SF State will roll out the red carpet for more than 5,000 first-time freshmen and their families on August 23 and 24 for the University's first annual SF State Welcome Days. The two-day event will feature workshops, guest speakers and activities designed to introduce incoming freshman to their fellow classmates and the larger campus community.

This is the first year for the event. Unlike SF State's summer Student Orientation, where students meet with advisors and register for classes, "Welcome Days" will focus on building a sense of community among the freshman class and introduce them to the resources and tools that will help them achieve academic excellence.

A gradual increase in on-campus residents was one motivation behind planning the event, said Joey Greenwell, Director of the Office of Student Programs and Leadership Development, and the event's organizer. "We're becoming more of a residential campus each year," said Greenwell. "We want incoming freshmen to be aware that they are not only part of SF State, but part of the Class of 2011."

At the beginning of August, approximately 1,630 freshman were scheduled to live in on-campus housing, a record number according to the University Housing department. More than 2,300 total students will be living on campus.

Incoming students will receive tips and insight from faculty, alumni, current students and staff, including: how to survive freshman year both academically and socially, how to navigate campus resources, and how to achieve their full academic potential during their time at SF State.

Paul Ash (M.B.A., '84), director of the San Francisco Food Bank, and filmmaker Greg Schell (M.F.A., '03), will share their past experiences at SF State and the positive impact the University has had on their lives.

Students and family members will have the opportunity to explore different areas of study and network with deans and faculty by touring SF State's colleges and attending sample classes created specifically for the event.

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Peter Orner will teach a sample course on writing and discuss his latest novel, "The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo," the University's first "Freshman Book" -- required reading for all first-year students. Other sample courses include a class on business statistics taught by Vijay Mehrotra, assistant professor of Decision Sciences; a lecture on the physics of sound and music by Professor James Lockhart, chair of physics and astronomy; and "Sex and Death Entwined: Images of the Medusa in Contemporary Culture" presented by Professor Elise Ann Wormuth, associate dean, College of Humanities. Librarians Athena Nazario and Kendra Van Cleave will host a mini-instructional session, "Library Research in the Age of Google."

The free event is open to all first-time freshmen living on and off campus. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in the main quad. Events will take place at various locations throughout the campus including the Gymnasium, Burk Hall and the Humanities and Creative Arts buildings. Parents are invited to attend the first day of activities; the second day is for students only.

For more information, contact the OSPLD office at 415/338-2171; ospld@sfsu.edu.

-- Barbara Hanscome