Your next adventure starts here!

We are excited to welcome undergraduate students during New Student Orientation in August! Orientation is an opportunity for new students to move into their campus residences, select their courses and meet with their academic advisors, and learn about what it means to be a Franklin student. Orientation is an important part of students' first experiences as members of the Franklin community, and our goal is to help them adjust to life at their home away from home.

Graduate students will take part in several of the sessions with other new students. Graduate Studies coordinates sessions specifically designed to prepare graduate students for their coursework and jumpstart their Franklin graduate experience! 

  • Please note that all new undergraduate and graduate students should plan to arrive on campus between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 22.

Download the Franklin smartphone app for iTunes and Google Play! Once new students receive their Franklin username and password, they will be able to use all of the app's features as a Franklin student! We'll use the app during Orientation, so we encourage incoming students to become familiar with it ahead of time.

Download from App Store

Download from Google Play

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

Wednesday, August 16

Q&A with Orientation Mentors

Meet several of our OMs at 8 p.m. (CEST - Central European Summer Time) and ask some of the questions that have been on your mind about being a Franklin student. Students will receive the Zoom information via e-mail in advance of the session.

Tuesday, August 22

New Student Orientation

New students will take part in activities and informational sessions to help them learn about resources, what it means to be a Franklin student, policies and expectations, and other valuable information. Participation in all parts of Orientation is mandatory, with the exception of meals. Look for more details regarding the Orientation schedule later this summer. Remember to download the Franklin smartphone app for iTunes and Google Play, as we’ll be using it during Orientation!

Arrival Day

All new students should plan to arrive on campus on Tuesday, August 22. Students will be able to move into their residence halls and start getting adjusted to their new home. All students will check in at the Grace Library on the Kaletsch Campus at Via Ponte Tresa 29 in Sorengo. 

Schedule:

  • New Student Check-In - Grace Library, Kaletsch Campus - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Lunch - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 12 p.m. to 1:30 pm
  • Welcome - Kaletsch Auditorium - 6:00 pm
  • Dinner - Dining Hall, North Campus - 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Optional Walk to the Lake - 8:15 p.m.

Wednesday, August 23

Wednesday Orientation Sessions

Students will take part in mandatory sessions to help them prepare for their time at Franklin and will move around campus in their Orientation Groups. Sessions will include but are not limited to:

  • A welcome and introduction to campus;
  • Their initial meeting to apply for their student permit;
  • A campus tour;
  • An intercultural communication exercise;
  • An introduction to campus life;
  • Lunch;
  • A presentation about safety and security.

Students, faculty, staff, and families will take part in an annual tradition, A Taste of Switzerland, for dinner Wednesday evening between 6:30 p.m.  and 8:30 p.m.

Families are invited to several sessions, a campus tour at 4:25 p.m., a reception with faculty and staff at 5 p.m., and A Taste of Switzerland for dinner.

Thursday, August 24

Schedule:

  • Breakfast - Dining Hall, North Campus - 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

Between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., students will continue with their Orientation Groups and take part in presentations including but not limited to:

  • Information regarding academic requirements and course registration;
  • Adjusting to life at Franklin;
  • The campus culture and our student body;
  • Resources and responsibilities;
  • Lunch;
  • First meetings of First-Year Seminars;
  • Resources and responsibilities;
  • Sustainability initiatives on campus.
  • Dinner - Dining Hall, North Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Residence Hall Meetings (required for on-campus students) - Residence Halls - 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.

All new students living on campus will get a chance to meet some of their neighbors and learn more about residence hall policies and procedures. Student Resident Assistants will conduct these meetings, which are mandatory for all new students.

Friday, August 25

Course Registration

All new students will have an individual appointment with their advisors on August 25 and receive details about the time and place when they check in on August 22. It is extremely important that you attend this meeting. 

Quick IKEA Trips

New students will have the opportunity to go to IKEA for a quick trip to get things for their new apartments. One bus will leave in the morning, and one will go in the afternoon to accommodate students’ mandatory advising schedules. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Orientation schedule is very full, and Friday will be our first opportunity to offer a small bus to IKEA. We strongly recommend that students rent linens ahead of time or bring something to sleep on for a few days if they intend to purchase linens at IKEA.

Schedule:

  • Breakfast - Dining Hall, North Campus - 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Students will take part in individual advising appointments during their assigned meeting times on Friday. On Friday, there are several optional activities that are occurring in the morning and afternoon so they do not conflict with advising appointments, like a small bus to IKEA and a walk downtown. Lunch will be open in the Dining Hall between 12:00 and 13:30.

  • Dinner - Dining Hall, North Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  • Optional Social Activities - Various Locations on Campus - 8 p.m. to 9:50 p.m.

Saturday, August 26

Day Trip to Valle Verzasca

New Franklin students take a bus trip to a beautiful region in Ticino each year to hike, swim and relax with other new students, surrounded by incredible scenery. This annual trip is an important Franklin tradition and marks the end of Orientation. 

Schedule:

  • Brunch - Dining Hall, North Campus - 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
  • Day Trip to Valle Verzasca - 12:00 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Dinner will be open Saturday evening until 8 p.m.
To all incoming students and parents
Warning: Mobility by Train

As a result of the derailment in the Gotthard Base Tunnel on August 10, the passenger trains between Ticino and the German-speaking part of Switzerland will be diverted via the Alpine Panorama Route until further notice. Although this journey is picturesque, it will take 60 minutes longer for national traffic and 60-120 minutes longer for international traffic. Since double-deck trains cannot operate on this route, there could be fewer seats available (30% fewer seats available on the weekends and slightly reduced capacity on weekdays). 

Our community is encouraged to refer to the SBB website for detailed information and plan for longer train journeys when traveling between Ticino and the German-speaking part of Switzerland. 

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