New Student Orientation

8:00am –  3:00pm  | Residential Life Check-In 

Emilie Hall: Students living in Emilie Hall

Argo Hall: Students living in Argo, Sr. Rita Mudd, Sikora Halls

Move Crew help available 8:00am-2:00pm.

11:00am –  1:30pm  | Lunch

Students, Parents, and Guests Welcome

Student Center Dining Hall: AKA Table of the King

As a young woman, and before she became Sister Emilie Gamelin, Emilie was committed to serving the poor and vulnerable of Montreal, Canada. She opened her home to provide meals to those in need. She called it “Table of the King” – serving a hot meal with gracious hospitality.

8:00am –  3:00pm  | New Student Campus Check-In

Make sure you are positioned for a great start at UP by checking in with these offices and services. Collect the required number of signatures to be entered into a drawing for a free Nintendo Switch. Drawing will take place following the informational sessions on Sunday morning. Must be present to win!

Handle Your Business!

Submit outstanding documents needed for admission, i.e., final high school transcripts, proof of MMR vaccination

Admissions, Library and Academic Success Center

Register for classes/make schedule changes/make an advising appointment

Academic Success Center, Library and Academic Success Center

Learn about the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and complete a FERPA release, if applicable.  Learn how to access your course schedule and more.

Registrar, Library and Academic Success Center

Make a payment/set up payment plan

 Student Accounts, Library and Academic Success Center

Verify that your financial aid is accurate and accepted, loan requirements met, and aid dispersed.

Financial Aid, Library and Academic Success Center

Get your student I.D. and parking permit                            

Campus Safety, Campus Safety Office

Obtain assistance with academic or medical accommodations.

TRIO, TRIO Office, Sullivan Hall

Learn about UP’s Loan Repayment Assistance Program

Ardeo Education Solutions, Library and Academic Success Center

Get help with securing access to UP technology.

Information Services, Library and Academic Success Center                                  

9:00am –  3:00pm  | ArgoStore: Pop-Up Location – Get your Argo gear!

Student Center

3:30pm –  4:00pm  | Lineup for Welcome Ceremony and Student Convocation

*Dress Code – Please dress comfortably, as this ceremony takes place outdoors, and respectfully, as this ceremony is a University of Providence tradition. Faculty in attendance will be wearing academic regalia.

Student Center Upper Level

4:00pm –  5:15pm   | Welcome Ceremony & Student Convocation

*Dress Code – Please dress comfortably, as this ceremony takes place outdoors, and respectfully, as this ceremony is a University of Providence tradition. Faculty in attendance will be wearing academic regalia.

Providence Plaza

5:30pm –  7:30pm  | Welcome Dinner

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

8:00pm –  10:00pm | Residence Hall Meetings – Students only

Emilie Hall Residents Only

7:30am –  9:00am  | Breakfast

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

8:00am – 8:30am | Welcome to University of Providence

Father Oliver Doyle, President

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

8:30am – 9:30am | Academic Support Services Overview

Dr. Matthew Redinger, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Kerri Kotesky, Registrar

Kelli Englehardt, Director of Financial Aid

Learn about services provided by the Registrar, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, TRIO, and the Academic Support Center

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

9:30am – 10:30am | Student Engagement and Athletics: Own Your UP Experience!

Dr. Joel Bluml, Vice President for Student Engagement and Athletics

Perspectives and tips for making your college experience the best it can be.

University Center Conference Center Rooms A and B

11:00am – 12:00pm | Sunday Morning Mass

Mass is a Roman Catholic celebration of the Eucharist and, as a community of many faiths, the University of Providence welcomes students and guests of all faiths to participate.

Trinitas Chapel

12:00pm –  12:30pm | Class of 2027 Photo

UP Soccer Field

12:30pm –  1:30pm | Lunch | University Center Conference Rooms A and B

12:30pm –  1:30pm | ArgoStore: Pop-up Location – Get your Argo gear!

Student Center

1:30pm –  2:00pm | Goodbye to Parents and Guests | Private time for students to say goodbye to their family.

2:00pm – 2:45pm | Parent and Guest Transition Session

Dr. Matthew Redinger, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

In this interactive session, we will review the interpersonal, emotional, and legal implications of the transition of parents and students. While starting a new school in a new town can be stressful for students, parents and other family members also experience significant change. We will look at the nature of this transition and consider strategies to help ease the way.

