Aside from simply choosing classes and showing up to campus, starting your college journey at Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) is about growing into the person you’re meant to become. In the following guide, we take you through the key phases of that journey, from new student orientation to walking the stage with your graduation checklist in hand. Along the way, you’ll discover the wide range of support designed to help you thrive — including academic advising, student success programs, and university counseling services that nurture both personal and spiritual growth. With access to top-tier campus facilities, academic support services, and tools like peer mentoring programs, academic tutoring centers, and time management workshops, IWU equips you to stay focused and meet your college graduation requirements with confidence.

Beginning the IWU Journey: Orientation and Welcome Events

As a new Wildcat at IWU, your journey officially begins with new student orientation and related welcome events that help you connect with peers, faculty, and the campus community. These gatherings provide both practical info (like registration guidance and campus tours) and relational support through engagement with student leaders and family-focused sessions.

The Purpose of Orientation

At Indiana Wesleyan University, new student orientation is a required program designed to familiarize incoming undergraduates with the campus layout, institutional culture, and community — ensuring every student begins their journey well-informed and well-connected. Orientation helps students connect with faculty, staff, and fellow new Wildcats, setting the stage for academic planning and goal-setting under the guidance of academic advising and student assistance services. Through introduction to key resources like campus facilities, student life offices, and support systems, orientation grounds students in IWU’s Christ‑centered, purpose-driven community and prepares them to successfully complete their graduation requirements.

Key Orientation Activities

Indiana Wesleyan University’s orientation programming includes in-person events and live virtual sessions that connect new students to their Wildcat community and equip them for academic and spiritual success. Orientation kicks off during Admitted Student Day, where students:

• Meet faculty and current students
• Tour residence halls
• Complete housing and financial aid steps
• Engage in social gatherings that build early friendships and campus familiarity

All incoming full-time undergraduates must attend new student orientation, which introduces you to the physical campus facilities, important policies, and key support offices — including academic advising, IT support, and student assistance services — through interactive resource fairs and scheduled briefings. In addition, orientation includes small-group sessions led by peer leaders, where students learn to navigate academic expectations, adjust to college life, and practice goal planning aligned with college graduation requirements.

Family members are welcome to participate in dedicated sessions, such as a campus tour, campus chapel, and informational Q&A, offering them insight into how to support their student’s growth and engagement at IWU. Throughout these activities, students also receive practical help registering for classes, meeting checklist items toward degree completion, and ultimately laying a firm foundation for success at IWU.

Academic Support and Advising

As you settle into courses and campus life, academic advising and academic support services become vital lifelines for mapping out your path forward when it comes to connecting with campus resources and succeeding in your coursework. At IWU, a mix of one-on-one advising, student assistance services, and tutoring programs ensures you’re not navigating your academics alone.

Role of Academic Advisors

Academic advisors at Indiana Wesleyan University serve as key partners in your academic journey, helping you plan courses and chart your degree completion path through intentional academic planning and regular check-ins. They act as advocates who connect students with academic support services and student assistance services, including referrals to peer mentoring programs, university counseling services, and academic tutoring centers when challenges arise.

Especially for students enrolled in IWU’s TRiO Student Support Services, advisors collaborate one-on-one to build an Individualized Retention Plan (IRP) and set semester goals as well as proactively monitor progress; this helps ensure interventions like time management workshops or tutoring are applied early enough for sustained academic success. IWU advisors prioritize students' holistic development and degree completion within a Christ-centered environment, whether advising occurs in person, online, or over the phone.

Tutoring and Academic Resources

IWU provides free, on-demand tutoring through Tutor.com — available 24/7 in more than 200 subjects — enabling students to get help with coursework in everything from writing to statistics on their own schedule.

On campus, the Writing Center (Inkwell) welcomes learners at any stage of the writing process with peer consultations that help sharpen essays and papers for all courses.

Additionally, departmental peer tutors support subject‑specific learning needs. The Center for Student Success offers strategies to help students thrive in and out of the classroom through:

• Workshops
• Academic tutoring centers
• Accountability coaching

Campus Life and Student Engagement

As you grow in your academic and spiritual journey at IWU, campus life becomes the backdrop for connection, service, and leadership. Through vibrant social events, student-led organizations, and intentional faith opportunities, students discover belonging and community while they explore their gifts in meaningful ways.

Clubs, Organizations, and Leadership Opportunities

Indiana Wesleyan has a wide array of clubs and organizations, providing students with numerous avenues to explore their interests and develop leadership skills. To name a few:

• Service groups
• Volunteer initiatives
• Campus radio
• Intramurals
• Music ensembles
• Faith-based organizations

Opportunities like WIWU‑LP student radio provide hands‑on experience for any student seeking involvement in media and communication within the campus community. Student leaders can also serve in formal roles such as club presidents, event planners, and spiritual life coordinators — supported by student success and peer mentoring programs that foster leadership grounded in Christian values.

