Back to school 2011!

As the world’s largest bilingual university, the University of Ottawa welcomes an impressive blend of new and returning students every fall. This year is no exception, as our classrooms, research labs and libraries across our three campuses will once again be bustling with more than 40,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all over Canada and around the world. And we're ready on all fronts.

For instance, to ease the transition from home life to campus life, the University provides students with a number of key services:

Housing Services will be playing a vital role in the monumental task of moving 3,000 students into the University's residences over the September 3 weekend.

As well, to keep students on the road to academic excellence, the Student Academic Success Service (SASS)–in collaboration with faculties and services–hosts u101, three days of activities during which students can acquaint themselves with the programs and services offered all year long by SASS, including student mentoring, help with essay writing, counseling or personal coaching and Aboriginal resources.

This year, uOttawa has launched a new resource, uo101, a full schedule and description of welcome week events put on by SASS, other University services and the Student Federation (SFUO).

And we can't forget that while academic success is at the heart of any university, social life is also a key component of the student experience. The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa (SFUO) and Graduate Students' Association (GSAED) serve up a stellar lineup of events, giving students plenty of opportunities to get to know each other throughout the academic year.

Finally, to add even more zest to their experience, all uOttawa community members are encouraged to join the University's Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr accounts. The sites are regularly updated with fresh content about interesting people on campus, upcoming events and timely news items.

Whether you're stepping onto our campus for the first time or starting your very last session, with so much going on all around, your 2011-2012 academic year stands to be a truly memorable one!

Welcome to the University of Ottawa, your university!

Text update: Nadine Saint-Amour
Original text: Dave Weatherall and Dominic Boutin
Photo: Dwayne Brown
Published: September  2011