Student Development
- The office made New Paltz the first small college in the nation to forge a Tavern Owners Agreement with local businesses. Created in 1999, the agreement encourages responsible and lawful consumption of alcohol and appropriate behavior among students patronizing village establishments. The model has since been adopted by other area colleges and presented at a national conference.
- Student leaders are trained to coordinate activities and educate the College community on alcohol abuse prevention. Peer educators present this information at Orientation and other campus events, such as the “One Less” campaign, intended to increase awareness and safety on campus.
- The office coordinates all first-year and transfer orientation activities, as well as Welcome Week, Fall Convocation, and Parent and Family Orientation, which provide accepted students with positive transitional experiences.
- In addition to welcoming transitional events, the office continues to provide mentoring and outreach to students during their first year, as well as health promotion programs to foster healthy decision making throughout a student's college career.
- The office trains and manages student orientation leaders and peer mentors, providing them with necessary knowledge and skills to lead small groups, speak in public, manage their time, and work independently to apply critical thinking and problem solving.
