The faculty and staff of Denison University will induct the more than 580 newest members of the student body at a ceremony planned for 7 p.m. on Thursday (Aug. 23) in the Mitchell Recreation and Athletics Center. President Dale T. Knobel will preside at the ceremonies, which cap the day for the new students and their parents. The students will arrive on campus with their parents beginning at 8:30 a.m. to settle into their new living quarters, register autos, sign-up for telephone service and accomplish various other tasks.

The induction ceremony includes the ringing of the historic college bell, a Denison tradition that was revived by President Knobel, and the faculty wears full academic regalia. The new class hears the debut of the orchestral fanfare written especially for them by a member of the music faculty. Both the fanfare and the college bell will be heard again at their Commencement in four years.

A number of special orientation programs (International Students, Paving the Way, Outdoor, Service, and the Denison Experience in Urban Culture and Expression) have taken place in the weeks preceding the start of August Orientation. These pre-orientation programs are designed to develop skills critical to success in college and facilitate a smooth transition from high school to college life. They have taken place both on and off-campus.

The theme for this year's orientation program and for a series of events throughout the coming year is "Hum/an/imal - Where We Meet." Robert Sapolsky, the renowned neuroscientist and MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, will lead off the series of lectures and special events sponsored by the McGregor Connections Initiative. Sapolsky's lecture will be at 8 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 6) in Swasey Chapel.

Student members of various athletic teams (football, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, and field hockey) arrived over the past weeks for the fall season preparations along with various other campus and residential life student staff members. Returning Denison University students will arrive over the weekend and classes begin on Monday (Aug. 27).

Members of the Denison Class of 2011 hail from 36 states and 12 foreign countries. More than half (a record 53 percent) graduated in the top 10 percent of their secondary school class; and four percent are National Merit Scholar finalists.  Multicultural students comprise 20 percent of the entering class (up from 14 percent four years ago). The class also includes 23 class presidents, 43 school newspaper editors, 181 athletics team captains and 128 student-government leaders.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575