This schedule is under development and additional content will be added so please check back regularly and get familiar with it. It is also mobile friendly!
Please note sessions with an R, E, or W next to the location indicates if it is required, encouraged, or has a focus on Health and Wellness.
R-Required
E-Encouraged
W-Focused on Health and Wellness
Thursday, August 28 - Move-In Day
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00am-12:00pm | Students Arrive at Pre-scheduled check in times (EphHelpers available to assist 8-11am) | Paresky Center |
| 8:00am-1:00pm | Zilkha Center Reusable Water Bottle Pick Up - Complete the sustainability course in your inbox to be eligible! | Class of 1966 Environmental Center |
| 10:30am-11:30am | Campus Tour: Take a guided walk on the beautiful Williams campus, explore the landscape, academic and residential spaces, and learn more about the place our students call home. | Meet at Weston Hall (E) |
| 11:00am-1:00pm | First-Year Family Lunch | Paresky Tent (E) |
| 12:00pm-1:00pm | Parents of Varsity Athletes Meeting | Bernhard Music Center/Brooks Rogers |
| 1:00pm-1:30pm | GOODBYE HUGS! | |
| 1:30pm-2:30pm | Welcoming Families to Williams: Maud Mandel, President, Prof. of History Gretchen Long, Dean of the College, Frederick Rudolph Class of 1965 Prof. of American Culture Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes, Vice President for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | Chapin Hall |
| 1:30pm-2:15pm | First Entry Meetings | Your Assigned Entry Space (students only) (R) |
| 2:30pm-3:45pm | VOICES Group A Frosh Quad - Community on Campus | Chapin Hall (R) |
| 2:30pm-4:00pm | PARTY SAFER Group B Currier Quad | '62 Center (R) |
| 2:30pm-4:00pm | Parent, Family & Friends Reception Join President Mandel and Steve Simon for a reception on the President's House lawn. Light refreshments will be available. | President's House Lawn |
| 4:00pm-4:30pm | VOICES Group A Frosh Quad - Debrief | |
| 4:45pm-6:00pm | VOICES Group B Currier Quad - Community on Campus | Chapin Hall (R) |
| 4:45pm-6:15pm | PARTY SAFER Group A Frosh Quad | '62 Center (R) |
| 6:15pm-6:45pm | VOICES Group B Mission - Debrief | |
| 6:00pm-8:00pm | Dining Hall Debut! Dinner with your entry mates in the dining hall. | Various Dining Halls |
| 8:00pm-10:00pm | First Night Fest! The Office of Campus Life and the Dean's Office celebrate your first night at Williams College! Featuring the Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream Truck (co-sponsored by President Maud Mandel) "Dunk the Dean" Dunk Tank featuring Dean Walsh, Giant Bouncy slide, Inflatable Ax Throwing Inflated Extreme Dance Party with a JA curated playlist, Giant Soccer Darts, Lawn Games, and meet and take a selfie with Ephelia, our beloved bovine and college mascot! | Paresky & Sawyer Quad (E) (W) |
Friday, August 29
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-9:00am | Breakfast | Dining Halls |
| 9:30am-10:30am | First Class Meeting Dean Walsh, Dean for First Year Students Maud Mandel, President, Prof. of History Gretchen Long, Dean of the College, Frederick Rudolph Class of 1965 Prof. of American Culture Leticia Smith-Evans Haynes, Vice President for MinCo FAST WSU | Chapin Hall (R) |
| 10:30am-11:00am | Housing: The First Year Area Coordinators and Team Welcome You! | Chapin Hall (R) |
| 11:30am-1:00pm | Picnic on the President's House Lawn Grab a spot on a picnic blanket for lunch on Maud's lawn! Music, selfie photo booth, and presidential engagement! | President's House (E) |
