Welcome to HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College!
YOUR New Student Orientation team is here to help you through your enrollment process and guide you on your academic journey.
We are excited to offer both in-person and remote orientations to suit your schedule! Dates, times, and campuses vary. New Student Orientation programs are a mandatory part of your enrollment process. Not attending an orientation could impact or delay your course registration.
Shortly after activating your myHACC account and HAWKMail, you will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule an orientation and complete any required placement test(s). This email is ONLY sent to your HAWKMail account. Please check your HAWKMail daily for enrollment information. If you do not see an email with these instructions, please email orientation@hacc.edu or call us at 717-780-2513.
If you need assistance with orientation or any part of your enrollment process, please contact us through the following channels:
Email: orientation@hacc.edu
Phone: 717-780-2513
Summer/Fall 2023 Hours:
- NSO will be on campus Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and will be remote on Fridays from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- In addition, remote services continue to be offered every day, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., and Friday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Winter/Spring 2023-24 Hours
- NSO will be on campus Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and will be remote on Fridays from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
What can you expect from YOUR New Student Orientation?
New student orientation programs are specifically designed and implemented in order to prepare you, the student, to transition into and through college, acquiring the skills and knowledge requisite for YOUR success and degree completion. These orientation sessions include:
- Information on HACC Policies and YOUR Student Rights
- HACC Student Resources and Services
- Important information on financial aid and paying for school
- Important resources and tips to navigate HACC technologies (pdf)
- Information on your next steps to advising and registration
- Tips for YOUR academic success
- Information on how to get involved at HACC
We are here to help you succeed! Please check out Orientation Homebase, a one-stop location for all your important enrollment information and more.
If you need disability-related accommodations for your orientation, please contact orientation@hacc.edu at least five days before your scheduled orientation date.
In order to get the most out of your new student orientation, it is important that you complete these important steps first:
- Check your HAWKMail account daily for important updates from HACC.
- Please be advised that before you can receive financial aid, you must submit documentation of high school completion or its equivalent. More information can be found here. Please send all transcripts to admissionsrecords@hacc.edu. (Please use your HAWKMail email account!)
- Make sure you have a plan to pay for school! Complete your financial aid if applicable, or learn more about HACC payment plan options.
- Complete your Placement Testing Requirements.
- Log into Navigate to review your new student checklist.
- Get familiar with Zoom features using our Tips and Tricks, or watch our Zoom video tutorials.
- Bring a notebook and pen with you to take notes during the orientation session.
- Meet with an advisor to register for classes and build your educational plan.
- Dual Enrollment students: Meet with a Success Coach to register for classes.
- Learn more about your program and career options through Career Coach.
- Purchase textbooks and required course materials at the HACC Bookstore.
- Confirm your Financial Aid through your myHACC student portal.
- What if I cannot attend a live-Zoom orientation?
- We understand you have a busy life. All HACC students have access to the One College New Student Orientation Course available through Brightspace/D2L. You can complete this course 100% online and at your own pace. Email orientation@hacc.edu for access to this course. You must first activate your myHACC account before you can access this course.
- I am a high school Dual Enrollment student. Do I need to attend New Student Orientation?
- YES! Dual Enrollment Orientations are a mandatory requirement for all new students and must be completed before you can register for classes. It is a unique orientation session that covers helpful information on balancing high school and college life and gives you the opportunity to meet with a Success Coach after the orientation presentation.
- You will receive an email to your HAWKMail account with information on completing any required placement test(s) and how to schedule an orientation.
- CHS Students Only: After activating your myHACC portal and HAWKMail, you will receive an email with a link to view the College in the High School New Student Orientation Video. Please email orientation@hacc.edu upon completion or if you have any questions in the meantime.
- My child is attending HACC. Can I attend New Student Orientation with them?
- Yes! All of HACC’s New Student Orientations are open to friends and family of our HACC students.
Meet YOUR New Student Orientation Team
Ayelet Shanken (she, her, hers)
Assistant Director, New Student Orientation
My WHY: As an immigrant, I know how important inclusion is, and how hard it is to learn a new culture while preserving your own customs and traditions. Education is key for growth, key to minimizing the gap between cultures, and key to building and strengthening communities that enrich our lives as a people.
Jennifer Dunn (she, her, hers)
Specialist, New Student Orientation
My WHY: As a HACC graduate, I believe that a college education is possible and achievable at any stage of our lives. My purpose is to help students as they begin their academic journey, as those in the HACC community, have helped me achieve mine. Never stop believing in your dreams, never give up on your goals, and never stop believing in yourself! HACC Yeah!
Nakia L. Eckert, M.Ed. (she, her, hers)
Director, New Student Orientation
My WHY: I believe that education has the power to change your life. I get out of bed every morning to show my two little boys that with perseverance and a sense of humor, anything is possible.