekend. Many schools are now going above and beyond in capturing the excitement of this weekend. Here are some examples from across the country. Share with us what your alumni association or development department did to commemorate the big weekend!

Loyola University Chicago

​Loyola welcomes its new students and has some great pictures on their website showcasing the process.

Dartmouth

​Dartmouth took a fun approach to welcoming its freshmen with a video focused on giving students advice on what to pack for "first year trips" which is part of Dartmouth's orientation.

Fordham

​Fordham created a very unique look at what it must be like for first year students. had a series of videos that played off the fact that for those who are not local, going to Fordham is not just about going to a new school, but also about the experience of living in New York City. The school created videos where they asked other New Yorkers, not necessarily associated with Fordham, what advice they would give to those living in the Big Apple for the first time.

Duke University

Duke highlighted its convocation with some great photos paired with powerful quotes from the event. And, the school also made a video featuring the convocation paired with an infographic on the new class of 2020.

The College of Charleston

College of Charleston had perhaps the most coordinated and deep campaign surrounding their students’ return. There were multiple campaigns to create engaging content and to motivate action on the part of students and alumni.

#Cougarwelcome was a  day of giving campaign tied to the return of students. The campaign featured photos and video, and tied in the pineapple, a universal symbol of welcome and one that is prevalent in the south. Alumni, staff and students were encouraged to write a message of advice to students on a printed-out pineapple, and used the hashtag #PassThePineapple to encourage more interaction online.

The College also had two other campaigns that created some great social content for them. In one campaign, using the hashtag #ThinkBig, the school set up a giant chalkboard outside and encouraged students to write what one thing they would like to accomplish before they graduate. The school was then able to make a very engaging video out of the students writing their notes.

Separately, the school also took around a large picture frame branded with the school’s mark and the date of the first day of classes and simply took photos of students, staff and professors, and posted the album onto Facebook.

​Brown University

Here is a great photo from Brown capturing the excitement around a local campus tradition, and showcasing how technology is affecting that tradition nowadays, with all of the cameras out!

Class of 2020 Photos

The “Class of 2020” group photo has become an iconic rite of passage at many schools as you can see above from the University of New England and Gonzaga University.
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What examples do you have of great welcome weekend campaigns? Share them with us!