Orientation and Welcome Weeks Fall 2026
The Office of Opportunity & Belonging along with the rest of the Office of Student Experience are working closely with SUNSCAD to bring you an exciting variety of events, welcoming you to NSCAD University. These events will give you the opportunity to connect with your student union, meet new friends, and get a taste of what NSCAD has to offer.
The entire NSCAD community is thrilled to welcome you as you start your academic journey with us. We invite you to join us on Friday, September 4, 2026, at Orientation Day for ALL new incoming NSCAD students.
Attendance is strongly encouraged for all students, regardless of program and level of study as it will provide you with valuable information about your time at NSCAD and will invite you to meet and connect with Senior Administration, the Office of Student Experience, university staff, faculty, technicians, current students and most importantly– each other.
This will be an important day to learn about how we as a NSCAD Community will support and guide you through your studies here.
At this event, you will also collect your Student ID, Campus access Card, and much more!
Location
Orientation Day will be held at NSCAD Port Campus (1107 Marginal Road). You will receive an email from the Office of Opportunity & Belonging (belong@nscad.ca) inviting you to RSVP and providing more details.
Schedule of the Day
10:30 am – 11:30 am Registration & Light Breakfast
Arrive, register, and grab a seat. This is where you’ll pick up your student ID, access card, and other important documents to keep handy throughout the year. A light breakfast will be provided with coffee, tea, and refreshments.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Presentation – Getting to know NSCAD
Learn about and meet representatives from key offices and services across our three campuses that will support you during your time at NSCAD.
Get an update on important dates and upcoming events including Welcome Weeks.
Get to know your fellow classmates and the larger NSCAD community with an interactive ‘Get-to-Know-You’ BINGO game and compete to win prize packs filled with NSCAD Merch and art supplies.
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm – Opportunity Expo & Lunch
Take a stroll, use the bathroom, and make your way down to the second-floor crit space to learn about different departments, services, and external partners at NSCAD. You are also able to head down to the first floor to grab some lunch and hang out with fellow new students.
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Afternoon Breakout Activities with Pizza
All new students are invited to wrap up the day by participating in an afternoon of activities and social connection. We hope you’ll use this time to meet your fellow incoming classmates, connect with the senior students we’ve invited to participate in and lead activities, and get comfy as part of the NSCAD community!
- Bond over Board Games: with the Board Room Café
- Real Talk & Tea: Wellness Student-Led Workshop
- Roots & Routes: Pier 21 Immigration Museum Visit
- Breakout sessions for MFA, MAAE, and MDes students
4:00 – End of New Student Orientation Day
Now it’s time to depart and prepare for the first day of Fall Semester and connect with the pals you made today to plan for upcoming events.
Don’t forget! Orientation Day is just one event in a series of activities throughout the month of September designed to welcome you to NSCAD University, help you learn about what we have to offer, and invite you to get to know our larger community of students, staff, faculty, community collaborators, and most of all– each other!
In addition to the full Calendar of Events below, stay tuned for updates from our office by following @nscadstudentexperience on Instagram and keeping an eye on your @nscad.ca email address.
Reach out to belong@nscad.ca with any questions about Orientation or Welcome Weeks Events. We can’t wait to meet you!
WHMIS Training Pizza Party Learning Commons, 2nd Floor Fountain Campus September 9 from 1pm – 4pm Need your WHMIS certification to access NSCAD studio spaces? Join us during Welcome Weeks for a relaxed drop-in WHMIS Training Pizza Party! Bring your own laptop or use one of the computers available in the Learning Commons to complete your required WHMIS training. Once completed, you’ll receive a WHMIS training sticker for your NSCAD ID card. WHMIS training is required for access to NSCAD studio spaces, so this is a great chance to get it done early, ask questions, meet other students, and enjoy some free pizza while you work! Head, Heart + Handies FAB, 1875 Granville Street (two doors down from Treaty Space Gallery) Join the Office of Opportunity & Belonging for an evening of Sexual Health Bingo hosted by Venus Envy’s Rachele Manett! Come make new friends or bring along your besties and hope to leave with some treats– we’ll have NSCAD merch and Venus Envy Toys and more as prizes for each round. Come with a team to play or make friends when you arrive, we’ll play a few rounds of bingo with NSCAD merch and Venus Envy toys and treats as prizes at the end. Don’t worry– there will be lots of time for our local accessible sex-pert, Rachele, to answer YOUR questions anonymously in between rounds! We hope you join us for this fun, informative, queer-affirming, and consent focused evening! The Art of Organization Workshop Learning Commons, 2nd Floor Fountain Campus Join the team from O&B for a workshop/co-working time focused on supporting neurodiverse students in planning for the remainder of the semester! We’ll share some useful tools and resources that will help you get set up for success and benefit from the motivation of co-working alongside others. This two-hour session is designed to be low barrier and open to all students who are curious about things like time management, goal setting, and more! What to expect: Led by Jess (she/her) and Sara (they/she) on our team, who are our Accessibility Advisors International Student Gathering Location: FAB, 1875 Granville Street (two doors down from Treaty Space Gallery) Time: September 21, 12 – 1:30 pm Join the Opportunity & Belonging team for a fun and welcoming gathering created especially for international students at NSCAD! This is a chance to connect with fellow students, learn about campus supports and resources, and build community as you settle into life at NSCAD and in Halifax/Kjipuktuk. We’ll share helpful information about student supports, answer questions, and enjoy a fun creative activity together. Whether you’re new to Canada, new to NSCAD, or just looking to meet new people, we’d love to see you there! Pitewey Friday: Tea and Hangout for BIPOC Students Treaty Space Gallery, 1887 Granville Street (in Granville Mall Area) September 25, 3 pm – 5 pm All BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) students are invited to tea and hangout event at the Treaty Space Gallery, an Indigenous led space at NSCAD. This is a fun, casual way to meet other students who identify as BIPOC and form connections with classmates from across programs and campuses. If you’re an international student and/or this term is new to you, “BIPOC” is often used in Canada to highlight and celebrate the experiences of people who identify as non-white, including both newcomers and those whose communities and have long histories here. Indigenous Students Beading & Sharing Circle Treaty Space Gallery, 1887 Granville Street (in Granville Mall Area) September 28, 2 – 4 pm Join us for an Indigenous Students Beading & Sharing Circle, a welcoming space to connect with fellow Indigenous students while learning and creating alongside a local beading facilitator. Through conversation and creativity, participants will have the opportunity to share their experiences at NSCAD and help shape a more supportive and inclusive student experience. All participants will receive a $20 Gift Card to the NSCAD Art Supply Store
September 16, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
September 18, 11 am – 1 pm
Indigenous Arts Workshop
Drawing Studio D241, Fountain Campus
TBA
All NSCAD students are invited to celebrate and learn about Mi’kmaw history and culture through traditional art forms and storytelling.