R.O.C.K. Camp to Welcome New Razorbacks to Campus

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2014 R.O.C.K. Camp Mentor Staff

R.O.C.K. Camp, the university’s premier extended orientation program will kick off this week! For more than ten years, R.O.C.K. Camp, which stands for Razorback Outreach for Community & Knowledge, has been teaching new students the history and traditions of the University of Arkansas while assisting them in making a successful transition to college life.

This program gives students the opportunity to build relationships with classmates and upperclassmen, introduces them to on-campus resources and strengthens their bond to the University of Arkansas. Activities will take place on campus and at Camp Heart O’ Hills in Welling, Oklahoma. During camp students will participate in a variety of exciting activities including community service projects, Olympic games, teambuilding exercises, educational sessions about college life and a float trip on the Illinois River.

Camp programs are facilitated by student leaders who train throughout the fall and spring semesters. Each year many former camp participants come back to serve as members of the mentor staff because of the amazing experiences they themselves had going through the program.

According to Karly Brooks, a senior pre-nursing major from St. Charles, Missouri, “Being on staff gives me a great opportunity to connect with many new students that I would not have otherwise. R.O.C.K. Camp is truly a family and the friends that I have made really have made my University of Arkansas experience a great one.”

Dennis Burchette, a senior biology major from Hooks, Texas, also states that “being from out of state, I grew up not really knowing about the history and traditions of the University, but going to R.O.C.K. Camp taught me everything that I needed to know to truly be an Arkansas Razorback!” 

Two sessions of traditional R.O.C.K. Camp will be held over the next two weeks.  In July, incoming students also had the opportunity to participate in specialized extended orientation programs including R.O.C.K. Camp Adventure held in conjunction with the Outdoor Connection Center in University Recreation and R.O.C.K. Camp Service held in conjunction with the Center for Community Engagement.  For more information about any of the R.O.C.K. Camp programs, visit http://rockcamp.uark.edu or contact New Student & Family Programs at 479-575-5002.