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First-Year Experience

The second you step on campus, you’ll feel like family. Your first weekend will begin with a special Welcome Mass, personal greetings from the Chancellor and Archabbot, President and other campus leaders, socials, and more, followed by weeks of fun and academic guidance as you make this next leap in your journey. Our first-year student orientation is a five-week long introduction into the community, values and scholarship that make your new home at Saint Vincent.

Student Life

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Saint Vincent first-year residents live in Saint Benedict Hall, which has the most picturesque view of the sunrise over our Basilica. Saint Benedict Hall was specifically designed to help first-year students foster true community and get to know their fellow classmates.

orientation team

Helping You Find Your Way

Upon arrival, upperclassman volunteers will help you move in and begin your first few weeks. Orientation at Saint Vincent includes a team of faculty, administrators and more than 100 student volunteers who work to make each incoming student’s transition to Saint Vincent a smooth one. You’ll be paired with an upperclassman mentor who will act as your “Big” and guide you through the year. Your Big will be able to personally help you with any questions or worries about transitioning to college, including how to register, how to navigate housing, and where your classes are on campus. The orientation program also includes an academic orientation day during the summer and First Year Seminar, and a Welcome Weekend prior to the start of classes which includes social events to meet other new students, programs to help you succeed, including information on drug and substance abuse education and personal safety, and an introduction to our Benedictine mission and values. Families are invited to participate in our Bearcat Connection family program and learn ways to help their students and enjoy their own new roles as members of the Saint Vincent community.
dorm mates in lounge

Getting Settled In

Your freshman year will be spent living in “pods” or neighborhoods of 16-24 students based on your study habits, interests, sleep schedule and more. Each of the 21 individual pods has its own lounge and bonds of having a theme. You’ll have the opportunity to go to programs, games, prayer sessions and bible studies together and make friends that last a lifetime. The most fun comes when you get to compete in “Pod Wars” activities like human battleship, a scavenger hunt and an ultimate finish finale to win the highly coveted title of Pod Wars Champions for your year. Your pod will be your team, your home and your family.
commuter students in common space

First-Year Commuter Students

Our Citrone Family Commuter Center offers a kitchenette, study tables, pool table, TV, a “Help Yourshelf” stocked with free snacks, and the opportunity to enjoy events and programs with other commuter students. You will also have access to Saint Benedict Hall and its lounge, computer lab, and kitchenette. As a commuter student, you’re assigned a home neighborhood with a prefect who will assist you and guide you through specified orientation evens. You will also be invited to participate in many activities throughout the year with your fellow first-year students.

Academic Guidance

Saint Vincent mascot with students

First-Year Seminar

First-Year Seminars are here to help you feel welcomed into the Saint Vincent college academic community. Through these courses, you gain a sense of accessibility with your professors and comfort with your peers, as well as an understanding of core areas of our curriculum like academic responsibility, critical thinking and the ability to present and communicate your ideas. Our First-Year Seminars emphasize that Saint Vincent professors want to build lasting connections with you. All students participate in First-Year Seminar courses, which incorporate extracurricular events to highlight the greater impact of what you learn on campus onto the world beyond.
student with Chanukah candles

The Office of Multicultural Student Life

The Office of Multicultural Student Life is a resource that is here to help students adjust to life at Saint Vincent by encouraging them to understand and respect one another, and to appreciate the different perspectives that each student brings. By encouraging a supportive and nurturing environment where everyone gets access to the help that they need, the Office of Multicultural Life works to educate students while nurturing understanding through programming efforts and partnerships.

Contact Us

Orientation Office
Phone:724-805-2094
Email:svc.orientation@stvincent.edu

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