The new Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Coordinator Ali Haider, HealthSci ’26, believes in the importance of interfaculty collaboration.
According to Haider, the incoming Class of 2029 can look forward to more interfaculty events and . In an interview with The Journal, Haider detailed his plans for the orientation season and what changes he hopes to bring to the table. As the ORT Coordinator, Haider will lead the ORT Committee—the student-led organization responsible for coordinating with faculties to plan orientation.
Haider’s time at Queen’s has been marked by his involvement in Orientation. In the Fall of 2022, he experienced Fall Orientation as a first-year student. The following year, he worked as a COAT—a Health Sciences Orientation leader. This past year, Haider helped run the Health Sciences Orientation as the Logistical Executive of the Health Sciences Orientation Committee (HEC).
“I’ve been part of Orientation every single year at Queen’s, and I think it’s one of the greatest experiences for students coming into the University as a chance to meet your family for the next several years and also get accustomed to the Queen’s community,” Haider said in an interview with The Journal.
As he enters his final year of undergrad, Haider will lead ORT during Faculty Orientation, consisting of eight student-led faculty societies that host events for their respective students rather than campus-wide University Orientation organized by Queen’s.
According to Haider, this year, his team hired the highest number of Orientation leaders ever, with over 1,100 hires across all faculties compared to just over 1,000 this past year.
With a larger team, the ORT commission must also adapt to a structural change—the ORT Mystery Concert, once organized by ORT, will now fall under the responsibility of the Campus Affairs Commission (CAC).
During the March 3 AMS Assembly, Haider presented the proposed 2025-26 orientation budget, requesting $137,500 in funding from the AMS, down from $629,060 last year. The decrease in funding can be attributed to ORT’s goal for a total budget of $400,000 through sponsorships and event revenue. With the ORT Mystery Concert moving to the CAC, a new Sponsorship Director role was created. ORT’s budget will be voted on during the April 7 General Assembly.
Haider has plans to collaborate with the incoming CAC, ensuring a smooth transition by offering guidance and sharing information about how the concert has been organized in previous years to help integrate it into the new portfolio.
“As Orientation Coordinator, I’ve seen so much from the AMS, and now it’s really exciting to see all these different faculties come together and do interfaculty events and continue traditions in really impactful ways for the students,” he said.
Haider helped organize “Comm and Chill” this past fall, which brought together first year Commerce and Health Sciences students in the first ever interfaculty event for Commerce Orientation.
“When we’re looking at the Queen’s community, it’s not just your faculty and the people that you’re spending time in classes with. It’s from people all across the school, from people in different faculties,” Haider said.
Building upon the work of previous ORT Coordinator Maddie Ronan, ConEd ’26, Haider wants to continue her legacy through pre-week events ahead of the first week of Orientation, including leader training and events for executives.
Faculty Orientation begins on Aug. 30.
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