The start of the video to 3:49 captures a meeting at which Ray Kappe, faculty and students agree on a process for refining the structure of the graduate studios.

From 4:23 to 36:16 are series of brief clips without sound of start of the school year activities: students painting the Rhomboids, talking on a payphone, putting up signage, drinking beer, lounging on the patio, making a silkscreen and screen printing t-shirts with a “SCI-Arc” logo. The images flicker, are washed out, and interrupted with artifacts.

At 36:17, there are scenes of the Main Space filling up with students and faculty for the Fall 1978 orientation.

At 41:10, Ray Kappe begins the orientation with general remarks on the upcoming year, noting the recent NAAB accreditation, thirteen new faculty, and acquiring land in Topanga.

Kappe announces the instructors for the Fall 1978 design studios:
•1A/B: Ahde Lahti, Glen Small, Terry Gwilliam, David Gray
•2A/B: Terry Glassman, Phyllis Birkby, Bill Simonian
•3A/B: Jim Stafford, Howard Lathrop
•4A: Roland Coates, Ray Kappe
•5A: Alberto Bertoli, Anthony Lumsden
•1GA: Michael Rotondi, Daniel Herron
•2GA: Eric Owen Moss
•Community Design Studio: Mike Black

At 51:25, Kappe introduces the seminar instructors, each of whom describes the content of their course this term:
•Henry Katzenstein, Physical principles of architecture
•Glen Small, Natural structures
•Terry Rainey discusses some changes in the independent studio format
•Jonathan Kirsch, Writing and communication
•Stephen Albert, Project and office management
•Ena Dubnoff describes the Landscape architecture seminar she teaches with and Elsa Leviseur
•Shelly Kappe, The Ascent of Man, and Evolution of the modern movement
•Sid Brisker, Mechanical systems, and Architectural detailing (also an experimental Internship program)
•Terry Glassman, Architecture, planning and the social sciences
•Ken Klaus, Music history
•Tom Anderson describes the Advanced structures 1 & 2 seminars he teaches with Richard Brown
•Rex Lotery, Urban design
•Ross Sutherland, Drawing
•Eric Owen Moss, Architectural theory
•Jack Park, Low impact technology

Kappe concludes with a discussion of studios that will be analyzing the SCI-Arc facility this term.

At 1:49:09, Kappe introduces two new staff members: Anne Landon (Librarian) and Beth Farnsworth (Admissions). Another member of the staff, Sherrie, notifies students about the insurance policy, mailboxes, and cube spaces. Arlene Ainbinder notifies students about tuition.

Kappe concludes the morning by announcing the studio space assignments.