Orientation Information for Families

New Family Orientation

August 17–18, 2026

We’re excited to welcome new families to Occidental College!

Join us for New Family Orientation. This is an opportunity to explore campus, meet other families, and learn about resources that support your student. You’re welcome to attend any sessions that fit your schedule or take time to get settled.

Please note: all New Family Orientation sessions are optional and separate from the required student orientation schedule your student will receive. While there are a few joint events, students will receive more during their full week of orientation.

Dates and Important Links

• Academic Calendar 2026-27

• Campus Map (pdf) or Interactive Campus Map

• PDF of and  (event has passed, reference only)

Questions?

Please email parents@oxy.edu.

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2025 Schedule for New Family Orientation Activities (event has passed, for reference only)

All sessions for parents/families are OPTIONAL and SEPARATE from required New STUDENT Orientation activities for students. Family members should pick and choose sessions that best fit their schedule.

Friday, August 15, 2025 - sessions for parents/families of fall student-athletes are OPTIONAL and separate from required activities for new fall athletes that should be communicated by their coaches

1:30 - 2:30 PM	Open House - Katie Valdes, Registered Dietitian and Samantha Hilton, First Year Experience & Student Success Librarian	Johnson Hall - Global Forum, 1st floor
3:00 - 4:00 PM	“Your Student is in College, Now What?” Join Interim Dean Kathryn Leonard and Vice President for Student Affairs Vivian Santiago for a brief overview of how families can support their students and engage with campus resources.	Johnson Hall - Choi Auditorium, 2nd floor
4:00 - 5:00 PM	Parents/Families of Fall Student Athletes and Athletics Reception	Johnson Hall - Global Forum, 1st floor

 

 

Monday, August 18, 2025

8:00 AM - 2:00 PM	Welcome Center and Check-In - Parents and family members, stop by the Alumni & Parent Engagement Table to check in, grab your nametag, and pick up some Oxy swag! (Both students and parents/families may attend this together)	Johnson Student Center (JSC) - BRANCA PATIO -2nd floor
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM	The Oxy Parent Lounge is a welcoming space for parents and family members attending New Family Orientation. It’s the perfect spot to relax, recharge, and connect with others. Light refreshments will be available. Power strips will be provided for charging devices. Please bring your own chargers.	Johnson Student Center (JSC) Salsbury-Young Room on the second floor. Enter up the stairs adjacent to the Oxy Bookstore, off the JSC Quad
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM	Special Collections & Archives Tour and Open House - Explore history with the Special Collections and Archives team and see Babylonian clay tablets, rare books, a real Olympic torch, and artifacts from Oxy’s past!	Academic Commons/Library
12:00 - 1:00 PM	Open House with the First Year, Transfer, and Student Success Librarian	Academic Commons/Library
12:00 - 1:00 PM	Open House - Intercultural Community Center - Explore the Intercultural Community Center and learn about its programs and resources.	1501 Campus Road, on the corner of Campus Road and Armadale
12:00 - 1:00 PM	Open House - Office of Religious and Spiritual Life - Meet staff from the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and explore resources.	Lower Herrick
12:00-8:00 PM	Touchdown Thrift Store - Forgot to pack something? Couldn't fit everything in the car? Find it at the Move-In Thrift Sale! Cheaper and better for the planet than your leading dorm supply store. Follow @sustainableoxy for updates.	Concessions Stand by Patterson Field bleachers
1:00 - 2:15 PM	Campus Tour hosted by the Office of Admissions. Comfortable shoes are recommended.	Johnson Student Center Quad
1:00 - 2:00 PM	Financial Aid and Student Accounts	Thorne Hall
2:00 - 3:00 PM	“Your Student is in College, Now What?” Join Interim Dean Kathryn Leonard and Vice President for Student Affairs Vivian Santiago for a brief overview of how families can support their students and engage with campus resources.	Thorne Hall
3:00 - 4:00 PM	You Heard It Here First! Student Panel for Parents A fan favorite! Hear directly from current students as they share honest insights, tips, and advice to help parents support their student’s college experience. This session is moderated by an Oxy parent.	Thorne Hall
4:00 - 5:15 PM	President's Reception for New Families - Meet President Tom Stritikus, academic and student affairs deans, staff, and other Oxy Families.	Outdoor Space in front of Remsen Bird Hillside Theater
5:30 - 7:00 PM	Welcome to Oxy! A Community Celebration (Both students and parents/families may attend this together)	Remsen Bird Hillside Theater