| 12:45pm-1:10pm | Jumuah, the Muslim Friday prayer service, will take place at 1:00 PM on Friday, August 29. The Muslim Prayer Room (MPR) is currently under construction and the location for this service will be Room 201, Paresky Center. Jumuah conflicts with the “Ephventure Program Check In," scheduled at the same time on Friday. If you are a Muslim student, you may attend Jumuah and provide your name to Muslim Chaplain Sidra Mahmood thereafter. For Muslim students who observe the five daily prayers, salah, please let your group leaders know that you may need a wudu (ritual washing preceding prayer) and salah break(s) depending on the time of the day. If you have any questions, please contact Muslim Chaplain Sidra Mahmood at sm45@williams.edu. | Paresky Center, Room 201 |
| 1:00pm | EphVenture Program Check Ins | WOOLF: Lansing Chapman Hockey Rink ETA, WAI?, Root, Leading Minds: Paresky Porch |
| 5:00pm-8:00pm | Dinner | Paresky Tent |
Saturday, August 30--Monday, Sept 1 - EphVentures
Sunday, August 31
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30pm | Catholic Mass | Griffin 3 |
Monday, September 1
| Time | Event | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-10:30am | Breakfast | Dining Halls | |
| 10:00am-1:00pm | Free time-relax, explore, chill post EphV. Various EphVenture programs come to a close through the morning. | All around (E) (W) | |
| 11:30am-2:00pm | Lunch | Dining Halls | |
| 1:00pm-2:00pm | Post EphVenture JA/Entry Reunion | Your Entry Space (E) | |
| 2:15pm-3:00pm | Framing Community: How do we make meaning out of the challenging and joyful experiences that we have together, as we learn and grow in this environment characterized more by diversity than sameness? What resources does the Davis Center offer to support students seeking to build communities that foster a strong sense of belonging? Davis Center Staff will facilitate dialogue on questions like these at Framing Community. | Chapin Hall (R) | |
| 3:30pm-4:30pm | Speak About It A | '62 Center (R) | |
| 5:00pm-6:00pm | Speak About It B | '62 Center (R) | |
| 5:30pm-8:00pm | Dinner - All Campus Picnic | Paresky Tent | |
| 6:00pm-7:30pm | Sustainable Sorbet Social- Join students and staff from the Zilkha Center for the Environment and the Chaplain’s office for a chance to reflect and connect with others who are interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality and the environment, all while enjoying delicious locally sourced sorbet! | '66 Environmental Center Kitchen (E) Registration Required | |
| 8:00pm-9:30pm | Chaplians' Annual FUN Event!
Sponsored by the Chaplains' Office | TBD |
Tuesday, September 2
| Time | Event | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-10:30am | Breakfast | Dining Halls | |
| 10:00am-10:30am | Getting to know CSS | Chapin (R) | |
| 10:30am-11:30am | Mind, Body, and Spirit Wellness & Self Care Integrative Wellbeing Services & Chaplains' Office and CARE Team | Chapin (R)(W) | |
| 11:30am-1:00pm | Lunch | Dining Halls | |
| 12:00pm-4:00pm | Placement Exams | Placement Information | |
| 12:30pm-2:00pm | IWS Open House Come visit the Integrative Wellness Services location. We welcome all students to come over, meet some team members, learn about our resources and services, and pick up some sweet swag! | Pond House for Wellbeing (IWS) at 100 Hoxsey St (E) (W) | |
| 12:30pm-2:00pm | Chaplains' Office Open House | Paresky 205 and Henze Lounge(E) (W) | |
| 3:00pm-3:45pm | Speak About it Group A - Frosh Quad DEBRIEF | TBD | |
| 4:00pm-4:45pm | Speak About it Group B - Currier Quad DEBRIEF | TBD | |
| 5:00pm-8:00pm | Dinner | Dining Halls | |
| 6:00pm-7:30pm | Hopkins Memorial Forest Hike Join staff from the Zilkha Center for the Environment for a leisurely hike at Hopkins Memorial Forest (HMF) - Williams' teaching and research forest. Meet the shuttle vans on Park Street behind Paresky, which will depart at 6:00pm sharp to transport you to the HMF (~5 min NW of campus). The hike will cover the Lower Loop, a 1.5 mile relatively easy trail. Please wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a water bottle. Shuttles will return you to campus by 7:30pm. Due to limited space in the shuttles, pre-registration is required. | Hopkins Memorial Forest | |
