The general Graduate Student Orientation for the Fall 2019 class will be held on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 for all* incoming graduate students. Many graduate departments also hold their own orientations, please check with your graduate coordinator for additional information. All events are tentative and subject to change.

Wondering how to start your transition to campus? Check out our After Admission guide and click through each header for detailed checklists.

 

Monday, August 19, 2019
8:15 a.m.	International Graduate Student Orientation Herzstein Auditorium and Keck Hall Mandatory for international students Hosted by the Office of International Students and Scholars
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
8:15 a.m.	International Graduate Student Orientation (cont’d) Herzstein Auditorium and Keck Hall Mandatory for international students Hosted by the Office of International Students and Scholars
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
8:00 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.	Social Hour Lobby, Alice Pratt Brown building Coffee, tea and a light breakfast will be available. No food or drink is allowed in the concert hall, please arrive early for breakfast.
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Doors open to Stude Concert Hall
9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.	Mandatory General Graduate Student Orientation** Stude Concert Hall, Alice Pratt Brown building
11:45 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.	Lunch break Various locations, TBA lunch will be provided
1:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.	Afternoon Sessions Locations vary, click for locations Breakout sessions, school panels, etc.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.	GSA Picnic at Valhalla for New Graduate Students Graduate Student Commons Rain Location: Rice Memorial Center
Thursday, August 22, 2019
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Lab Safety Training*** Herzstein Amphitheater
5:30 p.m.	Meet at Valhalla to walk to President’s barbeque Outside Keck 100
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.	President’s barbecue for new graduate students Wiess President’s House
Monday, August 26, 2019
noon – 1 p.m.	Teaching Assistant Training 129 Herring Hall Open to all serving as a TA. If this is a requirement for you, you will be notified by your department
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
noon – 1 p.m.	Teaching Assistant Training 129 Herring Hall Open to all serving as a TA. If this is a requirement for you, you will be notified by your department
Thursday, August 29, 2019
2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.	GSA Activities Fair Graduate Student Commons

 

*New Master of Business Administration and Master of Liberal Studies are not required to attend the General Graduate Student Orientation; please check with your program coordinator for additional information. All Ph.D. and DMA students, thesis and non-thesis master’s, and non-MBA professional master’s students are required to attend.

**Students fall stipends begin on the first day of classes. Students who attend orientation will also be paid a stipend for the week of orientation.

***With the exception only of students in the Departments of Computational and Applied Mathematics, Mathematics, Statistics, all students in Natural Science and Engineering and any other student who works in a laboratory is required to attend lab safety training. Professional Masters students and those in computational or theoretical fields are NOT exempt from lab safety training, with the exception only of students that do not work in a laboratory in the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and the Schools of Music, Architecture, Social Sciences, Continuing Studies, and Humanities. Any student who misses the initial training session will be obliged to attend make-up training if they miss the session offered at orientation.