Orientation at Gulf Park

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We are excited to welcome you to the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus. By attending an orientation session, as well as participating in Gulf Park Welcome Week, and UNV 100, you will be introduced to resources, new student connections, and memories that will make you Ready for Life as you begin your college journey through graduation and beyond.

New Student Orientation

Orientation Registration for Summer and Fall 2025 is now open!

Please note: You must set up your SOAR account to register and temporarily disable an pop-up blockers on your browser before registering. You must also submit documentation of two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) immunization.

Please also temporarily disable any pop-up blockers on your browser prior to registering.

Submit Immunization Records Here

What is Orientation?

Orientation at Southern Miss Gulf Park is a one-day event designed to prepare new students for a successful transition to life at Southern Miss. Our mission is to welcome students and their families and connect them to the people, offices, and resources that will make them successful at Southern Miss and beyond. All new degree-seeking students are required to attend an Orientation session. Parents and families are invited to attend an Orientation session to assist their student with the transition to Southern Miss.

Fall 2025 Gulf Park Orientation Dates

Freshman Orientation

• August 8

Transfer Orientation

• June 20

• August 14

More information will be shared with students by email as your scheduled orientation session approaches.
Please contact us at gp-orientationFREEMississippi%20if you have questions.
Immunization documentation must be submitted prior to orientation registration.

Orientation Fees

Orientation registration fee is $50 for students and $50 for each guest. Orientation fees are nonrefundable and cover the cost of select meals, a Southern Miss t-shirt, materials, and programming for your Orientation session. Orientation fees for students and parent/family members must be paid upon registering for an Orientation session.

A student Orientation course fee of $100 (which is separate from the $50 orientation fee) will appear on the student's bill for UNV 100, a course designed to supplement the Orientation experience.

To-Do Checklists

Complete your SOAR Academic and Financial Agreement. SOAR is the university's student portal. Each semester, you are required to log into your SOAR account and complete the agreement. The agreement will ask you to verify or update your contact information, and most importantly, it will require you to indicate that you have read and understood the Financial Agreement and Academic Agreement. Until you have completed the agreement, you will have a registration hold on your student account. You are strongly urged to complete this step ahead of advisement so that course selection and registration goes smoothly. If you need additional help with your SOAR Academic and Financial Agreement, follow this tutorial or contact the One Stop at 228.214.3370.
Submit proof of two (2) immunizations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). If you have not already submitted your immunization records, you can submit your records here. Please note that you will need your application login and password, not your SOAR login.
Advisement and Course Registration. Pre-advisement will begin in April 2024. Please monitor your email for information on how to schedule an appointment with your advisor. This will allow you to meet with your advisor and select your courses prior to orientation.
Learn your SOAR password. You will have to log in to SOAR during Orientation. If you can't remember your SOAR password, reset it at campusid.usm.edu before you attend Orientation. (Your username is a lower-case “w” followed by your 6- or 8-digit Southern Miss ID number.)
Log in to your Southern Miss email account. Follow these instructions or log in to Microsoft Office 365’s Outlook email. Your Southern Miss email account is the primary way your professors and the University will communicate with you; it is important that you activate this account and check it regularly.
Get your student ID made. Having that ID made makes it official: you're a Golden Eagle! Make sure to hold on to it — you will need it every day. Visit the One Stop on the Gulf Coast Library.
Talk with staff in the Office of Financial Aid. Financial Aid counselors will be available during regular business hours to speak with you individually about your financial aid. (A veterans benefits coordinator will also be on site.)
Contact Admissions if you want to change your major. If you change your mind about your major after applying for admission, contact The Office of Admissions to communicate your new major.
Submit any AP, IB, CLEP or college credit to Admissions. If you have earned college credit from a source outside of Southern Miss, you must submit proof to The Office of Admissions so that it can be applied toward your degree. If you have earned college credit through dual enrollment at another college or university, you must request official transcripts be sent to Admissions.

Send final transcripts to Admissions. Recently graduated high school seniors should send a final official transcript that reflects all grades earned during their senior year and date of graduation. New transfer students should send a final official transcript (with no work in progress) from the last college or university attended.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gulf Park Orientation

We strongly encourage all students to schedule an advisement appointment with an Academic Advisor prior to attending Orientation. Information regarding pre-advisement will be provided to the student after registering for an orientation session.

You must be admitted to Southern Miss in order to attend Orientation. The Office of Admissions can assist you with getting admitted to Southern Miss prior to your Orientation session. To contact the Office of Admissions, please email admissionsFREEMississippi or call 601.266.5000.

No.

Please contact the Office of Online Learning about your next steps.

If special assistance or auxiliary aids are needed, please contact the orientation team at gp-orientationFREEMississippi%20to discuss accommodations at least one week prior to your Orientation session.

Yes. The Financial Aid Office will be available throughout the day at Orientation. If you have questions prior to attending, please contact the financial%20aid%20office.

UNV 100 is a required 1-hour course for all new degree-seeking students at Southern Miss. It is a pass/no pass course.

Students needing a religious exemption can access the from here. Upon completion, the form can be uploaded through the MMR link above.