Over 900 incoming graduate students gathered for Graduate Student Orientation on Aug. 14, 2024. They connected with each other, met staff from The Graduate School and campus partners, learned about the resources available to support them, and heard advice to prepare them for their student experience.
Dean of The Graduate School Beth Mayer Davis opened the event with an acknowledgment of the importance of the mission Carolina’s new graduate students are undertaking.
“As a public university, we have an obligation to use our considerable talents and resources to serve the people of North Carolina, the nation and the world,” Dean Mayer-Davis said. “Carolina graduate students generate and implement the new knowledge we need to solve today’s greatest challenges.”
The event was largely organized by The Graduate School’s student affairs team. Kate McAnulty, senior associate dean for student affairs in The Graduate School, highlighted The Graduate School’s role as a source of support for graduate students throughout their time at Carolina.
“The Graduate School was so glad to welcome so many incoming students at Orientation,” McAnulty said. “We loaded them with valuable information, and I hope they ended the day with new connections and feeling well-prepared to begin their Carolina careers.”
“Graduate School can be overwhelming and difficult at times, so I encourage students to reach out for assistance when needed,” she added. “Our student affairs team and our entire staff are here to support you.”
Orientation included breakout sessions for new students to learn from alumni, staff and campus partners about navigating the graduate student experience.
Julianne Miao (MA ’22), an alumna who now works as a curatorial assistant at Duke University’s Nasher Museum of Art, addressed new students as part of a panel of recent alumni. Miao encouraged the new students to take advantage of the academic and professional opportunities available to them, attend academic and social events on campus, and explore everything that Chapel Hill and the surrounding area has to offer.
“I love sharing my experiences at Carolina and my experiences after graduating. It’s something I really valued from others while I was a student,” said Miao. “I hope new graduate students learned more about the opportunities available to them on campus and how their path doesn’t need to look the same as how they imagined it would when they started their programs.”
A team of current graduate students assisted with welcoming new students to Carolina by serving as orientation ambassadors. They assembled a collection of recommendations to guide new students in familiarizing themselves with Chapel Hill and the surrounding area.
Students who missed orientation or want to review the information shared at the event can visit The Graduate School’s Orientation resources page.
Students who attended orientation are encouraged to complete the Orientation evaluation.