Opening Days 2025

About Opening Days

Willamette students are given leadership positions and the opportunity to develop and run Opening Days, with the support of Willamette staff. The program offers an introduction to various aspects of campus life for first year, transfer, and international students, to ensure that everyone has the knowledge and confidence to succeed at Willamette.

Fully welcoming and acclimating incoming students to our community includes introducing them to the academics and resources on campus. During Opening Days, first-year students will begin with College Colloquium, an introductory seminar course designed to guide them through their academic transition to Willamette. The connections made in colloquium continue outside of the classroom with colloquium professor acting as their first-year advisor.

Beyond academics, Opening Days aims to introduce the many other resources Willamette has to offer. These include Bishop Wellness Center, Academic Support, Career Development, Library and Technology resources, and many more.

We are thrilled to welcome family and friends into the Willamette community as well! We hope to answer any questions and make this transition as comfortable as possible. We offer an online summer program series for incoming students as well as their families which provides valuable information about housing, student engagement, and other campus life resources. More information will be shared about the online series later this spring.

Striving to provide a personal experience

Students are placed in groups of 12-14 with other incoming students, facilitated by two student leaders. The groups serve as a safe environment where students are encouraged to make connections with one another in a setting outside of the classroom.