Welcome Week
Welcome Week is comprised of several days of activities designed to introduce new students to each other, the campus and academic life at Ripon. Welcome Week kicks of on New Student Move-In Day and goes through the first week of being on campus.
For more information on our programs, please contact our Office of Student Activities & Orientation Programs at 920-748-8112.
Welcome Week 2023 Schedule of Events |
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| Schedule of Events Notes |
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Saturday, August 26 | New Student Move-In Day |
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| 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Move-In Period | Residence Halls Follow instructions received from Residence Life to correctly receive clearance to check into your residence hall. |
| 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | OneCard Office and Mail Center Open |
| 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Complimentary Lunch | Main Dining Room, Pickard Commons All new students, along with their families and guests are welcome to a complimentary lunch provided by SAGE Dining Services. |
| 3 - 4 p.m. | Matriculation Convocation** | 1 Merriman Lane Matriculation Convocation is the institutional welcome for our newest students. Join President Folse, Dean Sisko and Ripon College faculty at the President’s House for a ceremony to officially start your Ripon College experience. |
| 4 - 4:45 p.m. | Reception and Family Send-Off | 1 Merriman Lane Say goodbye to your supporters while enjoying ice cream from SAGE Dining! |
| 4:45 - 5:30 p.m. | Orientation Committee (OC) Small Group Meetings** | Various locations on campus New students will connect with their assigned Orientation Committee member (OC) to talk through the schedule for the weekend and get to know other new students from across campus. |
| 5:30 - 7 p.m. | Dinner | Pickard Commons This is the first meal which will be billed to students’ meal plans, so don’t forget to bring your OneCard with you to eat! |
| 7 - 7:45 p.m. | First-Year Floor Meetings** | Residence Halls New students will meet their Resident Assistants (RAs) and learn about expectations of living in our residential communities. |
| 8 - 9:30 p.m. | S'mores and Campfire | Fire Pit, Upper Campus Join the Orientation Committee for treats and a cozy campfire! |
| 9:30 - 11:30 p.m. | Student Programming Council and SAO Present: The Super Mario Bros. Movie | Harwood Memorial Union Lawn, Upper Campus Grab your blankets and hang with the Orientation Committee for an outdoor screening of the recent hit film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, sponsored by Student Programming Council and Student Activities Office. |
Sunday, August 27 | Returning Student Move-In Day |
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| 8 - 9 a.m. | Breakfast** | Pickard Commons New students will converse about the transition to college with their assigned Orientation Committee member. |
| 9 - 10 a.m. | Resource Tour with OC Small Groups** | Upper Campus Take a personalized tour of campus and learn the location of important campus services like the Registrar's Office, Health Services/Counseling, The Franzen Center and the Student Activities Office (SAO) |
| 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | New Student How-To Guide** | Great Hall, Harwood Memorial Union The transition to college brings with it all sorts of new experiences and learning opportunities. New students will spend time with professionals from around campus learning about the resources available to ensure a safe and healthy start to their Ripon experience. Content warning: federally-mandated Title IX/sexual misconduct policy training is part of this program./em> |
| 12 - 1 p.m. | Lunch | Pickard Commons Remember to bring your OneCard! |
| 1 - 4 p.m. | OneCard Office and Mail Center Open |
| 1:30 - 3 p.m. | Trip to Green Lake Dodge Memorial County Park | Meet at Memorial Lawn, Upper Campus Check out Ripon's neighboring town, Green Lake! Play sand volleyball, relax on the shoreline and enjoy the beauty of the lake. |
| 4 - 6 p.m. | Black Student Union (BSU) Back to School BBQ | The Spot, Harwood Memorial Union Come enjoy music, food and meet the Executive Board of BSU! |
| 4 p.m. | Student Support Services Picnic | Great Hall, Harwood Memorial Union All qualifying first-year Student Support Services students are invited to this special opportunity for dinner and to meet with their peer contact and SSS staff. See your invite for details. |
Monday, August 28 | First Day of Classes |
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| 7:30 - 10:30 a.m. | First Day of School Photos | Outside of The Spot Happy 1st day of __th grade, Red Hawks! Take a cute photo to commemorate the start of the year and grab some free donut holes! |
| 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Center for Career & Professional Development Tabling | Lower Level, Pickard Commons Stop by the tables outside the Center for Career & Professional Development to meet the staff and win door prizes! |
| 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Taste of Ripon | Great Hall Come out to Great Hall to meet Ripon restaurants as they showcase their best culinary creations, from savory bites to sweet treats! You’ll get to sample a variety of delicious foods and beverages from different vendors and enjoy giveaways from area businesses. |
| 3:30 - 6:30 p.m. | DIY Tote Bags | Office of Student Activities & Orientation Express your unique style and decorate a tote bag with iron on patches and paint! |
