Off-Campus Orientation Experiences

Off-campus orientations help you transition to life at Denison as you form friendships with classmates who share your interests and passions. In these small groups, you’ll learn more about your chosen topic, deepen your understanding of yourself, and connect with your peers.

You will rank five off-campus experiences in your admitted student portal starting in May. A notification will be sent to you in late June with your trip assignment.

Big Red Connections

Focus: Build professional relationships with alumni and businesses in Columbus
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Connect with Denison alumni and explore key employers in Columbus! Through this program, you will tour some of the top employers of Denison graduates, take part in panel discussions with professionals in a variety of careers, and make connections with fellow new Denisonians. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to network with alumni as they share their favorite Denison experiences, how they spent their time on The Hill, including leadership roles and internships, and how they maximized their Denison experience to land their current jobs.

2024 Big Red Connections Schedule

Sponsored by the Knowlton Center for Career Exploration

Cleveland Rocks!

Focus: Alumni connections, explore Cleveland, baseball, amusement parks.
Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Rocks! provides the opportunity to explore some of Ohio’s most interesting destinations. Whether we are cheering on the Cleveland Guardians baseball team or spending a day at the Cedar Point amusement park, you will explore the sights and sounds of the city and engage and connect with fellow students. You will also hear firsthand from alumni about their Denison experience and post-college journeys and ask them their advice for maximizing your time on The Hill. Through it all, this trip will expedite your engagement at Denison—with your peers, with alumni, and with staff.

2024 Cleveland Rocks! Schedule

Denison Art Orientation

Focus: Arts, visual art, music, theatre, dance, exploring Columbus.
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Denison Art Orientation (DAO) explores the vibrant urban arts culture that only a big city can generate. Students will travel to Columbus, Ohio, with faculty, staff, and student leaders. Participants will work with local artists in dance, art, music, and theatre workshops. Some time is also spent touring museums, public art, and the city. DAO is not just for arts people - students energized by city life, interested in multicultural experiences, or who like to think about how art can capture or change our experiences will have a great time.

2024 Denison Art Orientation Schedule

Denison by Design

Focus: Explore Columbus and learn how to make the most of your Denison experience “by design”
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Explore Columbus. Meet fellow Denisonians. Learn how to make the best of your Denison experience “by design”. Centered in downtown Columbus, this trip allows us to eat, sleep, and experience the possibilities our nearby metropolitan city offers. We will share in a few design workshops that will have you sketching your many possible futures, exploring the entrepreneur inside of you, and designing experiences for others that will serve you well as you start to get involved on campus. Have a great time with the Red Frame Lab, and we’ll prepare you to make the most of your Denison journey… by design.

2024 Denison by Design Schedule

Denison Canoeing Orientation

Focus: canoeing, camping, nature, scenic views.
Location: Mohican River, Perrysville to Coshocton, Ohio
This experience is physically challenging.

Denison Canoeing Orientation (DCO) is a wonderful welcome to Denison that takes you out into the wilderness of Ohio for an unforgettable adventure. Students will take part in a wilderness, paddling, and camping experience. DCO is also an outdoor learning experience, designed to help students develop safe paddling skills, practice valuable skills in “Leave No Trace” camping, and learn about Ohio’s natural history and geography. The team will paddle canoes down the Mohican River and sleep at primitive campsites along its banks. DCO is a physically demanding trip that entails sustained paddling for most of each day. Previous canoeing experience is preferred.

2024 Denison Canoeing Orientation Schedule

Denison Outdoor Orientation (DOO)

Focus: Hiking, nature, camping, backpacking, scenic views.
Location: Monongahela National Forest, Otter Creek Wilderness Area, West Virginia
This experience is physically challenging.

Take part in a unique and challenging backpack hike through the wilds of the Otter Creek Wilderness Area of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Students will gather in groups of eight, each led by a faculty-student staff team, as they explore a beautiful and inspiring landscape of hills and forests. Spending time together during the three-day hike is a great opportunity to make new friends, learn more about Denison, and have a lot of fun.

