The mission of New Student Programs at Miami is couched in developing four areas of competence in new students. We call these The Four Cs, and each of our programs is designed to contribute to student growth in one or more of these areas.

• Confident
  As a result of Orientation, new students should feel more optimistic about their potential to learn and ability to succeed as a new member of the Miami community.  At Orientation, students begin to assume more control over their own experience, and parents/guardians begin to shift into secondary support roles rather than directing their student’s life at college. Students develop autonomy by setting goals for their college experience, participating as a partner in their own academic advising and registration, and stepping outside their comfort zone to initiate connections with other new students. New students should feel optimistic about their potential to learn and ability to succeed as a new member of the Miami community.

• Comfortable
  New students should feel at ease on campus, both with the physical space and tasks of navigation; and with the campus climate, particularly with respect to students who represent diversity at Miami. Students should be familiar with resources and support networks, services, or communities that will give them the best opportunity to succeed as a Miami student.  New students should also feel supported enough to reach out and access campus resources that they may need.

• Connected
  Through our programs, students should gain a sense of belonging at Miami. This belonging may be developed through links with other new students, with faculty and staff, with the community of Oxford, and/or with the history and traditions of Miami. This belonging can also be realized as students learn about opportunities for involvement and leadership development through residence hall communities, student activities clubs and organizations, academic divisions or majors, athletics and recreation, Greek life, or simply by attending events on campus.

• Curious
  By helping students understand and utilize the Miami Plan for their undergraduate education, students should demonstrate a commitment to learning, exploring new ideas, pursuing intellectual depth, and contributing to the creation of new knowledge. Students should also engage in introspective reflection and community dialogue about values, character, and integrity. In addition to self-discovery, students should develop a global awareness and perspective on their place in, relationship with, and impact on the world and its people.