Arkansas Tech University freshmen began their orientation to campus with a greeting from ATU President Dr. Russell Jones on Sunday, Aug. 18.
“I know you probably have a lot of different feelings right now,” said Jones during an address to ATU freshmen at John E. Tucker Coliseum. “Some of you are excited. Some are nervous. Some are probably tired from moving into your residence hall. But let me tell you…you have all these people around you to support you. You have all of your faculty members to support you. One thing you will find about Arkansas Tech is that everyone wants you to succeed. We are a community where everybody cares about everybody else. Each of you are different and have different needs. We are here to help you find your journey.”
Arkansas Tech launched its 2024-25 academic year on Saturday, Aug. 17, with residence hall move-in day and the beginning of ATU Welcome Week activities. Formal first-year student orientation began on Sunday, Aug. 18.
The first day of classes for the fall 2024 semester will be Wednesday, Aug. 21.
“You need to be active in everything we have to offer at Arkansas Tech,” said Jones. “We’re going to give you the full college experience. There’s a lot more to it beyond going to class and making good grades. This is the best time of your life. There is so much you can get involved in and be a part of. You will be glad if you choose to be active.”
Jones offered a special welcome to the first-generation college students who are freshmen at Arkansas Tech this fall.
“It has now been quite a few years, but I was also a first-generation college student,” said Jones. “I made the choice to go to college because I saw it as a way to rise above the circumstances around me. I knew that college could open new doors for me, allow me to go new places and set my horizons higher than I had previously expected.”
Learn more about Arkansas Tech at www.atu.edu.
