Asbury University’s Welcome Weekend gives new and transfer students a supportive, encouraging, and informative transition to their Asbury experience. Each day is crafted intentionally with programs that empower students to take their first steps into the social, spiritual, and intellectual community here.
Asbury’s fall Welcome Weekend is scheduled for Thursday, August 17 through Sunday, August 20. All full-time new and transfer students in the traditional undergraduate program (both residential and commuter students) are expected to attend. We are excited to welcome you to campus!
Watch the President’s Welcome livestream on Thursday, August 17 at 4 p.m.
Download a pdf of the schedule (last update: 8/18/2023)
| 8 a.m. – Noon | Residential Student Check-In and Move-In Residence Halls Come to the welcome tent outside your residence hall during your assigned arrival window to check in and receive your Welcome Weekend materials and room key. Student leaders and campus community will assist with move-in.
Note these time assignments are to help alleviate congestion and provide you with a more positive and efficient experience. If you have a conflict with your assigned time, please arrive as closely as possible to it. |
| 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. | HICCUP and HICCUP Too Open Rader Student Center & Kinlaw Library Complimentary coffee is available at the HICCUP Too kiosk on the main floor of the library, and specialty coffee, shakes, and smoothies are available for purchase at the HICCUP Café in the Rader Student Center. |
| 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Semester Check-in: Student ID, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Health Services Kinlaw Library, Main Floor
Please come during your assigned window below to help alleviate congestion and provide you with a more positive and efficient experience.
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| 9 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. | Beloved Class T-shirts, Parking Stickers, Campus Employment, E-Campus Books, Eagle Outlet & Campus Post Office Rader Student Center
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| 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Complimentary Lunch Dining Hall New students and their families are invited to lunch as guests of the University. Please follow the assigned times below to help alleviate congestion.
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| 1 – 2:15 p.m. | Commuter Student Check-in Rader Student Center Come to the designated check-in area and pick up your Welcome Weekend materials, then proceed with Semester Check-in (see above). |
| 2:30 – 3:45 p.m. | President & Faculty Meet & Greet Miller Center for Communication Arts Students and their guests are invited to meet the President, University Pastor, and faculty members from each academic department while enjoying refreshments. |
| 4 – 5:15 p.m. | President’s Welcome Hughes Auditorium Students and their guests are invited to this welcome service with a keynote address by President Kevin J. Brown, followed by a time of prayer dedication. Event will be livestreamed. |
| 5:15 p.m. | Transfer Student-Parent Farewell & Transfer Group Connection Reasoner Green Sophomore & Junior Transfer Students (Groups 21-22) and their families are dismissed to Reasoner Green to say farewell, then students connect with their transfer group leaders for dinner. |
| 5:15 p.m. | Beloved Class Photo & Freshman Student-Parent Farewell Hughes Auditorium Steps & Semi-Circle Green Freshmen and Freshman Transfer Students (FYE Groups 1-20) will line up on the steps of Hughes for their class photo. (Please wear your Beloved class t-shirt!) Following the photo, students will say farewell to their families then connect with their FYE leaders for dinner and an activity. |
| 5:45 – 8:30 p.m. | Dinner & Activity with FYE Group Dining Hall |
| 8:45 p.m. | Residence Hall Meeting Residence Halls Mandatory meeting for students living in the residence halls |
| 8 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast Dining Hall |
| 9 – 10:30 a.m. | Language Placement Exam Classrooms Taking a Language Placement Exam can be beneficial in advancing your academic progress in the Foundations requirements or majoring/minoring in a language, as well as saving you some tuition dollars. If you have previously studied one of the languages below, you should take the exam (if you haven’t already).
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| 9 – 10:15 a.m. | Thriving at AU All students not taking the Language Placement Exam will attend their choice of two workshops designed to help them thrive at Asbury.
