Weeks of Welcome
Weeks of Welcome, commonly referred to as "WOW," is the University of Richmond's welcome initiative for new and returning students.
WOW consists of a series of events and programs during the first six weeks of the semester. These events and programs aim to do the following:
- Build an inclusive Spider community
- Create opportunities for students to develop strong interpersonal relationships
- Introduce students to the true meaning of Spider Pride
Please see below for a list of the Weeks of Welcome 2023 activities.
Weeks of Welcome 2023
WELCOME CLASS OF 2027
8.23 | 4:30-8 PM | Heilman Dining Center
Dining Services welcomes new Spiders to their first dinner in the Heilman Dining Center! D-hall favorites will be on all our stations, from stone oven pizza to Spider Chicken. Our special guest vendor, Soul-Ice, will serve handcrafted icees from 4:30-8 p.m.
SPIDERNIGHTS PRESENTS: MOVIE UNDER THE STARS
8.26 | 8-10 PM | E. Claiborne Robins Stadium
Join SpiderBoard for their inaugural SpiderNights event of the year! The first 200 students to arrive will receive free giveaways and a Spider Concessions Snack Pack. Then, meet SpiderBoard on the field for a screening of Legally Blonde!
SPIDER DROP
8.27 | 8-10 PM | Sophia Gumenick Quad
Celebrate the end of summer with SpiderBoard at their annual Spider Drop event featuring EDM artist Friendzone!
OFFICE OF DISABILITY SERVICES OPEN HOUSE
8.28 | 2-4 PM | The Refectory Suite 127
All are invited to stop by the office of Disability Services Open House Weeks of Welcome event. This will take place in our BRAND NEW office location in The Refectory, suite 127. We will have refreshments and giveaways for all who attend!
WELCOME BACK LUAU
8.28 | 4:30-8 PM | Heilman Dining Center
Aloha, Spiders! It is Luau time at Heilman Dining Center. Enjoy a tropical special menu, mocktails, and door prizes from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, August 28.
ROBINS WELCOME BACK BARBECUE
8.30 | 11:30 AM-1:45 PM | Robins School of Business
Enjoy delicious burgers, hot dogs, pork BBQ, vegetarian Beyond burgers, grilled portabella mushrooms, and various sides and desserts. We look forward to seeing you! Registration is not required.
GLANCE INTO GREEK LIFE
9.1 | 3-4 PM | Alice Haynes Room
Interested in learning more about fraternities & sororities? Come hear from student leaders and fraternity/sorority life staff members about how to join, the expectations of members, and what our three different councils bring to our community!
END OF FIRST WEEK CELEBRATION: PUPS AND POPS
9.1 | 3:30-4:30 PM | The University Chapel
Join the Chaplaincy as we celebrate the end of the first week of classes with pups and pops! Enjoy some pet therapy with your favorite pups and cool off with a popsicle. Stop by to visit with friends and say hello to the Chaplaincy staff.
SCEI BLOCK PARTY
9.1 | 4:30-6 PM | The Whitehurst Courtyard
Want to learn more about the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion (SCEI)? Join us Friday, September 1st for connecting conversations, music, games, food, raffles & more!
FIRST FRIDAYS
9.1 | 5 PM-9 PM | Departs from Transportation Hub
First Fridays is a consortium of artists, musicians, and performers who open their doors to people from all across Richmond to engage and enjoy free exhibitions and art galleries downtown.
TRUCKS & TUNES
9.2 | 4-6 PM | Milhiser Green
Join SpiderBoard and University Athletics for the football home opener tailgate, featuring food trucks, lawn games, and live music from Dogpark!
WELLNESS SCAVENGER HUNT
9.5 | 8 AM-6 PM | Well-Being Center
Come win prizes and learn about Well-Being resources on campus!
CENTER FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT (CCE) OPEN HOUSE
9.5 | 3 PM-5 PM | Second Floor CCE
The CCE's student Program Associates are hosting an open house to share their experiences working in RVA. We're excited to learn about your interests and help you explore opportunities to get involved with nonprofits, local government, and social impact initiatives!
GET THE SCOOP AT ROBINS
9.6 | 1-3 PM | Robins School of Business
The Robins School of Business invites the entire UR on-campus community to grab a scoop of ice cream and hear about the exciting things we have lined up for the '23-'24 academic year. This invite is FREE and open to ALL!
SPIDERFEST 2023
9.7 | 4-7 PM | The Forum
Enjoy an evening of activities, music, and student organization tabling while you connect with friends and over 175 of your favorite student organizations and departments on campus. Don't miss this opportunity to get involved in organizations, clubs, and programs that help connect students to one another and their interests and passions! Learn more about Spiderfest
SPIDERNIGHTS PRESENTS: PERSONAL PIZZA NIGHT
9.8 | 6-8 PM | Well-Being Center Patio
Join SpiderBoard, Demonstration Kitchen, and Health and Well-Being for their start of the semester kickoff event with music, lawn games, and an opportunity to learn how FiftyOne Pizza chefs make their specialty pizzas (NOTE: signup is required to receive a pizza dinner at this event).
PREPAREDNESS FAIR
9.13 | 4-8 PM | The Forum
The Preparedness Fair will be a tabling event in which different campus and community partners will come together to teach the campus community about how to be more prepared.
STUDY ABROAD FAIR
9.13 | 3-5 PM | Alice Haynes Room
You'll be able to learn more about our partner institutions, the different types of study abroad programs, and funding opportunities, and hear from exchange students from partner universities and fellow Spiders who have recently returned from study abroad.
GLOBAL MUSIC SERIES: RAHUL SHARMA & ZAKIR HUSSAIN
9.14 | 7:30-8:45 PM | International Center Commons
Each year, International Education and the Department of Music partner to present global music performances that include audience participation with Q&A sessions.
Rahul Sharma & Zakir Hussain: Classical Music of India
MOVIE ON THE LAWN: DISASTER EDITION
9.22 | 7:30-11 PM | Westhampton Green
The office of emergency management is hosting a movie on the Westhampton Green lawn - we will be showing a disaster-themed movie and promoting preparedness information. Snacks provided.
DISASTER COOK-OFF: CHOPPED EDITION
9.28 | 7-9 PM | Alice Haynes Room
This event will be a cook-off challenge boasting food that you might find in your emergency kit. Five teams will face off in an elimination-style competition. We will be educating attendees on emergency preparedness facts throughout the event.
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OPEN HOUSE
9.29 | 2-4 PM | Carole Weinstein International Center
Stop by International Education's Open House to say hello and meet the IE Team! Staff will be available to answer questions about our programming, including study abroad program and international student services.
SPIDERNIGHTS PRESENTS: ENCANTO & EMPANADAS
9.29 | 7:30-9 PM | The Forum
Join SpiderBoard and SCEI to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month with a screening of Encanto and free empanadas!
GLOBAL MUSIC SERIES: TIAGO DO BANDOLIM
10.3 | 7:30-8:45 PM | International Center Commons
Each year, International Education and the Department of Music partner to present global music performances that include audience participation with Q&A sessions.
Tiago do Bandolim: Choro, Samba, and Jazz