Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: This podcast is produced by members of the University of Alabama Parent Advisory Council and reflects the personal views, experiences, and opinions of the hosts and guests. These views are independent and do not represent, reflect, or speak on behalf of the University of Alabama, its administration, faculty, staff, or affiliated organizations. The content shared is for general informational and conversational purposes only. It is not intended to provide academic, medical, legal, financial, or institutional advice. While we aim to share thoughtful and helpful perspectives, we make no guarantees regarding accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Listeners are encouraged to verify information independently and rely on official University of Alabama communications for policies, decisions, and guidance. Listening to this podcast is voluntary and any actions taken based on the content are done at your own discretion and risk.
Welcome to Parent Perspectives. Navigating the University of Alabama experience as a parent can be exciting, overwhelming, and full of questions. And you don't have to do it alone. Parent Perspectives is a podcast by parents, for parents and with parents created to share real conversations, trusted insights, and firsthand experiences from those who've been there. Whether your student is Bama bound, settling into freshman year, or finding their stride on campus, this is your go to source for all things Bama student related. From academics in campus life to traditions and the moments that matter most, we cover what parents want to know honestly and thoughtfully. Tune in and feel confident knowing you're part of a supportive Bama parent community.
[00:01:51] Speaker B: Welcome to the UA Parent Perspective Podcast. One of the biggest questions parents have before move in is how their student will make friends, find their place, and begin building a community on campus. Today we're talking about Weeks of Welcome, often called wow, one of Alabama's most important traditions for helping students connect during those critical first weeks of college. With Paige Ecker Price before we dive into Weeks of Welcome, let's start by getting to know you a little bit better, Paige, can you briefly introduce yourself and share your role in supporting students during their transition to the University of Alabama?
[00:02:30] Speaker C: Absolutely. So thank you for having me today. Excited to talk about Weeks of Welcome. My name is Paige Acker Price and I serve as the Director of University Programs within the Division of Student Life here at ua. And what that means is our mission in university programs is to create events where students feel welcome, find support, and build community. So I spend every workday thinking about ways that students can find that belonging on campus. We know that UA is large and so our goal is to always help them find those pockets of involvement and connect them to everything that the capstone has to offer.
[00:03:05] Speaker B: Great. Now that we know a little bit more about your role, let's start with the basics. For families who may be hearing about WOW for the first time, for families who may be hearing about weeks of welcome for the first time, what is wow? And why is it such an important part of the student experience at Alabama?
[00:03:23] Speaker C: So weeks of welcome is eight weeks of programming for UA students. And I think anytime someone hears it, they're like, okay, eight weeks of that's a really long time.
But we have found that those first eight weeks are so crucial not only for our new students, but also our returning students to get plugged in or get back plugged in to campus. It's a great opportunity to learn about everything from student organizations to leadership opportunities. And so we try to make everything that's happening during those first eight weeks accessible, all kind of packaged in one place. So for 2026, weeks of welcome will be Sunday, August 16th to Saturday, October 10th. And so anything that's happening around campus during that time, we want students and families to know about it. So we share about it through our newsletter. We promote on social media, but really it's just about finding kind of your place and getting plugged in on campus.
So it's. I would say it's a lot of different things. I think people think that Maybe it's just one or two events, but historically, we see at least 100 events during that timeframe that students can get involved in.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: That is an incredible and diverse amount of events. One of the biggest concerns we hear from parents is whether their student will find their people.
So many students arrive on campus knowing very few people. We have a lot of out of state kids and we have kids from all over the world. Really, how does WoW help students build connections and find their place during those first few weeks?
[00:05:01] Speaker C: I think something that is really special about weeks of welcome is that there are really a wide variety of opportunities to get involved for our students. So I like to say that our large events like Script Day, which is where our incoming students come and they take their picture on Saban Field at Bryant Denny Stadium or Bama Jam, our welcome back concert, those are really large events and those help them feel connected. Those help students feel connected to the institution, make them feel like they're a part of something bigger than themselves. But then we have a lot of smaller events. So maybe that's our, you know, maybe it's like a food for thought, which is our leadership lunch and learn, or maybe it's a support group through our counseling center.
And those is, those things are what really help them feel connected to one another and what they Kind of where they can feel connected to the community.
And I would say my biggest piece of advice, and this is, I know easier said than done, is to just kind of put yourself out there.
