New Student Orientation
Get ready for Fall Orientation 2025—your official welcome to Butler! Each day includes required events designed to help you hit the ground running. But that’s just the beginning. You’ll also find tons of fun and highly-recommended activities to help you meet new friends, explore campus, and start feeling right at home at Butler.
Required Orientation Activities for Founder’s College Students
8:00 AM–6:00 PM: Student Check-In
📍Hinkle Fieldhouse parking lot
May arrive any time between 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Please go to the table with blue decor.
7:30–8:15 PM: Student Orientation Group Meeting
📍The location of your Orientation group will be emailed to your Butler email.
Join your Orientation Group to meet your crew and your student leaders. This will be your team for Orientation and into your First-Year Seminar!
8:30–10:00 PM: Commuter Meeting
📍Pharmacy Building Room 150
New students will pick up their Orientation t-shirt and meet with campus representatives.
9:30–10:30 AM: Butler University Convocation
📍Hinkle Fieldhouse
As a Bulldog, there are two events that mark your academic journey at Butler: your induction as a scholar at Convocation and your commencement as a graduate. Join President James M. Danko, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Jay Howard, Vice President for DEI & Student Affairs, Dr. Khalilah Marbury, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Lori Green, and other University leaders as we celebrate your formal welcome to Butler University as a student. Students will enter Hinkle Fieldhouse at Gates 2 & 3 to be directed to their seats together in the 100-level of the arena, while families will be directed to their seats from the upper track level. Families should enter Hinkle Fieldhouse at Gate 1.
Incoming Class Photo
📍Sellick Bowl, Hinkle Fieldhouse
Rain date: Monday, August 25, 6:00 PM
Convocation Reception
📍 Lawn of Health and Recreation Complex
Inclement Weather Location: Dugan Hall
Immediately following the Butler University Convocation, please join Butler University faculty, deans, and administrators on the lawn of the Health and Recreation Complex.
11:30 AM–1:15 PM: Commuter Student Center Open
📍Atherton Union, Commuter Student Center, Room 011
Commuter and Founder’s College students can hang out in this gathering space before the next required program. Members of the Commuter Student Organization and group’s advisor will be onsite. Lunch tickets will be provided.
1:30–5:00 PM: Student Orientation Group Meetings
📍The location of your Orientation group has also been emailed to your Butler email.
Identity + Me
Orientation Group Rooms
Explore your own identities and how an awareness of them can lead to opportunities to establish and maintain belonging for yourself and others. This engaging session will build skills of self-reflection, communication, trust, and appreciation for diversity. Regardless of one’s identity, each student will participate in this experience by acknowledging several different components of their own identity and reflecting on their experiences of them.
5:00–7:30 PM: Orientation Group Dinner
📍Pick up food in A-Town Café, take plates out to the Atherton Mall and Butler Way Mall tents | Inclement weather location: Atherton Union dining hall
Please bring your Butler University ID.
10:00 AM–1:15 PM: Academic Day
- College Meetings
📍Locations to be announced - Department Meetings
📍Locations will be announced during college meetings. - Lunch With Department Faculty
📍Locations will be announced during department meetings.
1:30–2:30 PM: Student Orientation Group Meetings
📍The location of your Orientation group can be found in your Butler email.
Common Read Book Discussion
More information about this year’s common read is available on the New Student Orientation Canvas course.
6:30–7:00 PM: Hype to Hinkle
📍 Small Tent on Mall
Grab some spirit gear and get hype as we head to Hinkle Magic!
7:00–8:30 PM: Hinkle Magic!
📍 Hinkle Fieldhouse, Main Gym
Meet the Butler Cheerleaders, Dance Team, Pep Band, Butler Blue IV, and hear from Butler Athletics’ Coaches. Learn Butler cheers, the fight song, and more.
9:45 AM–12:00 PM: Student Orientation Group Meetings
Alcohol + You @ BU
📍 Orientation Group Rooms
Learn how to BU|BeWell while navigating social situations during your college experience. This interactive session will debunk common myths around drugs and alcohol and empower you to make healthy, informed decisions to keep you and your friends safe.
Collective Unity
📍 Orientation Group Rooms
The founding mission of Butler University includes a significant investment in equitable access to a college education and experience. During the Collective Unity session, students will explore the many resources, settings, and opportunities to engage at Butler. This session will prepare you for the role that each of us can play in continuing our institution’s founding and ongoing mission of a unified community in which all members can thrive.
12:00–1:30 PM: Commuter Student Meeting
📍Robertson Hall, Johnson Board Room
Lunch will be provided.
1:00–4:00 PM: Commuter Student Center Open
📍Atherton Union, Commuter Student Center, Room 011
Commuter students can hang out in this gathering space before the next required program.
1:30–2:30 PM: Indiana State Grant recipients’s session (required for Frank O’Bannon Grant and 21st Century Scholar recipients)
📍Atherton Union, Reilly Room
All students who have been awarded an Indiana State Grant through the Frank O’Bannon Grant program OR the Indiana 21st Century Scholars program are REQUIRED to attend this session. Your financial aid may be delayed in posting to your account if you do not attend. This session will explain the Indiana State requirements to ensure that you continue to receive your Indiana State Grants. If you are unsure if you are required to attend, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@butler.edu.
3:30–4:15 PM: Student Disability Services Orientation (required for students registered with Student Disability Services only)
📍Jordan Hall, Room 141
If you have not had a one-on-one meeting with a Student Disability Services staff member to register for accommodations, please do not attend this meeting. Please email sds@butler.edu to coordinate your one-on-one meeting first.
5:30–8:00 PM: Student Involvement Fair: Block Party
📍Hinkle Fieldhouse
Discover your community at Butler’s Student Organization Block Party! Presented by the Office of Student Activities, this vibrant open-house invites students to meet representatives from over 200+ recognized student organizations. Explore groups across our 18 organizational categories: Academic, Advocacy, Club Sports, Cultural, Diversity & Inclusion, Faith-Based, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Health and Wellness, Honor Societies, Media, Music and Performing Arts, Political, Professional, Programming, Recreational, Service and Philanthropy, Special Interest, and Student Governance.
Interested in attending other Orientation events? You can explore the full schedule on the Orientation website.