Saint Martin's readies for new academic year

Thursday, August 12, 2004

Lacey, Wash. - New students will begin arriving the morning of Aug. 26 at Saint Martin’s College for the 2004-05 academic year, which begins with residence hall move-in and get-acquainted activities. A daylong orientation for transfer students will be Aug. 30.

First-Year Orientation for freshmen, Aug. 26-30, will include activities to familiarize students with Saint Martin’s and the local community. While the first day includes workshops for parents, the rest of the week is devoted to helping students make a successful adjustment to college. Orientation will cover subjects ranging from time management to library skills and include such activities as a resource fair with campus, community organizations and area businesses and lots of recreation activities.

In its commitment to being a place of welcome, the college’s Orientation also will include workshops on diversity and a luncheon for international students and their American roommates. Saint Martin’s students come from a broad array of faith, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, and last year, some 28 percent were minorities. This year, the college will welcome students from several states, as well as from Morocco, Nepal, Vietnam, Tanzania, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Sweden and Northern Ireland.

Seven Chinese students from Shanghai Maritime University’s Pudong Business College also will become official Saint Martin’s students. They are part of the first graduating class of a joint program between Pudong and Saint Martin’s that emphasizes Western-style business practices. Several members of Saint Martin’s business faculty travel to Shanghai on a rotating basis each year to teach Pudong students as part of the program, which aims to prepare Chinese students for employment with the many international businesses in Shanghai and other Chinese cities. The students, who have completed associate’s degrees, will pursue bachelor’s degrees in business administration at Saint Martin’s.

Classes begin at the college on Aug. 31.

For more information:
Deanna Partlow
Office of Communication
360-438-4541; dpartlow@stmartin.edu