New College debuts Day at the Bay July 20

By Derek Devine

New College of Florida will host Day at the Bay July 20, a summer visit day created to give incoming students a chance to get to know the campus, meet classmates and explore Sarasota.
The event is a collaborative effort created by student affairs and enrollment management to help ease the transition into college by allowing incoming students to get a head start on building community and connections that will prepare them for orientation week and their first semester at New College.
“Students that take advantage of Day at the Bay will have the opportunity to leave campus with new friendships, a better sense of college community, and a greater understanding as to why New College is a great place to call home,” says Travis Hardin, assistant director of new student recruitment at New College.
Day at the Bay will give students and their families the opportunity to enjoy all that campus has to offer in a relaxed atmosphere. The Bayfront will be open for water activities and there will be plenty of yard games. There will also be lunch and a roundtable discussion. Students are also encouraged to sign up for trolley rides that will give them a look at the Sarasota community and the chance to learn about the many resources in the area, including the The Cross College Alliance which is comprised of five institutions dedicated to higher education and community building along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
“What makes Day at the Bay so exciting is New College has not done an event like this for students in a long time,” says Liz Lebron, associate director of New College’s communication and marketing office. “This is an opportunity for our new students to visit with their families and feel like part of the campus community and local community before they come return in the fall.”
Also new to campus is New College’s First-Year Seminar program, which will give incoming students the opportunity to take courses led by a teaching team made up of an accomplished New College professor, a knowledgeable New College staff member and a seasoned student peer leader who is ready and able to share their expertise. The three-person teaching teams will model teamwork and engage students in meaningful discussions to foster community, cultivate resilience, encourage agency and advance understanding of how New College works.
“Day at the Bay will be the first time we present the First-Year Seminar program in person,” says Lebron, who will be introducing the program to the students and families in attendance. “We are eager to share all of the resources the program has to offer and show how excited we are to be debuting it in the fall.”
— Derek Devine is the social media manager at New College of Florida.