TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
Residence Hall Check-In 
29 3rd Ave Residence Hall 
Welcome to Cooper Union! Upon arrival, you will be given move-in materials, including your room key, mailbox key, and general building information. (Please see Cooper email inbox for the schedule). Please abide by the staggered move-in times supplied by the Residential Life staff. There will be several Cooper Union students and staff members present to help you with all your personal items.

9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
Check-in and Student ID Card Pick-Up for Non-Residential Students  
Foundation Lobby, Foundation Building
Stop by the lobby of the Foundation Building and let us know you're here! We'll have some exciting Cooper surprises for you!  

9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
Individual Financial Aid Meetings  
The Writing Center (back right corner of the Library), Foundation Building
The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) is offering in-person appointments between 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Meetings are by appointment only. Please visit this link information for students for Financial Aid and instruction on scheduling appointments: Financial Aid | The Cooper Union.

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  
Family Orientation Session (Time option 1 - this session is also offered at 1:00 p.m.)
The Great Hall, Foundation Building  
Geared towards the families and loved ones of our new students. Join us to review what new students will experience during Welcome Week and an overview of the supportive services and resources available to students during their time at Cooper Union. 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.  
Family Orientation Session (Time option 2 - this session is also offered at 11:00 a.m.)
The Great Hall, Foundation Building  
Geared towards the families and loved ones of our new students. Join us to review what new students will experience during Welcome Week and an overview of the supportive services and resources available to students during their time at Cooper Union. 

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Welcome Week Official Start Welcome Address
The Great Hall, Foundation Building
Please join Cooper Union's President Steven McLaughlin and members of his leadership team, for a Welcome Address and formal start to our Welcome Week activities followed by a Welcome Reception.

3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Welcome Reception for Students and Family
Peter Cooper Park – Outside Foundation Building
Following the Welcome Address from President McLaughlin, please join The Cooper Union community for a welcome reception. The Office of Alumni Affairs and Development invites you to enjoy some light refreshments while mingling with Cooper Union faculty, staff, and fellow new students. 

4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Parent/Family Goodbye - Student-only sessions begin at 5:00 p.m. 

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 
Student Welcome and Orientation Overview 
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
The Student Affairs team will welcome you to the Cooper Union community and will provide an overview of Welcome Week. This session is essential to understand upcoming sessions and to ask any general questions you may have.

6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. 
Residential Student Welcome Session (Mandatory for students living in the 29 3rd Avenue Residence Hall)
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
The Residential Life staff will go over important information for all students living in the Residence Hall; commuters are welcome but not required to attend.

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 
Residence Hall Floor Meetings (Residential Students only)
29 3rd Ave Residence Hall  
Meet your hallmates & RA! Details will be provided by your Resident Assistant in your Cooper Union email and upon check in. This is a mandatory event for residential First-Years. 
 
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. 
New Student Welcome Party
Menschel Lounge & Terrace
Get to know your fellow classmates and celebrate the start of your journey at Cooper. (Details will be posted; must be a Cooper student to gain entry).
 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2025

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
International Student Breakfast Meeting – MANDATORY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Room 101, 41 Cooper Square
Federally mandated Check-in meeting with Cooper’s PDSO. Valuable information on how to maintain your F-1 immigration status, navigate living in the U.S., open a U.S. bank account, get a social security card for employment purposes, etc.. 

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 
Commuter Student Breakfast Meeting and Social  
LL101, 41 Cooper Square
Meet up with fellow commuter students, share some breakfast, and make connections.  

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  
Cooper Union 101 (Mandatory for all new students)
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
The Student Affairs team will provide an overview of the student experience which will include important policies and procedures that will be essential for you to know and navigate during your time here at The Cooper Union.  

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 
Student Care, Support, and Wellbeing and Healthy Relationships (Mandatory for all new students)
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
During this session we will discuss common wellness related concerns among college students and how to identify these concerns in oneself. This session will also cover healthy relationships. This session will provide students with information regarding supportive resources available at Cooper Union and throughout NYC. The session will include tips and resources to engage in self-care and suggestions on how to stay safe and healthy and be successful at Cooper Union.  

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
Meet the Orientation Leaders – Community Building Activities and Lunch
LL120 Gallery, 41 Cooper Square 
Get to know our upper-class Orientation Leaders (OLs) a little bit better. Learn how they can help you get your questions answered and just make you feel a bit more at ease.  Mix, mingle, and continue to get to know each other. Lunch will be provided.

 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
New Art Exchange Students ONLY (Mandatory for Art Exchange Students)
Peter Cooper Suite (PCS), 8th Floor, Foundation Building
(Please use the round elevator to get to the 8th floor)
Mandatory art exchange student gathering to review important academic opportunities and policies.

 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
New Engineering Exchange Students ONLY (Mandatory for Engineering Exchange Students)
Dean’s office Conference Room, Room 204, 41 Cooper Square
Meet the other students who have come to Cooper for their “study abroad” experience.

