In the days leading up to Friday, approximately 2,090 first-year students and 200 transfer students will descend upon campus to begin their Notre Dame experience. The class of 2028, heralded as the most selective cohort to date, will move into residence halls and become introduced to the campus and community around them through Welcome Weekend.
“Welcome Weekend is a beginning. It is rare that a new student has all questions answered or has a complete sense of belonging after the first 72 hours of entering a new place and people,” wrote Andrew Whittington, program director for first-year programs in the center for University advising, who recalled his own Welcome Weekend in 2010.
“It isn’t possible to pack all of what makes Notre Dame such a transforming experience into one weekend. But Welcome Weekend’s combination of residential, curricular, and co-curricular engagement serves as an invitation, hopefully, an inspiring and dynamic invitation,” he added.
Whittington wrote that the Notre Dame experience can’t be reduced to its first weekend.
“Belonging, growing, and doing good are all journeys that take us far beyond a weekend. During Welcome Weekend, we hope to find a balance between highlighting a variety of ways to pursue these journeys whether it be in the residence hall community, a passion for learning, or any combination of the distinctive elements of this incredible university.
Emily Orsini, program director for new student engagement and formation, said that this year’s Welcome Weekend won’t feature many big changes, continuing to emphasize building community.
“Every year we take time to revisit programming and make sure it still aligns with our goals. We made only a few changes this year since we received positive feedback on last year’s schedule of events,” she wrote. “We have, however, been more intentional about the quantity of programming so that students can form more meaningful connections instead of being occupied every moment of the weekend.”
The weekend, packed with events like DomerFest and first lectures, melds academic and social experiences as part of orientation.
“A Notre Dame journey is never about two halves, an academic and a co-curricular, but about an integrated whole. As the entry point for all new students, Welcome Weekend embodies that by giving students the chance to explore both academic and social opportunities, all of which is oriented toward their holistic development and formation,” Orsini wrote.
Whittington emphasized how a Notre Dame education requires community, and that Welcome Weekend seeks to instill that.
“All in all, what is most important to me is inviting students into the unique way we go about teaching and learning here at ND. We believe education takes place in communion. Welcome Weekend, therefore, is a chance for our growing community to authentically encounter and embrace all new students and invite them into our vision of education.”
