Orientation

Two Honors Orientation Mentors smiling in front of Orientation participants

The Honors College Orientation is held twice a year: the week prior to the start of the classes for students joining the Honors College in the fall term and again in the first week of the spring term for Honors students joining in the spring. Honors Orientation is a mandatory, free program designed to introduce incoming students to the foundations of undergraduate honors education, and provides opportunities to:

Orientation for Honors students admitted for the fall is will be held on the Wednesday and Thursday prior to the start of the fall term. Both days are required for successful completion of the program. The Fall 2024 Honors Orientation will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 21 and the morning and afternoon of Thursday, August 22.

Honors Orientation is separate from campus-wide New Student Orientation overseen by the office of New Student and Family Programs. That program is mandatory for all new TU students and incurs a fee. Contact New Student and Family Programs with any questions regarding New Student Orientation.

Fall 2024 Orientation

Fall 2024 Honors Orientation will take place on August 21–22 for incoming freshmen, students transferring from other institutions, and continuing TU students joining for the fall term. There is no cost to attend Honors Orientation. Incoming Honors students received information about Honors Orientation sent to their TU email addresses.

  • Incoming Honors students who elect to live on-campus will move into their on-campus housingon August 20, in advance of Honors Orientation. Scheduling of move-in times is organized through the Housing & Residence Life office, which can also answer any other housing-related questions you may have.

Honors College Common Read 

A common read is a required part of the Honors Orientation experience in August. This program provides an opportunity for Honors students to explore issues that contribute to the development of critical thinking skills while fostering intellectual ties between Honors students, faculty, and staff.

The goals of the Honors College Read are:

  • Provide incoming students a chance to connect with other students
  • Provide incoming students simulated classroom discussion experience led by faculty
  • Provide students with a learning opportunity that relates to the academic expectations of the Honors College
  • Create an opportunity for critical thinking and ethical engagement

Honors Orientation 2024 Common Read

Literary Theory for Robots: How Computers Learned to Write

Dennis Yi Tenen

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

ISBN 9780393882186

Discussion Questions

Questions for Fall 2024 have not been announced. 

Please prepare typed responses to these 10 questions. Some questions may only require a sentence or two while others may need a longer response. Responses will be collected and evaluated by Honors College faculty and staff, so be sure to print out your answers before you arrive with your full name and your orientation group name at the top of the page(s) that you submit. Don’t forget to bring these answers to the Thursday Orientation!

Spring 2025 Orientation

Spring Honors Orientation is required for incoming freshmen and students transferring from other institutions who join TU or the Honors College for Spring 2025. There is no cost to attend. Enrolled incoming students are required to register online to confirm their attendance at Honors Orientation, and details on the program will be communicated to admitted students in their decision letter in January 2025.