| 6:00pm-8:00pm | Musical Bingo with Sundae Bar and Prizes! Admissions & SFS Event! Join the Offices of Admission and Student Financial Services for an evening of Musical Bingo, ice cream sundaes, and prizes! The ice cream sundae bar will include plenty of toppings and flavors to be scooped by the Admission and SFS team who are excited to meet all of the incredible First-Years! Musical Bingo, hosted by local mainstay DJ Bizz, begins at 6:15 pm. Be sure to come early for the best chance to win prizes, including Williams blankets, hoodies, and other swag! Door prizes will be given to the first 100 people that show up to the event and other prizes will be up for grabs for everyone throughout the night. Students will also have the opportunity to engage with our staff and learn about ways to get involved with our division! | Weston Hall |
Wednesday, September 3
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30am-10:30am | Breakfast | Dining Halls |
| 10:00am-11:00am | Looking Ahead to the Academic Life: Gretchen Long, Dean of the College Frederick Rudolph Class of 1965 Prof. of American Culture Harper Treschuk '26 - Student Honor Code Katy Evans - Office of Accessible Education Hale Polebaum-Freeman - Reference and First-Year Outreach Librarian Julia Munemo - Director of the Writing Center Nick Hanford, Director of the Quantitative Skills Program - Peer Academic Support | Chapin (R) |
| 11:00am-12:30pm | Academic Expo! | Sawyer and Schow Libraries (R) |
| 11:30am-2:00pm | Lunch | Dining Halls |
| 12:00pm-3:00pm | Zilkha Center Reusable Water Bottle Pick Up - Complete the sustainability course in your inbox to be eligible! WOOLF students who have completed the module: your bottle will be waiting for you at WOOLF check-in on September 1st. Please do not pick up during this distribution time. | Class of 1966 Environmental Center |
| 1:00pm-2:00pm | Transfer and Non-traditional Student Sessions (refer to Pre-O Schedule) | |
| 1:30pm-4:00pm | Academic Advising | Various locations |
| 2:00pm-3:15pm | Academic Support Fair - Peer Tutoring, First Year Outreach Librarian, Office of Accessible Education, OIT, Writing Center, Quantitative Skills Program, Center for Career Exploration, Deans' Office and more! | Paresky Tent (Required) Note: If you are planning to meet with your academic advisor during this time window, plan to visit this event before or after your advising appointment). |
| 3:30pm-4:00pm | Practice and P. Sets: Preparing for Your First College Exams | '62 Center (Required UNLESS you have an appointment scheduled between 3:30-4pm with your academic advisor) |
| 4:00pm-5:00pm | Writing Your First College Paper | '62 Center (R) |
| 5:00pm-8:00pm | Dinner | Dining Halls |
| 5:00pm-10:00pm | Night Before Classes Celebration at the Clark! Join the Clark for an exciting evening of special activities and gallery access as we celebrate the arrival of the Class of 2029 in the Berkshires! Students from Williams College, MCLA, Berkshire Community College, Bennington College, UAlbany, RPI, Smith College, and more will come together to explore, connect, and make memories on the Clark’s campus. Whether you're diving into world-class art, meeting new people, or just enjoying a laidback evening, there’s something for everyone! Free. No registration needed—just show up and explore! Select timed activities require a free ticket, available during the evening at the Clark's main admissions desk. Food from the outdoor grill is available for purchase until 8 pm. NIGHT AT THE CLARK ACTIVITIES On Air with WCFM 91.9 and Belltower Records 5–7 pm | Reflecting Pool Lawn Join a collaborative vinyl session hosted by WCFM 91.9 and Belltower Records. Choose records from WCFM 91.9 and Belltower Record’s collection for a live-mixed set. Print Room Pop-Up Exhibition: Paper Trails of the Clark’s Collection 5–7 pm | Manton Study Center for Works on Paper Enjoy a special display of prints, drawings, and photographs selected from the Clark’s