Lectures & Events
Center for Shared Prosperity Open House
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Baker Hall, Room 225-A
Come to our space, meet our team, and learn how we’re creating opportunity and driving shared prosperity for all.
Join us for light refreshments, great conversations, and a look at what’s ahead. We can’t wait to see you there!
First-Year Orientation
Aug. 15–23, CMU Main Campus
First-Year Orientation will take place August 15-23, 2026!
First-Year Orientation supports new students in a successful transition to Carnegie Mellon. Our summer communications and programs, combined with our week-long First-Year Orientation program, introduce incoming undergraduate students to our inclusive and caring campus community. Our First-Year Orientation program is a dynamic and engaging experience that will help new students build the foundation for academic success, community membership, well-being, campus involvement and pride in being a Tartan.
View the First-Year Orientation website for more information.
First-Year Orientation President's Welcome
Sunday, Aug. 16, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Orientation Tent, College of Fine Arts Lawn
All first-year students and family members are invited to attend a welcome address from Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian and Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno.
Convocation
Thursday, Aug. 20, 4 to 5 p.m., Orientation Tent, College of Fine Arts Lawn
This formal academic celebration marks the arrival of the incoming Class of 2030+ and presents the class to the respective deans of each college.
Explore the World: Orientation Week Study Abroad Information Session
Friday, Aug. 21, 1 to 2 p.m., Connan Room, Cohon University Center
Come learn more about Study Abroad at CMU! Get all the details about where you can go, what you can do (study, research, internships and more), how to pay for study abroad (and use your scholarships), and get your questions answered by the Study Abroad Team and returned students.
CPDC Plaza Party & Student Employment Fair
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., Legacy Plaza
Explore part-time student employment opportunities on campus and meet the CPDC staff!
Stop by the Legacy Plaza (between West Wing and the Cohon University Center) to meet with more than 15 on-campus departments who are hiring for the upcoming semester(s).
While you’re there, be sure to stop by the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) Plaza Party, an informal welcome event with Rita’s Ice where students can meet CPDC staff and explore all of the career-related services and resources.
(Un)Welcome: An (Un)Gathering
Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. to Aug. 28 at 12:30 p.m., CMU Main Campus (Various Locations)
A symposium culminating the Hospitality Initiative, (Un)Welcome: An (Un)Gathering, is an (anti-)academic gathering that interrogates the limits, tensions and possibilities of “hospitality” through perspectives of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas.
The symposium will include a mix of activities, including keynote and panel speakers, a book club conversation, film night, a morning listening session, and embodied acts of hospitality.
This gathering is for those interested in visiting together and embracing the tensions therein. We will listen and learn, but we will also discuss, explore and laugh in immersive, challenging and transformative ways.
Swartz Center CONNECTS Seminar Series Presents: Design Thinking Amplified – Creative Problem-Solving with AI
Tuesday, Sept. 1, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship (Tepper Building, Third Floor) & Zoom
You already know Design Thinking, but do you know how it shifts when you think alone, think together, and think with machines? This session shares new tools and methods that widen perspective, sharpen problem framing, and accelerate ideation without losing the collaborative, human-centered core that makes Design Thinking work.
The Swartz Center CONNECTS seminar series enhances the experiential education of any individual interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Tailored mainly for students to help take their ideas from conception to commercialization, the seminars run throughout the fall semester. Teams looking for talent and talent looking for teams can CONNECT at these events.
All CONNECTS events are hosted in a hybrid format.
CMU Washington Semester Program Info Session
Wednesday, Sept. 2, 5 to 6 p.m., Virtual
Want to learn more about spending a semester in Washington, D.C.? Join us for a virtual information session about the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP).
CMU/WSP, sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST), is a semester-long program in which students live, intern and take CMU classes in Washington, D.C. Full-time undergraduates from any course of study at the university may participate in the program.
Swartz Center CONNECTS Seminar Series Presents: Business Model Canvas – A Practical Guide*
Thursday, Sept. 3, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship (Tepper Building, Third Floor) & Virtual
Many aspiring entrepreneurs have heard of the business model canvas, but few actually use it correctly. This workshop will focus on the proper techniques to leverage the full value of this important tool for business planning and validation.
Register for Business Model Canvas: A Practical Guide
*This seminar is recommended for anyone participating in the McGinnis Venture Competition.
Start Here: Study Abroad Information Session
Thursday, Sept. 3, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., McKenna Room, CUC
Come learn more about Study Abroad at CMU! Get all the details about where you can go, what you can do (study, research, internships and more), how to pay for study abroad (and use your scholarships), and get your questions answered by the Study Abroad Team and returned students.