Semester 1 for the 2023-2024 academic year begins with Welcome Week from Monday 25 September. New and returning students will begin to settle into the University community ahead of the start of the Autumn Term on Monday 2 October 2023.
Welcome dates
- Welcome Weekend: Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 September
- Welcome Week: from Monday 25 September
- Autumn term begins: Monday 2 October
To enable our new and returning students to get the most out their university experience, colleagues across the University will communicate important information with students on where to find support, teaching information and opportunities, both in advance of their arrival and once Semester 1 begins.
The Welcome website provides new students with a list of essential tasks they need to complete prior to arrival, such as setting up IT accounts, applying for student ID cards, and registering with a local GP practice.
Welcome events
The University and SUSU (our Students’ Union) will be running a full programme of activities and events across our campuses and halls of residence from Saturday 23 September.
You can view the full Freshers 2023 schedule on the SUSU website, and all other events on the My Southampton app.
Ways you can help
Many colleagues will already be involved in the busy period of Welcome Week as part of their day-to-day roles, however even if you aren’t in a student facing job, you can help students settle in over the coming weeks:
- The Student Hub is the first point of contact for all student questions and concerns – they can be contacted via live chat, email or phone, or students can visit one of the hubs in person: Building 37, Highfield Campus; Building 65, Avenue Campus; and Building 63F, Winchester Campus.
- Students can download and install the MySouthampton app, which includes the full schedule of Welcome events, and has plenty of other features including access to emails, timetables and campus maps.
- For those involved in Welcome communications, you can find further support in the Schools Welcome toolkit, which includes types of messages and information students receive during this period, as well as templates and digital slides available for colleagues to use.
- For those involved in student inductions, the Academic Transitions Support Toolkit provides materials and resources to help you plan and schedule your programme inductions.
- Remember you can access Campus Maps at any time, on any device, to assist anyone who needs help finding where they are meant to be.
More details about student communications are on the Welcome and Welcome Back Communications SharePoint site.