For Paige Acker-Price, the start of the fall semester is about more than students returning to campus — it is about making sure they find a place to belong. As the director of University Programs (UP), she has spent more than seven years helping students find their place at The University of Alabama through programming that connects them to campus. One of the most visible ways UP does this is through Weeks of Welcome (WOW), a series of events taking place during the beginning of the semester, open to all UA students.
“Weeks of Welcome is an opportunity for students to get connected to campus, or reconnected to campus, find resources, build community and be welcomed home,” she said.
This year, WOW was extended from two weeks to eight weeks, a shift designed to help students feel more comfortable as they acclimate to a new academic year. Paige said her team noticed a lot of students were eager to be involved on campus. They wanted to maintain that momentum and give students a chance to get plugged in to campus communities that fit their needs and interests.
“We know how critical the first few weeks are for students on campus because that is when they really feel the affinity to the institution, and if we can help them get connected or meet new friends, we find that they are more engaged throughout the semester and the whole academic year,” she said.
Behind the expansion of Weeks of Welcome is a dedicated team of professional staff and student staff within University Programs. Paige said the scope of WOW requires year-round planning, collaboration and creativity, with her staff playing a critical role in shaping these events. Their work behind the scenes helps ensure that programming not only reaches students but creates meaningful experiences and connections for students to feel a sense of belonging.
“They are so passionate about creating engaging experiences for our students and making sure that everyone has something enjoyable to be a part of,” she said.
While the extended timeline was a significant change, Paige said what truly set this year’s Weeks of Welcome apart was the intentional focus on collaboration across campus, particularly within the Division of Student Life.
“We wanted all of our partners in Student Life to have the opportunity to be featured, to get connected, to share their resources and really showcase what the support looks like for students,” she said.
The expansion also allowed University Programs to highlight events that campus partners were already hosting, rather than creating entirely new programming.
“Whether that was the Career Fair or the grand opening of our new pickleball courts, we got the opportunity to come alongside these groups and really showcase what was already happening on campus,” she said.
With Weeks of Welcome being open to all students, Paige said her team was intentional about making sure programming appeals to more than just first-year students.
“One way that we try to make sure our programming appeals to all students, and not just first-year students, is asking our student staff what they would be interested in attending,” she said. “We have students that are sophomores, juniors, seniors, and we want to know what their friends are interested in, and then we try to bring that,” she said.
The result is a mix of large-scale signature events and smaller, more personal experiences, both of which play an important role in helping students feel connected.
“When we think about things like Script A or Bama Jam, these are large-scale events with thousands of people, and that’s what helps you feel connected to the institution,” she said. “But our smaller events, those that maybe are a Food for Thought, or a trivia night, where it’s not as many people, you kind of get to feel like you’re a part of this community, that you get to meet people, and that’s really the point.”
The response from students has been overwhelmingly positive, and the statistics show that WOW has had a measurable impact.
“One thing that’s really exciting for our staff is we’ve seen the tangible impact of what Weeks of Welcome has done for our students,” she said. “We know that students who attend Weeks of Welcome events are 6% more likely to stay at the University and pursue their educational goals, and 10% more likely if they are attending additional University Programs events.”
For Paige, the work is also personal. She was once a University Programs student herself.
“I was a part of University Programs when I was a freshman here at UA,” she said. “And this has stayed with me, and now to be able to lead this team and support them and create these experiences for students is really a full circle moment.”
And at the heart of the work is Paige’s hope that every student finds a place where they belong.
“My goal for students being involved at UA is that every student on campus finds their place, that they find their community,” she said. “We want students to find the thing that they’re passionate about, that sustains them and makes them want to stay at UA for all four years or more if they want to get a graduate degree and helps them feel like they’re a part of something big here at the Capstone.”