Transitioning from a high school mindset to that of a college freshman is a path full of monumental changes for every student. Anxieties can arise about living on campus, doing well in class, and making friends. To help combat those anxieties, the UAB Collat School of Business has created Business Bound, an optional program that provides support and resources as students prepare for their first semester. Participants move into campus housing three days early, giving them an overview of life at UAB and a chance to get to know their peers.
“Ultimately, Business Bound is more than a traditional orientation program—it connects students directly with faculty, staff, and Collat's numerous resources before classes begin,” said Regan Caldwell, academic advisor and Business Bound coordinator. “Our vision for Business Bound is that it would create a strong sense of belonging within our students, not only within the program's peer groups, but also within the Collat community as a whole. Students leave Business Bound with practical skills and a meaningful support network so that they are prepared for success and excited about their future at UAB.”
For Landon Beaver, who is majoring in information systems with a concentration in cyber security management, the program provided an introduction to Collat School of Business professors’ style of teaching, including his Business 101 instructor, Elizabeth Cooper.
“I feel like meeting her early, in the first week of Business Bound, it helped me because she gave an overview of the class, what she expects in the class, what's going to happen, and the assignments we're going to be doing,” he said.
Being able to move in early gave student Rachel Morrow additional time to learn her way around campus before classes started, while meeting more members of her freshman class. Business Bound was also a time for her—a human resource management major—to reconnect with incoming students she had met during Collat’s CampBIZ and orientation events.
Morrow noted that attending Business Bound has benefits beyond preparing for the first semester by giving students a chance to stand out as someone willing to put in the work necessary to succeed.
“A lot of the staff members look back at the Business Bound students for opportunities [such as on-campus jobs] because they took that step to do more, so they could be more prepared going into the school year” Morrow said.
During the Business Bound program, incoming freshmen interact, practice working as a team and start to develop skills that will help them in college and beyond. Last year's program, assisted by the school's Career Center and Professional Education office, featured an escape-room-style activity, games, and elevator pitches, where students practiced introducing themselves and selling their skills.
When it came to the first day of classes, Beaver was more comfortable participating in class and communicating with his professors because the pressure of getting acclimated to campus and the routine had been released during Business Bound.
Beaver said he chose UAB because it was a good program close to home for his major. Participating in the Business Bound program further confirmed this was where he wanted to be.
Beaver and Morrow finished their first semester in December 2025 and both are employed as student assistants in the Collat Welcome Center.
Business Bound is open to all Collat incoming fall semester freshmen, with a cost of $75. In 2025, 82 of 231 incoming freshmen participated.
Business Bound coordinator Caldwell said additional funding for the program would create scholarship opportunities for students, as well as expand the program to allow more students to take advantage of the opportunity for a head start to the semester.