Schedule of Events | Opening Days | Willamette University

PNCA Students

2024 information for PNCA students will be posted soon.

Salem Students

Opening Days 2024 will take place August 21–25, for all new Salem students, whether they live on or off campus. New students living on campus will move into the residence halls on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024. Parents and family members are welcome to join their students for the move-in process as well as some programs later in the day.

All students should plan to arrive on campus no later than 12 p.m. (Noon) on Wednesday, Aug. 21, so they are ready for afternoon and evening programs. All students need to pick up their Opening Days packet, which contains important schedule information for the week.

Early arrival athletes (for football, soccer, volleyball or triathlon), will receive specific information from their coach regarding a move-in date. However, all student-athletes participate in Opening Days.

Parent and Family Meal Tickets

If you are coming to Salem campus to move your student into the residence halls and/or participate in Opening Days events on August 22, we welcome you to join them for a picnic dinner from 5:30–7 p.m. on Brown Field. There will also be a lunch on Thursday, August 22, on Brown Field from 12–1:30 p.m. to say goodbye to students.

You do not need to purchase a ticket for your student; their meals are covered by the Opening Days dining plan.

You may purchase tickets online for a lower cost in advance, or you may purchase tickets in person on August 21. Online ticket sales will open later in the summer.

View the menu and prices for both the picnic dinner and lunch.

Salem schedule of events

Filter by Type:

First-Year Students
Transfer and International Students

First-Year Students

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

7–10 a.m.	Breakfast, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students
8 a.m.–12 p.m.	New Student Check-In, Matthews Hall or Kaneko Commons Pick up your Opening Days packet, keys to your residence hall and mailbox, and student ID card. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
8 a.m.–3 p.m.	Settling-In Activities, Campus-wide Refer to the Settling-In Checklist in your packet for tasks to complete during this time. Activities are divided by those that must be done on this day and those that can be done at your leisure. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
8 a.m.–5 p.m.	Opening Days Headquarters Open, Office of Student Engagement & Leadership, Putnam University Center, 2nd floor Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
10 a.m.–12 p.m.	Panhellenic Council Rummage Sale, Jackson Plaza Hosted by the Willamette sorority community, you'll find items commonly needed for college life, including mini fridges, hangers, alarm clocks, lamps and more. All of the items have been donated by students who've lived in the residence halls. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
11 a.m.–2 p.m.	Lunch, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
3:30–4 p.m.	Meet Your Colloquium Associate, Quad Meet your Colloquium Associate (CA) and classmates. Look for your CA holding a sign with your colloquium name on it. Open to: First-Year Students
4–5:30 p.m.	College Colloquium, Colloquium Classroom Hold your first class together with your colloquium. Open to: First-Year Students
5:30–7 p.m.	Opening Days Kick-Off Picnic, Brown Field (south of Goudy Commons; if rain, seating available in Goudy Commons and Putnam University Center) Line starts at Hatfield Fountain A picnic dinner for new students and their families. During dinner, students can sign up for Passport to Salem and Bearcats Community Action Day. Parents and family members will need a ticket, students will use their dining plans. Tickets will be available for purchase in Goudy Commons and Blitz Market. Join us at 6:30 p.m. for a special welcome from your Opening Days leaders. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
6:30–7:30 p.m.	Opening Days Group Session #1 After the picnic, meet your Opening Days leader and group members for your first meeting. Look for your leaders holding a sign with your group number on it. Open to: First-Year Students

Thursday, August 22, 2024

7–9 a.m.	Breakfast, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.	Opening Days Headquarters Open, Putnam University Center, Office of Student Engagement and Leadership, 2nd Floor Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
10:30–11:30 a.m.	Opening Convocation, Quad Join the faculty and administration as the Willamette community formally opens the 2024-25 academic year. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
12:00–1:30 p.m.	Lunch & Goodbyes, Brown Field Sign ups for Passport to Salem and Bearcats Community Action Day outside of Goudy. Families who are still on campus should depart after lunch. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
1:30–3 p.m.	College Colloquium, College Colloquium Classrooms (first-year students only; transfer students participate in their group session) Open to: First-Year Students
3:30–4:30 p.m.	Commuter Student Meet Up, Hatfield Library Fishbowl A commuter student panel of upperclassmen will be available to answer any questions. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
5–7 p.m.	Dinner, Goudy Commons/Brown Field Sign ups for Passport to Salem and Bearcats Community Action Day outside of Goudy. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
7:30–8:30 p.m.	Residence Hall Community Gatherings All students will meet with their residence hall floor mates. Ask your RA for the meeting location. Not required for students that live off campus. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
9–10 p.m.	Residence Hall Association Social Event, Montag Plaza Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Friday, August 23, 2024

