The office of student engagement and recruitment will host Cardinal View, beginning at 8 a.m., Nov. 10, im the Shiela Umphrey Recreational Center. The event is designed to show prospective students what LU has to offer.
Tracie Craig, director of the welcome center and campus experience, said LU hosted 616 prospective students and their families during the spring Cardinal View. Almost 1,100 are registered for this fall’s event, with 362 listed as prospective students, Craig said.
“That number typically climbs significantly the week of the event,” she said. “Hopefully, that trend will hold this year. If even half of our current registrants attend, we will have the best fall crowd to date.”
Registration for the event will begin at 8 a.m. in the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center, and opening activities will start at 8:45 a.m.
During opening activities, prospective students will be able to eat breakfast, listen to music, participate in activities, meet admissions counselors and tour the residence halls.
“There will be a DJ playing while the Cardinal Activities Board hosts several games and activities, and the College of Engineering hosts the ‘Walk on Water’ feature,” Craig said. “‘Walk on Water’ is a pool of non-Newtonian fluid that simulates the experience of walking on water.”
The tours will be led by LU Crew members — current students who work in the Welcome Center and conduct daily tours, Craig said.
“We are very proud of this group of young people and their commitment to excellence in the Welcome Center,” she said. “They make it their goal to be a welcoming, helpful first face for Lamar University.”
Academic sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. During the sessions, prospective students will have an opportunity to meet with academic deans and department representatives to discuss majors and requirements, and to ask questions, Craig said.
A Student Success Fair is slated from 9:45 a.m. to noon, and will be held in the Setzer Student Center Atrium.
Prospective students will have the opportunity to meet and exchange information with current LU students who are involved in student organizations, Craig said.
“It’s not too late to register for a booth at the fair,” she said. “We hope that student organizations will collect the names and email addresses of guests who visit their tables, and start recruiting and involving them in the organization’s activities.”
Breakout sessions will begin at 10:30 a.m., and end at 12:30 p.m., where participants can choose three different topics, including living at LU, applying to LU, getting involved at LU, financial aid and scholarships, and a walking tour of campus.
Each session is 30 minutes with 15 minute breaks in between.
“Our breakout sessions are ‘Getting Involved at LU,’ which will be led by Student Engagement, and is exactly what the title indicates — ways to get involved while studying here,” Craig said.
“‘Financial Aid and Scholarships’ is an overview of the financial side of things, with opportunities to get hands-on assistance with applications. ‘Living at LU’ is an overview and Q&A about residence life, and ‘Applying to LU’ is a guide to the application process.”
A lab will be set up in the Galloway Business Building where guests can get help with any of the online portals, such as “Apply Texas” or “MyScholarships,” Craig said.
Guests will also get the chance to meet LU’s mascots.
“Big Red and Lu will make an appearance for photos, and guests will be able to exchange their name tag for a ticket to the football game by going to the ticket office at the Montagne Center,” Craig said.
For more information, visit lamar.edu/cardinalview.
Story by Abigail Pennington, UP contributor