2024 Denison Outdoor Orientation (DOO)

Denison Service Orientation (DSO)

Focus: Community service, exploring the local community.
Location: Newark, Ohio

The Denison Service Orientation (DSO) provides incoming students the opportunity to engage in direct, meaningful service within the community they will call home for the next four years. DSO participants will connect with service-minded students, staff, and faculty on projects related to a range of social issues including food insecurity, homelessness/affordable housing, sustainability, aging, and intellectual/developmental disability. Following service opportunities during the day, DSO participants will explore Licking County and Columbus through fun, social activities in the evening! Students will develop connections with others while engaging in conversations about how our collective impact can create positive, social change on The Hill and beyond.

2024 Denison Service Orientation (DSO) Schedule

Sponsored by the Alford Community Leadership & Involvement Center (CLIC)

Denison Whitewater Orientation (DWO)

Focus: Rafting, Nature, Camping, Scenic Views.
Location: New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, West Virginia
This experience is physically challenging.

Adventure through our nation’s newest national park by floating down the whitewater rapids of the New River in West Virginia! This trip will help you find the balance of serene and extreme as you will be guided down the Upper and Lower sections of the New River by professional rafting guides. You will camp with your classmates along the banks of the river and enjoy the beautiful starscape that the Mountain State provides. This trip will range from beginner-level whitewater rapids in inflatable kayaks and more intermediate rapids in an 8-person raft. If you love outdoor adventure and are a thrill seeker, this trip is for you.

2024 Denison Whitewater Orientation (DWO)

Dig Ohio

Focus: Archaeology, Ohio history, indigenous peoples, artifacts
Location: Chillicothe, Ohio

Ohio is home to some of the world’s most amazing archaeological sites. Eight were just added to the World Heritage List as examples of human creative genius. This program explores a thousand-foot-long serpent that points to the summer solstice, earthworks where people buried artifacts carried to Ohio from Colorado and Wyoming 2000 years ago, and other extraordinary places indigenous peoples created. We will also learn to throw atlatls, explore a recreation of an 800-year-old village, and meet archaeologists and other experts.

2024 Dig Ohio Schedule

Engage Cincinnati

Focus: Cincinnati, alumni connections, Ohio River, amusement parks
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Kick off your college adventure by exploring the vibrant city of Cincinnati, Ohio! Nestled along the banks of the Ohio River, this city blends rich history with modern style, offering an ideal backdrop for connecting with Denison Alumni, exploring some of the region’s largest employers, and having a little fun at the world-famous Kings Island. Engage Cincinnati is a chance to connect with fellow first-year Denisonians and forge friendships that will last a lifetime. From team-building activities along the riverfront to shared moments of discovery over a meal, this trip promises a perfect blend of fun, learning, and community building.

2024 Engage Cincinnati Schedule

Outside In

Focus: Nature, glamping, outdoor recreation, self-reflection, mindfulness
Location: Camp Nuhop, Butler, Ohio

Get outside with Outside In! This program has your holistic wellness in mind, helping you build skills for personal growth while forming meaningful relationships, all in a peaceful wooded lodge setting. Your time at Camp Nuhop will be spent hiking, creeking, climbing, and more with your new peers. Through outdoor activities, personal self-reflections, and small group discussions, you will form increased self-awareness to fuel your success at Denison.

2024 Outside In Schedule

Paving the Way

Focus: Cultural, Mentoring, Leadership, Identity, Inclusion, Exploring Louisville.
Location: Louisville, Kentucky

Paving The Way (PTW), was the first of Denison’s pre-orientation programs. Since 1997, PTW has primarily focused on assisting historically underrepresented student populations in transitioning to the academic, cultural, and social climate at Denison. Today PTW is a comprehensive pre-orientation and first-year experience program that helps participants decode the college experience and establish a sense of belonging and inclusion. PTW engages students in cultural programming, community building, and college preparation activities. PTW starts with an off-campus multi-day bonding experience at the Muhammed Ali Center, in Louisville, KY, where participants learn about the life and principles of the champ, Muhammad Ali. Upon return to campus, participants engage in a yearlong peer-to-peer mentoring program where they curate their own champion stories.

2024 Paving the Way Schedule

Sponsored by the Center for Belonging and Inclusion

Session Zero

Focus: Dungeons & Dragons, tabletop gaming, fantasy, role-playing, nature
Location: Mohican Lodge and Conference Center, Perrysville, Ohio

Before you explore Denison, join your future classmates and some Denison guests to explore a new world. On this off-campus orientation experience, we will enter the “theater of the mind” in a series of Dungeons & Dragons sessions led by expert Game Masters. While your fictional adventuring party completes their quests, you will make lifelong connections with fellow gamers, sharing fellowship as well as characters and strategies. Whether you are an experienced tabletop RPG player or trying it for the first time, all are welcome at the table!