 

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM	The Oxy Parent Lounge is a welcoming space for parents and family members attending New Family Orientation. It’s the perfect spot to relax, recharge, and connect with others. Light refreshments will be available. Power strips will be provided for charging devices. Please bring your own chargers.	Johnson Student Center (JSC) Salsbury-Young Room on the second floor. Enter up the stairs adjacent to the Oxy Bookstore, off the JSC Quad
9:00 - 10:00 AM	Hike for Parents - This is a short but steep hike up Fiji Hill. Please wear appropriate shoes for a dirt path and bring water. No pre-registration is required.	Meet at the Solar Array Parking Lot
9:30 - 10:00 AM	Tour of Athletics Facilities - Tour Oxy’s athletic and fitness spaces and see where students train, play, and stay active.	Payton Jordan Athletic Center
10:00 - 11:00 AM	Parent and Family Coffee with President Tom Stritikus - Join the Parents Council and President Stritikus for coffee, conversation, and a warm welcome to the Oxy family.	Cannon Plaza
11:00 AM -12:00 PM	Student for a Day Sessions - Learn directly from Oxy faculty and experience a college class in our “Student for a Day” sessions. Due to small class sizes, seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. to see full session descriptions and locations. Student for a Day Session Title Faculty Name Department Canine Intelligence: How do dogs think and reason? Zach Silver Psychology Journey to a Black Hole Sabrina Stierwalt Physics Charge Up the World: The Epic Rise of Clean Tech and Your Place in It Igor Logvinenko Diplomacy & World Affairs Genre Rules: The Power and Problematics of Musical Categorization Ramona Gonzalez Music Anarchy is What States Make of It Lan Chu Diplomacy & World Affairs The Economics of College Choice Jorgen Harris Economics Floating Free: Daoism, Li Bai, and the Poetry of Letting Go Meimei Zhang Asian Studies Digital security, blockchain, and bitcoin: how does it all work? Jim Brown Mathematics Trees at Oxy and Beyond Gretchen North Biology "Images that Touch" Mary Beth Heffernan and Janna Ireland Art & Art History	Fowler Classrooms 201, 202, 207, 209, 301, 202, 307, and 309. Academic Quad. Weingart photo labs (W17and W18) Campus Map
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	First Generation Lunch - First-generation students and their families are invited to a hosted lunch and to learn about the resources available to support their success.	Cannon Plaza
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	FEAST Garden Open House - is a student-run organic garden that grows produce, raises a brood of hens, mitigates waste through composting, restores native plants on campus, and more…	FEAST Organic Garden
1:00 - 2:00 PM	Supporting Student Well-being, with Emmons Wellness Center and Project SAFE	Thorne Hall
2:00 - 3:00 PM	Campus Partners Session: Careers, Pre-Health, Pre-Law and Fellowships	Thorne Hall
3:00 - 4:00 PM	Center for Community Based Learning The CCBL works with faculty, students, and community partners to connect academic courses across the curriculum with community-engaged projects throughout Los Angeles and beyond.	Thorne Hall
4:00-8:00 PM	Touchdown Thrift Store - Forgot to pack something? Couldn't fit everything in the car? Find it at the Move-In Thrift Sale! Cheaper and better for the planet than your leading dorm supply store. Follow @sustainableoxy for updates.	Concessions Stand by Patterson Field bleachers
4:30- 5:30 PM	Academic Fair - Academic Resources Fair will be available to answer your questions at the open-house style session. (Both students and parents/families may attend this together)	Academic Quad
5:30 - 6:30 PM	Sweet Send Offs - Take the time to have a sweet treat with your student as you say your goodbyes. (Both students and parents/families may attend this together) *This event concludes the Family Orientation Program; family members are asked to depart campus as the remainder of the New Student Orientation schedule is for students only.	Johnson Student Center Quad

 

(Families are welcome to participate in ANY New Family Orientation activities on any day, should your schedule allow. All sessions are OPTIONAL. Pick and choose sessions that best fit your schedule.)

*Dinner on your own indicates no "formalized" plans for activities for students during this meal time. Therefore, our general guidance to parents is that you may wish to take this time to have a meal with your student OR this an opportunity for students to interact with one another in our dining halls. Note that in years past, some student orientation leaders or RAs may informally gather folks in their hall for dinner.