Meet
New Student Leaders.
On This Page
Connect. Inspire. Thrive.
Congratulations on officially starting your journey as a Stag! We are excited to welcome you to Fairfield University and are proud to have you as the newest member of our community.
Orientation for the Class of 2026 will take place on Tuesday, June 21-Wednesday, June 22, 2022 and Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 28, 2022. Please review the information and FAQs below to learn more about the Orientation registration and onboarding process.
Emails from orientation@fairfield.edu with updates and additional information will be sent to students Fairfield Gmail. Students should check their student emails on a regular basis for these updates.
What to Expect at Orientation
Orientation provides an opportunity for students to get acquainted with Fairfield University. Students who participate in Orientation will:
Get to Know
fellow new students.
Receive Advising
from faculty and professional staff.
Register
for fall semester academic classes.
Make Connections
with faculty, staff, administrators, and other students.
Learn Strategies
for navigating a transition to Fairfield.
Have Fun
and enjoy!
Getting Started
First-Year Student Checklist
To ensure your successful transition to Fairfield, the student checklist has been created to help you keep track of all the forms and assignments you will need to complete prior to the start of the semester.
Note: Only students who have confirmed their attendance by submitting their deposit to the Office of Admissions and claimed their NetID will be able to access the New Student Checklist.
First-Year Student Guidebook
The guidebook is created to assist students during their first semesters at Fairfield. This book will serve as a 'go to' resource for everything Fairfield. It is packed with information regarding buildings on campus, academic planning, action items, office locations, and contact information.
Parent/Guardian Checklist
Parents/Guardians, your student has several action items to accomplish within their own online checklist system. However, there are specific action items that they may need your help with and/or for you to complete on your own. Please review the Parent/Guardian Checklist for more information.
Language Placement
All new students with academic or life experience in one of the following languages: Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, must take the Language Placement Exam, found on the online New Student Checklist. Students planning to study a new language at Fairfield should still take the Language Placement Exam in the language that was studied in high school. This score must be on record if the student ultimately decides to stay with her/his previously-studied language.
Math Placement
Students will be advised on which initial math course is best for their experience and academic goals based off of the information they provide in their Academic Interests Questionnaire, found on the online First-Year Student Checklist. In general, it is recommended that students enroll in the highest numbered mathematics course for which their high school preparation allows.
Local Hotels
Reserve a room at one of many local hotel options.
First Year Experience
FYE is an integral part of every new Stag’s transition to Fairfield. Each student will be assigned a New Student Leader (NSL) and a Community Associate (CA), who serve as mentors and support new students through their transition into the Fairfield community.
Frequently Asked Questions
Checklist Questions
The First-Year Student Checklist is open to all incoming students who have claimed their NetID. It can take up to 48 hours after submitting your deposit for an email telling you to claim your NetID to be generated, and another 48 hours after claiming your NetID for the checklist to be accessible. If it has been more than 48 hours since claiming your NetID and you still aren’t able to access the checklist, please contact the Orientation Team at orientation@fairfield.edu for assistance. The checklist will be open for the Class of 2026 in mid-April.
Some checklist items are automatically updated while some need to be manually updated, so it is important to review the “Updated Within” information for each action item. If it has been more than 10 days and an item you completed is still not checked off, please contact the Orientation Team at orientation@fairfield.edu for assistance.
Orientation Logistics
Students will choose to attend one of the two overnight orientation sessions: Tuesday, June 21-Wednesday, June 22, 2022 and Monday, June 27 – Tuesday, June 28, 2022.
Check-in on Day 1 will take place from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., with the first session starting at 9 a.m. Folks can expect to leave campus around 2 p.m. on Day 2.
The Student Orientation Guide, which contains the student schedule, can be found here.
The Guest Orientation Guide, which contains the student schedule, can be found here.
If a student is unable to attend either orientation session, they must still complete the Orientation Registration Form on the First-Year Student Checklist by May 20. Knowing who can/cannot attend will assist the Orientation Team in the planning and implementation of the orientation sessions.
The Orientation Team will be in contact with students who can't attend orientation throughout the summer to ensure they are supported in their transition to Fairfield University.
