Getting a Head Start on the Academic Year

Hawks looking to get a head start on the new academic year headed to campus a week early for Saint Joseph’s University’s Early Arrival Programs. Freshman, sophomores and transfer students were invited to sign up for one of four unique programs that acclimate underclassmen to Hawk Hill, with topics ranging from community service to social justice, STEM education and more.

The University’s Early Arrival Programs provide an opportunity for students to familiarize themselves with campus and its resources, meet friends in a smaller setting and get settled into their home-away-from-home before the new year kicks off. (Added bonus: Prime seating at Barbelin Beach or Villiger Lawn to soak up the end of summer.)

“The benefits for students who participate in an Early Arrival Program can be seen almost immediately through the connections they make with other members of their class and their familiarity navigating around campus after only a few short days here,” says Dan McDevitt, Ed.D., director of student success. “After not being able to offer in-person programs last year, we are thrilled to be welcoming several hundred students to Hawk Hill this August through the Early Arrival Programs.”

Over 300 students will participate in this week’s programming, arriving from as near as the Keystone State and as far as Puerto Rico. The new semester will begin on August 23.

August 17-20

The following programs begin on Tuesday, August 17, 2021.

• BEAGLE
  BEAGLE, or Biology Experience Aimed at Growth, Learning Excellence, is a program for incoming biology, chemistry and environmental science majors. Its goal is to help students transition to college-level science courses while introducing effective study techniques and providing an opportunity for students to meet their faculty and peers in advance of the fall semester.
  
  “One of the highlights of the program was working in small groups during the lab session and having one-on-one time with the professors,”' remembers April Privonka ’22, a biology major and chemistry minor who met some of her closest friends through BEAGLE.
   
• PSIP
  The Philadelphia Service Immersion Program (PSIP) encourages new Hawks to live out the Jesuit ideal of acting “with and for others” through local community service opportunities.
  
  “There is no better way to start off the school year than PSIP because of the awesome service and community building opportunities it provides,” says Regan Larkin ’22, PSIP leader.
  
  This year, PSIP will also be offered to sophomores for the first time.
   
• RUNNING START
  A transitional program for underrepresented students, Running Start features workshops, seminars and other activities to acclimate students of diverse backgrounds to campus. The program enhances students’ sense of belonging and prepares them for success at St. Joe’s.
   

August 18-20

The following program begins on Wednesday, August 18, 2021.

• AIM
  The AIM program is an extended orientation that features a night out in the City of Brotherly Love, campus tours, a community service project, outdoor activities and more.
  
  AIM student-mentor Dani Greenberg ’22 recalls her time in the program: “Honestly, the AIM program was one of the best parts of my freshman year because I found some of my best friends through it,” she says.
   

Learn more about what’s on deck for the fall semester.