Fall Orientation

Please review the following checklist to make sure that you have completed all requirements by the specified deadlines, otherwise, your check-in during Orientation will be delayed.

Questions? Call 610-282-1100, plus the extensions provided below.

You can also view this checklist on the cover of the booklet you received at the DSU Preview in the spring. Please remember to check your DeSales email through “MyDSU” for updates throughout the summer. All events are subject to change.

Beginning Tuesday, July 16, 2019

• If you are bringing a vehicle to campus, you need to obtain a parking permit. Register online 

By Friday, July 26, 2019

• Adjust schedule for any A.P. and/or dual enrollment credits as directed by email from the Academic Resource Center. (ext. 1294)
• Finalize any financing options needed to cover education expenses. (i.e. apply for loans and/or establish payment plan) (ext. 1343)

By Thursday, August 1, 2019

• Required Health Forms completed by your physician and returned to the Wellness Center. (ext. 1776)
• Attention Student Athletes:
  • Student athletes must complete separate health forms for the athletic department.
• Attention Resident Students:
  • Review “What to Bring to College” on page 24 of DSU Preview Guidebook. (ext. 1442)
  • Contact your roommate.
• Enroll in e2campus If the University is closed, or if there is a delay or an emergency, e2campus helps us get information to you. (ext. 1513)
• If you do not know your Character U pod or peer mentor and/or have not received your Orientation mailing, email dsuorientation@desales.edu

By Friday, August 2, 2019

• Payment of your bill and Balance Reconciliation Form completed and mailed to the Treasurer’s Office. (ext. 1888 or 1343)

By Friday, August 16, 2019

• Complete START (Student Title IX Alcohol and Respect Training.) An email with more information will be sent in July.
• Contact information must be completed through MyDSU under “Web Advisor for Students” and the “Student Life” tab. (ext. 1207)
• Create an account on Bulldogs 4 Hire This is where you will apply for work study positions, future internships, and jobs. (ext. 1738)

Optional

• Privacy Release Information should be completed through MyDSU under “Web Advisor for Students,” and the “Communication” tab. (ext. 1223)
• Complete VIA Survey (ext. 1559)
• If using student loans, we recommend completing Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling by August 1. (ext. 1287)

Opening Day 2019 is scheduled for Sunday, August 18

• A full and detailed schedule will be handed out at check-in.
• All residential and commuting students are required to attend orientation, so please plan accordingly with work schedules and other potential conflicts.
• Students and families are encouraged to drive separately on Sunday, as student programming will run into the evening hours and parents will be leaving campus after the prayer service.
• Meals will be provided at no cost to commuter students during orientation.
• If you have a friend living on campus, and s/he is of your same gender, you may sign in as an overnight visitor.
• All students are encouraged to get involved and participate in student activities and programs. All resources on campus are available to students who live on- or off-campus.

Starting at 8:00 a.m. (Based on designated time)

• Move-In

  All resident students should check-in at Billera Hall where they will receive their keys, ID, Orientation packet, and T-shirt. They should then report to their residence hall where they will meet their roommate and Resident Advisor.

9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

• Mass – Optional 

  Mass will be offered for students and their immediate family at 9:00 a.m. in Wills Hall and 11:00 a.m. in the DeSales University Center. 

11:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.  

• Family Picnic Lunch

12:00 p.m. — 1:00 p.m.

• Commuter Check-In

  All commuter students should check-in at Billera Hall where they will receive their ID, Orientation packet, and T-shirt. 

2:00 p.m. 

• Commuter Student Expectations Meeting

  DeSales University Center 
  This is an opportunity for commuter students to get to know one another and receive basic information about DeSales University. 

• Resident Student Expectations Meeting

  Aviat, Conmy, Tocik Halls
  Students will meet with their RAs in their residence hall. RAs will present an overview of DSU community expectations for all students living in the residence hall. Students will also meet with other students who will also be residing in the residence hall.  

• Student Life Talk (Parents and Families Only)

  Billera Hall
  Members of the student life staff will review move-in day and talk about what will take place in the new few days.

3:00 p.m.

• Class of 2023 Prayer Service 

  Billera Hall Recreation Courts
  All members of the Class of 2023 and their families are welcome to join other members of the DeSales community for a time of reflection.  Afterwards, it is time to say goodbye to your family.  Remind them to visit during Homecoming on September 27  and 28 and Family Weekend on October 18 and 19.  