8–10 a.m.	Breakfast, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
10:00 a.m.–12 p.m.	College Colloquium Open to: First-Year Students
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.	Lunch, Goudy Commons Sign ups for Passport to Salem and Bearcats Community Action Day outside of Goudy. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
1:30 p.m.	3-2 Engineering Informational Session, Collins 205 First-year students interested in our pre-engineering/3-2 engineering program with Columbia University, Washington University or University of Southern California should attend this session to learn more about the requirements. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
1:30 p.m.	Health Professions Session, Collins 318 All students planning careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, physical therapy, optometry, etc., should attend this meeting. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
2–3 p.m.	Calculus Sequence Placement Advising, Ford 212 This is an open advising session for students who are unsure about which calculus course to take. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
2–3 p.m.	Music Theory Assessment, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center, Rogers Rehearsal Hall This assessment is for students who are interested in majoring or minoring in music. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
2–3 p.m.	Dining Services Tour & Accommodation Q&A, Goudy Commons Brought to you by AES and the Goudy Management Team. Learn about inclusive food accommodation practices available to students dining on campus. This orientation event is for students who manage food allergies, celiac disease and medical diets. The event includes a tour of Goudy that highlights need-to-know information: where to find ingredient labels at each food station, sourcing gluten free items, and a discussion of food safety practices. A question and answer session with General Manager Eric Thomas will be part of the tour. Jeff Larson from Accessible Education Services will be available to talk with students individually after the event. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
3–4 p.m.	Opening Days Group Session, OD Classrooms Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem Experience the city of Salem and have fun with your new classmates! You can sign up for Passport to Salem in advance at lunch outside of Goudy Commons. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Passport to Downtown Get ready to explore downtown Salem and see local businesses. You’ll receive a pamphlet of student favorites to possibly visit. Meet at the Star Trees at 5:00 pm. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Create a Memory Studio If you’re looking for something creative to do, sign up to paint a ceramic piece, which then will be fired for you and brought back to campus when it’s ready. Ask your OD leader for meeting location and time. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Riverfront Park Campus is surrounded by beautiful parks, and Riverfront Park is one of them. Enjoy snacks, drinks, and outdoor activities. Meet at Star Trees at 5:30 pm. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Oregon State Fair The official state fair of Oregon. Buses will take you to the fair, where you can enjoy rides, exhibits, and food! Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Escape Rooms Go and test your skill at an escape room. Exodus is located underneath Fork Forty Food Hall just a few blocks away from campus! Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–9 p.m.	Passport to Salem: Wreckingballers A chance to release some pent up energy you may have, Wreckingballers is a place where you can safely break objects and have fun! It is located a few blocks from campus underneath Fork Forty Food Hall. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
5–8 p.m.	Dinner, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Saturday, August 24, 2024

8–10 a.m.	Brunch Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
9 a.m.–2 p.m.	Bearcats Community Action Day, Cat Cavern, Putnam University Center, Second Floor Want to take your first step in being an active Salem community member during your time at Willamette? Bearcats Community Action Day is all about working with our neighbors at different volunteer sites in Salem! Build your Willamette community while building Salem community connections, and learn about the important work local organizations are doing. Look out for us tabling during Opening Days, or ask your Opening Days Leader how to get involved! Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
2–4:30 p.m.	Speak About It: Consent Education (required), Hudson Hall, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center Speak About It uses true storytelling and live performance to capture what healthy relationships and sex can and should look like. The show is performed by five actor-educators, and uses real stories written by real young people in order to engage students in conversations about consent, dating, sex, identity, alcohol, bystander intervention, sexual assault, and more. At 2 p.m. OD groups 1-20 attend while at 3:15 p.m. OD groups 21-41 attend. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
4:30–7 p.m.	Dinner & Opening Days Group Session, Goudy Commons/Brown Field See your Opening Days Leader for your group’s assigned time. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
7:30–8:30 p.m.	Matriculation Ceremony, The Quad All first-year and transfer students should take part in this Willamette tradition. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
9–11 p.m.	Glow Up, Montag Den & Plaza Join your newly found peers in a fun night of laughing, dancing, singing, and glowing! Glow Up is a dance held on the third night of Opening Days after Matriculation. We celebrate your transition to WU with a dance, some Bistro treats, and a lot of music. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Sunday, August 25, 2024

8–10 a.m.	Brunch Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
2-4:30 p.m.	Not Unto Ourselves Alone: Community Care and Inclusion, Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center Our campus culture is dynamic and shaped by each and every person within it. Learn about creating inclusive communities, being in connection with one another, and where to turn to for support. At 2:00 p.m. OD groups 21-41 attend while at 3:15 p.m. OD groups 1-20 attend. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
5–8 p.m.	Dinner, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
7–9 p.m.	Willamette Night Out Willamette Night Out (WNO) showcases the many events and programs that occur on campus through the course of each semester. Activities will take place all across campus, including Open Mic Night in the Bistro, S’mores in Jackson Plaza, Games in Sparks, Nerf Battles on the Quad, Meet the Music Department Conductors in Rogers Rehearsal Hall, and so much more! For a detailed schedule, check with your Opening Days leader. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Monday, August 26, 2024

7–10 a.m.	Breakfast, Goudy Commons Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
8 a.m.	Classes Begin! Classes begin for all first-year, transfer, and international students. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Tuesday, August 27, 2024

4–5:30 p.m.	Theatre Open House All first-year, transfer, and international students are welcome to attend. Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students
5:30–6:30 p.m.	Theatre Scholarship Recipient Meeting Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Wednesday, August 28, 2024

4–5 p.m.

Dining Services Tour & Accommodation Q&A, Goudy Commons

Brought to you by AES and the Goudy Management Team. Learn about inclusive food accommodation practices available to students dining on campus. This orientation event is for students who manage food allergies, celiac disease and medical diets. The event includes a tour of Goudy that highlights need-to-know information: where to find ingredient labels at each food station, sourcing gluten free items, and a discussion of food safety practices. A question and answer session with General Manager Eric Thomas will be part of the tour. Jeff Larson from Accessible Education Services will be available to talk with students individually after the event.
Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

4–7 p.m.

Target Shopping Event, 3790 Center Street NE, Salem

Welcome to a special shopping event for Willamette students. Free shuttle buses will depart from the Sparks parking lot starting at 3:45 p.m. and will run until 7 p.m.
Open to: First-Year Students, Transfer and International Students

Transfer and International Students