Workshop choices (each will be offered twice):
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| 10:30 – 11 a.m. | Worship & Welcome Hughes Auditorium Worship with other new and transfer students and get an overview of the Welcome Weekend schedule. |
| 11 a.m. – Noon | Liberal Arts Session with Faculty LA 100 Classrooms Freshmen and Freshman Transfer students (FYE Groups 1-20) go to their Liberal Arts Seminar (LA 100) classroom to hear from faculty about liberal arts learning at Asbury and the LA 100 course. |
| Sophomore & Junior Transfer Student Class Advisor Meeting Kinlaw Library Board Room, Upper Level Sophomore and Junior Transfer students (Groups 21-22) meet the Restored (sophomore) and Ignited (junior) Class Advisors. | |
| Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch with FYE Group Dining Hall |
| Music Opportunities Q&A Music Dept. representatives will be at a table in the dining hall to answer questions about vocal/instrumental music opportunities. | |
| 1:15 – 2 p.m. | Academic Orientation Hughes Auditorium Drop/Add dates, midterms, and academic policies are all important pieces of information you will learn about in Academic Orientation. |
| 2 – 4 p.m. | Academic Advising Various locations Meet with a faculty advisor from your area of study for guidance on finalizing your class schedule. Locations will be announced at the end of Academic Orientation. |
| HICCUP Beverage Break Rader Student Center After completing your academic advising, stop by the HICCUP for a complimentary beverage, then enjoy free time until dinner! | |
| 5 – 6 p.m. | Dinner with Resident Assistants Dining Hall Residential students go to dinner with their Resident Assistant (RA) and other students from their hall. |
| Commuter Dinner Dougherty Room, Dining Hall Commuter students, take your food into the Dougherty Dining Room (next to the main serving lines) and connect with the commuter advisor and other commuters! | |
| 6 – 8 p.m. | Free Time Reasoner Green & Luce Center Gym After dinner, join others on Reasoner Green for yard games or meet the Tumbling Team in the Luce Center gym to jump on trampolines and an inflatable tumble track, meet new people, and have fun! |
| 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Honors Program Welcome & Ice Cream Social Reasoner 317 For students participating in the AU Honors Program |
| 8 p.m. | Worship on the Green Reasoner Green (rain location: Hughes Auditorium) |
| 9:15 – 10:15 p.m. | Late Night Breakfast Dining Hall |
| 8 – 8:45 a.m. | Breakfast Dining Hall |
| 9 – 10:45 a.m. | Student Life Welcome & Belonging at AU Hughes Auditorium Meet members of the Student Life team and learn about Asbury’s community. |
| 10:50 a.m. – Noon | Campus Resources Tour Various locations Learn where to find and get a brief introduction to offices you will interact with — Registrar’s Office, Financial Aid, Center for Academic Excellence, Campus Safety, and more! |
| Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch with FYE Group Dining Hall |
| 1 – 2 p.m. | University Assessments LA 100 Classrooms Students will complete an important online assessment. Additional details will be provided prior to the event. |
| 2 – 4 p.m. | Asbury's Got Talent Prep Time FYE group meeting spot Meet with your FYE group to prepare for the evening lip sync battle! |
| 4 p.m. | Optional Classroom Schedule Tour FYE leaders will give a tour of classroom locations so you can be prepared to find your classes on Monday. |
| 4 – 6 p.m. | Textbook and Package Pickup Campus Post Office, Rader Student Center, Lower Level Students who had textbooks or other packages shipped to campus may pick them up at the CPO, located inside the Eagle Outlet. |
| 5 – 6 p.m. | Dinner Dining Hall |
| 5 – 6:45 p.m. | Equine Program Meeting Dining Hall Gray Room Equine majors will meet faculty and staff from the Equine Center for dinner and learn more about the program. |
| 7 p.m. | Asbury's Got Talent! Hughes Auditorium Battle it out with other FYE groups in a lip sync showdown! |
| First Class Rader Student Center Enjoy desserts and some low-key get-to-know-you fun with other new and transfer students at your first official class event! |
| 8 – 9 a.m. | Breakfast Dining Hall |
| Various times | Worship at Local Churches Meet at designated times/locations to walk or ride to local churches. |
| Noon – 1 p.m. | Lunch Dining Hall |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | Free Time Meet at FYE group meeting spot |
| 3 – 4:45 p.m. | Home Sweet Home Gather with your FYE group at a faculty or staff member's home to become better acquainted with the Asbury community. |
| 5 – 6:30 p.m. | Dinner Dining Hall |
| 6 – 7 p.m. | Honors Program Gathering Home of Dr. Paul & Cheryl Nesselroade, 414 Akers Dr. Students in the AU Honors Program walk to the home of Dr. Paul Nesselroade, director, for drop-in fellowship and light refreshments with upperclassmen in the Honors Program. |
| 7 – 10 p.m. | Welcome Back Bash Reasoner Green (rain location: Luce Auditorium, Shaw Collaborative Learning Center) Join with returning students to celebrate the beginning of a new year! |
| 8 a.m. | Classes Begin |
| 10 a.m. | Academic Convocation Chapel Hughes Auditorium |
| 9 p.m. | All Residence Hall Meetings Residence Hall Lobbies REQUIRED meeting for all residential students |
| 11 a.m. – Noon | Commuter Information Meeting Reasoner 214 REQUIRED meeting for all commuter students |
| 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. | Activities Fair & Picnic Semi-Circle Green Enjoy a picnic dinner and visit booths of campus clubs and community organizations to see the many ways you can get involved! |
Please review the links below to further help prepare you for enrolling at Asbury:
Our faculty, staff, and students are so excited to welcome you!
Questions can be directed to student.life@asbury.edu.