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

2:00pm – 3:45pm | Get to Know Your Classmates – PlayFair Style

A fun way to get to know one another with a little help from the entertainment group known as “PlayFair”.

It is important that students arrive promptly at 2:00pm in comfortable attire.

Chapel Quad

3:45pm – 4:45pm | Campus Tour: Find Your Classrooms and Important Offices

Meet just outside the southwest entrance to Emilie Hall

4:45pm – 6:15pm | Dinner | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

6:30pm – 9:00pm | Cow Tipping Comedy Show

Cow Tipping Comedy is a short form improv troupe based out of Helena, Montana.  If you have ever seen “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”, it’s just like that, except even better, because it’s live and you get to join them!

UP Theatre

*These sessions are required for ALL first-year students to attend*

7:30am – 9:00am | Breakfast | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

9:15am – 10:15am | Corps of Discovery: First Class Period

Dr. Michelle Hill, Associate Professor of Psychology

Balancing Your Wellness Wheel: The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

This presentation is a Corps of Discovery class requirement.

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

10:30am – 11:30am | Corps of Discovery: Second Class Period

Dr. Michelle Hill, Associate Professor of Psychology

Personal Assessment The 8 Dimensions of Wellness

This presentation is a Corps of Discovery class requirement.

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

11:45am – 1:30pm | Lunch: Campus Ministry Open House

Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

1:45pm – 2:30pm | The Value of UP’s Liberal Arts Core Curriculum

Dr. Greg Johnson, Dean School of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Do you want to make a difference in the world? The core curriculum at UP offers courses that help students live meaningful lives.

Do you like having the ability to be creative in the way you solve problems? The core curriculum at UP educates the whole person (mind, body, and spirit) so that students are better prepared to meet lifelong challenges both professionally and personally.

Do you want to be exposed to the top three missing skills that employers want in their future employees? The liberal arts core curriculum at UP teaches these skills to prepare students with resources to succeed in their chosen careers.

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

3:00pm – 5:00pm | Lawn Games

Lawn games on Providence Plaza including Bucketgolf, Cornhole, Spikeball, Crossnet and more! There will be snacks and we will be giving away UP branded prizes and gear.

Providence Plaza

5:00pm – 7:00pm | Dinner | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

7:00pm – 9:00pm | Laser Tag & Glow Dodgeball

Come play Laser Tag & Glow Dodgeball with your fellow first years! Laser Trooper Laser Tag from Topeka, KS is utilizing some of the best technology in the country for their laser tag systems, so join us in the McLaughlin Center for some fun! We will also have Glow Dodgeball taking place in the McLaughlin Center, so feel free to hop between both events.

McLaughlin Center

*These sessions are required for ALL first-year students to attend*

7:30am – 9:00am | Breakfast | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

9:00am – 11:00am | Career Services, Moodle & TRIO Overview

Discover Your Calling

Rod Johanson, Director Career Services

Learn about a career discovery tool used by over 1000 colleges and universities, a career platform used by over 1200 colleges and universities, student employment jobs that over 100 UP students participate in, and why STYLE UP ARGOS is one of the most innovative career readiness programs at UP, all free services through the University of Providence Career Services.

TRIO Works!

Carilyn Voorhies, Director Student Support Services and TRIO

TRIO/SSS is a student success program that assists qualified students in their transition to college, providing them holistic support during their time at the University of Providence. Let’s talk about how TRIO can help you reach your full potential!

Moodle: What is Moodle?

Jim Gretch, Director of Distance Learning

Learn how to make the most of Moodle, UP’s Learning Management System (LMS).  Discover how Moodle is utilized at UP and what you are expected to know.

University Center Conference Rooms A and B, Classroom

11:30am – 1:15pm | Lunch: ABC Tuesday Preview | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

1:30pm – 2:30pm | Maintaining a Productive Environment at UP

Learn about resources designed to help keep the UP living, learning, and working environment safe and productive.

Dr. Joel Bluml, Vice President for Student Engagement & Athletics

Brittany Budeski, Chief Operating Officer/Title IX Coordinator

Matt Grunewald, Director of Campus Safety

Trapper McLean, Director of Community Standards and Residential Life

University Center Conference Rooms A and B

2:30pm – 3:00pm | Snacks with Cat

This snack break is sponsored by Pioneer College Caterers and Cat Delandro, Director of UP Dining Services.

