Welcome Week Schedule
This is a draft schedule and subject to change.
Students will receive personalized detailed schedules at the first Welcome Group meeting on Saturday.
If you have questions contact Student Engagement & Events in the Student Center or at 320-589-6080
Family focused content
Time Event Location
Saturday, August 17
First-year students arrive
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Residence Hall Move in - Individual Residence Halls
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Brunch (free for students and families) - Dining Hall
1:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Reception for Families of Student Athletes - Cougar Sports Center Dacotah Deck
Is your student an athlete at Morris? Please come to this reception with the athletics staff. This is a great time to connect with other friends and families of student athletes and show your support for the Cougars!
1:30 pm
Students Gather with Welcome Groups for Welcome Program - Humanities and Fine Arts (Regional Fitness Center if rain)
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
New Student and Family Welcome Program - Campus Mall (Cougar Sports Center if rain)
The UMN Morris official welcome to the Class of 2028 and all new students! A university tradition, this event is a celebration of the U of M community,
school pride, and our spirit of academic excellence. You will hear from UMN Morris Chancellor Janet Ericksen and Morris Campus Student Association
President Riley Tollefsrud. Welcome the class with a Native American honor song, and meet the Welcome Week Group Leaders.
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
New Student Connections – PLAYFAIR - Campus Mall
Playfair is an interactive team building program designed to teach students essential skills necessary to meet others and begin making new friendships.
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm
Family Reception & Chat with the Chancellor - Student Center, Turtle Mountain Cafe
This informal reception will provide opportunity for Family and Friends to connect with faculty, staff and administrators at the University. The Chancellor and other leaders will be available to answer questions and talk about the Morris experience.
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Welcome Group Meeting 1 - Scheduled Rooms
New Students will have a meeting with their group leader each day to talk through key content related to Welcome Week and the first year experience. This first meeting is extremely important as students will receive their personalized schedule for all of Welcome week and talk about expectations for the week.
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Welcome Picnic Family reconnection and Bon Voyage - Tug Lake (by the Dining Hall)
Join us for a picnic! This event will bring students and their families & friends back together and provide an opportunity for goodbyes, at least until Family Weekend!
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Finish Unpacking and Settle in - Individual Halls
6:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Res Life First Year Mixer - Individual Halls
Get to know the residents in your floor community, meet your Community Advisor, and learn about important residential life guidelines. Students meet in their floor lounge.
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
First Year Social - Campus Mall
All incoming first-year and new students are invited! This is an opportunity to meet students from other residence halls while enjoying music, lawn games, and food.
Sunday, August 18
7 - 9 a.m.
Breakfast - Dining Hall
8:15 - 9:00 a.m.
Zumba - Student Center, Oyate Hall
9:30 - 10:30 am
Beyond Wellbeing: Thriving at Morris - Student Center, Edson Aud.
This session introduces a number of wellbeing activities students can put into practice to help manage the stress they may experience from being in a new environment and taking on new challenges. This session will also introduce a number of key resource areas on the Morris campus to assist students in addressing their physical and mental health needs.
10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
Welcome Group Meeting 2 - Scheduled Rooms
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Lunch with WGL Group at scheduled times - Dining Hall
11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Block Sessions scheduled by welcome group and Settle In
Respectful U - this program aims to introduce folks to the diversity of UMN Morris, while creating community. The session will offer tools to help talk to each other across differences.
Student Engagement & Voting - Student engagement is hallmark of the Morris campus and important to student success. This session will help students understand how to get involved in student organizations on campus as well as introduce the importance of voter engagement and help students register to vote for the first time.
5–7 p.m.
Dinner with Floor - Individual Residence Halls
7–8:30 p.m.
Speak About It - Student Center, Edson Auditorium
Speak About It uses theater and dialogue to empower students to give and get consent, build healthy relationships, and make change in their communities.
8:30–9:30 p.m.
