How to Zag Workshops

By: John Cayton, FYEP Summer Graduate Intern, Baldwin Wallace University

We hope that your students are excited to begin their orientation process at Gonzaga University! Orientation will be an amazing whirlwind of making new friends, collecting information, and getting comfortable in the residence halls. It can seem like information overload! We know not every student will be completely transitioned to this new chapter in their lives by the end of Orientation weekend, because Orientation is not an event… it is a process. First Year Experience Programs (FYEP) and GUide Core (our orientation student leadership team) will continue welcoming students throughout your Zag’s first semester.

We are introducing a series called “How to Zag Workshops” that will be open to all new students. Each one of these six workshops will address a different area of wellness, so that your student is able to transition in a holistic manner that is consistent with the University Mission Statement. The program idea was sparked by a group of sophomores from last year’s Experiential Leadership Institute (ELI) to address a need on campus. Programming envisioned by students, for students! We have two goals for the program:

• To introduce students to a well-rounded representation of campus resources while grounding them with resources from these offices, and
• To help students continuously develop a sense of belonging at Gonzaga University.

Some of your students may have familiarity with one or more of these concepts. Maybe your student was highly involved in high school and already knows how to manage his or her time. Maybe he or she has been working for several years and has been responsible with his or her own personal finances already. Perhaps some students have not been exposed to situations that call on these areas yet. These are all perfectly acceptable! How to Zag Workshops will be of value, regardless of anyone’s background, because they will be tailored to his or her new context at Gonzaga.

At Gonzaga University, there will be countless new opportunities and challenges; we want to make sure students have every opportunity to build a strong foundation at GU in order to thrive in each aspect of their lives. Remember, even if they are knowledgeable in an area, it provides a space to meet more students. We hope that you will encourage your student to attend, and we look forward to seeing many of you on campus soon!

How to Zag Workshop Sessions (7p – 8p in Hemmingson Center Room 314A):

• September 8: In[tents] Fandom (Athletic Tickets & Tenting)*
• September 15: Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That! (Time Management)
• September 22: Stressed Spelled Backwards Is Desserts (Stress Management)
• September 29: Don’t Need A Budget? Non[cents]! (Personal Budgeting)
• October 6: How Iggy Got A Job (Ignatian Pedagogy and the Center for Career & Professional Development)
• October 13: CRN: Can I Register Now? (Academic Course Registration)

*Meet outside of Hemmingson Center entrance by Foley Lawn

Students who attend four or more sessions will be entered in a raffle to win $50 Bulldog Bucks. For more information visit First Year Experience Programs in Crosby Center, Room 110 or email orientation@gonzaga.edu.