Weeks of Welcome (WOW) has been a long standing and favorite IU Indianapolis tradition -- and for good reason. From Aug. 20 to Sept. 2, students can enjoy and participate in 34 free events that showcase what it means to be a Jaguar.
Putting together this welcome bash is no small feat. The entire Division of Student Affairs began planning for this fall's WOW festivities in January.
"WOW is the product of months of hard work and coordination from over 15 different campus partners," said Brett Watson, associate director of Student and Family Connections. "It's a long process and a lot of hard work, but it's all worth it when we see the excitement on students' faces as they engage with various programs."
2022 fall WOW can't-miss events
SAPB Presents: First Night
Saturday, Aug. 20 | 7–11 p.m. | Campus Center
Kick off WOW by attending the first late night of the year. As an event planned by students for students, the Student Activities Programming Board will have a variety of activities to hype everyone up for the start of the fall semester.
44th Annual Ice Cream Social
Wednesday, Aug. 24 | 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Taylor Courtyard
Campus administrators will be on deck to scoop out some sweet treats to welcome you back to campus. This event is celebrating its 44th year as one of IU Indianapolis's longest running traditions.
Light Up the Night
Friday, Aug. 26 | 10 p.m.–1 a.m. | Carroll Stadium
The biggest glow event on campus is making its grand return since 2019.
"We'll have a DJ, free food and tons of different glow items that students can wear at the event," said Student Programming Specialist Hanna Brown. "This year, we are even bringing in a glow in the dark nine-hole mini golf course for students to play."
Student Involvement Expos
Monday, Aug. 29 | 4–8 p.m. | Taylor Courtyard Tent
Thursday, Sept. 1 | Noon–4 p.m. | Taylor Courtyard Tent
Find your spot on campus with hundreds of student organizations offered at IU Indianapolis. Learn more about campus life, connect with students who share your interests and sign up for organizations.
Visit wow.IU Indianapolis.edu to explore the many other WOW events happening throughout the first two weeks of classes.
What's new: WOW on IU Mobile
While WOW is the perfect introduction to the Jaguar way of life, it can be equal parts exciting and overwhelming to coordinate your new class schedule with each day's events. Now, students can access all WOW event details right from the IU Mobile app.
"Over the years, we continue to review and discuss how to get information about WOW into the hands and eyes of our students," said Watson. "So, finding a way to give them a location within an app that they can access on-the-go has been a great addition this year."
Instead of creating a new app just for WOW, Director of Marketing and Communications Mary Olk Knarr tapped into a resource already used widely by our campus.
"It seemed like a great opportunity to partner with the IU Mobile team and see if we could add more information and resources about Weeks of Welcome in an app that already exists just for the IU Indianapolis community, instead of asking students to download another app. Everything is all in one place to make things easier for our students."
4 steps to access WOW on IU mobile
- Log in to IU mobile using your IU Indianapolis username and password.
- Go to the IU mobile home screen.
- Scroll past the IU Indianapolis campus feed.
- Click on the "Welcome to IU Indianapolis" button.
Whether you’re participating in Jagathon Field Day, exploring the Health and Wellness Fair or getting your skate on at the Jaguar Roller Skate Party, WOW is your time to make IU Indianapolis your own.
For accommodations regarding any WOW events, please call 317-274-3699.