University Center

3:00pm – 4:30pm | How To: Recreating Safely in Montana

Presented by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) Game Warden Andrew Burton, FWP Communication & Education Program Manager, David Hagengruber and Craig Madsen, Owner of Montana River Outfitters.

Learn how to take advantage of all the wonderful outdoor opportunities that Montana has to offer, while also learning how to do so safely. MT FWP will provide plenty of information, interactive displays, a bear spray use demonstration/clinic, and much more for our students/staff/faculty.

University Center Conference Rooms

5:00pm – 7:00pm | Dinner | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

7:00pm | Great Falls Voyagers Baseball

Centene Stadium – Come on out to the ballpark for an exciting night of baseball as your Great Falls Voyagers take on the Hawks from Boise, Idaho. The Voyagers will look to make one last push going into the final stretch of the season, so come out and support the hometown team for UP Student Night!

Tickets can be picked up on campus at the Student Activities office, or at the stadium with a student ID. Up to 4 tickets per UP ID available at Will Call.

*There will be two busses departing Emilie Hall @ 6:15pm for student transportation*

7:30am – 9:00am | Breakfast | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

11:00am – 4:30pm |  Missouri River Float Trip (Option 1)

Bus will leave Emilie Hall @ 10:00am

Stickney Creek to Mt. Palace | Join your fellow first year students on a float trip of the mighty Missouri River with Montana River Outfitters. This is a relatively leisurely float, with a fast current and a few riffles, but no rapids or white water. Here you can relive part of the Lewis and Clark expedition by floating the river just like the Corps of Discovery did in 1805. Much of this stretch of the Missouri remains untouched and still resembles what the Corps of Discovery would have seen when they first ventured through the canyon in the early 1800s.  As you float through this dramatic canyon scenery, you will travel past sheer cliff walls of igneous rock (some over 300 vertical feet tall), beautiful forest and meadow scenery, wildlife viewing opportunities, and historic Tower Rock near the take-out point.

*Each raft will have a licensed river guide that can provide extensive knowledge of this stretch of the Missouri, historical context of the area, safe river navigation tips and much more. *

*We will eat lunch when we arrive at Stickney Creek Access Site and then proceed onto the river. Each raft will have a cooler of water available. The float will be about 3.5 hours on the river, so wear appropriate clothing and utilize sunscreen! Stay hydrated! *

11:00am – 3:30pm | Hike @ Sluice Boxes State Park (Option 2)

Bus will leave Emilie Hall at 10:00am

Join your fellow first years on an exciting hike through the beautiful Sluice Boxes State Park, located a short 35 minutes from Great Falls. Soaring cliffs and precipitous ledges mark the Belt Creek Canyon as it slices out of the Little Belt Mountains and winds toward the town of Belt, Montana. Remains of mines, a railroad, and historic cabins line Belt Creek as it makes its way through the beautiful canyon, carved in limestone. This rugged area has many fishing, camping, hiking and recreational activity opportunities, with the old Barker Mines and remnants of the Montana Central Railroad being just a small part of the rich history of Sluice Boxes State Park.

* This hike will be led by Carilyn Voorhies – Director Student Support Services/TRIO & Cole Irwin – TRIO Counselor Advocate. *

*This hike is on a moderate trail and will be roughly 3-4 miles in total. Lunch will be provided, along with water. Feel free to bring your own water bottle. *

7:00pm – 9:00pm | Game Night with Trapper

Hosted by: Trapper McLean, Director of Community Standards and Residential Life

When you think board games, do you think Monopoly and how terrible it is? If so, fear not as we have 300 other games that aren’t Monopoly. Haven’t played modern board games before? Come to the Student Center and try them out. You might just find your new favorite hobby!

Student Center Dining Hall

7:30am – 9:00am | Breakfast | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

9:00am – 10:00am | Yoga on the Lawn: Intro to Yoga as a Restorative Practice

Offered by habit, Yoga Studio, participate in this session for an hour of mindfulness and gentle movement. This session is for all and anybody with most of the time dedicated to a gentle morning flow to awaken the breath, relieve the muscles, and get curious about movement. Whether you consider yoga a constant among your physical activities, or you are simply wondering what it looks and feels like in your body, this session is set up to offer the time and space to explore just that. We look forward to practicing with you!

