Partnering to support your student’s success
SEPTEMBER 2024

Dear First-Year Families,

Our Family Guide is both a source of campus news (there are really cool things happening here) and a resource to help your student flourish at Denison. Ultimately, we want to help your student take control and build their own unique experience — and we know your partnership is essential to making that happen.

First-year students have had an exciting start to the year! Students had a lot of fund and built strong connections during the off-campus orientation trips, and orientation helped to onboard them to navigate their new home on The Hill. We are so looking forward to connecting with families again in September for Family Weekend (Sept. 27-29). 

Warmly,

Julie Tucker ’09
Director of Family Engagement

Sarah Jovanelli
Associate Director of Family Engagement

After orientation winds down, it is normal for first-year students to still be looking for ways to build connection on campus. Here are some strategies to help your students adjust this fall semester.

President Weinberg offers advice on five things you might encourage your student to do.

Get Involved: With hundreds of performances and lectures presented on campus each year, students have many options. There are 160+ student organizations — encourage your student to join an organization. 

Attend Athletic Events: Remind your students to cheer on our athletic teams. Students receive free admission to games and events. In addition, Denison hosts tailgates at many of these events.

Office Hours & Campus Resources: Encourage your student to engage with faculty, visit office hours, and utilize campus resources. Ask them about how they are staying organized and managing time to ensure they are turning their work in on time and preparing themselves to engage in class discussions.

Sept. 6: First-Year Friday (connect with other first-year students!)
Sept. 12: Center for Belonging & Inclusion Block Party
Sept. 13: First-Year Friday
Sept. 14: Connect Trip — Columbus Clippers Baseball Game
Sept. 15: Vail Series: Organist Nathan Laube
Sept. 17: Big Red Career Expo
Sept. 19: Connect Trip — Big Fish Theatre
Sept. 20: First-Year Friday
Sept. 21: Denison Day — Concert & Performances
Sept. 22: Connect Trip — Canoe Lake day
Sept. 27: First-Year Friday

Denison coordinates and subsidizes the Big Red Express, a regular shuttle service that takes students to local shopping destinations and to the airport during all academic breaks. Students can reserve their shuttle on WhattoDU. Sign-ups go live approximately 30 days before the first posted date listed. 

Each month we feature a conversation starter or question to pose to your student, aligned with what's most relevant at this point in the academic year:

How do you want to get involved?

Join a student organization? Attend events, special lectures, or performances?
Get a campus job? Participate in student government or First-Year Council?

The opportunities are plentiful!