2024 Session Zero Schedule

Taste of Denison

Focus: Cooking, food, local community, farm-to-table, sustainability
Location: Newark, Ohio

Take your culinary skills to the next level with Denison’s Culinary Orientation. We will travel to explore local farmers’ markets to pick out fresh ingredients, expand our palette at local area restaurants, and hear from local chefs. The group will be joined by Denison staff to learn proper cooking techniques, including kitchen safety, proper cutting skills, and food preparation, and will end the trip with our own Denison version of Chopped! Whether you are new to cooking or a pro in the kitchen, we hope you join us!

2024 Taste of Denison Schedule

World of Sports

Focus: Recreational sports, professional sports, exploring Columbus, broadcasting, data analytics
Location: Columbus, Ohio

Embrace your passion for sports during the World of Sports Orientation! Visit Columbus to tour local stadiums, watch games, discover the rich history of DU athletics, play some recreational sports, and even get a chance to test out your broadcasting skills! This trip will open your eyes to how sports can be a part of your life even if you are not the athlete making the clutch play on the field. Join fellow Denisonians who share these interests as you gain a new perspective on the wide world of sports and this new phase of your life.

2024 World of Sports

Written in the Stars

Focus: Writing, nature, glamping, outdoor recreation, self-reflection.
Location: Camp Nuhop in Butler, Ohio

Engage with the art of writing, storytelling, and poetry while immersed in the tranquility of nature. During your time at Camp Nuhop, you will participate in peer writing circles to refine your creative writing skills while also enjoying outdoor adventure activities and a cozy camp lodge. Each night under the stars, you will share stories around the campfire and build meaningful relationships with your fellow Denisonians. Through the power of written and spoken word, you will reflect on the experiences that brought you to Denison, and your Denison journey ahead.

2024 Written in the Stars Schedule

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do the off-campus orientation experiences cost?

There is no cost for participating in one of these experiences as part of your orientation.

I will move in early for a fall sport. How do I participate in an off-campus orientation experience?

Student-athletes moving in early for football, cross country, field hockey, soccer, volleyball, and golf don’t participate in these orientations. However, student-athletes gain all the benefits of the off-campus orientations as they live on campus with their team during their pre-season practices. Your coach will provide information about your special move-in day.

How do I apply for an off-campus orientation experience?

You will rank your top five off-campus experiences in your Enrollment Checklist starting in May. We will give preference to your first choice, but space on each trip is limited. You could be assigned any of your five choices, so be sure to consider which experiences would most excite you carefully. A notification will be sent to you in late June with your trip assignment.

When do I arrive on campus for my off-campus orientation experience?

New students coming from abroad will move in on Monday, Aug. 19.
New students from the United States will move in on Wednesday, Aug. 21, followed by afternoon programming and the Induction Ceremony for the Class of 2028.
On Friday, Aug. 23, participants will travel to the location of their off-campus experiences, returning on Monday, Aug. 26.

What do I pack?

You will receive a detailed packing list for your off-campus orientation experience in the summer months. Plan to pack a separate bag for your trip so you don’t have to unpack all your bags!

How will I get meals during my off-campus orientation experience?

Meals are included, but students participating in a city-based program may want to bring an additional $50-$100 to help cover the cost of other food or shopping. All programs include considerable walking; comfortable closed-toe walking shoes are required.

A couple of the experiences say they are “physically challenging.” What does this mean?

Our physically challenging off-campus orientation experiences are for students who are ready to be active throughout their trip.

Denison Outdoor Orientation: You will walk 2-6 miles per day on mixed terrain while carrying packs. You have to be able to carry more than 40 pounds, walk more than 10,000 steps on uneven ground, sleep on the ground, and be comfortable while being wet.
Denison Canoeing Orientation: You will need the ability to sit upright in a canoe and paddle for several hours a day. Canoeing experience is preferred, and swimming ability is required.
Denison Whitewater Orientation: You will need the ability to sit upright in a kayak or raft and paddle for an extended period of time. Kayaking experience is preferred, and swimming ability is required.