The Oak Street Roast, a campus block party that takes place the evening before classes start, is one of the signature events of UTC’s Welcome Week. Photo by Angela Foster.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is gearing up for another exciting Welcome Week, an annual tradition that introduces new students to campus life.
This year’s festivities, which take place from Sunday, Aug. 18, through Saturday, Aug. 24, are set to kick off with the immensely popular Oak Street Roast—marking the beginning of a week chockful of opportunities for students to connect, explore and immerse themselves in the UTC community.
Laura Petrus, director of student and family engagement at UTC, is at the helm of this initiative.
“One of the magical pieces about Welcome Week for me is that it is really designed to help students make connections and experience what our campus has to offer,” said Petrus, who has been involved with UTC’s opening week events since 2018. “We see so many different types of events, and there are so many throughout each day that I think it’s really helpful for a student who may not even know where to start; just pick a couple of things and try them out.”
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More than 70 events are on the Welcome Week calendar and most can be found in MocSync—the University’s student engagement platform.
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Petrus explained that Welcome Week is more than just a series of events; it’s a crucial time for new students to acclimate to University life. She encouraged all students—whether first-year students, transfer students, or returning students—to step out of their comfort zones and dive into the experience.
“Attending Welcome Week events is an excellent way to test those waters without really committing to something,” she said. “It helps students see what our campus has to offer throughout the year.”
The week also serves as a reminder of the importance of getting involved early, which she believes is critical to a successful college experience.
“Getting involved early is just so important for students to stay in college and be successful,” she said. “The magic of involvement as a whole is really helping these students create the college experience they want and helping UTC feel like a home away from home.”
Welcome Week 2024 promises to be particularly memorable, she said, with several signature events taking center stage.
Oak Street Roast
“The Oak Street Roast, a long-standing campus tradition, is expected to be bigger and better than ever,” Petrus said. “We have new plans and some tricks up our sleeves.”
In a new twist for 2024, the Oak Street Roast—a campus block party that takes place on Sunday, Aug. 18—will also feature a student organization fair, giving students a chance to explore involvement opportunities right from the start.
“It gives students the ability to seek those involvement opportunities right before classes start, which I think is going to be great,” Petrus said.
She noted that many events from past Welcome Weeks are back on the calendar, saying that “we are starting to see a lot more traditions being created.”
“Over the past couple of years, campus partners have really dug into these traditions at the beginning of the academic year. I think you’re going to continue to see our students introduced to some of our highlight signature events,” she said.
Petrus noted several signature Welcome Week events are top-of-mind when talking about campus traditions, including:
- Goat Yoga, sponsored by the Center for Wellbeing (Wednesday, Aug. 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)
- Headphone Dance Party, sponsored by the Disability Resource Center and Mosaic Program (Wednesday, Aug. 21, 8-10 p.m.)
- The Office of Multicultural Affairs’ Welcome Back Cookout (Thursday, Aug. 22, 8-10 p.m.)
The always popular Goat Yoga event returns to Chamberlain Field on Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Headphone Dance Party is a sensory-friendly event that quickly became a hit after it was introduced, she said.
“We always love to see Headphone Dance Party highlighted because it’s good for our students to see a large-scale sensory-friendly event,” Petrus explained. “Last year, we had almost 600 students check in, and the event has only grown in popularity.”
A new addition to the Welcome Week lineup is the Mocs Under the Stars event at UTC’s Clarence T. Jones Observatory from 8-10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23. Hosted by the Department of Chemistry and Physics, this open house “is a really cool opportunity for our students to experience the observatory,” Petrus noted, emphasizing the importance of including academic program events in the Welcome Week schedule.
“It’s so much fun seeing our students come back to campus,” Petrus said when she was asked what Welcome Week meant to her. “Summer is so quiet, but we miss our students.
“It’s really exciting and energizing when they return. It’s the most magical time of the year for me.”
Events on the Welcome Week slate are open to all currently enrolled UTC students and are free unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration may be required for some events.
Learn more
Dance like no one is watching in a sensory-friendly environment at Headphone Dance Party, the loudest dance party that can’t be heard.
