History

Way back in the day before the phenomenon of online registration, class registration had to be done by hand.  As you can probably imagine, this took a long time – a week to be exact. Gradually, upper-year students on campus noticed that first-year students’ first impressions of Western involved waiting around in line. Something needed to be done! These upper-year students started to organize events for the incoming fys (first-year students), to welcome them to Western and demonstrate the wide range of opportunities our school has to offer. Orientation Week was born!

So what now?

Since online registration takes a matter of minutes and now happens in the summer, Orientation Week can focus on welcoming you to your new home, helping you meet other first-year students, and giving you a chance to learn about all the different aspects of life at Western. O-Week has evolved into an incredible and truly unique experience that you are sure to never forget. 

Events Galore!

On this website, you can find information about all the different events that are happening during the week – there is something for everyone.

Our Goals

The goals of the Orientation Program include making sure that first-year students have a warm welcome to this new community, and start out with effective introductions to fellow students and new academic pursuits.

Western is like its own planet...

What’s in a name? Each year Orientation Staff chooses a theme for Orientation Week.  This theme is used to develop a logo and tie into different events during the week.  This year we chose "Planet Western: a world of opportunity" - because Western is just that. Our school has so much diversity that it is almost like its own entity - its own planet - with endless opportunities. We want you to understand that the Western experience cannot be captured in one specific "look" or "style" – there is so much to offer. 

A world of opportunity...

Our goal is to ensure that you feel welcome in your new environment and on this new 'planet' you are just starting to explore away from home. Take the time to truly realize Western’s world of opportunity and get ready for an awesome experience!