Last month, more than 3,000 individuals came to the Rensselaer campus to attend Family Weekend. Parents, family members, alumni, and friends had an opportunity to get a glimpse of life at Rensselaer through a variety of cultural offerings and performances, academic classroom programs, tours, dinners, film screenings, and athletic events.
“Family Weekend is designed to not only reinforce our students’ love of Rensselaer, but to also foster the same feeling of community in family members,” said Shanté Brown, assistant dean in the Office of the First-Year Experience. “This year, we had just over 1,000 families in attendance—and about 3,200 participants. Collaborations across campus allowed us to provide families with a number of activities to choose from over the weekend. We are grateful to the campus community for their hard work in planning and welcoming the families of our students to campus.”
One of the highlights of the weekend, the annual International Festival, gave visitors a glimpse into the diverse cultures on campus. The festival showcased more than 20 different countries and cultures representing the Rensselaer Union international student organizations and individual members of campus.
The annual Family Weekend event—hosted by the Office of the Student Experience—typically attracts thousands to campus to experience the season and life at Rensselaer. Sixty-five events were planned for the weekend to highlight the many facets of Rensselaer. Overall, the Family Weekend events represent a collaborative effort involving each of the five academic schools, along with the Rensselaer Student Union, the Center for Career and Professional Development, the Department of Athletics, and many academic and Student Life Departments.
The next Family Weekend is planned for Oct. 24-26, 2014.