Honors Retreat 2019
In order to foster a sense of community among new and current students of varied backgrounds, the Honors Program hosts an annual retreat before New Student Orientation in the fall semester. During the retreat, Honors faculty and staff take students to a location off-campus for two days of fun, games, and discussions. These retreats are a formative experience for incoming Honors students and are critical to the continuing development of the Honors community. While upperclass students are invited to attend, but new students are required to attend*.
Honors Families: Most Honors families do not attend the regular family orientation. We will answer your questions and connect you with any departments or individuals you need to talk with during our mini-family orientation. The Honors Program hosts our family orientation free of charge. Honors families only need to pay the family orientation free if they decide to stay for regular family orientation.
August 19th
Honors Students will arrive one day before regular student orientation move in. Students can move into the dorms beginning at 9:00 AM. Students should first go to the Department of Public Safety to get a student identification card and then go to their assigned residence hall. At 5:00 PM, the Honors Program will host a mini family orientation. This orientation will include a discussion of the Honors curriculum at Gallaudet University, a presentation by the Mental Health Center on transitioning to college, a presentation by the Department of Public Safety (DPS), and a general question and answer session with the Honors director. Students will have the opportunity to meet each other, discuss plans for the retreat, and familiarize themselves with the Honors Lounge.
August 20th to 21st
Honors students will leave campus early Tuesday morning and will return before dinner on Wednesday. The retreat is held at a camp in the DC area. There are many activities, including team building activities, academic discussions, games, canoeing, and social time. The Honors Retreat is a vital beginning to any Honors education because it is instrumental in developing the sense of community and the relationships that will support students throughout their first year and often throughout their college experience. Students will begin New Student Orientation on Wednesday evening.
JumpStart Participants
Honors Students in JumpStart will attend the Honors Retreat. Honors and JumpStart coordinate their schedules to minimize conflicts. The retreat is an excellent place to meet new friends. New signers who have joined the retreat have enjoyed the experience as a time to develop more confidence in their signing skills and to meet friends outside the JumpStart community. New signers have been surprised with how quickly they met new friends and how well they were able to engage with their peers. Interpreters are provided for the academic discussions and are available at other times if needed.
Overlapping Orientations or Athletic Conflicts
International Students or students registered with the Office for Students with Disabilities will have multiple orientations. We will work with other departments to ensure you receive the information you need. We also coordinate our schedule with Athletic Director to ensure a smooth transition back to practice after the retreat. Practice may be held the early in the morning before leaving the retreat and/or in the evening after we return.
Immunizations
Honors students need to ensure that their medical forms from the student health service have been submitted prior to their arrival at the University. Students who do not have their immunizations completed by the close of business on arrival day will not be able to attend the Honors Retreat. Because participation in the retreat is a requirement for admission to Honors, students who do not attend the retreat will lose their Honors placement. If students have a scholarship with additional funding for participation in Honors, the loss of the Honors placement will reduce the scholarship award. Please check your Bison account for information on what the Student Health Service is missing from your required materials.
*Satisfactory performance in the Honors Retreat is required to retain an Honors placement. If you are not able to participate, contact honors@gallaudet.edu as soon as possible. Failure to meet expectations of the Honors Retreat will result in removal from the program.