Spiritual Development and Faith Integration

Spiritual life is woven into everyday campus culture at IWU. Worship occurs during chapel services scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, along with consistent participation in small groups and spiritual formation gatherings (all tied to the 28-credit-hour spiritual formation requirement). Students engage through peer mentoring programs and small group leadership roles, chaplain positions, and Christian mentoring initiatives, which are all part of intentional student assistance services for spiritual growth and community impact.

Classroom instruction integrates faith, too, with coursework across disciplines designed to support spiritual development alongside academic learning. This falls in line with IWU’s purpose-guided, Christ-centered educational philosophy.

Health, Wellness, and Personal Growth

As you settle into life at IWU, maintaining physical and mental well‑being is just as important as academic success. From university counseling services to wellness initiatives, IWU offers support designed to foster holistic health and personal growth during the college years.

Physical and Mental Health Resources

IWU’s student assistance services include:

• The Wildcat Health Clinic provides low-cost care for acute illnesses, immunizations, and health education on-site at the Marion campus.
• For mental health, the Center for Student Success offers clinical counseling and telehealth services (via TimelyCare) free to students, addressing concerns like anxiety, stress, relationships, and study habits — which all embody IWU’s holistic wellness focus.
• Graduate Counseling Clinics (staffed with supervised interns and licensed professionals) also serve both campus and local communities, offering individual, couples, family, and group counseling in a Christ‑centered environment.

Building Work-Life Balance

IWU promotes balance through student success programs that teach coping skills, stress management, and effective routines, often integrated into peer-led initiatives and coaching through the Center for Student Success. Students acquire academic success strategies through time management workshops and academic accountability coaching, all while maintaining their mental and spiritual well-being. Resources such as peer mentoring programs and university counseling services are carefully coordinated to help students manage their workload, build healthy habits, and cultivate sustainable rhythms of rest, study, and spiritual care.

Preparing for Career Success

As you prepare to transition into career pathways beyond college, IWU’s support through career services and opportunities to build transferable skills plays a crucial role. Guided by the Life Calling and Career office, these resources help you align vocation, strengths, and experience in order to ensure your preparation extends well beyond academics into real-world readiness.

Career Services and Internships

At Indiana Wesleyan University, the Life Calling and Career office offers hands-on support to help students explore internships, jobs, and vocational clarity through the Handshake platform, which aggregates curated internship and job postings specifically for IWU students. Students can attend career fairs, in-person employer visits at the Career Kiosk in Barnes Student Center, and networking opportunities designed to match them with roles in their field of study.

This office also provides services integral to preparing students for meaningful internships and post-graduation opportunities, like:

• Career coaching
• Resume and cover-letter reviews
• Mock interviews
• LinkedIn development
• Access to the Career Closet for professional attire

These student success programs exhibit just a few ways IWU supports purposeful growth, ensuring students can translate academic and extracurricular experiences into real-world credentials.

Developing Transferable Skills

Through Student Employment Training (S.E.T.) and workshops facilitated by Life Calling, IWU develops essential career readiness competencies such as leadership, communication, professionalism, and critical thinking — all grounded in faith-informed purpose and character formation. Advisors and career coaches help students assess strengths using instruments like CliftonStrengths or Strong Interest Inventory, then translate those insights into action on resumes, interviews, and networking.

The Road to Graduation

As you approach the finish line of your IWU journey, staying focused on academics and celebrating milestones along the way becomes essential. IWU empowers students to complete their studies successfully, fulfill graduation criteria, and confidently prepare for commencement through strategic academic planning resources and community acknowledgment.

Staying on Track Academically

IWU students work alongside academic advisors to monitor progress toward degree completion, confirming each course counts toward college graduation requirements and that students maintain good standing. (This is particularly vital for those on probation through the Individualized Retention Plans within student services.) A degree audit and periodic check-ins help identify any missing credits, uphold minimum GPA thresholds, and guide course registration during add/drop periods. For students who need extra assistance, academic support services (e.g., academic tutoring centers, peer mentoring programs, and access to time management workshops) make sure no one drifts off course in their academic mission.

Celebrating Achievements

Once students fulfill all college graduation requirements and proceed with their graduation checklist, IWU offers celebration and closure through Commencement ceremonies held annually in April and December. There are multiple time slots and venues to accommodate the growing Wildcat family. A formal procession in regalia, with recognition ceremonies and inspirational addresses — such as the Class of 2025 Commencement featuring keynote speaker Carlos Campo — honors both academic success and vocational calling. Graduates receive their diploma cover on stage and later their official paper and digital diplomas once all financial and academic obligations are cleared, wrapping up their IWU journey with celebration, support, and spiritual affirmation.

Ready to Start Your Own IWU Journey?

From your first new student orientation to completing your graduation checklist, Indiana Wesleyan University is committed to walking alongside you every step of the way, academically, personally, and spiritually. Ready to develop your gifts and pursue a purposeful education? IWU offers a supportive, Christ-centered community designed to help you thrive. You can learn more about life at IWU, explore programs that align with your goals, or request more information to take your first step toward a transformative college experience.