Tuesday, August 29 |
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| 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Center for Career & Professional Development Tabling | Lower Level, Pickard Commons Stop by the tables outside the Center for Career & Professional Development to meet the staff and win door prizes! |
| 11:15 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Student Activities Fair | Memorial Lawn, Upper Campus Ripon’s community is made more vibrant through the work of its student organizations. Stop by tables to learn more about involvement opportunities, meet student leaders and sign up for your next adventures! |
| 7 - 9 p.m. | Theatre Auditions | Benstead Theatre Interested in participating in theatre this semester? Open auditions and crew calls for this semester's plays will be held. Learn more. |
| 8 - 10 p.m. | The Orientation Committee Presents: Trivia | The Spot Celebrate Welcome Week by testing your trivia skills at the Spot! Gift cards will be awarded to the top teams. |
Wednesday, August 30 |
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| 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Back to School Raffle | Student Activities Office Stop by the Student Activities Office between 9:00am and 3:00pm to enter to win our Back to School Raffle Basket filled with everything you need to start the new year right! Winner will be announced via email. |
| 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Center for Career & Professional Development Tabling | Lower Level, Pickard Commons Stop by the tables outside the Center for Career & Professional Development to meet the staff and win door prizes! |
| 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Service Project: Highway Clean Up | Commons Circle, Pickard Commons Join SAO as we complete our first clean up of our Adopt a Highway segment! Gloves, high visibility vests and all equipment will be provided, but please wear closed toe shoes and pants. |
| 7 - 8 p.m. | Zumba with Campus Rec | Willmore, Studio 214 Dance your way into the semester with a Latin-inspired aerobic workout. |
| 7 - 9 p.m. | Theatre Auditions | Benstead Theatre Interested in participating in theatre this semester? Open auditions and crew calls for this semester's plays will be held. Learn more. |
Thursday, August 31 |
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| 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Center for Career & Professional Development Tabling | Lower Level, Pickard Commons Stop by the tables outside the Center for Career & Professional Development to meet the staff and win door prizes! |
| 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Inclusive Excellence Mixer | Center for Diversity and Inclusion, Bartlett Hall Mix and mingle with the international and multicultural students at Ripon and explore the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. |
| 6:30 - 8 p.m. | Grocery Bingo | Harwood Memorial Lawn, Upper Campus Join the office of Residence Life for Grocery Bingo! Bring a blanket and your friend and compete for the best of college student cooking supplies, snacks, and treats! Rain Site: Great Hall |
| 8 - 10 p.m. | Karaoke in The Spot | The Spot Bring your best singing voice or enjoy listening to your friends. |
Friday, September 1 |
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| 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Center for Career & Professional Development Tabling | Lower Level, Pickard Commons Stop by the tables outside the Center for Career & Professional Development to meet the staff and win door prizes! |
| 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Meet the Sororities | Johnson Hall Lawn, Upper Campus Looking to enhance your college experience, make lifelong friends and get involved in your community? Come meet current members and learn more about the benefits of joining a sorority, including leadership development, networking opportunities and academic support. |
| 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Meet the Fraternities | Scott Hall Lawn, Upper Campus Meet current members of Ripon’s four fraternities and learn more about Greek life at Ripon! Being part of a fraternity is about more than just making friends – it’s about developing leadership skills, gaining valuable life experience and making a difference in the community. Our fraternities are dedicated to promoting academic excellence, personal growth and civic engagement. |
| 9 - 11 p.m. | Ripon Concert Series: Love and Theft | Village Green, Downtown Ripon Head downtown for live music from country duo Love and Theft! Meet at Ripon College sign at corner of Woodside and Seward, near Farr Hall. Opening act plays 7 - 8:30. Refreshments available for purchase. |
Saturday, September 2 |
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| 12 p.m. | Women's Volleyball vs. Martin Luther College | Willmore Center |
| 2 p.m. | Women's Volleyball vs. University of Wisconsin-Superior | Willmore Center |
| 3 p.m. | Women's Soccer vs. Northland | Prairie Field |
| 9:30 - 11 p.m. | Operation Glow: Paint Party | Keipe Gymnasium, Willmore Center (enter from side near Fieldhouse) Dance the night away with uv reactive glow in the dark paint, laser show, atomic strobe lights and live DJ from Chicago! |
Sunday, September 3 |
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| 4 - 5 p.m. | Yoga with Emily | Outside Willmore Center Set your intention for the week ahead and enjoy a gentle Vinyasa flow practice. Yoga mats available. Beginners welcome. |