Fall Orientation

All new students should plan to check in at the P. Gregory Warden Student Center in the McNeely Center of Ideas & Imagination at Via Ponte Tresa 18 on Tuesday, August 18. Students will be able to move into their residence halls and begin adjusting to their new home.

• New Student Check-In - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Lunch (optional) - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

• Get to Know You Activity (optional) - 5:00 p.m.

• New Student Welcome - Kaletsch Auditorium - 6:00 p.m.

• Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Walk to the Lake with the Orientation Mentors (optional) - 8:30 p.m.

• Breakfast - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

• Orientation Sessions - Starting at 9:45 a.m., new students will participate in mandatory sessions to help them prepare for their time at Franklin and move around campus in their Orientation Groups. Each group will have lunch in between several sessions. Sessions will include, but are not limited to:
  • A welcome and introduction to some of the systems we use on campus;
  • Their initial meeting to apply for their student permit;
  • A campus and neighborhood tour;
  • An introduction to campus life;
  • An important presentation about safety and security; and 
  • An overview of several of the people and tools essential to students' academic success at Franklin.
• New students should report to the Giardino di Luce in the McNeely Center of Ideas & Imagination at 6:30 p.m. for a group photo. 
• On Wednesday evening between 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., students, faculty, staff, and families will take part in an annual tradition, A Taste of Ticino, a buffet-style dinner of local and regional dishes.

• Breakfast - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. 

• Orientation Sessions - Starting at 9:45 a.m., new students will continue meeting with their Orientation Groups and with the larger group of new students at sessions related to: 
  • Communication and courtesy at Franklin; 
  • Information regarding academic requirements and course registration;
  • The campus culture and our student body;
  • First meetings of First-Year Seminars;
  • Health and wellness resources at Franklin; and 
  • Sustainability initiatives on campus.

• Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Residence Hall Meetings (required for on-campus students) - Residence Halls - 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  All new students living on campus will have a chance to meet some of their neighbors and learn more about residence hall policies and procedures. Student Resident Assistants will conduct these mandatory meetings.

Important: Students who have a meal plan will begin using their meal plans for their meals today. Students who do not have a meal plan who would like to eat on campus should plan to pay with cash or credit card.

• Breakfast - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

• Course Registration - All new students will have an individual appointment with their advisors on August 21 to register for their courses. Study abroad students who have already selected their courses will also have a meeting scheduled for Friday. Students will receive information about these meetings in their Admissions portal and in their Franklin email on Tuesday, August 18. It is extremely important you attend your mandatory meeting.  

• Quick IKEA Trips (optional) - New students will have the opportunity to go to IKEA for a quick trip to get things for their new apartments. One bus will leave at 10:00 and return by 12:30, and one will leave at 14:00 and return by 16:30. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Orientation schedule is very full, and Friday will be our first opportunity to offer a small bus to IKEA. We strongly recommend that students bring something to sleep on if they intend to purchase linens at IKEA on Friday. 

• Valle Verzasca Overview - Auditorium - 5:30 p.m. - Students planning to participate in the Valle Verzasca field trip on Saturday must attend an information session on Friday. Students who do not attend will not be permitted on the bus on Saturday. 

• Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Social Activities (optional) - Various Locations on Campus - 8:00 p.m. to 9:50 p.m.

• Brunch - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

• Day Trip to Valle Verzasca - Each year, new Franklin students take a bus trip to a beautiful region in Ticino to hike, swim, and relax with other new students, surrounded by incredible scenery. This annual trip is a significant Franklin tradition and marks the end of Orientation. 

• Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - open until 8:00 p.m.

The Fall 2026 graduate student orientation runs from Wednesday, August 19 through Sunday, August 23. MAST students living on campus must check in on Tuesday, August 18. MAST students are welcome to join the undergraduate activities that begin that day, including information sessions on campus resources and policies. While participation in these activities is generally optional for MAST students, some sessions are mandatory and are clearly identified in the schedule.

• New Student Check-In (Mandatory) - 9 a.m. to 3 p.m
• Swap Shop - 10 a.m to 12 p.m & 2 p.m to 5 p.m
• Lunch - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Downtown walk to Parco Ciani, Piazza della Riforma - 2 p.m
• New Student Welcome - Nielsen Auditorium - 6:00 p.m.

• Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

• Walk to the Lake with the Orientation Mentors (optional) - 8:30 p.m.

• Breakfast available - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
• Safety/Security/Title IX/Conduct Information - Nielsen Auditorium - 11 a.m.
• Welcome lunch with Caroline Wiedmer (Mandatory) - 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
• MAST Program Orientation (Mandatory) - 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
  Location depends on temperature: Grotto or Classroom.
• Campus Tour - 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Reception with MAST faculty (Mandatory) - President's Lawn, Kaletsch campus - 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Taste of Switzerland Dinner (Mandatory) - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - open 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

• Morning Walk (optional) - Departs from Giardino Luce - 7.30 a.m. to 8.15 a.m. 

• Breakfast - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8 a.m to 9.30 a.m

• Meeting with Director of Green Office, Jean Wu (TBC) (Mandatory) - McNeely Center - 10 a.m
   
• Welcome Coffee with President David Mills (Mandatory) - 4 p.m to 5 p.m
  Location depends on temperature: President's Office, Kaletsch, or the Grotto

• Morning Walk (optional) - Departs from Giardino Luce - 7.30 a.m. to 8.15 a.m. 

• Breakfast - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus - 8 a.m to 10 a.m

• Intercultural Conflict Style Session with Deborah Knaust (Mandatory) - McNeely Center - 10 a.m to 11.30 a.m
• Meeting with Sabina Macchi and Giulio Botta (Mandatory) - Office of Student Life, McNeely Center - 2 p.m to 4 p.m
  • Sign paperwork for permit and municipality registration
  • Sign and review Swiss health insurance paperwork with Giulio Botta
  • Photo for the student ID card (Falcon Card)
• Valle Verzasca Trip Introduction - Nielsen Auditorium - 5.30 p.m.

• Grotto opens for Brunch - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus, 10 a.m.

• Depart for Valle Verzasca field trip - Meet in Nielsen Auditorium - 12 p.m.
   
• Grotto opens for Dinner - Grotto, Kaletsch Campus, 6.30 p.m to 8 p.m.

•  Hike up Monte San Salvatore - Meet at Reception, Kaletsch Campus - Time TBD