Welcome to on-campus living at DeSales!

Residence hall move-in for first-year students will take place throughout the morning of Sunday, August 18th, based on the schedule in the next tab. We ask that all families make their arrival plans according to this schedule. Athletes will receive special instructions.

Please be sure that the hang-tags you received are placed on each of your vehicles’ rearview mirrors as you approach campus (driving directions provided on back of tag).

As you approach campus on Preston Lane, you will be required to check-in at Billera Hall. Before leaving your vehicle, please be sure to have a form of photo ID with you to receive your room key. 

Representatives from Financial Aid, the Safety Office, the Treasurer’s Office, and the Health Center will be on hand to assist students with incomplete medical/emergency records and/or outstanding balances on their student accounts. In order to move in to your room, you must be cleared by all of these offices.   

After completing check-in and receiving a clearance ticket at Billera Hall, students will proceed directly to their assigned living areas. Vehicles will follow a specific traffic pattern, which will allow student belongings to be unloaded directly at the entrance of their building.

While checking in, University staff and a student move-in crew will be waiting to help you unload your vehicle and carry belongings directly to your room. All student belongings must be clearly labeled in advance with your name and room number to ensure safe delivery. Be sure to pack belongings (especially electronics) appropriately for safe handling in case of inclement weather. Once unloaded, all vehicles will be directed to a designated parking area just a short walking distance from the first-year living area. 

Upon your arrival to your residence hall, you will have time to unpack, organize your room and meet your roommate prior to the start of Orientation that afternoon.

Lunch will be provided for students and their families from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. in tents adjacent to the residence halls. Families are welcome to remain through the afternoon program. 

On move-in day, you will meet the Resident Advisor (RA) for your floor. RAs are upperclassmen who live in each wing of the residence halls and are available to assist you with any living concerns. RAs build community in the halls, help residents adjust to the college experience, and assist in maintaining an environment conducive to academic success.  While RAs do handle violations of University policy, their focus is to create living environments that are safe and enjoyable for all students. Any time you have a question and are not sure where to find the answer, your RA is there to help, as is your Peer Mentor, Character U Captain, and the entire Student Affairs staff in Dorothy Day Student Union. Be sure to ask us about residential programs and ways to get involved in campus life.

If you have any questions prior to move-in day, please visit the Residence Life website for a variety of information to help you prepare for your experience of living on campus. Also, feel free to contact us at reslife@desales.edu or at 610.282.1100, ext. 1442. If you have housing questions, please contact housing@desales.edu or at extension 1425.

This is an exciting new time in your lives and here at DeSales we are here to help aid in your transition from high school into higher education.  One particular aspect that will help in your transition, which is unique to DSU, is our first-year experience program―Character U.  Character U has been the DeSales University bedrock first-year experience program for new students since 2006.

During orientation, you will meet with your Character U pod and team, as well s your peer mentor. Our staff of upperclassmen mentors have been trained and are ready and eager to help you transition into this new chapter in your life.  Please use them as your resource for answering questions so you can hit the ground running on opening day, August 18th. 

Your participation in the Character U program is vital to your social and academic growth at DeSales. If you have any questions prior to August 18th, please do not hesitate to contact your peer mentor.

Character U will help you meet new people, gain valuable new experiences, help you grow as a student and ultimately help aid in your personal character development. 

To help you develop and grow your own goodness as a DeSales students, we have monthly keynote speakers whose messages reflect a monthly character trait taken from The Golden Counsels of Saint Francis de Sales. These speakers share their powerful real life stories of hardship, heartache, and other difficult life challenges and how they overcame and grew from their experiences. All keynotes are free and open to the public.  Each keynote begins at 3:00 p.m. and concludes at 4:00 p.m. 

The keynotes for the fall semester are:

• September 4th: Terry Caffey
• October 2nd: Marcus Engel
• November 13th: Steve Super
• December 5th: Character U Christmas

All events are subject to change.

Learn more about Character U

• ENGAGE
• Meal Plans
• Financial Aid
• Housing
• Trexler Library
• Bookstore - On Opening Day, the University bookstore (located in the DeSales University Center) will be open from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Student ID’s/Paw Pass - If you did not have your picture taken at the DSU Preview, or over the summer, you can have it taken on Opening Day from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the Card Office located in the DeSales University Center.