FAQ for Faculty & Staff

First-Year Students

AXEcepted Day Orientation is a one day event hosted on campus or virtually that is required for all new incoming first-year, first-time freshman, regardless of dual credit coursework.  Students must register for AXEcepted day and attend for the Orientation registration hold to be lifted. These sessions are two days and will help students connect with faculty, staff, campus resources and other first-year students.

First-year students will also attend Lumberjack Life where they will move-in to their residence hall on campus early on (August 20-21, 2025) and will participate in this extended orientation program to become more acclimated with the SFA campus before the semester begins and meet other peers that can start their college journey with on (August 22-23, 2025).

Transfer Students

AXEcepted Day is optional but highly encouraged. New Student Orientation and Family Programs staff members, along with other campus departments, will host virtual and in-person AXEcepted Days.

We highly encourage departments and academic advisors to recommend our AXEcepted Days to your transfer students. We need to engage welcome, and connect our new students to our campus, faculty, staff and traditions. Summer melt can be avoided by engaging these students, and our team is here to help!

Mentorship: Participants are assigned to small groups led by upperclassmen who guide participants through the program and serve as peer mentors throughout their college journey.

Community: Small groups will be determined by students’ academic major. The personal connections they make in these groups remain with students into future semesters as they continue engaging with others in their program.

Academic Engagement: Participants will interact with faculty members and college leadership in new and innovative ways with the intention that students engage with their academic programs on deeper levels.

Social Integration: We know a big part of college is connecting with your peers, so we will take this time to facilitate connections among students during small group breakouts.

We have incorporated many academic components, including meet the deans, workshops, career readiness and Academic Resource Fair, among others. We will provide a detailed schedule as the event gets closer.

Each college/academic area has a representative on the Orientation Advisory Council, or OAC, that meets monthly reviewing and planning the orientation schedules. Talk with your college or department representatives to receive OAC updates or reach out to Kate Childress with questions.