Dear Denison Families,

We hope you and your student had a wonderful holiday season. As we near the beginning of the spring semester, we want to highlight exciting opportunities to encourage your student to engage in, important upcoming dates, and ways you can continue to support your student’s success at Denison. These remaining days before the semester begins can be an excellent time to help your student reflect on their fall experience and set new intentions and goals for their spring semester. 

Enjoy these last few days of Winter Break. We’re excited to welcome your student back to campus and for the arrival of another fantastic semester!

Julie Tucker ’09
Director of Family Engagement & the Denison Professional Network

Sara Stasko
Associate Director of Family Engagement & the Denison Professional Network 

MLK Celebration
Denison will celebrate the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the first day of spring semester, Monday, Jan. 20. We hope you will encourage your student to participate in the day’s activities.

Big Red Career Expo
Encourage your student to kickstart their career journey or to simply explore future opportunities during the Big Red Career Expo on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Your student can connect with employers, expand their career network, and discover new possibilities. The Knowlton Center for Career Exploration is also hosting several drop-in sessions prior to the expo in order to ensure students are fully prepared to make the most of this dynamic event.
Learn more about the Career Expo.

Build Skills at Denison Edge
Denison Edge, an extension of the Knowlton Center, offers free programs designed to equip your students with workforce-ready, relevant skills that seamlessly complement Denison’s liberal arts education. Program instructors are industry experts, bringing cutting-edge insights from the forefront of their fields.
Check out the Edge’s spring 2025 schedule.

Spring Break Finance Trip to Charlotte, N.C.
Led by the Knowlton Center and Alumni & Family Engagement, this trip will provide first-year and sophomore students with valuable insights into the finance industry. They will tour top employers in Charlotte, network with alums, and watch a Charlotte Hornets basketball game. The group departs campus on Sunday, March 16, by bus, and returns to campus on Wednesday, March 19. The cost of participation is $300, but the participation fee can be waived for students when the cost would be prohibitive to their participation. Please encourage your student to complete the application by Jan. 17 at noon. 

Arts ReMix
At Arts ReMix, March 5 - 8, your student will hear from alums who have built extraordinary careers in the arts — they’ll learn about possible pathways post-Denison; connect with alums doing incredible things in the fine, performing, and literary arts; learn tips and tricks for how to make their first career move; and most importantly, expand their network among professionals across artistic disciplines. Learn more about Arts ReMix and encourage your student to register.

Fraternity & Sorority Life: Spring Recruitment
Currently, 21 fraternities and sororities are recognized at Denison. Each of these organizations is formed around goals, aspirations, and the core values of academic excellence, career readiness, diversity and inclusion, leadership development, service, civic engagement, and social responsibility. Consider sitting down with your student and researching the organizations that are recognized on campus. Utilizing local chapter and national chapter websites is a great place to start gathering information about the purpose and opportunities within those organizations.
Read more about fraternity and sorority life at Denison.

Lisska Center for Intellectual Engagement
Fellowships: There are a number of national fellowships with upcoming deadlines, ranging from supporting sophomores to graduate level studies. Tell your students to log onto the Lisska Center myDenison page to learn more about these opportunities and to register for an upcoming information session.

Summer Scholars: Summer Scholars is a summer 2025 opportunity in which students spend five or ten weeks pursuing research or creative work with a faculty mentor.  Students may propose research and creative projects across all disciplines. Proposals are due from students by Feb. 3. If your student is interested, encourage them to begin now by identifying and working with a faculty mentor to develop a project topic and design.

As your student prepares for their return to campus and a brand new semester, check in with them on their goals in and out of the classroom. Ask them questions like: 

The beginning of a semester is both an exciting and sometimes a nervous time in many of our students’ lives. Help them determine what they most want to get out of this spring and how to focus their time, boundaries, and priorities to reflect that intention. 

As they prepare to return to campus, your student will see a new balance of spring semester Flex Dollars and Big Red Bucks in addition to any remaining funds carried over from fall. Before the start of the semester, check in with your student on how they managed their meal plan balances this fall and how they might want to manage it differently in the spring. If they are sophomores, juniors, or seniors, they also have the option to change their meal plan during the first two weeks of classes. Encourage your student to download the GET Mobile app (Apple, Android) so they can monitor their meal plan balances. Check out the meal plan overview and FAQs for more information. 

If your student needs airport transportation to or from campus, we offer an airport shuttle service for $20 each way. Your student can view available options on WhatToDU, and sign-ups go live one month in advance. Email clic@denison.edu with any questions.

Shuttles during winter break:
Sunday, Jan. 19: CMH to Denison (8 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 2 p.m.; 5 p.m.; 8 p.m.; 11 p.m.)

Shuttles during spring break:
March 13: Denison to CMH (6 a.m.; 9 a.m.; noon; 3 p.m.; 6 p.m.)
March 14: Denison to CMH (6 a.m.; 9 a.m.; noon; 3 p.m.; 6 p.m.)
March 15: Denison to CMH (6 a.m. and 9 a.m.)
March 23: CMH to Denison (8 a.m.; 11 a.m.; 2 p.m.; 5 p.m.; 8 p.m.; 11 p.m.)

If you are planning to visit campus this spring or summer, there is an exciting construction project underway that may impact your entry into campus! Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 1, President’s Drive will be closed for eight months to facilitate the renovation and expansion of Doane Hall, which will be home to the Center for Data Reasoning & Visualization. President’s Drive will re-open before classes begin in August 2025. Don’t worry — there are still plenty of ways to access campus, including through the East Gate on N. Pearl Street and the West Gate via Burg Street. Signs will be out to direct you. Read more about the renovation and expansion of Doane Hall.

Mark your calendars to join Denison families, friends, and alums across the country and around the world for our annual celebration of Denison! Celebrate 20 years of Denison Everywhere on Jan. 29 in a city near you.

These events are an opportunity for families, friends, and alums to connect with President Adam Weinberg and Denisonians in their region. Mark your calendar if you live near one of our receptions and check out our upcoming events page for the latest information.

Feb. 10: Palm Beach County, Fla.
Feb. 11: Naples, Fla.
Feb. 19: Dallas
Feb. 20: Houston