Denison's Family Guide is both a source of campus news (there are really cool things happening here) and a resource to help your student flourish. 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.

Dear Denison Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you on campus for Big Red Weekend 2023! We welcomed over 2,000 family members and alums to campus this weekend — we hope you had as much fun as we did and that you could spend some quality time with your student.

We are at the point of the semester when students are heavily consumed with academic commitments — exams, papers, and assignments. Check in with your student on the strategies they are using to manage their workload. Encourage them to take advantage of resources like professors' office hours, tutoring, the Writing Center, or study groups.

Spring course registration occurs Oct. 18 to Nov. 14, based on class year — ask your student what classes they are considering for Spring 2024.

Save the Date: Family Weekend 2024

For the past decade, Big Red Weekend has combined Family Weekend and Homecoming (traditionally an alumni-focused weekend). We're excited to announce that in 2024, we will celebrate a standalone Family Weekend: Sept. 27-29. The weekend will include dedicated programming, events, and opportunities for families and their students.

Denison parents and families are a driving force behind so much innovation and opportunity on campus. Last year alone, $6 million in philanthropic dollars were contributed by parents and families. Here, we share the 2023 annual report, showing the impact your generosity made on campus and in the lives of Denisonians.

We encourage every student to take advantage of the Knowlton Center’s Journey Program, which prompts them to pause, reflect, and imagine the type of life they want to lead post-graduation and build clarity around what they might want to do with their career. Encourage your student to sign up for the next Journey opportunity. Learn more»

Denison's Michael D. Eisner Center for the Performing Arts is home of many extraordinary events. Encourage your student to attend any upcoming performances, such as the Department of Theatre's performance of Eurydice, Fall Dance Festival, Jazz Guitar Festival, Third Coast Percussion, or Chamber Singers Concert. View the schedule»

One of the many strengths of a Denison education is the myriad opportunities for students to gain skills, experiences, and networks to help them launch successfully after graduation. To fuel this work, Denison received an $11 million gift from the Austin E. Knowlton Foundation.»

We recently hosted ReMix, the Denison Entrepreneurship Summit, bringing together 150 students and alums, for three days of knowledge-sharing and connection-building. Read more»

In annual rankings announced recently by U.S. News, Denison is ranked #6 most innovative, up from #9 last year. The Princeton Review recently recognized Denison as #3 for career services among all U.S. colleges and universities.

Overall, Denison is ranked No. 39 among national liberal arts colleges — up 16 places since 2016 — according to the leading producer of college rankings. Read more»

Denison strives to engage and provide value for our families — providing communication and information to help you support your student’s success and hosting meaningful engagement opportunities and events throughout the year. We have created a new role, Director of Family Engagement and the Denison Professional Network, to lead this work. We are excited to welcome Julie Tucker ‘09, who has 13 years of experience working in Student Life at Denison, into this critical new position.

Our team in Alumni & Family Engagement is thrilled to be able to provide more engagement opportunities, outreach, and programs to connect and engage our amazing family network.  With Julie's experience at Denison, she has the knowledge and expertise to help us deliver an impactful family program.
-Sallie Hutton Sistare, Executive Director of Alumni & Family Engagement

6 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 11
San Francisco | Register now»

6 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 12
Palo Alto | Register now»

6 p.m., Friday, Oct. 13
Denver | Register now»

6 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14
Columbus, OH | Register now»

We’re bringing our “fair college on The Hill” to you! Connect with area Denisonians, members of the Board of Trustees, and President Adam Weinberg at these receptions, where you will learn more about what’s in store for Denison. 

Oct. 24: 6 p.m. tailgate | 8 p.m. game

Join us for what promises to be a thrilling evening as the Denison Big Red men’s soccer team takes on Wooster at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus. Register today»

6 p.m., Nov. 8 | Register now»

Denison has been recognized as a leader in promoting the value of open expression and working together across differences.

Join us at the Washington offices of Optoro for a night of intellectual engagement and inquiry. Employing a debate format, we will discuss the topic voted on by the community: artificial intelligence. 

Upcoming Dates & End-of-Semester Breaks

Note: We previously published a Dec. 20 date for residence hall closing; therefore, if families already booked a flight adhering to that date, please reach out to housing@denison.edu to confirm a Dec. 20 departure.

Fall Break Shuttles: If your student is in need of transportation to the airport for Fall Break, we offer a subsidized airport shuttle service for $10 each way. Your student can view available options on WhatToDU. If you have any additional questions, please email clic@denison.edu.

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