Concordia’s Fall Orientation takes place virtually on September 1 and 3

Forty units from across Concordia will come together the week before classes start to offer new undergraduate and graduate students a virtual orientation.

This entirely online approach to Fall 2020 Orientation will be powered by vFairs, a virtual event platform that not only allows for an interactive live experience, but also makes the content accessible to students, on-demand, for 90 days after the live event. 

There will be two main event days:

Undergraduate Student Orientation*

Tuesday, September 1

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

*Parents of undergrad students welcome

Graduate Student Orientation

Thursday, September 3

8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  

These two days will replace the following Orientation events that would typically take place the week before classes start in the pre-COVID context:

• Discover Concordia and Start Right (Student Success Centre)
• WISE YUL (International Students Office)
• Graduate School Base Camp (GradProSkills)
• Parents Tent (Advancement and Alumni Relations)

Student-led orientation and frosh activities will still be hosted by the various student associations with support from the Dean of Students Office. Dates and details of these events are coming soon.

What students can expect

Students will be able to choose from a variety of activities throughout the day to pick up tips for starting university on the right foot. They can attend live or pre-recorded presentations covering topics such time management, online learning, getting involved in student life and navigating the MyConcordia portal. Graduate students will be able to take in condensed versions of GradProSkills essential academic skills workshops to help set them on track for a positive grad school experience.

Students will also have the opportunity to gather information from 40+ virtual kiosks (full list below) and connect one-on-one or in a group setting with Concordia staff, student mentors and student associations. And although students will be “attending” Orientation on their computer or phone, there will still be plenty of opportunities to meet and chat with other new students in the virtual lounge, all while filling up their virtual swag bag.

Students are encouraged to pre-register for their Orientation event. Registration and the complete schedule of events will be available on the Orientation website shortly. 

The full orientation experience

While these two virtual orientation days are open and relevant to all new students, it’s important to note that many academic departments and programs host specialized orientation and welcome activities for specific subsets of students. New undergrads and grads are strongly encouraged to attend both the Concordia-wide orientations as well as the more targeted events to get the full orientation experience.

If your department or unit hosts a specialized orientation activity or welcome event for new students, and you’d like it to be published on the central Orientation website, please fill out this form.   

Complete list of virtual kiosks

Present at both the Undergraduate and Graduate Student Orientations (September 1 and 3):

• 4^TH SPACE
• Access Centre for Students with Disabilities
• Birks Student Service Centre
• Campus Security and Emergency Services
• Career and Planning Services (CAPS)
• Career Management Services (John Molson School of Business)
• Concordia Book Stop
• Counselling and Psychological Services
• Concordia Student Union Off-Campus Housing and Job Resource Centre
• Dean of Students Office
• Réussir en français (Département d’études françaises)
• Exploring Sustainability at Concordia
• Financial Aid and Awards Office
• Health Services
• Indigenous Students Resources and Initiatives
• International Students Office (ISO)
• Concordia Library
• LIVE Centre
• Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre
• Navigator Program
• Office of Rights and Responsibilities
• Ombuds Office
• Parents Association and Advancement and Alumni Relations
• Recreation and Athletics
• Services for New Students
• Sexual Assault Resource Centre
• Student Accounts
• Student Advocacy Office
• Student Learning Services
• Welcome Crew

Present at Undergraduate Student Orientation (September 1):

• Institute for Co-operative Education (Co-op)
• FutureReady
• eConcordia
• Concordia Student Union (CSU)
• Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA)
• Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA)
• Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA)
• Commerce and Administration Students’ Association (CASA)

Present at Graduate Student Orientation (September 3):

• GradProSkills
• Graduate Funding and Awards
• Teaching and Research Assistants at Concordia (TRAC) union
• Graduate Students’ Association
   

Spread the word about Concordia’s Fall 2020 Online Orientation!