Dear newest Notre Dame families,
Welcome to the University of Notre Dame! We are a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from our origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross and enriched by the presence and voices of diverse scholars and students. As leaders of Welcome Weekend, it is our privilege to welcome you and your family on behalf of the entire University community. We are thrilled that your family has chosen Notre Dame, and look forward to the many ways your gifts will enrich our campus.
Your Gateway to Notre Dame
As a gateway into life as a student at Notre Dame, Welcome Weekend seeks to share the unique characteristics of our Catholic, Holy Cross undergraduate educational experience by introducing and inspiring engagement in academic, residential, and co-curricular student life, demonstrating our commitment to a safe and inclusive environment of teaching and learning, and facilitating the exploration of University resources available to you and your family. At Notre Dame, we believe education takes place in the context of genuine and meaningful communion with others.
Welcome Weekend takes place for all new students and families during the days immediately preceding the start of classes and is required of all new students. These days consist of moving into your student’s new residence hall, meeting your student’s hall staff and fellow hallmates, connecting with faculty and staff from all corners of campus, accessing academic, spiritual, and wellness resources, and acknowledging this significant, though perhaps challenging, time of transition for you and your family.
Welcome Weekend Dates
Undergraduate classes are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Welcome Weekend will take place for incoming first-year students Friday, August 18, 2023 - Monday, August 21, 2023 and for incoming transfer students Thursday, August 17 - Monday, August 21. Parent and family programming is scheduled to conclude in the evening on Saturday, August 19. We invite you to continue to review updated information throughout the summer on the Welcome Weekend website for confirmation and additional schedule details.
Summer Communication
The Welcome Weekend planning team and our partners will be in touch with students via their Notre Dame Gmail account to offer updates, recommendations, residence hall assignments, and opportunities for engagement with the Notre Dame community. Students are encouraged to share all information with their families so that you might walk through this time of transition together. Since communications will be sent to students' Notre Dame Gmail account, it is important that all students activate their NetID, access their new email account, and check their inbox daily. Important communications can also be viewed on the Welcome Weekend website.
Pre-Arrival Preparation
All incoming students should regularly consult the Pre-Arrival webpage to best prepare for their arrival on campus. This page contains a link to the Center for University Advising’s comprehensive First-Year Student Summer 2023 Timeline (for incoming first-year students) as well as access to Welcome Weekend’s Canvas Site (for all new students). Details about these resources were shared via email with all students today. Please encourage your student to check their Notre Dame Gmail.
Supporting Your Student’s Success in College
In this time of transition to college, we will communicate with students and their families regularly to ensure all are prepared for their arrival to campus. After Welcome Weekend, we will focus our communications on students, and encourage students to maintain open communication with their families and to seek out resources and support for themselves as questions or issues arise. There are a number of resources and layers of support for every student at Notre Dame readily available to them—from their rector and hall staff, to their Care and Wellness Consultant, to academic advisors and faculty, and numerous other resources and staff all committed to your students’ success and flourishing. We very much look forward to introducing you and your students to these resources throughout this time of transition and during Welcome Weekend.
This is a time of joyful anticipation for our entire community. As you and your family close one chapter of your journey and embrace the next, the entire University of Notre Dame is humbled and delighted by your decision to join us. We look forward to welcoming you home.
Sincerely,
Emily Orsini
Program Director for New Student Engagement and Formation
Division of Student Affairs
E. Andrew Whittington
Director of First Year Programs
Center for University Advising