collection of 6,500+ works on paper. From Albrecht Dürer to Doris Ulmann, this drop-in showcase spans more than 500 years of creativity and craftsmanship over a wide range of artistic techniques on paper. PRESS on the MOVE! with Melanie Mowinski 5–7 pm | Bold by Design: Mid-century Modern Graphic Art, Manton Research Center PRESS on the MOVE! is a traveling letterpress studio and an offshoot of artist Melanie Mowinski’s project PRESS: Letterpress as a Public Art Project. Be inspired by the works featured in Bold by Design: Mid-century Modern Graphic Art and create prints using vintage type and presses—no experience needed! Pages to Pins: Button-Making Workshop 5–7 pm | Manton Research Center Reading Room Repurpose dust jackets, periodicals, and other extras from our library into one-of-a-kind buttons! From Ground to Cup: Lemon Balm, Milky Oats, and Catnip 5:30–7 pm | Schow Pond Join herbalist Rebecca Guanzon to learn about wild herbs, then brew your own custom tea as you enjoy the sunset by Schow Pond. Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens Curator-led Tour* 5:45 pm, 6:30 pm & 7:15 pm | Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper Exhibition curator Grace Hanselman presents a tour of Berenice Abbott’s work, focusing on her portraits of the Parisian avant-garde and her visual chronicles of New York City’s dynamic urban landscape. Mariel Capanna: Giornata Rapid Painting* 6 pm, 6:30 pm, 7 pm & 7:30 pm | Family Room Try fast-paced, collaborative painting inspired by this artist’s practice—one minute per round, endless creativity. Guided by Williams College Museum of Art SPA interns, respond in paint for one minute to abstract visuals or found footage before passing the canvas on for others to add their own interpretation. A Room of Her Own Embroidery Workshop 6–8 pm | Clark Center Lower Lobby Join us in the gallery for a hands-on embroidery workshop inspired by A Room of Her Own: Women Artist-Activists in Britain, 1875–1945. Learn foundational stitches—French knots, herringbone, chain stitch, and satin stitch—featured in the exhibition and described in May Morris’s Decorative Needlework (1893), and create your own embroidered bookmark in homage to the era’s craft revival. Draw inspiration from a pop-up from the Clark library, featuring English Embroidered Bookbindings by Cyril Davenport and Embroidered Textiles by Sheila Paine, that highlights the rich connection between needlework and literature. Works in Progress: Astral Sea Performance with Tsedaye Makonnen and Williams College 7:15 pm | Fernández Terrace Watch an experimental in-progress performance directed by visiting artist Tsedaye Makonnen with Williams' dance faculty member Sandra Burton. Featuring students from Kusika, the Williams College African dance and percussion ensemble that performs, studies, and creates new work in dance, music, and storytelling. Performers include: Luna Luna '28 Charlotte Chen '27 Natalie Ginsberg Grad Art (MA '26) Diego Mongue '25 Ian Dominic '27 Jerry Hensure Lewouo Nizegha '28 The full-length performance will debut as part of the Clark's programming on Saturday, October 4 at 4 pm on the grounds. Outdoor Film: Night at the Museum (2006) 8–10 pm | Reflecting Pool Lawn Watch the ultimate museum adventure under the stars with popcorn. Presented by Images Cinema. Stargazing & S’mores 8–10 pm | Thomas Shütte’s Crystal, Stone Hill Gaze at the night sky with PULSAR Astronomy Club while enjoying s’mores by the bonfire. *Berenice Abbott’s Modern Lens Curator-led Tour and Mariel Capanna: Giornata Rapid Painting require a free ticket that can be collected by students at the main admissions desk. Tickets are available on a first come, first-served basis starting at 5 pm. | At The Clark Art Institute (E) (W) |
Thursday, September 4
| Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| All Day | Classes Begin! |
Upcoming Events
| Date | Event | |
|---|---|---|