I think that our students, new students, returning students, I think all students sometimes feel like everyone else knows what's going on and they're the ones that are out of the loop. And I always tell, especially our incoming students, kind of I let them in on the secret that no one really knows what's going on and that everyone's just kind of trying to figure it out and do their best.
And there's a lot of people here that want to help them be successful. We work with so many great campus partners across the division of student life in the different academic colleges that are committed to helping students find opportunities that align with their passions, align with their future goals, or maybe something they're really interested in. And so I think, you know, figuring out what that looks like and trying a lot of different things and also reading, reading your emails, students, families reading your emails because that is the best way to know what's going on. And we also, that's how you find out when we're giving away free food. So it's, it's just a win win
[00:07:01] Speaker B: that free food and free shirts. My kids have so many T shirts.
I agree. You just need to put yourself out there. I think just that taking that risk, there are so many people to help you.
As students begin exploring the campus, they quickly discover there's something happening almost every day or almost every hour really. Tell me more. What type of events and experiences can students expect during the weeks of welcome?
[00:07:27] Speaker C: Yeah, so I think there's just a variety of things. Like I mentioned Script day, which is our class photo, we have Bama Jam during the first few weeks. We have a book fair, we have leadership lunches, we'll have daytime programs. We will have.
We'll also have opportunities that will highlight where if they want to apply for leadership roles in various things, whether it's SGA or through our department and university programs, we have our up ambassador program.
And then we also will highlight different opportunities like career fair or our university recreation will do a big open house and showcase. And so really specifically looking at student life, all of our student facing departments will have something featured on the weeks of welcome calendar.
And so really I. It's hard for me to pick one or two things because I think that that's the goal. Right? There's not one typical UA student. There's not one typical UA student experience. I think that sometimes people think there is. They think there's only one way to be successful. There's only one way to have a good.
And I have been working specifically in university programs for almost eight years, and I know there are thousands of different ways to have a really meaningful UA experience.
And so that's what we try to do, is highlight all of those different opportunities.
We do have something this year that we're really excited to introduce that will launch in August, and that is called our 1831 list. And so that is 1831 is the year the university was founded. And so that is 18 events and 31 experiences to have during your first eight weeks back for the fall semester. So that's something that I would really encourage families to share with their students. I always say that parents and families are some of our best marketing ambassadors. And so, you know, all press is good press when it comes to telling your students about what we have going on. And so I think sometimes, you know, having, like, a checklist or something like that where they can go, okay, let me go try this. Let me go see if I can be a part of this. I think sometimes it makes it a little bit more approachable than, you know, trying to just figure out, okay, where do I start? And that's what Weeks of Welcome tries to do, is we're not doing everything in university programs. We're just trying to bring a highlight and showcase what everyone is already doing kind of in a more accessible way.
[00:09:49] Speaker B: Well, that's terrific. My kids have participated in a number of activities. I mean, there's even a big concert, an event that first week that always has a surprise artist. So it's always a really exciting time.
Although I think parents often wonder whether these events really make a difference.
Will my student adjust?
Parents, I think, worry about whether their students will make friends and feel like they belong. I mean, everybody wants to know that they're connecting. What have you seen through Weeks of Welcome that helps ease those concerns about fitting in?
[00:10:21] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure.
I mean, obviously, unlike the statistics side, we have seen that students that participate in Weeks of Welcome are more likely to stay at the institution and be retained. But I know that that's the numbers. It's not really what parents and families necessarily want to hear. But what I've firsthand is that if you can figure out and encourage your student to just take one friend and go to an event, the way that our events are set up are really meant for them to sit at round tables and have conversations with other people. Our staff is there Our students. We have a student staff of 36 student employees, and they're trained to look around and see who's sitting by themselves and say, hey, let's make these connection points. Let's see where you can get to know one another. One of our first events that we have this year, there is an activity with incentives, right? Free food, T shirts, all of the works, to say, okay, can I find four connection points to someone else at this event? Maybe they're from where I'm from, or they have the same major or they're interested in the things I'm interested in. And I think that that kind of those small conversations, you don't have to get up and talk in front of a big group of people to build community. I think it happens kind of one conversation and one person at a.
I think sometimes we worry that, you know, if students don't have 100 friends, you know, in the first three weeks, then, like, something's wrong. But really, if they can find really one or two meaningful connections, that's going to go a long way because those people are going to introduce them to a couple of people, and then those people are going to introduce them to a couple more people, and, you know, kind of organically that will grow.
