Cheers, Tams, and Everything In-Between: Faculty Orientation 2026 At a Glance
Written by the 2026-2027 Orientation Round Table
From the excited cries of eager Leaders to the nervous faces of our newest Gales, there is truly not a more spirited, unique, and exciting time on Queen’s campus than the Fall Orientation period. You may have heard someone comment on the “Orientation Magic” but what is this so-called-magic? What is it about Orientation that seems to create such a specific dynamic and seemingly intangible feelings of inspiration and joy?
To answer these common questions simply put, the magic of Orientation is in the people. Each and every interaction between our 6 Orientation Roundtable team members, 110+ Faculty Orientation Executives, 1,100+ Faculty Orientation Leaders, and 5,500+ Incoming Students is where the feelings of hope, community, and excitement come together to create the magical experience that is Faculty Orientation.
That being said, we do not expect you to take our word for it when it comes to Orientation Magic – at the end of March, ORT’s Sponsorship and Media Coordinator, Krystal Angel Magno, shared a post on the ORT Instagram account with the following prompt:
The post’s caption requested that anyone who had been touched by Queen’s Fall Orientation in one way or another take a moment to share their answers and reflect on what Orientation has meant to them. The response was unprecedented! As we saw familiar names of Leaders, Executives, and Roundtable members from Orientations past, we couldn’t help but smile at all of their incredible stories of new friendships, experiences, and, of course, some pretty cool events!
“Orientation gave me a place to start anew and break out of my shell. I got to learn how Computing worked, get introduced to clubs and amazing people that I’m still good friends with. I love the energy it brings to people!”
“Queen’s is a community – a place that I call home… I remember being apprehensive about choosing a place so far from home but I can’t imagine being anywhere else. Queen’s is a home and a place I have found myself in. My Orientation Leaders welcomed me with open arms and I am so so grateful for them. I LOVE QUEEN’S ORIENTATION!”
“Orientation was the moment I knew I’d found my home here at Queen’s! Such a wholesome, accommodating, energetic experience!”
The hundreds of positive and impactful comments from such a wide array of individuals show just how large of shoes this year’s Orientation teams had to fill, but this was certainly not a task that they took on lightly.
This year’s Fall Orientation experience was certainly not lacking in the magic department. The University Orientation events, Welcome Home Night, Tricolour Parade, and Stadium Welcome, set the stage for what would be two incredible weekends of Orientation events.
When it came to Faculty Orientation events, the dedication and commitment from all of the Faculty Orientation Executives and Leaders was truly unmatched. From a recordbreaking Tam retrieval at Grease Pole to the always energetic Galas, Semi-Formals, and Headphone Discos, there are no words to describe how amazing it was to see all of the tireless hard work come to fruition in such an overwhelmingly successful way.
Fall Orientation 2026 was truly everything we all could have imagined it to be! If you find yourself running into anyone involved in the planning, preparations, and facilitation of Fall Orientation at any level – we implore you to congratulate them on an amazing job done!