Students are allowed to bring one guest with them to orientation. Guests will follow a separate schedule, with sessions focused on sharing resource information that will assist them in supporting their student's transition to Fairfield. Guest attendance is optional but encouraged.
Guests are required to register ahead of time using the Guest Orientation Registration Form, which can be found on the First-Year Student and Parent/Guardian Checklists. The deadline to register is May 20.
The following orientation presentations will be live-streamed and recorded for folks to review on fairfield.edu/orientation:
Tuesday, June 21, 2022 Live-Streams
- University Welcome- 9-9:30 a.m. ET
- Magis Core and Registration Overview- 9:45-10:15 a.m. ET
- Academic Resources Forum- 10:30-11:15 a.m. ET
- Student Life Forum- 11:30-12:30 p.m. ET
- Hold on Loosely: Resiliency and Your College-Bound Student- 2-3:15 p.m. ET
Wednesday, June 22, 2022 Live-Streams
- Financial Planning Overview- 9:45-10:45 a.m. ET
- Step Up Stags- 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET
On-campus housing will be provided for all students attending the two-day orientation sessions, however guest on-campus accommodations are not available. Guests are invited to commute from home or stay at a local hotel. Information about local hotels with special Fairfield Orientation rates can be found at: https://www.fairfield.edu/undergraduate/student-life-and-services/student-engagement/new-students/local-hotels/index.html.
Students
- Casual, comfortable clothes and shoes
- Rain jacket & umbrella
- Toiletries, including a towel
- Pillow, sheets (twin XL) & blanket, or sleeping bag
- Small fan
- First-Year Guidebook
- Laptop or tablet for course registration (only need to carry around on Day 1)
- License, passport or other state-issued photo-ID for StagCard picture to be taken
- NetID login information
- Student Medical Report Form/Immunization Records (if not already submitted)
Guests
- Casual, comfortable clothes and shoes
- Rain jacket & umbrella
- Student Medical Report Form/Immunization Records (if not already submitted)
All student attendees will be asked to provide proof of vaccination and/or a negative result from a Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours of their session.
- Students who are fully vaccinated must submit proof of vaccination to their Student Health Portal at least 24 hours before their scheduled Orientation session.
- Unvaccinated students must submit a negative COVID-19 test result, taken within 72 hours of their scheduled Orientation session, to covidhealth@fairfield.edu prior to arriving to campus. Below is the protocol for submitting a negative test:
- COVID-19 tests from an external provider (lab, doctor, etc.) must include the student’s full name, the negative test result, and the date the test was administered. Tests that do not include this information will not be accepted.
- At-home COVID-19 tests must have the student’s initials and the date the test was taken written directly on the testing instrument. Tests that do not include this information will not be accepted.
Academic Planning
The Office of Academic Support and Retention has pre-registered all students for at least one major and/or Magis Core course. At orientation, students will meet with advisors to learn more about the academic planning process prior to registering for the remainder of their first semester courses.
The Office of Academic Support and Retention will reach out to students who are unable to attend orientation to help them complete their fall 2022 course schedule.
Our students utilize both Apple and PC based laptops for the majority of schools/majors. The exception is the School of Engineering, where we recommend our students use/purchase a PC based laptop. All students should download Microsoft Office 365, which is available at office365.fairfield.edu for no additional cost.
Students entering Fairfield University may be eligible to receive college credits for work previously completed in several ways: through Advanced Placement exams, through high-level international baccalaureate courses, or through college courses completed while in high school. More information about the awarding of credits can be found on the New Student Checklist and in the New Student Guide. New students should make sure that official results or transcripts are sent to the Office of Academic Support and Retention (asr@fairfield.edu) as soon as possible in order to have more options in course planning.
Connect With Us
The latest Fairfield news, events, and campus photos are just a post or tweet away. Stay up-to-date on all things Fairfield and connect with us online by following our social media pages.
If you have any questions you can email or call us at orientation@fairfield.edu Office of Student Engagement (203) 254-4053 and Office of the Dean of Students (203) 254-4211.
