Orientation

Just like our summer sessions, our January Orientation session is a great day to get acclimated to UT Southern and make sure you are ready to start the Spring 2023 semester! This session is held on Sunday, January 8, 2023, so that students are ready for the first day of spring classes on Monday!

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

If you haven’t completed the steps above, feel free to reach out to our Admissions office for assistance.
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 reach out to you via email to schedule a virtual advising appointment. This is how our spring students get registered for classes, so the sooner we can get that to you, the better!

Early Orientation – For students admitted early to the University that want to get set up for classes and college life as soon as possible! This is also a great 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 1
• Friday, April 29

Orientation – Our traditional Orientation sessions are open to all new students and happen 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 3
• Friday, June 10
• Friday, June 17

Transfer Orientation – For all students transferring from another college or university, these options are express evening Orientations, 5-9 PM (CDT):

• Wednesday, June 22
• Tuesday, July 12
• Thursday, July 14

Saturday Orientation – For any new student for whom Friday dates do not work well, this weekend option is 9 AM – 4 PM (CDT):

• Saturday, June 25

Distance Orientation – For all students coming from a far distance, this session will be in the days before the start of the semester so that students and their families need only travel once:

• Estimated Date of Friday, August 19
  • Residential students attending this Orientation will be able to move in to their residential hall on Thursday, August 18 between 1 and 5 PM (CDT).

To register for any Orientation session, just click here!

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. 

Enrolling in college can seem a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry! We will make sure that you have everything you need to be successful at the University! Below are links to many of the forms that you will need to enroll:

1. On-Campus Housing Application: Required of all new students who will live on campus.*

2. Off-Campus Application: Required of all students who will commute/live off-campus.

3. Parking Application: Required of all students (both commuter and residential) who will have a vehicle on campus.

4. Immunization Verification: Required of all students. Should be submitted via MedProctor. (More information is available here under “Immunization Compliance.”) 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.)

5. Parent & Family eNewsletter Subscription: Recommended for all families of students

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

While we encourage families to take advantage of our virtual tour, our campus is open for visits on an individual basis. Students will be limited to 2 guests and will be asked to practice social distancing and precautionary measures, i.e. wearing a face mask. 

Tours are included as part of Orientation dates, but if you’d like to schedule one outside of those dates, please do so with our Admissions Office (931-363-9800 or utsadmissions@utsouthern.edu)!

You can also find a map of our campus here!

Welcome Week is a multi-day celebration of a new year and a fresh start! An outline of the 2022 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 18
1:00 PM – Move In for Distance Orientation Residents – Contact Kara Williams with questions.

Friday, August 19
9:00 AM – Distance Orientation – Contact Sarah Catherine Richardson with questions.
6:00 PM – Volleyball Tournament & Dinner; Sand Volleyball Court – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.

Saturday, August 20
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 – S’mores with SGA; Firepit – Contact Carlie Pendley, SGA President, with questions.

Sunday, August 21
9:00 AM – Move In Day for Transfer Students – Move in times have been emailed to each resident – Contact Kara Williams with questions.
1:00 PM – First Year Experience Welcome; Martin Hall Auditorium
1:30 PM – Class Introductions; FYE Classrooms
2:30 PM – Getting Involved on Campus; Martin Hall Auditorium
3:00 PM – Class Overview: Syllabus, Catalog, etc.; FYE Classrooms
4:00 PM – Introduction to Title IX and Code of Conduct; Martin Hall Auditorium
5:00 PM – Dinner and Games on the Green; Campus Green – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.

Monday, August 22
9:00 AM – First Year Experience Morning Kick Off; FYE Classrooms
10:00 AM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
11:30 PM – Lunch Break
2:00 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
3:00 PM – Orientation to the Community
4:00 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
5:00 PM – Beach Party on the Square; Pulaski Town Square – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.
8:00 PM – Residential Building Meetings for All Residential Students; Location determined by building – Contact Kara Williams with questions.

Tuesday, August 23
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
3:00 PM – Orientation to Campus
4:00 PM – Breakout Sessions; Rotating Locations
7:00 PM – Concert & Fireworks; Campus Green – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.

Wednesday, August 24
First Day of Classes
5:00 PM – Pool Party & Cookout; CAC Pool – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.

Thursday, August 25
8:00 PM – Glow Foam Party; Campus Green – Contact Brittany Trevarthen with questions.

Friday, August 26
6:30 PM – Live Community Music (Bands TBD); Second Street Coffee (102 S 2nd St, Pulaski, TN)
7:30 PM – Movie Night (Movie TBD); Martin Theater

Saturday, August 27
8:00 PM – Welcome Back Dance; Kitchen 218 (218 N 1st St, Pulaski, TN) – Contact Carlie Pendley, SGA President, with questions.

Orientation Leaders lead each of our in-person Orientation sessions and assist with Welcome Week in Fall 2022! OL’s receive a $550 stipend, up to 3 free credit hours after summer aid is applied (fees still apply), and a discounted summer housing rate. OL’s also receive leadership training and experience, conflict resolution and mentoring training, and individualized support from the University.

OL’s 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, willingness to energize a group and help break the ice, 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 2022, students should complete the OL Application before March 1. Interviews will take place March 7-11.

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