`Runner Rundown:

What students should know about fall 2020 orientation

By California State University, Bakersfield

August 11^th, 2020

As classes shift to the online format during the COVID-19 pandemic this fall semester at California State University, Bakersfield, the faculty and staff are determined to make a smooth transition for this academic year.

The festivities of orientation might not look the same as in years past with the traditional spirit rally, games and group breakout sessions in classrooms, freshmen and transfer orientations are still following a similar format in its content to ensure that students receive the same quality of support as if they were in person.

“Although going virtual is our new normal, the purpose of `Runner Rundown is to connect students with on campus support programs and resources, and most importantly, to celebrate that Rowdy said yes! `Runner Rundown is an exciting opportunity to welcome our students into the `Runner family,” said Crystal Montoya, new student orientation coordinator.

Some freshmen and transfer orientations have already taken place throughout the course of July, with the remaining two transfer sessions on August 12 and 13 for transfer students.

“The virtual orientation is a bit different, especially for us in the Transfer Center. We look forward to orientation to welcoming our new transfer students into the ‘Runner Family and celebrating this milestone,” said Natasha Harris, senior admissions officer and transfer student success coordinator.

Attendees will receive a PDF of the `Runner Rundown schedule to their inbox, where a link to the Zoom orientation can be found to be used the day of the scheduled presentation.

Session Information

The orientation sessions will address topics, including: finding your career path to help with resumés, looking for an internship or finding a job; getting plugged in at CSUB, where students will tell of their experience and providing information on how to take advantage of the opportunities on campus; money matters will help students with financial aid and important dates; and the Student Recreation Center (SRC) staff will discuss the sports, group sessions and other activities offered at the SRC.

Specific to each session, the freshmen orientation will feature a student to student panel, which will allow students to talk directly to sophomore students who have just completed their freshmen year and will provide advice on how to navigate the transition to CSUB. Transfer orientations will feature a session on how to graduate in two years, which will also include tips on how to save time, money and get a career started in the two years at CSUB.

Once the morning sessions have concluded, students will be able to break out into various presentations with a unique Zoom link, depending on the school their major falls under. In the breakout session, students will find out more about their school (School of Arts and Humanities, School of Business and Public Administration, School of Social Sciences and Education and School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering), the mission and will direct them to the most accurate information within their department.

Lastly, the Resource Fair will be held at three various times after a lunch break. Students can hear all about and learn more about the departments, programs and clubs. A complete list will be included in the PDF file sent to students’ emails, including links to the various areas of interest, including: fraternity and sorority life; the Food Pantry; the Edible Garden and sustainability; the Dreamers Resource Center; Counseling Center; the Walter W. Stiern Library, the Writing Resource Center and more.

After Orientation

In addition to the online orientation sessions, Montoya encourages students to connect with the resources and support services available on campus, as well as virtually in the fall. It’s also important that students connect with their academic advisors to register for fall courses.

Tanae McCall, Pell Grant coordinator/financial aid advisor, also added a few tips regarding financial aid and what students should do prior to classes starting:

Make sure students have all required documents turned in to our office that is listed on their to-do list if they have been selected for verification;
Enroll in direct deposit through MyCSUB, so they can receive their Financial aid in a timely manner;
If they need to submit documents to our office they can use the document submission portal: https://www.csub.edu/finaid/upload;
To apply for Financial aid go to: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa;
To apply for scholarships go to: https://csub.academicworks.com/;
To apply for dream act for DACA students go to: https://dream.csac.ca.gov/browserdetection.aspx

Key dates for financial aid, include:

· January 1 of each year – The Scholarship application opens up.

· March 2 of each year – FAFSA, Dream Act and Scholarship applications are due.

· October 1 of each year – FAFSA, Dream Act and Scholarship applications are due.

“Although we may not be able to see each other face to face, orientation is still filled with a robust of information to help ensure our transfer students have a seamless transition to the university,” said Harris.