GREENVILLE, PA –Thiel College begins its 142nd academic year next week when members of the class of 2011 arrive on campus for orientation activities.

More than 400 new students will join the student body this year when classes resume on August 27, said Thiel College interim President Dr. Robert C. Olson ’60.

“We are very excited to welcome the class of 2011 to Thiel College,” said Olson. “This class has 43 members in the top 10 percent of their high school classes and 32 members who have accepted invitations into the college’s Honors Program. We expect it to contribute significantly to the academic life of the campus.” Thiel is anticipating a total of enrollment of more than 1,200 students this year.

The first-year students will be welcomed at the annual opening convocation ceremony at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 22 in the William A. Passavant Memorial Center. Olson will host the ceremony and join faculty and staff in welcoming the new students as well as their parents and other friends of the college. Dr. Mervin E. Newton, interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, and Roseanne Gill-Jacobson, vice president for student life and dean of students, will also address the students.

During the opening convocation, students will sign the academic honor code, a statement of intent that students will abide by the academic requirements and regulations of the college.

A gala for new students and their families will follow the ceremony on the Howard Miller Student Center terrace and lawn.

Orientation activities for freshmen continue through August 26, acquainting first-year students with the college’s people, places, traditions and expectations. A trip to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh is planned for Thursday, August 23.

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