LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The school year has started for universities around the state. At UA Little Rock, they made sure to give the students a warm welcome.
During Welcome Week from August 21-25, the campus held a block party, with food trucks, art, and much more.
“It’s just a week to get excited about becoming a Trojan,” said Allie Taylor with the Trojan Transition Assistance Center.
Allie Taylor, along with Leah Ford with the Trojan Transition Assistance Center say they look forward to Welcome Week all summer long.
For them, they get excited about seeing the faces they missed and making new relationships with the newbies.
“It’s like a big happy family for sure,” Taylor said. “We really want students to start off on the right foot so being successful throughout their whole four years of being here or however long they plan on being here.”
Step one is helping students by giving them a sense of belonging. And that’s what this week is about.
All the events are designed to help students engage with fellow students, the campus and just have fun.
The university’s new app, Trojan Engage, will keep students in the loop about what’s happening on campus.
“That’s how they use their pass to get into different events around campus and it sends them reminders of different events we have going on throughout the year,” Leah Ford said.
Yes, Welcome Week is about having fun and getting settled in, but Leah and Allie also make sure to remind students about the reason they are here.
Taylor says she makes sure to encourage students to be progressive in their classes.
One of Ford’s key tips is to “be ahead of it early so that you don’t fall behind and you are successful the whole semester.”
