Orientation

Before registering for a session this summer, please ensure you are ready to attend! Below is a checklist to make sure you are prepared for Orientation:

• Submit high school transcript
• Submit any college or university transcripts (as applicable)
• Submit ACT and/or SAT scores
• Receive a Letter of Acceptance from the University of Tennessee Southern
• Submit immunizations records through MedProctor
  • A list of required immunizations is available here. Para ver en español, haga clic aquí.
  • MedProctor requires the student’s UT Southern email address. (Email addresses for students entering the University in the fall semester are generated after the student has been confirmed as an Accepted Student. These auto-generated emails will be securely sent to the email address with which the student applied to the University.)
  • More information is online here.

If you have completed all these, you can register for Orientation!

If you have any questions, please get in touch with our Admissions Office at 931-363-9800 or via utsadmissions@utsouthern.edu!

Early Orientation – For students admitted early to the University that wants to get set up for classes and college life as soon as possible! This is also an excellent option for students interested in enrolling in summer courses at UT Southern. Early Orientation sessions begin at 9:00 AM (CDT) on our campus and will conclude by 4:00 PM (CDT):

• Friday, April 21

Orientation – Our traditional Orientation sessions are open to all new students on Fridays throughout the summer. All traditional Orientation sessions begin at 9:00 AM (CDT) on our campus and will conclude by 4:00 PM (CDT):

• Friday, June 2
• Friday, June 9
• Friday, June 16
• Saturday, July 15
• Wednesday, August 9

Distance Orientation – For all students coming from a far distance (200+ miles), this session will be on the days before the start of the semester so that students and their families need only travel once. Students will register for courses via a virtual one-on-one appointment with our Academic Advising staff in the weeks before the session:

• Estimated Date of Friday, August 18
  • Residential students attending this Orientation can move into their residential hall on Thursday, August 17, between 1 and 5 PM (CDT).

Transfer Orientation – For all students transferring from another college or university, this shorter session begins at 9:00 AM (CDT) on our campus and will conclude by 1:00 PM (CDT). Transfer students will register for courses via a virtual one-on-one appointment with our Academic Advising staff in the weeks before the session.

• Monday, August 21

At each of our traditional Orientation sessions, our day looks like this:

8:30 AM           Check-In (at Martin Hall, #12 on our campus map, available here!)
9:00 AM           Opening Session
10:00 AM         Concurrent Student and Parent Sessions
12:00 PM          Complimentary Lunch on Campus
1:00 PM            Rotating Afternoon Sessions 
4:00 PM            Closing Session

Throughout the day, students can expect the following:

• Meet peers and upper-class students
• Get registered for classes.
• Establish student email address.
• Tour campus
• Have private meetings with Enrollment and Financial Aid
• Complete loan, scholarship, and other business paperwork
• Get set up for housing and parking. 
• Become familiar with the technology and student accounts our students use every day.
• Learn about on-campus resources such as Student Resource Center, Student Life, Clinic, etc. 

Before you arrive for your Orientation session, make sure you have completed all of the following:

1. Housing Application: All students must submit one of the following:
   •  On-Campus Housing Application: Required of all new students who will live on campus.*
   • Off-Campus Application: Required of all students who will commute/live off-campus.
     
2. Parking Application: Required of all students (both commuter and residential) who will have a vehicle on campus.
   
3. Immunization Verification: Required of all students. It should be submitted via MedProctor. (More information is available here under “Immunization Compliance.”) MedProctor requires the student’s UT Southern email address.
   
4. Parent & Family eNewsletter Subscription: Recommended for all families of students
   
5. Duo Mobile: Required all students to access University logins. Download via Apple Store or Google Play.
   
6. UT Southern App: Recommended for all students to be able to check in to campus events and services and to stay up-to-date on all things UT Southern. Download via Apple Store or Google Play.

*New Housing Applications will only be processed along with a $150 Application Fee. You can pay the fee through the application.

Welcome Week is a multi-day celebration of a new year and a fresh start! An outline of the 2023 schedule specifically for new students is below, and you can find the full schedule here! Events required by the First Year Experience class are in italics. Contact Pat Ford with any FYE questions.

