Winter Orientation 2026 - Day 1
2026-01-19 10:00 (America/New_York) | All Campus, 26 E. Main St., Norton, MA, 02766, United States
Day 1 Schedule: Monday, January 19, 2026
Orientation is a required program for all new and transfer students.
Items marked (M) indicate Mandatory Participation.
Register for Winter Orientation
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Residential Student Check-in (M)
Balfour-Hood Campus Center, Atrium
For new and transfer students who will be living on campus. When you arrive on campus, park in Lot #4. Then, head directly to the Balfour-Hood Campus Center Atrium. There will be a designated check-in table for new and transfer students where our friendly staff will welcome you to campus. Please contact reslife@wheatoncollege.edu with any specific questions about move-in.
4:30 – 5:00 p.m. Commuter/Off-Campus Student Check-in (M)
Balfour-Hood Campus Center, Atrium
For new and transfer students who will be living off-campus. When you arrive on campus, park in Lot #4. Then, head directly to the Balfour-Hood Campus Center Atrium. There will be a designated check-in table for new and transfer students where our friendly staff will welcome you to campus. Please contact reslife@wheatoncollege.edu with any specific questions about check-in.
5:00 p.m. Meet Your Orientation Leaders (M)
Balfour-Hood Campus Center, Club Hub
Meet with Orientation Leaders and participate in a fun activity to get to know the other new students.
5:30 p.m. Dinner with Orientation Leaders (M)
Chase Commons
Enjoy your first dinner at Wheaton College with the Orientation Team.
6:30 p.m. Candle Lighting Ceremony
Outside of Chapel
A time-honored Wheaton tradition: the lighting of candles to commemorate the start of your Wheaton journey!
7:00 p.m. Game Night!
Balfour-Hood Campus Center, Atrium
Compete for glory and level up your new connections with a variety of board games and Mario Kart.
View the Day 2 Orientation Schedule

2026 Artist Residency
2026-01-20, 2026-01-27, 2026-02-03, 2026-02-10
The Beard and Weil Galleries are thrilled to welcome Maia Hay and Magda Leon as our 2026 Artists in Residence. Using the galleries as a studio, Hay and Leon will engage the campus through their work in printmaking, performance, painting, and mural creation from January 15-February 14, 2026.
There are multiple opportunities for creative collaboration through open studio hours and workshops. All events are free and open to the public.
Maia Hay ‘20 will be creating a community mural in the Diana Davis Spencer Discovery Center.
-Mural Design Session: Thursday, 1/22, 6-8 pm in the Galleries
-Community Paint Sessions: Thursday, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 5-7pm in Diana Davis Spencer Discovery Center
-Learn more about Maia’s natural pigments and dyes during open studio hours: Tuesdays, 12-3pm
Magda Leon will be working on prints and a performance centered on border crossings and migration. She will hold two drop in printmaking workshops where participants can create their own relief prints.
-Printmaking Workshops: Friday, 2/6, 1-3pm and Friday, 2/13, 1-3pm in the Galleries
-Learn more about Magda’s work at open studio hours: Thursdays, 12-3pm

Winter Orientation 2026 - Day 2
2026-01-20 08:30 | All Campus, 26 E. Main St., Norton, MA, 02766, United States
Day 2 Schedule: Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Orientation is a required program for all new and transfer students.
Items marked (M) indicate Mandatory Participation.
Register for Winter Orientation
8:30 – 8:50 a.m. Morning Check-In (M)
Hindle Auditorium Lobby (Discovery Center)
All new and transfer students should check-in for Orientation Day 2. Refreshments will be available.
9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Orientation Kick-Off (M)
Classroom 3332 (Discovery Center)
Students will be welcomed by the Dean of Students and Student Government Association President.
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Wheaton Curriculum Overview (M)
Filene Center (Kollett Hall)
Learn about the unique Compass Curriculum, the Wheaton Advising model, and other academic support structures available to help you succeed in your transition to academics at Wheaton College
10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Orientation Leader Checkpoint/Brain Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Wheaton Honor Code & Community Expectations (M)
Classroom 3332 (Discovery Center)
12:00 – 12:50 p.m. Lunch with Student Leaders
Chase Commons
1:00 p.m. ‘Around the Dimple’ Resource Tour (M)
Join your Orientation Leaders to learn about the various campus resources departments that are available to assist you during your time at Wheaton.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Bystander Intervention, Title IX and the College Response to Sex Discrimination (M)
Classroom 3332 (Discovery Center)
Learn about the College’s Title IX Policy and Resources and discuss Bystander Intervention strategies and expectations as a Wheaton student.
Content Notice: Students should note that this session will raise topics and discussion of sensitive topics relating to these policies, including but not limited to sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and stalking. Students are encouraged to attend and step out if time or space are needed during the presentation. If a student feels they are unable to attend the session due to the topic area, they should contact orientation@wheatoncollege.edu to discuss alternative options for receiving the important information from the session.
3:10 p.m. Find Your Classes Tour/ ‘Downtime Destinations’ Tour
Depart from Hindle Auditorium Lobby
Students can choose to join their Orientation Leaders on a tour of campus study spaces and common areas or the chance to locate their Fall semester class locations.
5:00 p.m. Dinner
Chase Commons
View the Day 1 Orientation Schedule

Young Alumni Mixer
2026-01-31 13:00 - 15:00 | Howl Splitsville Golf Suites, 220 Patriot Pl, Foxborough, MA, 02035, United States
Join fellow Wheaton alumni from classes 2020-2025 at Howl Splitsville Golf Suites in Foxborough for a fun afternoon of networking and bowling!
Tickets are $20 and include bowling, food and one drink ticket.
Register Today!

2026 MLK Legacy Celebration
2026-02-10 17:00 - 19:00 | Discovery Center – Hindle Auditorium, Norton, MA, 02766, United States
The role of education in building a society in which all people are respected, cared for, and treated as equals will be the theme of this year’s MLK Legacy Celebration keynote address.
The talk “Education for Liberation: Pursuing the Beloved Community,” will be delivered by Wheaton alumnus Derron O. Wallace ’07, an award-winning sociologist, educational policy analyst and writer, and an Associate Professor of Education Policy and Africana Studies at Brown University.
Dr. Wallace’s research, teaching, and public advocacy focus on the dynamics of, and the solutions to, racial, ethnic and educational inequality, nationally and internationally. He is the author of the widely celebrated book, The Culture Trap: Ethnic Expectations and Unequal Schooling for Black Youth (Oxford University Press).
The event will also feature the MLK Legacy Student Creativity Showcase winners. A reception will follow.
