Dear newest students of Notre Dame,
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 you have chosen Notre Dame, and look forward to the many ways your gifts will enrich our campus.
Your Gateway to Notre Dame
As your 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 new residence hall, meeting your 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 time of transition for you and your family.
Welcome Weekend Dates and Schedule
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 will 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 additional schedule details.
Summer Communication
The Welcome Weekend planning team and our partners will be in touch via your Notre Dame Gmail account to offer updates, recommendations, residence hall assignments, and opportunities for engagement with the Notre Dame community. We encourage you to share all information with your family so that they might walk through this time of transition alongside you. Since communications will be sent to your Notre Dame Gmail account, it is important that you activate your ND Gmail account as soon as possible.
During these first days of May, you will receive an email from "Okta." Notre Dame uses Okta to manage the IT services central to your success as a student. The email from Okta contains a unique link that will enable you to activate your NetID, access your new email account, and check your inbox daily. Important communications can also be viewed on the Welcome Weekend website.
Pre-Arrival Preparation
As an incoming student, you should regularly consult the Pre-Arrival page on the Welcome Weekend website to best prepare for your 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 incoming undergraduate students).
The Center for University Advising’s comprehensive First-Year Student Summer 2023 Timeline (and concise First-Year Student Summer 2023 To-Do List) outlines concrete dates and timetables all incoming first-year students must take in preparation for course registration in late July. By following these requirements and recommendations, first-year students will be ready to register for their first courses as students of Notre Dame. The next item on this timeline takes place on May 9, 2023.
Incoming transfer students can expect to hear from advising offices in preparation for course registration in early July.
Welcome Weekend’s Canvas Site is a tool you can use to complete other required tasks as you prepare to begin your first semester at Notre Dame. About one week after you've activated your NetId and enrolled your account in Okta, you will receive email notice of your access to the Welcome Weekend Canvas site. While many of these items are already available for your completion, some are accessible only after a specific date. Return to this list regularly throughout the summer to access newly-launched items.
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