Thursday, August 17
1:00 PM – Move In for Distance Orientation Residents – Contact Kara Williams with questions.

Friday, August 18
9:00 AM – Distance Orientation – Contact Sarah Catherine Richardson with questions.
6:00 PM – Volleyball Tournament & Dinner; Sand Volleyball Court – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.

Saturday, August 19
9:00 AM – Move In Day for New Students (First-Time First-Years) – Move-in times have been emailed to each resident – Contact Kara Williams with questions.
6:00 PM – Residential Cookout & Hall Meetings; East Campus – Contact Kara Williams with questions.
8:00 PM – Bonfire & S’mores with SGA; East Campus- Contact Ashley Allison with questions.

Sunday, August 20
9:00 AM – Move In Day for Transfer Students – Move-in times have been emailed to each resident – Contact Kara Williams with questions.
2:00 PM – First Year Experience Welcome; Martin Hall Auditorium
2:30 PM – Class Introductions; FYE Classrooms
3:30 PM – Orientation to Campus
4:00 PM – Class Overview: Syllabus, Catalog, etc.; FYE Classrooms
10:00 PM – Luau Pool Party; CAC Pool – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.

Monday, August 21
9:30 AM – First Year Experience Morning Kick Off; Martin Hall Auditorium
10:00 AM – Scavenger Hunt
11:30 PM – Lunch Break
1:30 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
4:30 PM – Introduction to Title IX; Martin Hall Auditorium
5:00 PM – Southern on the Square; Pulaski Town Square – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.
8:00 PM – Residential Building Meetings for All Residential Students; Location determined by building – Contact Kara Williams with questions.

Tuesday, August 22
9:00 AM – Into the Streets Send Off; Campus Green
9:30 AM – Into the Streets; Various Assigned Locations
11:30 PM – Lunch Break
2:00 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
4:00 PM – Firehawk 15; FYE Classrooms
4:00 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
4:30 PM – Introduction to Code of Conduct; Martin Hall Auditorium
7:00 PM – Concert & Fireworks; Campus Green – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.

Wednesday, August 23
First Day of Classes
3:00 PM – Slip & Slide; CAC Hill – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.

Thursday, August 24
8:00 PM – Games on the Green; Campus Green – Contact Allie Thornton with questions.

Friday, August 25
7:30 PM – Movie Night (Movie TBD); Martin Theater

Saturday, August 26
8:00 PM – SGA Firehawk Fest; Kitchen 218 (218 N 1st St, Pulaski, TN) – Contact Ashley Allison with questions.

Orientation Leaders lead each of our in-person Orientation sessions and assist with Welcome Week in Fall 2023! OLs receive a $1200 stipend, up to 3 free credit hours after summer aid is applied (fees still apply), and a discounted summer housing rate. OLs also receive leadership training and experience, conflict resolution and mentoring training, and individualized support from the University.

OLs must be current full-time UT Southern students in good academic and judicial good standing with an outgoing, hospitable personality, a strong knowledge of life at UT Southern, a positive attitude, a willingness to energize a group and help break the ice, the ability to serve as a role model for new students and to present self and The University of Tennessee Southern in a professional manner.

To apply for an Orientation Leader position for 2023, students should complete the OL Application. Applications open March 1 and close on March 24. Interviews will take place March 27-30.

Please note that OLs and Summer RAs are now separate roles! OLs cannot also serve as Summer RA’s. You can learn more about the Summer RA role on our Residential Life page.

Like our summer sessions, our January Orientation session is a great day to get acclimated to UT Southern and ensure you are ready to start the Spring 2023 semester! This session will be held in early January 2024, so students are prepared for Monday’s first day of spring classes!

Before registering for January Orientation, students should complete the checklist below:

• Submit high school transcript
• Submit any college or university transcripts (as applicable)
• Submit ACT and/or SAT scores
• Received a Letter of Acceptance from the University of Tennessee Southern
• Submit immunizations records through MedProctor

Contact our Admissions office for assistance if you still need to complete the steps above.
If you have completed the steps above, you can register for Orientation by clicking here beginning Wednesday, November 9!

Once we have confirmed you are ready for the spring, we will email you to schedule a virtual advising appointment. This is how our spring students register for classes, so the sooner we can get that to you, the better!