On Sept. 2, Day ONE officially kicked off the new academic year at UFV. Designed to ease the transition into university life, the event featured some faculty introductions, campus tours, and a Student Experience Fair that showcased clubs, services, and resources. From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., students were invited to the Abbotsford Campus to become acquainted with the grounds and the logistics for their upcoming school experience.
One volunteer orientation ambassador, Coco Contreras, commented on the importance of support and connection for new students on campus — pointing out that the university is large and diverse, which can be challenging at the beginning.
“It’s a big campus and there are so many people with so many cultures [and] so many different backgrounds. So, it’s always important to build that sense of community.”
UFV’s newly appointed President, Dr. James Mandigo, stopped by the S Building and commented that events like Day ONE bring the campus to life, mainly because fall has a higher student turnout.
“There are students throughout all months of the year, but the fall is extra special because that’s when we see our biggest number of students coming back to class.”
Mandigo emphasized the importance of a balanced university experience. While academics are a key part of attending UFV, he highlighted that events like Day ONE help students discover things they can be passionate about.
“My advice to students is ‘get involved.’ Get engaged in the opportunities in your classes; get involved in activities outside of your classes as well; get involved in the community. Find what you’re passionate about, because that’s going to make your experience a hundred times better.”
Mandigo pointed out that even if a student missed orientation day, there are still many opportunities throughout the year to get involved on campus. He encouraged students to stay connected with organizations like the Student Union Society (SUS), remarking that engagement can happen anytime — whenever they feel ready to reach out.
Paula Funk, academic advisor for Fine Arts, Design, and Media, believes that orientation day is helpful for students to ease their nerves and be reassured about their time at UFV — a goal on Day ONE.
“What I hope is that we can bring human warmth, information, and wayfinding to help reduce those jitters and make people connect more with their confidence and their sense of hope for a good time at UFV.”
She recommended that if students were to feel uncertain, the advising centre is available for them to reach out or make an appointment with their academic advisor.
SUS President Bilal Faisal gave a welcome speech for the new students. He referred to Day ONE as a book’s table of contents and mentioned that the exciting atmosphere made him recall his first year at UFV. He also urged students to engage with everything UFV has to offer.
“Be a part of the community and follow the community, it’ll take you somewhere.”
Faisal welcomed students to approach SUS if they missed orientation day.
“You can come to the SUS, we can share all the information with you about your transit, your U-Pass, your health and dental … So, if you miss Day ONE, come to Day Two.”
Heather Simpson, UFV alumnus and coordinator of Student Transition and Engagement, led this year’s event organization. Simpson commented that her prior experience planning events helped her deal with the logistics, even though this event was slightly different from what she’s done before. She was excited that her proposal for the ice cream booth had been a success, as it also supported UFV students and alumni.
“We get to work with a small local business who have lots of alumni and current students working for them. And they also have the best ice cream.”
Sheila McKay, the coordinator of Student Transition and Engagement, has worked at UFV for about 20 years, and she expressed deep appreciation for Simpson’s work ethic.
“She started in February of this year and has done an incredible job leading this team to what you see today, to this incredibly vibrant and interactive, engaging opportunity for students to be on campus. She’s worked really hard to create a low-stress environment that’s really welcoming, and I’m just so thankful to have her as part of our SEO [Student Experience Office] team.”
Simpson shared her parting words and positive thoughts on the recently arrived students.
“I just hope that everyone has fun and that they get to enjoy [themselves], and welcome to UFV.”
