UNL rolls out the red carpet today as New Student Enrollment welcomes the first members of the Class of 2018.

Opening day on June 9 saw 200 incoming students register for fall classes and learn about campus programs and facilities. The second session today (June 10) is expected to be the largest day with more than 220 students attending. And, when NSE finishes July 11, more than 10,000 students and parents will have participated.

“We’re offering New Student Enrollment up to six days a week and we’ll have more than 4,000 students and around 6,000 parents attending,” said Patrick McBride, associate dean and director of NSE. “Our goal is to assist students who are coming to UNL in the fall and inspire them to do their best when classes start.”

On an average day, McBride said a mix of 100 current students, faculty and staff will assist with NSE. That total includes 32 students serving as orientation leaders, with college advisers, faculty and staff rounding out NSE support roles that range from delivering presentations to meeting with parents during lunch.

To participate in NSE, students who are orientation leaders complete a 16-week course, two retreats and three weeks of training. The training transforms the students into experts about UNL so they can effectively communicate about the university and answer questions posed by incoming students.

The orientation leaders — who are students in and represent one of UNL’s eight colleges — also lead information presentations and lead the NSE Experience walking tours of City and East campus.

“I understand that a residence assistant will have a longer lasting impact on a new student, but no one will have more impact in one hour than our orientation leaders,” McBride said. “We want our incoming students to walk away knowing of all the opportunities that await them here at UNL. We want them to be prepared and have the information needed to get the best out of their education.”

NSE participants are split into two groups; one that registers for classes in the morning and takes the UNL Experience tour in the afternoon, the other taking the tour first and registering second.

Presentations focus on four themes — academics, responsible use of alcohol, the importance of pursuing diversity, and global engagement.

The UNL Experience includes stops in a large lecture classroom, a smaller classroom, research space and other facilities like campus recreation.

Renovation in the Nebraska Union will bring a few room changes to NSE this summer, with presentations shifting out of the Colonial/Pewter room space and into the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center. McBride said the change will have little impact on the NSE presentations.

“Space is tight this summer, but it’s going to be good to get our incoming students in the Gaughan Center,” McBride said.

Overall, the design of UNL’s New Student Enrollment program is similar to other universities that offer one-day programs.

“We are pretty typical in the design of New Student Enrollment,” McBride said. “The thing we do more than other places is to ensure that the students are in classes that advisers have advised them to take.

“Other programs allow students to register from home online. We don’t let them leave until the agreed upon registration is complete.”

At the end of the day, as students and parents/guardians head for home, McBride has just one wish.

“We want to exceed their expectations,” McBride said. “That’s our philosophy. We want incoming students to go home excited about their choice to attend UNL. We want them to wish that classes start the next day.”