ONS FAQs

WHAT ARE THE DATES FOR ONS?

ONS NEW STAFF: Plan to arrive on June 21 and depart on June 27, 2023.
ONS PROGRAM STAFF:  Plan to arrive on June 21 and depart on June 27, 2023.

Current draft of the ONS 23 schedule: ONS 2022 Schedule.pdf

For information about travel, visit the ONS travel page.

WHERE DOES ONS TAKE PLACE?

ONS will occur at the Best Western Premier Park Hotel in Madison, Wisconsin. The Park Hotel is located on the Capitol Square, with easy access to parks, a library, restaurants, stores, lakes, and other recreational opportunities. The hotel has an indoor swimming pool and a small fitness center. You will also be given access to a larger, local health club during your stay in Madison.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND?

ONS is for all new staff who have been on paid staff as of February 2023 and have yet to attend. It is strongly recommended staff attend within their first three years on staff. New NSC staff and IVP personnel are encouraged to attend ONS after receiving their supervisor's approval. Volunteers and Provisional appointees are welcome pending supervisor approval. Your Regional Director and the Director of ONS must consider any other exceptions before registering.

CAN I ATTEND PART OF ONS?

ONS participation is required for the entire duration of the program content for all provisional appointees and any other campus staff who have not previously attended this program within their first three years on staff. Part-time attendance, arriving late or departing early, is strongly discouraged. Any exceptions to full-time attendance and participation must be considered by your Regional Director and approved by the Director of ONS before registering.

WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE?

Dress for ONS will be casual, with the exception of the commissioning banquet on June 26. The dress code for the commissioning banquet will be "spring/summer wedding," so please interpret and pack accordingly. Meeting rooms can also be chilly, so bring a sweater or sweatshirt.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

• Bring your laptop, tablet and/or smart phone device.

• Leave room in your luggage to bring home materials and books from the ONS booktable.

• Cash for a one-time offering for the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). 

CAN I REQUEST A ROOMMATE?

We generally house new staff with someone they may not know to help foster new relationships. However, those attending ONS may request a particular roommate if they know someone else who is attending. Request your roommate when registering online or by contacting the ONS Operations Team. Roommate requests must be mutual and must be made by May 12. Requests received after this date are not guaranteed to be fulfilled.

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER?

The last date we will accept registrations is April 30. Your ONS participation is not guaranteed unless you register by this deadline.

IS THERE A CANCELLATION POLICY?

Please notify the ONS Operations Team of cancellations as soon as possible. After May 31, a $100 fee will be charged to the staff member's account for cancellations or "no-shows".

IS THERE CHILDCARE?

Please refer to the Childcare page for complete information on childcare at ONS.  

WHAT ACCOUNT DO I CHARGE FOR MY ONS EXPENSES?

Please submit all expenses for travel within 60 days of the date the expense was incurred (per expense reporting guidelines) in order to be reimbursed. That's 60 days after you have made your purchase - not 60 days from your date of travel.

Submit your expenses on Workday to ONS 2023 (753544) in the Cost Center field.

WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE LIKE?

Click here for a glimpse of the schedule!

HAVE A QUESTION THAT WASN'T ANSWERED HERE?

Please email LAT@intervarsity.org.