About Welcome Videos

The Welcome Video is a way to 'greet your students at the door.' It let's them know that you are a real human, that you are approachable, and that you are there to support them. Your Welcome Video should:

be 2-3 minutes long. You don't need to spend a lot of time creating your video or include a lot of course information.
be informal and imperfect. Don't worry about making everything professional and perfect. Students actually prefer something shot on your phone in a place you like; making things imperfect and personal makes you relatable.
tell a story. Consider sharing your own academic journey, including set-backs and obstacles, the things that inspired you, or how you discovered what you wanted to do with your life. Stories make us human and can inspire the students who hear them.
be vulnerable. You don't need to share anything you aren't comfortable sharing, but don't be afraid to show yourself in a more informal light. Vulnerability fosters empathy and connection.

Examples

All faculty have given permission for their Welcome Kit (Liquid Syllabus) to be used as examples.

Brent Wedge, Modesto Junior College: Computer Science

Kolleen Kalt, Cerritos College: English

Vivian Varela, Mendocino College: LGBT Studies

Robert Wonser, College of the Canyons: Sociology

Sarah Williams, Foothill College: Calculus

Jamie A. Thomas, Santa Monica College: Linguistics