On our study tours, we’re always on the lookout for innovative approaches to student orientation.
The University of St Gallen’s “Start Week” represents one of the most sophisticated student-led approaches we’ve seen, transforming what most universities treat as administrative necessity into educational opportunity.
Since 2001, this mandatory five-day programme has welcomed over 35,000 students through an intensive experience combining peer mentorship, real-world problem-solving, and systematic integration across social, academic and administrative dimensions.
For SUs seeking to reimagine freshers’ week beyond societies fairs and foam parties, Start Week offers a compelling model of what’s possible when orientation becomes education.
This explainer examines Start Week’s origins, operational mechanics, pedagogical approach, and measurable impact, before identifying transferable lessons for UK SUs looking to create more meaningful welcome experiences for their students.
Born from educational reform
Start Week emerged not as standalone innovation but as integral component of St Gallen’s wholesale curriculum redesign around the Bologna Process. In 2000, the Swiss university became among the first to restructure programmes according to new European higher education frameworks, introducing an “Assessment Year” that fundamentally reimagined the first-year experience.
The programme launched in 2001 with a clear philosophy – university transition required more than information sessions and campus tours. Instead, St Gallen conceived Start Week as bridge between gymnasium education and university-level learning, embodying principles of peer-to-peer education and experiential learning that would define the student experience from day one.
This timing was crucial. Start Week wasn’t retrofitted onto existing structures but designed as foundation stone of educational architecture emphasising integrative, practice-relevant learning. The “by students for students” philosophy recognised that peer mentorship could facilitate university transition more effectively than traditional staff-led orientations – a principle that remains central today.
Sophisticated simplicity
Start Week operates through carefully engineered complexity masked by apparent simplicity.
Each September, approximately 1,800 incoming students are divided into 72 groups of roughly 25, each supported by two trained student tutors working in partnership. These 180-190 tutors undergo rigorous preparation through a two-semester course within St Gallen’s contextual studies programme, developing pedagogical skills, cultural competencies, and deep understanding of university life.
The five-day programme follows a structured progression combining multiple learning modalities. Days begin with administrative integration – examination systems, module choice processes, library resources, IT infrastructure – delivered through digital platforms that replaced traditional information sessions.
The core academic component centres on collaborative work addressing an interdisciplinary case study that changes annually to reflect contemporary challenges. Recent themes include “polarisation” (2024), “community” (2022), and “artificial intelligence” (2020-2021).
Social integration weaves throughout via campus tours led by tutors, student association showcases featuring St Gallen’s 140+ societies, and structured networking opportunities. The innovative “Human Library” format provides direct access to experts available for spontaneous discussions, transforming traditional guest lectures into dynamic, student-driven encounters.
The week culminates in public presentations where shortlisted teams pitch solutions to the entire cohort at St Gallen’s OLMA exhibition hall. This finale serves multiple purposes: celebrating achievement, showcasing student work, and establishing performance standards for the academic year ahead.
Integration through experience
Start Week’s educational design represents sophisticated integration of learning theories distinguishing it from traditional orientations. The programme embodies St Gallen’s “studium integrale” philosophy, which integrates knowledge across disciplines while strengthening social and cultural competencies.
The three-pillar model addresses social, academic, and administrative dimensions simultaneously rather than sequentially, recognising that successful university transition requires holistic adaptation. This approach aligns with research demonstrating that social integration proves as crucial as academic preparation for student retention and success.
The peer-to-peer learning model draws on social constructivist principles, where experienced students provide scaffolding enabling newcomers to navigate challenges they couldn’t overcome independently. This proves more effective than staff-led orientations because peer mentors offer relatable guidance based on recent lived experience.
The competitive case study element serves multiple pedagogical purposes beyond engagement. Requiring solutions to complex interdisciplinary problems in five days creates authentic assessment opportunities mirroring real-world professional contexts. Public presentations before the entire cohort establish performance standards while building confidence and communication skills.
Operational machinery
Behind Start Week’s seamless execution lies substantial organisational infrastructure. Academic direction sits with a senior academic, who also leads the Assessment Year programme. Operational leadership – scheduling, venues, partnerships, student support crews – runs through a dedicated Start Week office with remarkably lean staffing – just 1.75 paid positions coordinating over 20,000 working hours annually.