 

2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Academic Program Orientations (Mandatory for all New Students)

School of Architecture  
2:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Introductions (for all new undergraduate and graduate Architecture students)
330, Foundation Building

3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.
Studio Safety/Locker Information (for all new undergraduate and graduate Architecture students)
330, Foundation Building

3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Meet the first-year faculty (for all new undergraduate Architecture students)
315, Foundation Building 
Meet the graduate faculty (for all new graduate Architecture students)
712, Foundation Building

School of Art
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
Welcome Event for all Newly Matriculated First Year Students (Exchange students do not need to attend) 
630C, Foundation Building

School of Engineering 
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Overview of the School of Engineering 
Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Meet the First-Year Faculty
Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Department / Major Specific Meetings
CE: RM 506 | ChE: RM 427 | CS: TBA | EE: RM 603 (EE Lab) | ME: RM 503 - 41 Cooper Square

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Student Involvement, Clubs, and Athletics
Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square
Meet the Student Life team, student Program Assistants, and hear about ways to get involved on campus. 

6:00 p.m. - end :) 
Student Collective Dinner
RSVP and location TBA
Come and meet some fellow new students who may share some of your identities! Come have some food and join us for conversation and connection among peers. All students are welcome but please note that our Cooper Collectives focus on LGBTQIA+ Students, Students of Color, International Students, and First-Generation Students. 

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Annual Dorm Auction
Location TBA
Need new notebooks or items for your apartment space? Come join your Campus Orientation Guides in games and activities to win play money that you can bid on various school/living supplies - absolutely free and absolutely fun.

 

THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 
Engineering Math Placement Exam – ENGINEERING STUDENTS ONLY – Must be registered in advance
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
The math placement exam is applicable to qualified Engineering majors only. Students seeking to place out of MA111 should take this placement exam. Students who are qualified to take the placement exam will be notified by the Enrollment Management team in advance. If you have any questions about the math placement exam, please contact Professor Mili Shah, Chair of the Math Department at mili.shah@cooper.edu. Students seeking academic accommodations for the placement exam should reach out to disability@cooper.edu. 

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 
CooperQuest Launch
The Great Hall, Foundation Building 
CooperQuest is an interactive, self-guided campus tour to help you get to know your school, the amazing humans who work here, important offices and places, and the resources that will help you succeed. Everyone who completes the Quest will be entered into a prize drawing at its conclusion.  More details will be announced at the Launch!

9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 
CooperQuest
All Buildings
CooperQuest is an interactive, self-guided campus tour to help you get to know your school, the amazing humans who work here, important offices and places, and the resources that will help you succeed. Use your CooperQuest guide to find important offices on campus and get your completion stamps. Grab and go Lunch provided between noon-1:00pm in the Gelman Foyer / 41 Cooper Gallery on LL1 of 41 Cooper Square.

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
Campus Safety Workshop
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square
This presentation by the Director of Cooper Union Campus Safety and Security will give you important information on keeping yourself and your belongings safe on-campus and in NYC.

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
Center for Career Development Workshop
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square  
Your college career is just beginning; come learn how Cooper’s Center for Career Development can play an important role in helping you develop your professional and career goals from your first year through to your graduation. You will also meet the career center staff and learn how to access funding for professional development activities.

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. 
Understanding Your Award Letter and Student Bill
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square
This presentation by Daemion Evans, Emmanuel Kobi, and Lisa Banfield from Student Financial Services will help you gain an understanding of your student account, financial aid, and what your student bill means.  

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
Campus Employment- Federal Work Study/Student Employment
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square
All students interested in on-campus employment and/or who have received Federal Work Study as part of their financial aid package should attend this presentation by Jaya Patel and Lisa Banfield from Student Financial Services.  

FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2025

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. 
Center for Writing and Learning Workshop (Mandatory for all new first year students)
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square 
Meet some of the Cooper Union’s Writing Associates, who are scholars (of history, dance, literature, and more), as well as poets and fiction writers. Find out how they can help you do your best work at Cooper.

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 
Library Orientation and Workshop (Mandatory for all new first year students)
Cooper Union Library, Foundation Building
Meet the Librarians and learn about the resources and services available to you as a Cooper Union student. 

1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Welcome Back Picnic and Fall Festival
Peter Cooper Park and Foundation Building
In this two-fold event, come grab some lunch, and meet representatives from student clubs and organizations at the Fall Festival. The Welcome Back Picnic will provide lunch in the park – first come, first served! There will also be a DJ and a visit from an NYC ice cream truck with treats for the first 300 people.  

3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Out of the Picture Film Screening and Discussion (strongly encouraged for Art students, all other schools welcome as well)
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, 41 Cooper Square
Out of the Picture is a feature-length film about art critics living through a period of transformation for both art and media. Not only has the art world changed, with long lines for Instagrammable art shows, a worldwide proliferation of biennials, mind-boggling art market records and hashtag-driven discourses. Art’s place in the world has changed, too. While ostensibly about an esoteric subject—the American art critic—our film is also about something everyone can relate to: change. Out of the Picture is poised to prompt a national conversation about the nature of art, modern life and how meaning gets made in the 21st century. 

A conversation between Coco Fusco, School of Art professor, and Hrag Vartanian, editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic will follow the screening.

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30, 2025, 

Club Events, Welcome Week trips – details TBA.

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2025

Club Events, Welcome Week trips – details TBA.

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2025

Club Events, Welcome Week trips – details TBA.

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2025

Classes begin.

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. 
All School Convocation and Gathering 
Great Hall, Foundation Building 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 
Campus Grab and Go Breakfast
Foundation Lobby, Foundation Building
Weekly breakfast hosted by the President's Office (location will rotate between the lobbies of Foundation and 41 Cooper each week).  This week will feature a special guest appearance by President Steve McLaughlin. Be sure to stop by, say hello, and pick up a special treat from Steve