View Parent & Guardian Schedule

Thursday, August 24

8:00 am - 11:00 am: Dorm Move-In
Note: move-in assistance concludes at 11 am.

First Year Students:
8:00am - 8:30am  A - Da
8:30am - 9:00am De - I
9:00am - 9:30am J - M
9:30am - 10:00am N - R
10:00am - 10:30am S - V
10:30am - 11:00am W - Z

Transfer Students:
8:00am - 9:00am A - M
9:00am - 10:00am N - Z

8:30 am - 2:00 pm: Parent Welcome Tent
Check in and get your name tag. If you have not yet registered, please stop by the tent for on-site registration.

8:30 am - 1:00 pm: Parent Council Hospitality Tent
Meet fellow parents and Parents Council members, get answers to your questions and enjoy light refreshments and conversation. You’ll also find Parents Council members at Page, Emerson and Clark who can answer your questions. 

11:30 am - 12:30 pm: Campus Walking Tour (Option 1)
An informative and enjoyable walk around the campus will combine knowledge of our historic campus with personal student experience.
Location: Front of Kerrwood Hall.

11:00 am - 1:30 pm: Lunch
Your lunch time is determined by your student’s move-in time. Please follow the schedule below to alleviate congestion.
Move-in from 8-9 a.m. 11-11:45
Move-in from 9-10 a.m. 11:45-12:30
Move-in from 10-11 a.m. 12:30-1:30*
All Transfer Students 12:30-1:30*

Those attending the Legacy Reception or First-Generation Session with a move-in time from 10-11 am may eat lunch starting at 12 pm. Meal tickets for parents and family to enter the DC are provided at check in based on registration. Otherwise, you can pay at the door. Westmont students on a meal plan: no charge.
Location: Dining Commons.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm: Campus Walking Tour (Option 2)
An informative and enjoyable walk around the campus will combine knowledge of our historic campus with personal student experience. Location:
Front of Kerrwood Hall.

1:00 pm - 1:45 pm: Alumni Parent and Student Reception
Celebrating multiple generations of Westmonters. Parents (and other family) who are Westmont alumni and their students are invited to a dessert reception with President Gayle D. Beebe. A group photograph of alumni with your incoming student will be taken on Magnolia Lawn at 1:35 p.m.
Location: Upper Magnolia Lawn (in front of the library).

2:15 pm - 3:15 pm: Worship & Prayer
Stop by the Murchison Gym anytime between 2:15-3:15pm to pause in the midst of a full day for an optional time of prayer and worship. Our God is good. Prayer teams will be available on the periphery of the tent to pray with and for you. Musical worship will be led by members of the chapel band.
Location: Murchison Gym

3:30 pm - 4:30 pm: Welcome Session (Spanish translation available)
Join us for this celebratory opening event of Orientation 2023 in the Murchison Gym. President Gayle D. Beebe will extend an official Westmont welcome, followed by an introduction to this year's Orientation Team and a message from our Campus Pastor.
Location: Murchison Gym

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm: Overview of Student Life
Parents and guardians, stay where you are following the Welcome Session. At Westmont, life outside the classroom offers a rich combination of activities, residential living and developmental experiences. Edee Schulze, vice president for student life, will provide an overview of all the opportunities available to students.
Location: Murchison Gym.

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Welcome BBQ Picnic
Relax on Kerrwood Lawn and enjoy a great meal. Meet other parents as well as faculty and staff. Please note that students will eat dinner with their Orientation small groups.
Location: Kerrwood Lawn.

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Out-of-Area Parent Resources
Whether you live outside of California or far enough from Santa Barbara to require a lengthy drive, come connect with fellow parents and gain valuable perspective from parents who know the ropes. Colorado Parents Council members Rich and Torrie Oswald will lead the session and provide a time for questions and answers. The Oswalds share: "We've navigated travel logistics from kids missing flights, to cancelled flights, to having no car, to moving out, to finding storage units, etc. Through it all, we've secured many parent friendships and have been reminded, Westmont is never too far from ‘home’." All parents are welcome!
Location: Porter Theatre Patio

Friday, August 25

8:00 am - 5:00 pm: Prayer Chapel Open Hours
Stop in the prayer chapel to lift up prayers for your student and the college as classes get ready to begin.

8:45 am - 9:15 am: Continental Breakfast
Join us in Page Hall for continental breakfast!

9:15 am - 10:00 am: President Beebe Welcomes Parents & Families (Spanish translation available)
President Gayle D. Beebe welcomes you to the Westmont community, examines the value of a Westmont education in today’s world and highlights the college’s priorities. He will answer questions, and members of his executive team will add insights and suggest ways to support your student.

Location: Page Hall Multipurpose Room.

10:00 am - 10:45 am: Core of the Classroom (Spanish translation available)
Our provost will share the unique qualities of a Westmont education. Professors and students will highlight the special nature of faculty-student relationships at Westmont.

Location: Page Hall Multipurpose Room.

10:45 am - 11:30 am: Parents Council Perspectives (Spanish translation available)
Meet our Westmont Parents Council members and learn how they’ve navigated their student’s college life, gain practical parental insights about the Westmont experience and get answers to your questions.

Location: Page Hall Multipurpose Room.

11:15 am-12:45 pm  Intercultural Programs Lunch 
Location: Magnolia Lawn

11:30 am - 1:00 pm: Lunch
Have lunch in the Dining Commons. Lunch tickets are provided at check-in based on registration, or pay at the door.

Select from one of the following sessions:

   1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: COVE Career Center Session
   COVE Career Center: Discover how you can work with us as we prepare your student for a major, a mission, and meaningful internships and careers. 
Location: Kerr Student Center, Founders Room (room is adjacent to Dining Commons).

   1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Students' Care Session
  Students’ Care: College comes with unique challenges for students, particularly in this post-pandemic season. Learn about college emotional health, how to support your student, and ways to cultivate healthy communication patterns from the start. Presenters: Stu Cleek, Dean of Students; Rob Hughes '04, Director of Health Services; and Eric Nelson, Director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Location: Global Leadership Center's Simmons Center

   1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Chapel, Worship, & Spiritual Development Session
   Hear Scott Lisea ’88, our campus pastor and assistant to the president for church and community relations, present his vision of chapel, our community life and the spiritual development of your students.
Location: Porter Theatre.

   1:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Student Success Session
   The Center for Student Success is a very important resource for all incoming students. Each new Warrior is assigned a Student Success Coach and is strongly encouraged to take advantage of the support and services offered by the center to help each student thrive at Westmont.
Location: Page Hall Multipurpose Room.

2:30-3:15 pm: Supporting your Student Athlete 
Collegiate athletics presents new challenges and opportunities for the student athlete. Parents of varsity athletes are invited to hear from athletic administrators and coaches about how you can best support your student and help them thrive in their first year as a college athlete. 
Location: Founders Room (adjacent to Dining Commons).

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Service of Commitment (Spanish translation available)
Join faculty robed in traditional academic regalia for this formal ceremony of welcome into the Westmont community. Students will sit separately from parents and take their First Walk at the end of the service, which anticipates their Last Walk at Commencement. Student attendance expected.
Location: Murchison Gym.

5:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Families Say Goodbye
Students and families say goodbye before students head off to dinner with their section and families leave campus.

Weather: Santa Barbara is usually quite warm at this time of year. You are strongly encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle--you'll find filling stations around campus.

Dining Commons: Lunch tickets for Thursday and Friday will be included with each Parent Orientation registration. Otherwise the DC is cashless and accepts all credit cards and Apple Pay.