A student media team documents the week through video, podcasts, and social media, both recording proceedings and strengthening cohort identity. The university explicitly thanks external partners, underlining its habit of mixing academic, civic, and corporate voices. This community engagement extends Start Week’s impact beyond campus boundaries.
The programme’s adaptability became evident during COVID-19, when hybrid formats mixing on-campus and digital elements preserved core experiences despite constraints. The 2020-2021 adaptations introduced learning videos, livestreams, and interactive platforms that became permanent features, creating what organisers describe as a more “diverse and colourful” experience.
Community and competence
Start Week’s 24-year continuity and central role in St Gallen’s student experience suggest significant institutional value. The university maintains 90 per cent student satisfaction rates, with graduates demonstrating exceptional employment outcomes including 100 per cent job placement within three months for certain programmes.
Over half of St Gallen students actively participate in clubs and academic societies, suggesting successful community integration that Start Week initiates. The institution’s Triple Crown accreditation and top Financial Times rankings (#9 European Business School, #1 Master in Management globally) reflect an educational environment where Start Week plays foundational role.
The programme generates benefits across stakeholder groups. New students gain confidence, connections, and practical knowledge accelerating university adaptation. Tutors develop leadership, communication, and mentoring skills while deepening community connection. The institution benefits from improved student integration, stronger community bonds, and distinctive positioning in competitive higher education markets.
Challenges and considerations
Start Week’s competitive crescendo can create pressure alongside pride. Local coverage describes high-stakes finals and public judging that motivate some students while potentially amplifying anxiety for others. The programme’s inclusive tone operates within broader commentary about St Gallen’s culture that sometimes questions selectivity and status signalling.
Resource intensity represents another consideration. Start Week requires extensive tutor training, coordination infrastructure, and institutional commitment that may challenge universities lacking St Gallen’s resources or community engagement culture. The programme’s deep integration with unique institutional structures creates dependencies complicating isolated replication.
Transferable lessons for UK SUs
Despite institutional specificity, Start Week offers clear principles for SUs seeking to enhance welcome experiences:
- Fuse induction with inquiry. Rather than passive information consumption, engage students in active problem-solving that demonstrates university-level learning expectations while building practical skills.
- Centre peer leadership. Train and trust older students to guide newcomers, creating authentic mentorship relationships that extend beyond orientation week. This builds belonging through shared experience rather than institutional presentation.
- Integrate dimensions. Blend administrative, academic, and social activities into coherent experience rather than treating them as separate streams. Students need practical knowledge, intellectual challenge, and social connection simultaneously.
- Create shared purpose. Unite the cohort through common challenges and collaborative work, establishing collective identity alongside individual connections.
- Design memorable closure. Conclude with celebratory, public moment that showcases achievement while establishing standards for continued engagement.
- Embrace authentic challenge. Address real-world problems requiring genuine intellectual work, demonstrating that university education connects to broader societal issues.
- Invest in facilitation. Properly prepare student leaders through structured training rather than relying on enthusiasm alone. Quality mentorship requires developed skills.
Implementation considerations
UK SUs considering advocating for Start Week-inspired reforms should assess existing resources, institutional relationships, and student expectations. Pilot programmes might test core principles on smaller scales before institution-wide implementation. Partnership with one or two academic departments for January or September 2026 could provide intellectual content while student development teams offer training infrastructure.
Cultural adaptation remains crucial. Start Week’s competitive elements reflect Swiss educational traditions that may require modification for UK contexts emphasising collaboration over competition. Similarly, the programme’s intensity suits St Gallen’s selective admissions but might overwhelm institutions with different student populations.
Start Week demonstrates that university orientation can be transformative rather than merely informative. By treating new students as emerging community members rather than passive information recipients, St Gallen creates patterns of engagement, inquiry, and collaboration persisting throughout university careers.
For UK SUs, Start Week offers a compelling vision of welcome experiences that build both competence and community. The programme challenges institutions to reconsider orientation’s purpose and potential, asking not just how to convey information efficiently but how to fundamentally transform school leavers into engaged university students through intensive, meaningful experience.
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