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PDC First-Year Program

Welcome to CSUSB Palm Desert Campus!

Welcome to the Pack and California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert Campus! We are excited that you have selected CSUSB to pursue your undergraduate education. The Orientation program provides you with key resources and tools to help with your transition into the CSUSB community as you bond with other members of the Coyote community, your peers, and the student Orientation Leaders. 

Blue banner reads the parts of Orientation: 1) Pre-Orientation 2) Orientation 3) Post-Orientation

First Year Orientation will consist of:

  • Pre-Orientation: online modules to start introducing you to campus and its resources, and get a taste of what it means to be a student at CSUSB,
  • Orientation: an on-campus experience which will include connecting with your peers, opportunities to learn more about campus, academic advising, and 
  • Connections: enhanced fall social programming to connect you to campus and your peers! 

How to Register for Orientation

How to Register

In order to register for a Orientation session, you will need to:

Accept Your Offer of Admission

All students must accept their offer of admission BEFORE June 3. Visit the Admissions Next Steps for information and step-by-step directions. Once you accept your admissions, please allow 24-48 hours before you register for an Orientation session. 

Preparing to Register for Orientation
  1. Know your Coyote (student) ID number - and myCoyote log-in information.
  2. Know any scheduling conflicts – Orientation is a mandatory, two-day program. Make sure you plan accordingly to attend the entire session.
  3. Be prepared to provide information for your parent / family member(s) – Our Parent and Family Orientation session is offered later in the summer. Please enter their information if they would like to receive further updates and details regarding this program just for them!

Register for Orientation!

Log into myCoyote. Navigate to the My Tasks tile, in which you will find Orientation Registration. Follow the on-screen instructions to register for your Orientation session. 

Changing Your Orientation Date

Changing Your Orientation Date

If you need to change your Orientation date:

  1. Send us an email at orientation@csusb.edu. In your request, please include the following information:
  • First and Last Name
  • Student ID Number
  • Original Orientation date your are registered for
  • New Orientation date you want to switch into
  • Contact phone number

or

   2.  Call Orientation and First Year Experience at (909) 537-5233.  Please be ready to provide the above information when you call.

NOTE: Changing your Orientation session is subject to availability in another session. If you change your Orientation date more than once, you will be charged an administrative fee of $25 per change. Please review the Program Costs and Fees page.

Cancelling Your Orientation Registration

To cancel your orientation:

  1. Please contact Admissions and Student Recruitment at (909) 537-5188 or moreinfo@csusb.edu to withdraw your admissions from CSUSB. 
  2. Once your admissions cancellation is processed, your orientation date will automatically be cancelled. 

Program Dates

  • Deadline to register for any session is June 15 or your admissions will be cancelled.
  • When choosing your Orientation session, please make sure you do not have any outside conflicts (such as work, classes, etc.) with your scheduled Orientation date. 

Information regarding your Orientation session will be sent to your CSUSB email account. 

 

Registration is now open!

First Year Orientation Dates
Session  Date Time Registration Deadline Status
1 Tuesday, June 11 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Wednesday, June 5 Open

Website may not reflect current-time statuses on orientation sessions; visit the registration page via your myCoyote portal to view available sessions.
 

Your Orientation hold is not removed from your account until you participate in the entire First Year Orientation program.  You will not be able to register for classes until your Orientation hold is removed. Please check your CSUSB e-mail account for updates. Orientation information will not be sent to your personal email account.

Schedule

Although not everything can be covered during Orientation, the full-day schedule is designed to provide you with the most important information as you transition into CSUSB. During Orientation, you will be put into Pack groups with other new students within the same college, lead by a returning student Orientation Leader to guide you through the day.

Check In

Check in begins at 7:00 AM. Students who arrive after 9:00 AM are considered late and will need to reschedule their orientation session.

Program Schedule
  • Welcome
  • Campus Navigation
  • Engagement Opportunities 
  • Money Management - Financial Aid & Student Financial Services
  • Lunch
  • Campus Resource Fair
  • Life at PDC
  • Academics at CSUSB

Advising and Registration

Academic advising connects students with the university community. Advisors are here to help you transition from high school to college by providing accurate information about academic requirements and using campus resources to help you with your educational and career journey at CSUSB. During Orientation, you will participate in a group advising experience. You will learn about academic program requirements, policies, procedures, and other services that will help you achieve academic success.

Pack Enrollment places incoming first-year students in their first-semester classes. This process began to minimize stress, assist in transitioning from high school to college, and help students meet their academic goals. The schedules are a careful mixture of major-required coursework and General Education. Students will have their courses by Orientation, where they will receive guidance on making necessary changes to ensure their success at CSUSB. For more information, please visit Pack Enrollment.


During Orientation, Students will receive guidance on how to make adjustments to their schedules in myCoyote should they require.

Before You Attend Orientation

In order to have a successful Orientation session and smooth transition, you'll want to have done the following before you attend Orientation.

  • Pre-Orientation - an online program to start introducing you to CSUSB resources, services, and getting acquainted with some of the terminology used on campus!
    • This is available on your myCoyote portal, under My Tasks, 24-48 hours after registering for your Orientation date, or at Pre-Orientation Online. Please access via Student Log In, not as a Guest. If Student Log In does not allow you access, please allow another 24 hours for system updates! 
  • Review Orientation Cost/Fees & Waiver of Liability - Students who register to participate in Orientation agree to the cost of the program, any fees that may be charged, and waiver of liability. It is important that you review these policies
  • Emergency Contact Information - You are required to submit your emergency contact information on your myCoyote Self Service Student Center. Be sure to keep this information updated with CSUSB.
Don't Forget!
  • Submit Your Final Transcripts - You can attend orientation without having submitted them, but we want you to be aware of the deadline!  Your final transcripts are due to CSUSB Admissions and Student Recruitment by Monday, July 15, 2024