Overhaul Will Shorten Orientation by Four Days, Move Outdoor Action to Fall Break
Starting next year, freshman orientation will be eight days instead of 12 and no longer include Outdoor Action and other small-group experiences
The Class of 2030 was the last to experience a 12-day freshman orientation with mandatory small-group experiences, Princeton University announced in an email to all students on Oct. 27. Outdoor Action, Community Action, and Dialogue and Difference in Action for first-year and transfer students will be moved to fall break and will no longer be required, among other changes.
Orientation will also be shortened by four days, to a total of eight, beginning next fall.
Vice President for Campus Life W. Rochelle Calhoun cited “an expanded approach … that recognizes that meaningful connections and belonging develop over time” in her note to students, which encouraged them to participate in a survey that will help guide future programming. Former student leaders can sign up to participate in one of 10 feedback sessions between Oct. 29 and Nov. 18. It is unclear what role student leaders may play going forward, though a New Student Orientation FAQ page said they are “an essential part of these programs.”
Calhoun’s email said the changes were “prompted by budgetary considerations” as well as feedback from students, staff, and faculty. “While the small group experiences have been positively received and valued, comments on the length of orientation and concerns about providing adequate time for students to settle into college life were also considered,” Calhoun wrote.
Princeton announced budget cuts of 5% to 10% beginning in 2025, in part due to lower projections for long-term endowment returns. Average annual returns of 8% are now expected, but earlier this month, the University announced a 23.7% return for fiscal 2026, raising the endowment’s value to $42.3 billion, a record for Princeton.
“The strong endowment return for the 2026 fiscal year should allow us to reach a lower payout rate more quickly than expected,” the FAQ stated. “However, we have not changed our long-term expectations for the endowment and will therefore continue to operate in a more financially constrained environment for the next couple of years as we transition to a new budget model to match the expected lower long-term returns.”
The survey asks first-years which topics and themes were most helpful during orientation, such as adjusting to life as a Princeton student, understanding values, supporting health and well-being, and getting to know people and making friends. Older students were asked how they felt around fall break of their first year at Princeton. Students were also asked how many nights they’d prefer for small-group experiences, how important it is to be off campus, and which elements of the programs were most important.
The Orientation Advisory Board is composed of 14 administrators across the University and is charged with providing “direction for the future of the Orientation program,” according to the New Student Orientation website.
The Pace Center for Civic Engagement runs Community Action, founded in 1987, in which students “learn what it means to be part of a community, how to grapple with complex societal questions, and begin to develop an awareness of their personal values,” according to the Pace Center website. The Pace Center Instagram account reported that 765 students participated this year.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion runs Dialogue and Difference in Action, a social justice program in which students “engage in critical dialogues focused on identity, power, privilege, and difference” both in the University community and beyond, according to its website. It launched in 2017.
The Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students runs Outdoor Action. This year, OA had 665 participants, according to Rick Curtis ’79, who has directed the program since 1981.
When OA celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024, more than 130 former trip leaders came to campus to reflect on the program, which has had more than 25,000 participants. Holly Zindulis ’05, a former OA leader, told PAW at that time that the freshman trip “is so much more than a backpacking trip or a camping trip.”
Registration for the free small-group programs will open in early fall 2027, though spots will be limited.
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5 Responses
Kiptoo Magutt ’12
51 Minutes AgoTiming Matters for OA Experience
As a new (and mostly struggling!) international student, Outdoor Action during orientation helped me to understand and adjust to America from many angles, and it made a big difference that the experience occurred before classes started. I met lifelong friends through OA.
Cara Pellegrini ’97
4 Hours AgoBuilding Confidence and a Sense of Belonging
I was a little scared and very excited before heading out on my OA trip. My mom bought me a book (How to S--- in the Woods). The trip, which was about a week back then, really built my confidence and helped me start at Princeton already with a sense of belonging. I can’t imagine that mandatory lectures on campus comes close to providing the same sort of orientation experience. This decision saddens me so much for all that will be lost for future students. My daughter, on campus now, has grown so much through the opportunity to lead OA trips. I really hope the University reconsiders and would be eager to join voices and action with other alumni.
Daniel Wang ’26
18 Hours AgoInvest in Belonging, Cut Low-Engagement Events
This is a universally unpopular decision among students I’ve heard from. OA is a cheap investment for freshman belonging, mental health, and for lifelong friendships, memories, and character development.
As a three-time OA Leader, I have seen three classes of freshmen arrive to OA seven days into orientation (nearly the length of next year’s orientation if OA is cut). They are not oriented. Orientation can’t happen when it’s not student led, small-group, and unstructured.
If cost is an issue, why don’t we cancel the other parts of orientation that are admin led and infamously low engagement and attendance?
A petition is available here: saveprincetonorientation.org.
Katherine Zaeh ’10
1 Day AgoHeartbroken by Failure to See OA’s Significance
Outdoor Action was the most significant experience of my Princeton education. I’m heartbroken that the University fails to see how essential the program is to helping freshmen find a supportive community in their first week of college. An optional trip later in the semester will not have the same power to set a campus culture that is built by full-value contracts, challenge-by-choice, and open and supportive dialogue. Without OA in orientation week, freshmen seeking belonging will turn to more exclusive communities that are immersed in drinking culture. I can’t see how the University views this as progress. Please let us know what alumni can do to fight this decision.
Alexander Getraer ’19
1 Day AgoChange Discards OA’s Valued Role as an Introduction to Princeton
I am so disappointed and discouraged to read this news. Outdoor Action was by far the most worthwhile part of my Princeton orientation. It served as an opportunity for me to build close relationships with peers from a wide range of backgrounds, many of whom I might not otherwise have crossed paths with on campus. Thanks to OA, my first Princeton experience was of an environment that encouraged camaraderie, problem solving, mutual respect and responsibility, kindness, humor, and not taking oneself too seriously. I entered campus with a cohort of friends some of whom became close lifelong friends. Becoming an OA leader not only provided me with new leadership skills and even more dear friends, but also provided a meaningful service opportunity to give back to the campus community and connect with future classes. I question whether those who made this decision truly understand the value of the OA student experience, the decades of traditions they are discarding, or the positive impact that OA has had on campus culture. They will be depriving future classes of a wonderful thing.