Policies

Upon completion of their Intent-to-Enroll at Stanislaus State, a student becomes eligible to participate in New Student Orientation.   All new students are required to attend New Student Orientation prior to the start of their first term at the University.  Depending on a student’s admission date, they may be subject to an alternative NSO format in the event the program dates for the term have occurred before their admission and acceptance to attend the university.    

NSO has two parts:

Part 1:   Completion of the Pre-New Student Orientation Canvas Course. 

Students are automatically enrolled in the Canvas course and will receive email instructions to their university email account about how to access and complete this course.  This email is sent prior to their registered in-person or virtual NSO date.

Part 2:   Attendance of an in-person or virtual NSO program.  

These programs occur during two time periods, summer (July & August) and winter (January).  Summer NSO is oriented toward fall-admitted students.  Winter NSO is orientated to spring-admitted students.   Registration for in-person and virtual NSO opens 4-8 weeks before the scheduled NSO programs. Students will receive an email to their university email account inviting them to register for their preferred NSO program date.  Students who do not self-select their NSO date will be administratively assigned to a date upon the close of the open registration period. 

Dates and registration are subject to availability and capacity.

Apart from New Student Orientation, students must also attend New Student Advising and Registration. 

New Student Orientation is subject to a mandatory fee of $75 for all new students. Students are subject to their fee despite completion of the pre-orientation module or attendance in the day-of program. Additional guest fees may be applicable to a student's account if included in their registration. All registrations are non-refundable and final by the time of registration. Students attending the University who have not self-registered for an NSO date will be automatically registered -- NSO is required of all new students. 

The following groups are eligible for reduced fees for NSO:  

• Project Rebound 

• Promise Scholars 

Project Rebound and Promise Scholars students will self-register for NSO. Upon fee assessment, program participants will be assigned a reduced NSO fee.

The following groups are exempt from New Student Orientation attendance and fees. 

• Nursing Students 

• International Students 

• Previously Attended NSO 

• Returning Students 

• Circumstance or Hardship 

Nursing (not Pre-Nursing): Students admitted to the nursing program are not required to attend NSO.  

International Students: Students do not need to attend NSO.  

Previously Attended NSO/Returning Students: Students who have attended NSO in the previous 12 months are excused from attending NSO. Students who attended longer than 12 months ago will be required to attend NSO. 

Circumstance or Hardship: Students with hardship preventing them from attending may be excused from NSO attendance by completing the NSO Exemption Form. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Students are required to submit documentation of the circumstance or hardship via the Exemption Form. 

Examples include:

• Hospitalization or Medical Emergency (injury, illness) 

• Death or Loss 

• Jury Duty 

• Natural Disaster 

• Local, State or National Crisis 

Students can utilize the NSO self-registration system to register, cancel and re-register for NSO programs of a different date if needed.   The self-selection system closes 4 weeks prior to the NSO date.   A student must cancel a prior registration, before self-registering for another program date in the system.

After the self-registration system closes, there is a two-week period where a student can contact the office to request that they and their guests be administratively re-assigned to a different NSO program date (subject to approval). Rescheduling will not be allowed beginning two weeks prior to the scheduled NSO date.  Students who are unable to attend their registered in-person NSO date will be automatically re-assigned to the virtual NSO date and are responsible for paying the mandatory $75 NSO fee.  Students who do not attend their scheduled virtual NSO are responsible for paying the mandatory $75 NSO fee.   

Students with late admission will be manually registered for an available NSO date. 

NSO is a mandatory program required of all new students.   Individuals who do not cancel their NSO registration in accordance with the cancellation guidelines, or who do not attend an NSO program date, are still responsible for payment -- this includes the mandatory $75 NSO registration fee, as well as any applicable registered guest fee(s).  Late cancellations and non-attendance do not negate applicable fees.

The NSO team will assess the NSO eligibility for each term after the census date.   Individuals who opted not to attend Stanislaus State and are not enrolled in courses as of the census date for their admitted term will not be assessed the NSO fee.