Sept. 25 is the date for this fall’s New Student Convocation. Faculty are encouraged to participate, in or out of regalia, says Debbie Fleming, associate dean of students.

Convocation, which was attended by more than 4,500 entering students last year, is “a key component of broader campus efforts to communicate to students the values of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship,” in the words of Chancellor Henry T. Yang.

Besides the one-hour ceremony, beginning at 3 p.m. on the Faculty Club Green, faculty and staff members will team with resident assistants in a follow-up hour of small group discussions about campus life. Most of the 40 discussions will be held in residence halls.

For more details, contact Fleming by e-mail: debbie.fleming@sa.ucsb.edu.