While many new students had the opportunity to move into their new home early through pre-orientation programs such as the Mount Bridge program, Mountward Bound trips like Serve, Encounter, Unity, and Exploration, and the Mount Music Department pre-orientation retreat, Harmony, most freshman students started their Mount journeys with First-Year Orientation on August 17 and August 18. On August 17, the Mount hosted its first-ever New Student Welcoming Ceremony in the Knott Arena to welcome first-year and transfer students to the Mount before the returning students joined them on campus Sunday. The orientation meetings and ceremonies finished with a bang, as the freshman participated in the annual "Freshman Frenzy" party in the quad.

On August 20, Mount St. Mary’s University rang in her 210th year with the opening Convocation ceremony. Students, faculty and administration filed into the Knott Arena to celebrate the beginning of a new year. During the ceremony, President Timothy Trainor welcomed the new Class of 2022 and announced their status as the second largest entering class in Mount history. His speech, along with those of Provost Dr. Creasman and Vice President for Student Life, reviewed the changes for the Mount this year, her successes in the last, and words of advice and inspiration to new and returning students.

Among those successes, is the university Honors Program. The Class of 2022 marks the Mount’s largest-ever University Honors Program, as 105 honors students have joined the freshman class. The Honors Director, Dr. Sarah Scott, is thrilled to welcome the new students, and has described her interactions with them so far as "inspiring." The program, under new leadership and with the influx of new students, has big things planned for the 2018-19 school year. With the launch of a new specialized student housing program, the Honors Integrated Living and Learning Community, and new programs to complement the Honors Symposium including a course in the Problems Facing Humanity, and a variety of lectures and trips led by university faculty.

This year at the Mount, new and returning students alike will experience new additions and changes. Mount Athletics has added men’s and women’s golf, men’s soccer, and women’s bowling to its list of Division I sports. Many Mount buildings have been remodeled, including Keelty Towers in the apartments, and improvements have also been made to the Coad Science Building and the Phillips Library. The Mount welcomes a new University Chaplain, Fr. Diego Ruiz, and, in her new administrative position, the Vice President for Equity and Success, Dr. Whetsel-Ribeau will be working to improve the Mount’s inclusion of students from diverse backgrounds. President Trainor, Dr. Franklin, and Dr. Whetsel-Ribeau are leading efforts to ensure that every student feels at home at the Mount this school year.

The Class of ’22 will likely see big changes to the Mount in the future years as well, as the Mount Forward! Campaign progresses. One such change will be the addition of the new Delaplaine Academic Commons, a new academic and student lounge funded by the donations of the Delaplaine family. In addition, renovations are planned for Rooney and Horning Towers for the summer of 2019.