UAlbany Welcomes New Great Danes for Fall 2022 Semester

Albany, N.Y. (August 23, 2022) — The University at Albany is welcoming students back to campus this week for the start of the Fall 2022 semester, including more than 5,200 new Great Danes.

Approximately 2,700 first-year students, from more than 26,000 applicants, are joining UAlbany’s Class of 2026. In addition, approximately 1,000 transfer students and 1,520 new graduate students are joining the campus community this fall.

The Class of 2026 is one of the most diverse in University history with 44.7 percent of students coming from historically underrepresented groups. Students come from 27 states and 40 countries. They boast an overall high school average of 91.2 percent.

Last week, the new Great Danes moved into their residence halls and campus apartments, followed by a three-day Welcome Week orientation where they engaged in a variety of workshops with their peers.

New this year, all first-year students engaged in a community service activity through UAlbany’s “17 Rooms of Service,” a partnership between the Office of Sustainability and the Center for Leadership and Service to support various community agencies and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Welcome Week also included traditional events for new students such as the Candlelighting Ceremony, fireworks and a movie night under the stars on Tuesday and the Opening Convocation Ceremony on Friday.

While Commencement marks the completion of study, Opening Convocation celebrates a student's entry into higher education. The roughly 30-minute ceremony on Friday included remarks from President Rodríguez, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Kim, Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis, Torch Professor Jeffrey Berman and student speaker Eva Alvarez Ero.

President Rodríguez encouraged students to work hard and remember the University is committed to their success.  

“Yes, it’s going to be hard and challenging and, at times, you will want to give up, but please do not. Getting to the finish line is going to take hard work, patience, perseverance and institutional support,” he said. “When you feel that you need our support, please reach out. We are here for you, to work with you to ensure your success.”

Friday’s ceremony concluded with students taking a class photo, forming into a giant A on Collins Circle, followed by the President’s Picnic and a Silent Disco event at Dutch Commons.

Along with new student faces, 22 new full-time faculty are also joining the campus community. This includes both tenure-track faculty and lecturers/visiting professors appointed across the institution.