University welcomes first cohort of Narrm scholars at Melbourne Orientation

UniMelbOweek
The University of Melbourne's 2024 Orientation Week will run from 19-23 February.

Close to 20,000 commencing students from Victoria, around Australia and across the world are preparing to commence study at the University of Melbourne when Semester 1 commences next week, with around 11,500 registering to attend this week’s Melbourne Orientation activities.

Across Melbourne Orientation Week, more than 200 events and activities are on offer for new students, including Melbourne Commencement Ceremonies and peer mentoring meetups for undergraduate students, a student services expo and sports club carnival, live music performances and the University of Melbourne Student Union (UMSU) Summerfest.

A highlight of Orientation for many commencing students is The Orientation Challenge, which puts students into random groups to complete tasks together using the Deckle app, developed by University of Melbourne alum Lex Li.

This year’s commencing students include the first cohort of more than 600 Narrm Scholars, domestic students from a diverse range of backgrounds who are eligible for the University’s Access Melbourne program. Around 230 Narrm Scholars participated in a pre-Orientation camp hosted at local residential colleges, allowing them to build connections with their peers and get to know campus ahead of the full Orientation program.

The Scholarship Program, launched as part of the University of Melbourne’s Advancing Students and Education Strategy 2030, aims to contribute to the objective of increasing the number of students from key priority groups that have traditionally faced barriers to studying at university to 25% of the domestic undergraduate student body by 2030.

The University is also pleased to be welcoming a diverse international student cohort who will commence their studies this year. Around 40% of the University’s total student population is made up of international students, representing more than 150 nationalities from around the world.

The University is working towards zero waste and, for the second year running, Orientation Week and Melbourne Commencement Ceremonies will use non-disposable plates, cups and cutlery. In 2023, reuse initiatives diverted nearly 1500kg from landfill at the Semester 1 events.

Semester 1 begins on Monday 26 February 2024.