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Orientation Programs

Orientation in Rome

An orientation program is held at the beginning of each semester in Rome. Attendance at this program is mandatory for all students in the Fall. In January, only the students newly arriving in Rome for the Spring semester are required to attend. The dates for these required sessions in 2008-2009 are:

  • Fall 2008: Thu, Aug 28 - Sun, Sep 7
  • Spring 2009: Thu, Jan 8 - Tue, Jan 13rome

Students who travel as part of the Loyola group on the group flight will arrive in Rome on Thursday, August 28, 2008 for Fall and on Thursday, January 8, 2009 for Spring, and will be taken directly by bus from Leonardo da Vinci airport to the Rome campus. Students who travel independently are expected to arrive in Rome on these precise dates and no earlier.

The purpose of the orientation session in Rome is to discuss in detail the academic program of the Rome Center, to introduce the students to the Rome Center's faculty, staff and facilities, and to familiarize the students with their surroundings. An effort is made to help students feel secure and at home in their new environment and to involve them in the cultural, economic and social life of Rome. Additionally, tours, lectures and activities are organized throughout the year to continue the learning process and involvement in Italian and European culture.

Pre-departure Orientation in Chicago

A pre-departure orientation session is held on Loyola-Chicago's Lake Shore Campus during the semester prior to a student's planned attendance at the Rome campus.

The date for students enrolling for the Spring 2009 term:

  •  Tuesday, September 30, 2008: 4:00 - 5:30 pm,                                                                     Quinlan Life Sciences Building, Room 142 (auditorium),  Lake Shore Campus 

The tentative date for students enrolling for the Fall 2009 term:

  • Tuesday, April 21, 2009: 4:00 - 5:30 pm, room TBA, Lake Shore Campus

These will be working sessions during which the procedures and timelines for securing the requisite documentation for studying in Rome will be discussed, health and safety guidelines will be reviewed, and a general briefing offered about the differences students will encounter between the American and Italian cultures.  More information about pre-departure orientation can be found here.   

Visiting students are encouraged to attend one of the pre-departure information sessions in Chicago if at all possible as they have been found to be particularly helpful to students who have attended them; current Loyola students are required to attend.

On designated start dates prior to each semester abroad, packets containing the following items will be distributed to students who (or whose home school has) have paid the non-refundable $500 deposit, including (for Loyola University Chicago students only) the $100 study abroad program fee.

  • Welcome letter from the director, Emilio Iodice
  • Checklist of important deadlines
  • Academic calendar for the semester
  • List of classes for the semester with call numbers for registration
  • Instructions for student visa, including procedures sheets & sample visa application form
  • Group travel information and reservation form
  • Independent travel itinerary form (for students not opting for the group flight)
  • Taxi information on distinguishing legitimate from rogue taxicabs
  • Affidavits
    • Release of responsibility form
    • Agreement and acceptance form regarding illegal drugs
  • Room application and contract
  • Medical history report form
  • Yellow emergency contact cards
  • International student health insurance brochures
Students will also need two (2) copies of an official lettera d'isrizione with the Loyola University Chicago seal:
  • One copy to leave at the consolato generale d'Italia in the U.S.A.
  • One to take to Rome to submit to the commissariato locale after the consolato generale d'Italia in the USA has notarized it.

This letter will only be issued after a student has e-mailed the Chicago office a copy of his/her detailed round-trip flight itinerary.  For students applying independently for the Italian study visa, it is mandatory to obtain this letter before appearing at an Italian consulate to present your application.

With some exceptions, all students should apply through the Rome Center's Chicago office for the study visa. Most Italian consulates prefer not to accept applications from individual students. Detailed information on the procedure is included in the information packet.

Information packets will be distributed only to students who have confirmed their enrollment.
  • Packets for visiting students will usually be mailed to their home / permanent addresses, although some may be sent to visiting students' study abroad office if prior arrangements have been made.
  • Loyola University Chicago students should pick up their packets from the HUB in the Sullivan Center for Student Services, 6339 North Sheridan Road.

Registration information will be available to all students through the Rome Center Website. Students should use the online course schedule to plan and select courses with their academic advisors prior to the opening of registration each semester.

Please be advised that registration access to Rome sections will be blocked until receipt of the $500 deposit and a signed "intent to enroll" form.