But I think that it's less about the quantity of people that they're interacting with and the quality. It's more about the quality of those interactions. And that's what we try to focus on, is, again, we understand that everyone is going to interact. Not everyone wants to stand up and do karaoke at an event, but they might want to answer trivia from their seat with a couple of friends around them. And so we try to provide a wide variety of experiences at each of our events.
[00:12:25] Speaker B: Well, the kids are definitely different. My son would have been up there on the front doing karaoke in front of strangers. My daughter would have rather died. So, I mean, not every student is eager to jump into that room in front of all those strangers. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous then about attending events or, you know, by themselves or putting themselves out there during those first few weeks?
[00:12:48] Speaker C: I mean, I think that.
I think that's such a hard question, because I know how hard vulnerability can be, and it's not lost on me.
I've worked in higher ed for a long time and worked with a lot of different students, and I know that it's very easy for me to sit here as someone who is in this role and things like that, to say, well, just do it. Just put yourself out there.
But I would say I was talking to students that were nervous. And when I do talk to students that are nervous, I'm like, the worst thing that can happen is that you go back to your room tonight and maybe you didn't meet your new best friend and that's okay. Maybe you had some free food. Maybe you met someone and they were nice. Maybe you learned something about the institution.
But what if it does go well? And what if it is somebody that you were meant to meet and you are meant to know, you know, for the rest of your life? I've seen that. I've seen that, you know, countless times.
We're, you know, no matter how old we get, we're not done meeting all the people that are going to impact us and have a meaningful impact on our life. And I think that college is a really exciting time that you're going to meet people who are experiencing the same things as you, who are scared about the same things. And everyone is nervous. Everyone. You know, there's that level of vulnerability that everyone has to do, and so they're not going to have to do that alone. Everyone else is new and figuring it out.
And so I think that, you know, kind of pushing themselves, and they don't have to do it. You don't have to do it every day. You don't have to do it all day, every day. You know, maybe just say, I'm going to try three new things this week. And if you do, you know, reward yourself and.
And that kind of thing. And so I think that. I think that there is part of it is you have to kind of be willing to fail, and it's not going to be perfect. But I actually have a sign. I'm in my office right now. I have a sign on my wall that the students see when they come to meet with me. And it says, and I don't have to be perfect. I can be good. And that's what I try to tell them. Like, this isn't going to be a perfect experience. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior year. There's going to. Something's going to go wrong, but it can still be a really good experience. And that's what I've seen, is that it can still be really good.
And so that's what I hope for them in the first eight weeks.
[00:15:01] Speaker B: Well, that's terrific. And I don't want to leave on a downer. I think it is a wonderful experience. And so many kids find their people, and it's just such a terrific experience to have over those first two months of University Life. So, as we wrap up, let's leave parents with one final message. If you could share one message directly with parents as they prepare to send their student to the University of Alabama, what would you want them to know about Weeks of Welcome and the transition to college?
[00:15:30] Speaker C: I think that probably something that I always tell especially our incoming students, their parents and their families, is that I understand, having worked in higher ed for this long, from the parent perspective, what a. A scary time it is for them. Right. You are entrusting this institution, you may have met four or five people, and you're entrusting essentially your most precious gift to us.
And what I would say is that there are a lot of people here. I know I work with everyone on my professional staff that we are deeply committed to caring and guiding your student really well. That this. I have dedicated my life to ensuring that the students that come to our events are safe, safe and cared for and have a place that they feel like they belong. And so I would say that there's a lot of people that we work with, really great people, and they believe that as well and that we've got them. And that's what Weeks of Welcome is. It's. The university is putting our money where our mouth is. That mouth is that we are going to make sure that their experience is meaningful.
And.
And we know we're going to kind of show that right when they get here and so that they should be excited and proud that everything their students have done and everything that your collective family has done has brought them to be able to have this really great experience.
We're excited to have them.
[00:16:56] Speaker B: It's a terrific time and people are really excited about it. So thank you, Paige, for joining us today and helping parents really understand better how Weeks of Welcome support students during one of the biggest transitions of their young lives to our listeners. Remember that Finding Community takes time and wow. Is designed to help students take those first important steps toward feeling connected and confident at the University of Alabama.
[00:17:19] Speaker A: Thanks for tuning in today for the latest episode of Parent Perspectives, brought to you by the University of Alabama Parent Advisory Council. Check out all our podcasts on Voices ua.
You can learn more about the Parent Advisory Council, parent perspectives and UA Parent and Family Programs on the UA Parent and Family Program's website at parents.sl ua.edu.
