August 22-23, 2025

First-Year Students

Schedule of Events

Friday, August 22, 2025
8:00am - 9:30am
Residential Student Orientation & Residence Hall Check-In

Residential students, be sure to check-in for Orientation early in order to receive your room key to move-in!

Kingsmen Park
8:00am - 5:00pm
ID Cards and Parking Passes

Come pick up your ID card and parking pass!

Skip the waiting and upload your photo ahead of time! 

(Ullman 100/101)

Upload your ID card photo ahead of time

Ullman Commons
8:30am - 3:00pm
Residential Move-In

Welcome to your home for the next academic year! Please use this time to move-in to your residence hall and get settled.

Residence Halls
9:00am - 10:00am
Commuter Student Orientation Check-In

Commuter students join us for a check-in experience just for you. Your orientation journey starts here!


Kingsmen Park
9:00am - 10:30am
Coffee and CommuniTEA

Commuter students join us for a check-in experience just for you. Your orientation journey starts here!


This event will occur in the Outdoor Classroom.
Kingsmen Park
10:00am - 3:00pm
Info Tent

Come to the Info Tent with any questions or for late Orientation check-in.

Flagpoles
10:00am - 12:00pm
Peer Advisor Led Classroom/Campus Tours

Looking to get a quick tour of campus and learn where your classes will be? Stop by for  a campus tour led by our Peer Advisors! 

Throughout Campus
11:30am - 1:30pm
Resource Fair & Lunch

Discover all the Campus Resources areas and what they have to offer you during your time at CLU.


Kingsmen Park
1:00pm - 1:30pm
TED Talk: Empoderando el Futuro de su Hijo

Homero M. Magaña, M.A./M.S./PPS, instructor in the Department of Counselor Education, will highlight the profound value of a university degree, emphasizing both economic and social benefits, personal development, and the unique advantages of a faith-based liberal arts education.

This TED Talk will be conducted in Spanish. 

Lundring Events Center
1:00pm - 1:30pm
Faculty TED Talk: Curiosity

Whether we are navigating the classroom, the workplace or the world, misunderstandings and disagreements are inevitable, which makes how we engage in those moments crucial. We can grow closer to others and better understand them as a result of these moments, or we can grow more distant.

This talk will challenge audience members to embrace curiosity over criticism, cynicism, complacency and comfort as a means to building bridges and creating greater connections with others—especially those with whom we think we don't have much in common. 

Samuelson Chapel
1:30pm - 2:00pm
What is a Lutheran Liberal Arts Education

Join us for a moderated panel discussing What a Lutheran Liberal Arts Education looks like.

Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center
2:15pm - 3:15pm
Meet Your Peer Advisor and FYE Group Posters

Meet up with your Peer Advisor (PA) and create your First Year Seminar Group Poster!

Soiland Gym
3:30pm - 4:45pm
President's Welcome and Opening Convocation

We invite you to join us for your first official welcome to the Cal Lutheran family from University President and faculty.

Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Commuter Student Social

Our commuters are a very important part of our community!

Come Learn all the tips and tricks of commuting here at CLU, as well as talk to commuter Peer Advisors!

Student Union Lobby & Patio
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Residence Life First-Year Student Hall Meetings

Meet with your residence hall staff to learn about living on campus as a first year student.

Assigned Residence Halls
6:00pm - 7:30pm
Dinner in the Commons

Need someone to eat dinner with? Check-in with your Peer Advisors who will be available at Ullman Commons for Dinner. Residential students should use their meal plan swipes and commuter students should use the meal tickets provided to them at Orientation Check-In. 

Ullman Commons
9:00pm - 11:00pm
Orientation Activities

Join us for some late evening student activities, both residential and commuter students are welcome!

Thompson Pederson Recreation Area
Saturday, August 23, 2025
8:30am - 12:00pm
Info Tent

Come to the Info Tent with any questions or for late Orientation check-in.

Flagpoles
9:00am - 9:30am
Grab & Go Breakfast Burritos

Get ready to hike the CLU rocks, but don't forget to stop by and grab a breakfast burrito to fuel up!

University Plaza
9:30am - 11:00am
Hike to the Rocks / Plant a Tree

The offices of the Cal Lutheran Annual Fund and Student Life invite new students to participate in starting a new and continuing with an old tradition at Cal Lutheran.

We will begin at the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center and water the trees on our journey up the trail to the CLU rocks.

(Mt. Clef Ridge)

Mt. Clef Ridge
11:00am - 11:30am
Break

Take a quick break after the Hike to the CLU Rocks. Feel free to head back to your rooms to change, or to the Student Union for a quick break before lunch.

11:30am - 12:30pm
Lunch

Join us for a fun lunch in Kingsmen Park! Grab a free meal and hang out with your Peer Advisor to chat, ask questions, and make some new friends!

Kingsmen Park
12:30pm - 12:45pm
Meet PA in Park and walk to FYS

First year students will meet their Peer Advisors in Kingsmen Park and will head over together to their assigned First Year Seminar Classrooms to meet their faculty mentor for their first FYS class.

Kingsmen Park
12:45pm - 1:45pm
First Year Seminar

Kick off your academic journey with your first First Year Seminar class! After heading over to your desingated FYS classrooms with your PA, get to know your faculty mentor and your peers!

Designated FYS Classrooms
2:00pm - 3:15pm
Title IX

Cal Lutheran’s programming efforts aim to educate students on awareness, prevention, bystander intervention, resources, and University policies and procedures.

Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center
3:15pm - 4:30pm
Break / Student Union Drop-In

Enjoy a short break before the festivities continue! 

4:30pm - 6:30pm
Gumby Grub

Time to close out the day with a yummy dinner! Come mix and mingle with your new classmates and Student Life Staff! 

Kingsmen Park
6:45pm - 8:30pm
Playfair

This event tends to be the highlight of orientation so come and decide for yourself!

Gilbert Arena

Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center

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