This summer’s New Student Orientation will be held online for the incoming class; but, the university is planning for a return of in-person events for MeetState weekend.

The 2020 New Student Orientation was the first of its kind, adapting to COVID-19 restrictions and doing an entirely online orientation process.

Even with South Dakota State University and South Dakota Board of Regents announcing plans for a “more normal” 2021-22 academic year, NSO will remain online this summer.

“We learned a few things from going virtual for the first time last year. The biggest difference is offering more live, synchronous content for attendees to consume,” Adam Karnopp, orientation director, said. “We’re adding an Orientation Leader-led session that will focus on building community and answering any final questions students might have. We’ll also be adding more variety to our offering of live info presentations.”

According to Karnopp, the virtual NSO will have synchronous components via Zoom and asynchronous components. Attendees will watch presentations, participate in Q&A sessions and speak with advisers, faculty, staff and Orientation Leaders.

Students will also have a Zoom advising and registration appointment during, or shortly after, NSO.

But the 2021-22 move-in weekend, also known as MeetState, will look like a “more normal” return to campus.

“While it’s a bit early to have specifics, there are some key programs that new students can count on this year,” Karnopp said. “One long-standing tradition is the Convocation program … which can be thought of as a bookend to the graduation ceremony. Another traditional program is ThumpStart… We pair groups of new students with a student leader who takes them through various activities, including a campus tour… There will also be a Student Engagement Expo that showcases the ways students can get involved on campus.”

For more information about NSO and Meetstate, check www.sdstate.edu/new-student-orientation and sdstate.mystate.edu. If students have any feedback regarding NSO or MeetState, they can call 605-688-6283 or email [email protected].

Incoming students can also keep an eye out for The Collegian’s Orientation Issue, being distributed digitally this summer.