Podcast Points: New Student Programs ‘Essential’ to Helping New Students Feel Right at Home

Baylor University’s New Student Programs, spearheaded by director Nathan Shelburne, Ph.D., and passionate student leaders like Kaleigh Wiffler, are essential to helping new students feel at home and ready to embark on their Baylor journey.

Shelburne and Wiffler joined the weekly podcast Baylor Connections for a conversation about Baylor Orientation and Line Camp, which provide opportunities for new Bears to experience Baylor and prepare for their first year.

Podcast Points with NSP's Nathan Shelburne and Kaleigh Wiffler

Finding a sense of belonging

• The primary mission of Baylor's New Student Programs is to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging at Baylor. By partnering with various departments across campus, these programs aim to support each student and family with a comprehensive and personalized experience.

  "How can we help every student feel like they belong here, that they're known, that they matter in the Baylor family? It's critical that we're partnering well all across campus to support each student and family uniquely," Shelburne said. 

Shuttle bus conversations

• Wiffler, a rising senior and team captain on the Student Leadership Team, shares her firsthand leadership experiences with Baylor Connections, highlighting meaningful interactions with new students during activities like driving shuttles at Orientation and leading small groups at Line Camp.

  “I think just some of those moments driving them around on shuttles, that can seem so simple, but some of those conversations that I get to have with them are just so meaningful and really cool to just hear about where they're coming from and what they're hoping for, for their time at Baylor,” Wiffler said.

Practical aspects of University life

• Orientation at Baylor provides essential knowledge and resources for incoming students, Shelburne said, ensuring they are well-prepared for academic success. This program includes informational sessions, campus tours and opportunities for students to meet their peers and faculty and staff members. By focusing on the practical aspects of University life, Orientation helps students transition smoothly into their new academic environment.

Building relationships through Line Camp

• Baylor Line Camp is a unique extended orientation program that emphasizes building relationships and experiencing Baylor traditions. Students are placed in small groups led by upper-year student leaders, where they participate in activities designed to foster connections and create a sense of community. Key highlights of Line Camp include trips to Independence, Texas, the original site of Baylor University, and Line Camp Sing, a fun and creative performance activity that encourages students to express themselves and bond with their peers.

  “I think the time and space that we create during the Independence trip for slowing down and reflection on what this journey in the next four, maybe five, you never know, years at Baylor is going to look like for that person, and giving them that space to do that is just really beautiful,” Wiffler said.

Student success outcomes

• The impact of these programs is significant, Shelburne said, with participants showing higher retention rates, improved GPAs and a stronger likelihood of graduating within four years. These outcomes underscore the importance of the supportive and inclusive environment fostered by Baylor's New Student Programs.

Advice for new students?

• Learn to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. “When you learn to be comfortable with those uncomfortable moments or experiences is where you find true growth. And I think that is what everyone is looking for in college and beyond. And so, I think Baylor does a great job at helping to create moments in which that can occur and people who are here to support everyone looking for those experiences,” Wiffler said.
• Enjoying the full Baylor experience: “One of the pieces of advice that I would have comes from Dr. Kevin Dougherty, who's a fantastic sociology professor at Baylor, and he offered a charge to new students years ago to work in work time and play in play time, and that both of those things matter deeply,” Shelburne said.

Learn more about Baylor's New Student Programs and how they contribute to student success.

Listen to the full conversation

• Listen to the full conversation with Nathan Shelburne and Kaleigh Wiffler on the Baylor Connections podcast.

About Baylor Connections

Baylor Connections with host Derek Smith goes in depth each week with Baylor leaders, professors and more, discussing important topics in higher education, research and student life. Baylor Connections airs on Fridays at 11 a.m. CT on KWBU 103.3FM in Waco. The podcast also is available online or by subscribing to Baylor Connections on iTunes.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.