As part of Orientation Week, Frosh is a series of events organized by Faculty Student Associations, groups, and clubs. Frosh is an open invitation to all incoming students and involves welcoming you to both the University and to Montreal through community-building and social activities. Frosh 2020 will also include an academic aspect which will allow you the chance to get to know more about your faculty and the services offered to you as a student at McGill.

In light of government regulations as a response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of the Faculty Froshes have agreed to move forward with a virtual format for Frosh 2020 in the Fall semester. This is a big change from previous years, but we are confident that it will be a fun and unforgettable experience for all involved.

During such uncertain times, we are in need of community and connection now more than ever. With McGill’s decision to move learning opportunities for the Fall semester of 2020 to a virtual format, incoming students will be faced with the task of meeting classmates and making friends in an online world, which is no easy feat. Virtual Frosh will help you to get acquainted with students who are going through the same experiences as you and help you to feel connected to our community of support and hope for all members of the McGill community.

Details of specific Frosh programming will be released in the weeks leading up to your first day of classes at McGill, but events will be spread out over the four allotted days of Frosh, including pre-recorded events, live-streams, social activities and challenges to be completed offline, to name a few. You are not expected to spend your day seated in front of a computer screen in order to benefit from what Frosh has to offer!

Frosh is one of the first opportunities to connect with others who are also experiencing life as new students at McGill. It is also a chance to meet upper-year students that can act as mentors and resources during and after Frosh. Finally, Frosh is an excellent introduction to the McGill community at large, and can help you identify extra-curricular activities that are of interest to you, resources that you can benefit from over the course of your time at McGill, and of course, introduce you to your fellow students’ favourite parts of Montreal!

Frosh: August 27 - 30 Classes start on the 2nd so Frosh does not overlap with any classes! No need to worry about course material just yet ;)

MUSA is an acronym for Music Undergraduate Students' Association of McGill University, an accredited non-profit organization of which all B.Mus, L.Mus, and A. Dip students in the Schulich School of Music are members.

You may participate in Frosh as a Froshie if you are: - students entering their first year of university in the Fall semester - students who entered their first year in the Winter semester of the previous academic year - new incoming transfer students - new incoming exchange students You unfortunately cannot participate in Music Frosh as a Froshie if you are: - a returning student - a student who is not enrolled at McGill

Absolutely! While you may know Montreal like the back of your hand, Frosh offers you to become familiar with McGill's campus life and is an amazing opportunity to meet friends who are in the same faculty as you!

You can attend as many or as little events as you please and feel comfortable with. Frosh is tiring and we understand that a little break here and there might be needed from time to time! However, we do encourage you to attend as many events as you can! Your leaders will likely have planned out some moments to relax in between the main events!

As you may or may not know, the minimum legal drinking age in Quebec is 18. That being said, Frosh is designed to be inclusive for all! Not only is Frosh about the events and activities and not about drinking, Frosh has a variety of events that guarantee a good time for all!

Frosh leader: Frosh Leaders are McGill students who signed up to lead and guide incoming students during the four days of the Orientation Week. Leaders are trained to offer you a fun and safe Frosh experience, their role is to participate and encourage students' participation in events as well as maintain an exciting and engaging mood throughout Frosh. As a Froshie, you will be assigned to a group that consists of 4-5 Leaders and approx. 15-20 other Froshies. Leaders will be wearing shirts.

While Frosh is mainly made up of social events, please keep in mind that it does not entail the consumption of alcohol or other substances. We strongly urge you to be aware of the fact that it is difficult for us to effectively reduce harm or provide you with any necessary assistance that comes as a result of consumption in a virtual world. We do not encourage the consumption of alcohol or other substances during Frosh events. Should you make the choice to do so, please be informed of all regional laws and regulations in regard to substance use as well as safe consumption practices, such as knowing your limits and making sure that you are not alone when you engage in such activities.

Physical/Technological barriers: If you have limitations with access to wifi or devices during frosh, please contact our Inclusivity Coordinator at sally.cuthbertson@mail.mcgill.ca. For any other concerns, reach out to ally.cuthbertson@mail.mcgill.ca and we will further accomodate you. Mental health barriers: Entering a new environment and meeting a ton of new people can be overwhelming and stressful. At Frosh and McGill in general, an emphasis is placed on creating an open and safe environment. All our Leaders and Staff have undergone training in Active Listening and students are encouraged to speak up when struggling with mental health challenges. McGill also has a number of other resources available, which can be found under the 'resource' tab above.

Coordinators are upper-year students who are tasked with organizing events for the incoming class that will welcome students to McGill in a fun, safe, accessible, and inclusive way. They also oversee the Frosh leaders, who will be directly interacting with the students the most. Coordinators work hard during the months leading up to Frosh to plan it and continue to work behind the scenes throughout Frosh to ensure that things are running properly. Among many others, their responsibilities during Frosh include being a resource for incoming students and Frosh leaders during any situation they may encounter.

Access Allies are Frosh leaders and O-Staff with a particular interest in promoting accessibility and mental health during Frosh. The program is organized under the Inclusivity Coordinators and aims to make Frosh a more inclusive space through increased awareness of these issues at Frosh and providing Access Allies with more targeted and concrete scenario-based training. Access Allies will undergo an additional training run by Inclusivity Coordinators. The trainings encompass mental health crisis response, accessibility accommodation, and active listening for disclosures. The curriculum has been developed by the Peer Support Centre, Office of Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education, and the Office for Students with Disabilities. During Frosh, Access Allies will wear a provided light blue patch that lets Froshies know who you are if they need assistance, someone to talk to, or want to be directed to McGill resources, such as your faculty’s Inclusivity Coord, Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), Peer Support Centre, SACOMMS, etc. Access Allies will also act as a liaison between the Froshies and Inclusivity Coords to make sure everyone (not just the Froshies in your group) has the best possible frosh experience.

Orientation Week is a multi-day period encompassing all the different events for incoming students hosted by a number of groups, which includes Frosh. It is organized by various offices and members of the administration at McGill, such as academic advisors, Faculty advisors and Campus Life & Engagement. Frosh is student-run, coordinated by either a club, group or Faculty/School student association and is primarily made up of social activities.

While being mindful of current government regulations prevents us from hosting in-person events for the time being, we remain hopeful that gatherings may occur in a safe and inclusive manner during the Winter semester. Should this be the case, Coordinators will be re-visiting the possibility of hosting an event for the incoming students in January 2021.

We are keeping in mind that Frosh participants will be located in different places and time zones all around the world during events. Steps will be taken to make events as inclusive as possible, such as spreading out programming throughout the day and repeating certain events or recording events to be viewed at a later time. Keep in mind that this will vary by faculty and that the specifics have not yet been decided. Rest assured that this issue is being taken into account in the event planning process.

The cost of Frosh typically varies across faculties, groups and clubs. As more details about the programming of Frosh get released, Coordinators will begin releasing information about the cost of their Frosh and what is included with each ticket.

Feel free to reach out to us! You can find a 'contact' form at the bottom of our home page or you can email your concerns directly to mcgillmusicfrosh@gmail.com!