A limited number of Yoga mats will be available.  Bring your own if you have one.

Chapel Quad

10:00am – 12:00pm | Get Organized

This is a great opportunity to make sure you have checked all the necessary boxes from your orientation and move in week! Have you enrolled in classes or made necessary schedule changes, ordered/acquired your textbooks, found your classrooms, gotten your academic supplies (notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.), visited Student Accounts and set up your payment plan? Utilize this free time to get some productive things done, organize your room or just take a deep breath!

11:00am – 1:30pm | Lunch | Student Center Dining Hall: Table of the King

1:30pm – 5:00pm | Get More Organized

Didn’t get as much done before lunch as you intended?

This is another great opportunity to make sure you have checked all the necessary boxes from your orientation and move in week! Have you enrolled in classes or made necessary schedule changes, ordered/acquired your textbooks, found your classrooms, gotten your academic supplies (notebooks, pens, pencils, etc.), visited Student Accounts and set up your payment plan? Utilize this free time to get some productive things done, organize your room or just take a deep breath!

5:00pm – 8:00pm | Welcome Back BBQ & Games

Please join us for a Welcome Back BBQ on the Chapel Quad. There will be music, lawn games, prizes, axe throwing, a dunk tank, a mechanical bull, great food, and much more! All University of Providence students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend and have some fun.

Chapel Quad

Move-In Day Information.

Montana is home to breathtaking views, including the Highwood, Little Belt, Big Belt, and Adel Mountain Ranges that surround Great Falls.  To make things even better, the Sun River meets the mighty Missouri River with both running through the heart of Great Falls. Montana is also home to many different species of wildlife, including Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Black Bears, and Grizzly Bears, Mountain Lions, Bighorn Sheep and of course, the iconic American Buffalo (Bison). The recreational opportunities of our beautiful state are endless, and the University of Providence is blessed to be in the center of it all. The area surrounding the University of Providence boasts several state parks, along with multiple Blue-Ribbon fishing opportunities, public land access, and one of the top ski areas in the state, all within a reasonable driving distance from campus!

UP has a variety of outdoor equipment available for students to checkout, free of charge.  Options include, bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, and more!

You pack your bags and head to UP, you may want to consider bringing the following items so you will be well prepared to embrace all the Great Falls area has to offer.

• Hiking Shoes
• Hiking Backpack
• Camping Equipment (Tent, Camp Stove, Sleeping Bag)
• Cooler (Bear-proof recommended)
• Binoculars
• Fishing Gear (Fishing rod, tackle, waders, etc.)
• River Tubes
• Dry Bag
• Ski/Snowboard Equipment
• Winter Gear (Jacket, snow pants, winter boots, gloves, hat)
• First Aid Kit
• Bear Spray (must be held with Campus Safety)
• Insect Repellent
• Sunscreen

Parents, guardians, and family are welcome and encouraged to attend Orientation on the 19^th and 20^th.  Orientation is just as important for parents, guardians, and family as it is for students. Everyone in your family is about to experience a transition and can learn how to support one another. Orientation includes a variety of sessions designed specifically for parents and guests.  You can also assist your student and the university by making sure your student has completed all the items on the checklist they will receive at NSO before you leave Great Falls.

Supporting Your Student’s Mental Health

Issues related to student wellbeing, including mental illness and suicide, continue to be among the most critical concerns facing higher education institutions across the country.  We care deeply about our University of Providence students and want each one to thrive at UP. If your student is currently receiving counseling or medication for a mental health issue, we highly encourage you to start planning for the continuation of these services before your student arrives on campus.  Having a plan for ongoing care prior to arrival is important for all students, but such a plan is especially vital if your student has experienced significant recent concerns or has longstanding mental health concerns.  If you anticipate your student will need specialized clinical services (treatment or maintenance therapies for eating disorders, substance abuse or dependence, dialectical behavioral therapies, etc.) or will need services more than every now and again, we recommend establishing mental health care with a provider in Great Falls or via Telehealth prior to the start of the semester.

Argo Weekend: Save the date! 

Argo Weekend October 5^th-8^th.  We hope you can join us for a fun-filled weekend!  Please follow University of Providence social media for more information.

Click here to view UP Meal Plan Options 2023-2024

Click here to view The Yay’s and Nay’s of What to Bring to UP