Pride Experience 1: Summer Registration

At Pride Experience I: Summer Registration, you'll prepare for classes and get to know Widener—the campus, the people, the resources, the fun!

Get Prepared, Schedule Classes, & Have Fun Doing It

This one-day event is required for all incoming first-year students who've paid their enrollment deposit.

How to Register:

Log into your Admissions Portal and select one of the following dates:

Session 1: Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Session 2: Wednesday, June 18, 2025
Session 3: Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Session 4: Wednesday, July 9, 2025

What to Expect:

As the name hints, Summer Registration, also known as Pride Experience I, is a one-day experience designed to connect our first-year committed students to their academic community, prepare for fall classes, and connect with fellow classmates, and your go-to orientation teams: student C.R.E.W. Leaders, and the Office of Student Engagement.

Families can also join the fun by attending their own Parent and Family Orientation Program on the same day.

Have an orientation question? Email us at orientation@widener.edu.

Event Schedule

The program schedule will be available in May 2025.

As your student attends Summer Orientation, also known as Pride Experience I, you'll also have the opportunity to experience your official welcome to the Widener Pride. Through our Parent & Family Orientation Program, you'll also get to meet helpful offices and departments and get connected to campus resources available to your student to make their transition to college a smooth one.

The program schedule will be available in May 2025.

Parent & Family Resources

To make the transition from caregiver to coach as smooth as possible, we've compiled a host of resources for you. Just as your student will quickly come to know that Widener faculty and staff are committed to their success—we hope you know that we've got your back, too. Here we go! We're in this together.

Access Resources for Supporting Your New, First-Year Student

Bookmark: https://pridefamilies.widener.edu

What to Expect at Your Faculty Advisor Course Registration Meeting

This is your chance to ask questions and start strong—come prepared and ready to plan your path to success! Your faculty advisor is here to help you choose the right courses, understand how they fit into your personalized academic journey, and explore opportunities that align with your unique academic and career goals. You'll also get familiar with the student planning system and learn how to make the most of your time at Widener.

Review your major's course requirements ahead of time in the academic catalog.
Explore ASC101 options to find a course that interests you!
Review your math placement.
Bring a list of any questions you have about classes, scheduling, your major, or academic goals.
Ask your advisor about their preferences for communicating and scheduling meetings.
Be yourself! You've got this.

For more information about course exploration and registration, view the Ace Advising & Registration blog.

Each Thinking Through course tackles a big, complex question with no easy answer. With your instructor and peers, you'll explore different perspectives and ways of thinking that shape your college experience. Choose a topic that sparks your curiosity and dive into the discussion!

Course Key:
H - Honors
S - Service Learning

COURSE TITLE	THE BIG QUESTION
Aliens: Are We Alone?	Do aliens exist?
Banned: Creativity & Censors	What are the limits of free speech and creative expression? Who gets to decide?
Building Resilience	What does it mean to be resilient, and how can we cultivate it in ourselves and our communities?
Climate Change	How do we know about climate change?
Crime & Public Health	What role does crime play in a "healthy" society?
Digital Community Perils	How do the digital communities we inhabit shape the world in which we live?
Does Evolution Matter?	Can understanding the theory of evolution help address challenges in biology, ecology, medicine, and public health?
Food in Society	How and why are our foodways changing?
Green Economy	How can we change the growth model of our current economy to one that is sustainable and healthy?
How We Choose Our Food	How do we make choices about the food that we eat?
I am Not AI	How do you know I'm not AI pretending to be human?
Imagine All the People	What if you had the power to bridge cultural divides in your own community?
Influencers Past & Present	What is influence and how can it affect everyday life?
In-Groups & Out-Groups	How do group identities come into conflict and how can we resolve it?
Injustice in Healthcare	How is injustice related to resistance to healthcare?
Joy & Resilience	What is true joy, and how do we invite more of it into our lives?
Marks or Bust: Should We Go?	Should we colonize space?
My Gender, My Perspective	What biological or social perspectives impact masculinity or femininity and how we present ourselves in society?
Our Monsters, Our Selves	Why are we compelled to create monsters? What do they tell us about our past, ourselves, and our world?
People & Power	How do people shape power and how does power shape people?
Pirates: Heroes or Villains? (Available as Honors & Non-Honors)	What is about pirates that has caused many to see a group of seemingly unsavory figures as heroes?
Rebel Girls	Who's a 'rebel girl' and how do we understand U.S. feminisms?
Relationships & Wellbeing	How do our friendships and personal relationships impact our overall mental health and wellbeing?
Religion in Japanese Anime	How do philosophical and religious traditions help us understand modern East Asia?
Restorative Justice & Harm	Does restorative justice offer hope in addressing harm?
School Garden Ecology (S)	How can school gardens promote sustainability, education, and food justice?
Science or Science Fiction	What is the science of science fiction and is it possible?
Sex Ed in the USA	How is sex ed taught in the USA and why does it matter?
The Politics of Perception	What factors shape our perception of the world around us?
The Power of Algorithms	What are algorithms and how do algorithms shape our world?
True Crime	Why do people commit crime and why do people watch true crime?
Violence in the USA	How has violence shaped the society and culture of the U.S.?
Who Owns the Past	How do societies remember the past and which past do we remember?
Zombies: Myth or Reality	What is the reality behind zombie myths and zombification and what do these myths tell us about the peoples who create and celebrate them?
Masculine & Masculinities (H)	What does it mean to "be a man"? How do definitions of masculinity vary across space and time?
AI: Promises & Dangers (H)	What are the promises and dangers of AI?
What is Reality? (H)	How do we know what's really real? What makes you you? Is time travel possible? What is possibility?
Technology & the Environment (H)	How have social media and technology influenced our relationship with the natural world?
People & Power (H)	How do people shape power and how does power shape people?

Your math placement can be found in your admissions portal.

Your math placement helps determine the best starting point for your coursework and was determined by your provisional level, major, and/or math assessment. Knowing your math placement will help guide your advisor if Math 101 is required.

Start strong by attending every class, managing your time wisely, and using campus resources like tutoring and advising. Don’t hesitate to ask for help—Widener is here to support you!

Explore more tips for beginning your academic journey