Floor Meetings - Individual Halls
Monday, August 19
7–9 a.m.
Breakfast - Dining Hall
7:45 a.m.–8:30 a.m.
Yoga - Regional Fitness Center
9–10 a.m.
Pro-Tips from Profs - Student Center, Edson Aud.
The panel will share perspectives from professors, tips about how to connect with your instructors, advisors, and engage with campus resources.
10 - 10:30 a.m.
Welcome Group Meeting 3 - Scheduled Rooms
11 a.m.–12 p.m.
Academic Adviser Meetings - Faculty Office, Assigned Room, or Zoom
This informal meeting serves as an initial introduction to your adviser and advising at Morris. Your advisor will tell you a bit about themselves, explain what the academic advisor’s role is at Morris and see if you have any questions about your fall schedule or other things that are on your mind. Our advisors are all individuals and do things differently, much like Morris students!
12–2:30 p.m.
Lunch with WGL Group - Dining Hall
1–5 p.m.
Block Sessions Scheduled by Welcome Group
Library session - Briggs library may be one of the most important resources on campus. This program provides a basic introduction to the library to help you be prepared to dive deeper into the library in the future.
Text book pickup - Welcome group leaders will assist students in navigating the campus bookstore and picking up their text books.
5 - 7 p.m.
Dinner with your Floor - Dining Hall
7:30–9 p.m.
Extravaganza - Student Center, Edson Auditorium
The Extravaganza is a skit show performed by the Welcome Group Leaders and Community Advisors that teaches valuable lessons about the Morris student experience that all first year students should learn.
Tuesday, August 20
Transfer students arrive
7–9 a.m.
Breakfast - Dining Hall
8–8:45 a.m.
Yoga - Student Center, Oyate Hall
9–10 a.m.
Understanding of Place: The Native American Traditions and History of UMN Morris - Student Center, Edson Aud.
This presentation will be an informative session teaching you about the history of the present site of UMN Morris as a Native American boarding school and how the university has become a NASNTI (Native American Serving Nontribal Institution.) The session will take students back in time but also bring students forward into the present and on into the future.
10 - 10:30 a.m.
Welcome Group Meeting 4 - Scheduled Rooms
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Lunch with WGL Group - Dining Hall
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Additional Opportunities
Tour of Morris on Morris Transit, Departing from in front of The Multi Ethnic Resource Center
1:30 pm
This is an optional tour that will show students around town with stops at several local businesses that students should know about.
LGBTQIA2S+ Orientation Sessions, Student Center, Moccasin Flower Room
2:00 pm
3:00 pm
The LGBTQIA2S+ Orientation session is a great place to connect with other LGBTQIA2S+ students, as well as learn more about resources available to students, both on campus and off.
Campus Job and resource Fair, Student Center, Oyate Hall
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
The campus job and resource fair is a great opportunity for students to talk with staff members about programs and services offered on the campus as well as look for work study positions.
Music Ensembles and Piano Placement
We welcome all students, whatever their experience, to take part in a music ensemble. If you are unsure of your suitability or simply want to find out more please sign-up for an audition time to come and chat with one of the music directors.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Choir Placement Auditions HFA 170.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Woodwind, Brass, Strings, and Percussion Placement Auditions HFA 180.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Jazz and Commercial Music Placement Auditions HFA 082.
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Piano Placement HFA 064.
Placement Audition sign-up sheets for all ensembles are posted on the bulletin board between HFA 170 and 180. For piano placements go directly to
HFA 064. For information about all our ensembles and placement auditions go to https://z.umn.edu/9fiy and follow the links.
Optional Adviser Meetings
Scheduled as needed by individual faculty and their advisees.
5:30–7 p.m.
Student Activities Fair - Campus Mall
This is your big chance to connect with the many student student organizations on the Morris campus. All groups will be tabling at this event to recruit members. Sign up for any groups you are interested in and start the journey to find your place on campus.