Weeks of Welcome
Get your spring 2026 semester off to a great start!
To kick off the spring semester, there are countless ways to get involved outside of the classroom here on campus! Your involvement outside of the classroom starts with this first week of spring classes! Through our coordinated Weeks of Welcome program that goes from Monday, Jan. 12 through Friday, March 7, first-year students, that specifically include mid-year enrollees and transfers new to Kent State (starting with the spring 2026 semester) will have the opportunity to engage in programs, events, initiatives, and services that:
- Develop Blue and Gold Affinity -- Generating school spirit for campus, the community, and KSU Athletics.
- Community Involvement -- Familiarizing oneself with the Kent and surrounding community and how to get involved as a citizen. To learn more ways to get involved in the Kent community, please check out the following events calendar: Main Street Kent Events Calendar.
- Academic Success -- Preparing for academic excellence.
- Campus Resources -- Introduce important student services and resources on campus.
- Sense of Belonging -- Feel a stronger sense of belonging to both the campus and surrounding communities.
Weeks of Welcome Events
T-Shirt Giveaway Contest
This first week of the semester will be filled with awesome activities and events to engage in outside of your classes. So, be sure to check out many of these opportunities (listed below). We are excited to welcome you as a member of the Golden Flashes family! The first 100 students that check-in with a FLASHcard and/or ticket to at least four of the below listed events through this first week of the semester will win the pictured, exclusive long sleeve t-shirt, courtesy of the Center for Student Involvement. As long as you check into these events, you will be automatically entered into this contest.
Monday, January 12 -- Bites and Eats (12 - 2 p.m. at the Kent Student Center Hub, first floor)
Tuesday, January 13 -- FAB Karaoke (7 - 9 p.m. at the Rathskeller, Kent Student Center)
Wednesday, January 14 -- Women’s Basketball versus Ohio University (7 p.m. at the MACC)
Wednesday, January 14 -- College Skate Night (10:30 p.m. - 12 a.m. at the KSU Ice Arena)
Thursday, January 15 -- Intercultural Student Life Open House (12:30 - 2:30 p.m. at suite 219 of the Kent Student Center)
Friday, January 16 -- Pepsi Leadership Center's Flash Friday (11 a.m. - 1 p.m. at room 220 of the Kent Student Center)
Friday, January 16 -- Spring Student Organization Fair (3 - 5 p.m. at the second floor of the Kent Student Center)
Friday, January 16 -- Men’s Basketball versus University of Toledo (6:30 p.m. at the MACC)
Friday, January 16 -- DI Hockey versus Canisius University (7:30 p.m. at the KSU Ice Arena)
Saturday, January 17 -- Women's Basketball versus University of Akron (1 p.m. at the MACC)
Saturday, January 17 -- Transfer Student Welcome (3 - 5 p.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center)
Saturday, January 17 -- WinterBlast (5 - 8 p.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center)
Explore KSU Pathway
Want to get more involved in Weeks of Welcome activities and have a chance at $500 and $250 merit-based scholarships, in addition to winning one of 25 Flash Plushes (pictured below)? If this describes you, then try out the Explore Pathway in KSU Engage. Through completing various activities on campus and in the Kent community, and recording them in the pathway in KSU Engage by March 20, students will be entered for a chance to win the aforementioned prizes. To learn more, go to the Pathways module in KSU Engage, or reach out to the Center for Student Involvement at csi@kent.edu and/or 330-672-2480.