Connect
The Connect phase will kick off your first term at Oregon State. During this multi-day experience you'll form lasting connections with your fellow students, attend events and participate in activities, learn Oregon State traditions, and build up your academic skills.
While the schedule for Connect is unique year-to-year, here are some of our favorite fall events that you can count on attending if you begin at Oregon State in September.
For folks who start at OSU in the winter or spring, the Connect phase of your onboarding sequence will be shorter, but you can still count on events to support your transition into the academic environment, get you connected to your peers, and opportunities to take part in OSU traditions.
Fall Events
New Student Walk
Students gather with their academic colleges and walk from the Memorial Union Quad to Gill Coliseum for the New Student Convocation ceremony with OSU senior leadership. This tradition, right at the beginning of your academic journey, mirrors the walk you’ll take at the end. The next time you line up with fellow students in your college and walk this route, you’ll be on the way to receive your diploma.
Convocation
Each fall, Oregon State officially welcomes new students during the New Student Convocation ceremony. Convocation, which literally translates to "come together," is another ceremony that bookends the Oregon State University academic year. While commencement celebrates graduates, convocation celebrates new students — in Corvallis and online.
Orange & Black Rally
Following Convocation, students learn Beaver football cheers at the Orange & Black Rally inside Reser Stadium, take the field for the class photo, and enjoy a picnic on Parker Plaza.
FORTE: Academic Onboarding for New-to-OSU Students
FORTE is OSU's academic orientation event for new first-year or transfer student starting at OSU in the fall. Students attend a keynote session with a panel of current students, and two breakout sessions of their choice.
Beaver Community Fair
Discover different student groups, clubs, and organizations, learn about volunteer opportunities, and find vendors from local businesses, all of which help students connect with Corvallis.