Week of Welcome returns for its third year in August 2022. Georgia Tech’s annual new student welcome event brings campus partners together for a week of programming, August 14 – 21.  

The week invites first-years, new transfers, and new graduate students to become acquainted with campus, their peers, and Atlanta the week before classes start with the goal of a stress-free transition to college. First-year students begin to move into campus residence halls on Friday, August 12, with new transfers and new graduates moving in on August 13, and 15 – 20. 

Week of Welcome kicks off on Sunday, August 14 at Rock, Ramble, and Roll, a large outdoor kick-off dinner event full of food and fun after move-in. This will be the first official event held in the new Student Center when it reopens in the Fall after two years of renovations. The event is a partnership between Student & Campus Events Centers, Student Center Programs Council (SCPC), and Tech Dining. 

From August 15 to 20 new students will have the opportunity to participate in workshops, events, and outings organized by the campus community. Departments, colleges, campus offices, and student organizations are invited to host engaging, and informative workshops during business hours to help share information with the new students. Workshops can be informative about the work that an office or organization does on campus or about particular topics of interest to students. 

“Week of Welcome was an amazing, stress-free way for me to transition to college and become familiar with campus, my peers, and Atlanta,” says Jeffrey Kramer, SCPC’s 2022 Week of Welcome Committee Chair. “From the moment I set foot on campus, I felt like I was a part of the amazing Georgia Tech community. Week of Welcome inspired me to join SCPC and get involved, and now I have the incredible opportunity to help organize it for future students.” 

Student organizations and groups are not the only people who can plan and implement workshops for new students during Week of Welcome. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in workshop offerings, as well.  

“The Georgia Tech Library hosted our historic Week of Welcome event, RATS Night, along with 7 other workshops and tours during the 2021 Week of Welcome,” said Public Programming & Community Engagement Librarian Catherine Manci. “We had over 1,300 students come to the Library for RATS Night alone. While pulling off these events took lots of coordination, the payoff was worth it to welcome students into our Library buildings and familiarize them with our services.” 

The Georgia Tech Library will once again be hosting its signature event for the week, RATS Night, for Recently Acquired Tech Students or RATS again this year.  

“Students are truly our top priority, and kicking off the year with an exciting Week of Welcome event like RATS Night set the tone for the semester,” said Leslie Sharp, Dean of Libraries. “While the Library is a focused academic space, it can also be a space of joy and community.” 

Afternoons and evenings during the week will be filled with social events for new students to engage with one another and get to know their community. GT Athletics’ House Party at Bobby Dodd, Taste of Tech Square, CRC’s RecFest, and other large signature events and small events are being planned for the nights that week to allow students variety in their experiences. 

If you are interested in planning an event or facilitating a workshop to help introduce our incoming students to life at Georgia Tech in August, fill out the Week of Welcome Program Submission Form by July 15, 2022. Events and workshops will be featured on the Week of Welcome Guide through the Georgia Tech Guidebook app that students download to attend FASET. 

For the latest about Week of Welcome as planning evolves, visit welcomehome.gatech.edu. For questions about Week of Welcome, please email Brett Hulst at hulst@gatech.edu or Carly Bloomingdale at carly@gatech.edu.