Be the first to know—Campus news & updates for parents!
Be the first to know—Campus news & updates for parents!
Lipscomb University
OFFICE OF ALUMNI & PARENT ENGAGEMENT
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SEPTEMBER 2025

FROM THE PARENT PROGRAM DIRECTOR

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It’s hard to believe we have officially been on campus for a month! Hopefully your student has settled into a routine balancing classes and activities. If your student is looking for on-campus activities to get involved in, remind them to read the "Have you Herd?" email they receive every Monday with activity details.

I hope your family is making plans to attend our biggest family event of the semester on Nov. 13-15—Bisons Weekend. Several events throughout the weekend are designed just for parents and families. Registration opens Sept. 22, so check out the link below for more information!

Stacy Blackston ('00)
Director of Parent Engagement

UPCOMING KEY DATES

Please check the Academic Calendar webpage for information updates about the schedule or specific drop and add class dates for the upcoming academic year. 

PARENT NEWS

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Register today for Bisons Weekend 2025!
Attention Bison Families! Registration for our highly anticipated Bisons Weekend is open! You're invited to join your fellow Bisons on Nov. 13-15 for this signature campus event that thoughtfully combines Family Weekend and Homecoming into one memorable celebration.
A variety of engaging activities suitable for family members of all ages is planned. Parents, we're especially excited to offer you two dedicated events: the informative Parent Lunch and Learn on Friday and the popular "Pancakes with the President" breakfast on Saturday morning where Dr. Candice McQueen looks forward to connecting with current families.
We hope you'll make plans to be part of this special weekend that brings our entire Bison Herd together. Click the link to see how this special gathering of the Lipscomb community has evolved through the years!
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On the first Tuesday of each month the parent program hosts a monthly prayer Zoom for our Lipscomb families. You are invited to join us as we get to know other parents, share prayer requests and praises. Each month, a guest speaker who is a faculty member, local minister or parent, will facilitate our time together. The Zoom begins at 10:55 a.m. CT. This is the same time that our students will be in “The Gathering” which is our large group chapel.
What a beautiful thing it is to take a break in the day to worship and pray together. Feel free to join us on screen or by voice—we understand you may be working!
This month's guest speaker will be Patrick Chappell (‘05). Patrick serves as the Otter Creek West End campus minister as well as the college and young adults minister.
The October parent prayer Zooms is on Tuesday, Oct. 7 at
 https://lipscomb.zoom.us/j/89000830270
Parents can view The Gathering on YouTube on Wednesdays this fall
The Office of Spiritual Formation is excited for students to be back on campus and to jump into another fall semester together. As you may know, we gather each Tuesday of the semester for The Gathering. This is a special time where, as a Lipscomb community, we are prayerfully being formed more and more into the image of God through worship, prayer and teaching. 
Each semester our speakers all share a common theme. We are thrilled to announce that this semester's theme is BE. Speakers will each share one of the "be" statements found in Scripture; think, "be still and know," "be strong and courageous," or "be transformed" and so many more! 
You are invited to watch each week's Gathering the following day on Lipscomb University's YouTube page. We also appreciate and welcome your prayers each and every week that students will encounter God, be formed by the Spirit, and embody Christlike character during the Gathering and in all the other spaces of their life. 

ACADEMICS

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Lipscomb University among the first private institutions in the nation to offer campus-wide AI access, integration

Lipscomb University is making history as the first independent faith-based university to provide comprehensive AI tools to ALL students. This investment in your student's future isn't just about technology. It's about ensuring they graduate with skills that will set them apart in tomorrow's job market.
Why We're Doing This. The world your student will enter after graduation looks fundamentally different than the one we knew even five years ago. Artificial intelligence isn't coming; it's here. Companies across every industry are integrating AI into their operations, and the most successful professionals will be those who understand how to work alongside these powerful tools.
We believe in preparing our students to lead with wisdom, integrity, and competence in an AI-transformed world.
What This Means for Your Student, Your student now has access to Grammarly and BoodleBox (access to all large language models like ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, etc.)—professional-grade AI tools that will enhance their learning, improve their work quality, and prepare them for the careers of tomorrow. These aren't just academic conveniences; they're the same tools being used in boardrooms, research labs, and creative studios around the world.
More importantly, your student will learn to use these tools ethically and thoughtfully, guided by our faith-based values and commitment to academic integrity.
Our Promise to You. We're not just giving your student access to technology; we're ensuring they graduate with a competitive advantage. When they walk across that stage, they'll possess skills that many of their peers won't develop until years into their careers, if at all.
This is our investment in your students' success, and our commitment to preparing them not just for their first job, but for leadership in whatever field they choose to pursue.

HOUSING

NEW STUDENTS & PARENTS: How was the move-in experience?
In an effort to continually improve our move-in process and experience, please complete the New Student Move-In Day Survey.

FINANCIAL AID

Believe it or not—the 2026-27 FAFSA is coming Oct. 1!  Since the changes two years ago with FAFSA Simplification there have been delays in the traditional timing but Oct. 1 is the date FAFSA will open for the 2026-27 academic year. The FAFSA is the one application for access to Federal grants and loans, all Tennessee state aid and certain institutional aid. If you have questions about FAFSA filing, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@lipscomb.edu, and we can help!

DINING SERVICES

Download this PDF to learn about important details for fall dining updates.

CAMPUS NEWS

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The Wild Bison Festival Is a multi-faceted day of creative celebration and strategic inspiration. With the example of co-founders and Lipscomb alumni, The Arcadian Wild, ringing in our ears, hearts and minds, we set our artistic gaze upon the horizon—driven by our desire to create with bold excellence, unencumbered by fear and unlimited by artificial fences of markets and genres. For more details and information, click here.
Register to attend Lipscomb at Walden Farm.
Enjoy the fall season vibes on Oct. 12 
Coming to Nashville for Fall Break? Join the Lipscomb community on Sunday, Oct.12, from 2 to 4 p.m. for a fun-filled fall afternoon with Lipscomb at Walden Farm in Smyrna! Owned by Heather Walden ('93) and the Walden family, their pumpkin farm has been a local Nashville favorite for the past 25 years.
Lipscomb will have a reserved area from 2 to 4 p.m. with some fun games and light refreshments. Entry into the farm is free, and if interested, you can purchase a wristband for activities for $5 (reg. $12). Click here to register.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Career Development Center Career Fair Series for Fall 2025
The Career Centers across campus host a series of discipline-specific events to strategically place your students in front of the right employers and graduate admissions professionals. In collaboration with academic departments, the following events are scheduled: 
  • Law School Fair, Sept. 29, 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Swang Business Center)
  • College of Business Career Fair, Oct.14, 4:30-6 p.m. (George Shinn Center)
  • Music City Health Professions Program Expo, Oct. 22, 3-6 p.m. (Belmont University)
  • Healthcare Professions Career Fair, Oct. 29 3-5 p.m. (McFarland Science Center
  • Nursing Fair, Nov. 6, 9-11 a.m. (Nursing and Health Sciences Center)
Students may learn more and register for these events in Handshake.

OFFICE OF STUDENT LIFE

GRADUATION OFFICE

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