[481] 11-Week Series of CUSTOMS Orientation Begins at MTSU

Release date: May 25, 2011

News and Media Relations contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu
CUSTOMS contact: Gina Poff, 615-898-5533 or ghpoff@mtsu.edu

11-week Series of CUSTOMS Orientation Begins at MTSU

(MURFREESBORO) — As summer begins, incoming freshman students will venture to campus for MTSU's annual CUSTOMS program.
CUSTOMS is the new-student orientation program that helps acquaint students with what will be their new academic and social home for the next few years. The program aims to ease the transition of new students into college and decrease their anxiety.
Eleven sessions are scheduled to take place, beginning today and Thursday and continuing all the way through July.
While CUSTOMS is not mandatory, students are strongly encouraged to attend so they can familiarize themselves with their new surroundings. Reservations are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so students should register as early as possible.
During the course of each two-day program, students will be shown the campus and local environment while also being taught the policies, procedures, requirements and programs of MTSU. Representatives from the Admissions Office and Office of Financial Aid, along with the Office of Housing and Residential Life, are involved in CUSTOMS as well as other campus departments.
Students attending CUSTOMS will be accommodated with on-campus housing in one of MTSU's residence halls. Families are strongly encouraged to attend the session with their students, and the University offers a separate program to answer parents’ and guardians' questions and familiarize them with their students' new environment.
CUSTOMS is just one of the aspects of New Student and Family Programs.
For more information, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs or call 615-898-5533.

Summer 2011 CUSTOMS dates for students entering MTSU in fall 2011 include:
• May 25-26 — all scholarship students;
• June 2-3 — for College of Business, Liberal Arts, Mass Communication or Education majors;
• June 7-8 — for College of Basic and Applied Sciences or Behavioral and Health Science majors;
• June 10-11 — business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
• June 15-16 and June 21-22 — basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors;
• July 6-7 — business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
• July 14-15 — basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors;
• July 19-20 — business, liberal-arts, mass-comm or education majors;
• July 22-23 — basic and applied sciences or behavioral and health sciences majors; and
• July 27-28—open to all colleges' majors.
Undeclared majors are welcome to attend any session of CUSTOMS but must reserve a place on a preferred date.

###
Media welcomed.

In Brief

Today marks the first of 11, two-day CUSTOMS freshman orientation sessions for students beginning their university careers this fall. CUSTOMS helps ease the transition from high school to college. By the end of July, nearly 4,000 people — the students and their families — will have attended CUSTOMS. For more information, visit customs or call 615-898-5533.


Note: This story was written by Sydney L. Warneke, a journalism major, who graduated May 7 with a bachelor's degree in mass communication. She worked as a practicum student for the Office of News and Media Relations during the spring 2011 semester.


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year — kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.

For MTSU news and information, go online to mtsunews.com.