University Convocation
University Convocation, the first step in a student's academic journey at UT Dallas, is the official welcome for all incoming freshmen and transfer students. The 2012 University Convocation ceremony is on Sunday, August 26, 2012 in the Activity Center at 4:00pm. If you are a faculty member, student leader, or staff member, please gather outside the racquetball courts at 3:30pm to participate in the processional. Incoming freshmen and transfer students will sit in the stands of the Activity Center.
The 2012 University Convocation ceremony will formally initiate the 'Individualism and Community: Can they co-exist?' theme for the 2012-2013 academic year. The University Convocation ceremony, summer reading selection, seminars, lectures, Student Life activities and the UNIV 1010 freshman seminar course will emphasize the importance of social responsibility, integrity, and dedication to the University community. Dr. Jean M. Twenge, one of the authors of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement, will be the keynote speaker at Convocation.
Convocation Attire
Faculty should dress in formal regalia. Incoming students should wear the UT Dallas University Convocation t-shirts that were distributed during the summer orientation sessions. The University Convocation t-shirt serves as the meal ticket for incoming students at the welcome barbecue after the ceremony. Student leaders and staff should dress in seasonally appropriate business casual attire.
Fall 2012 Convocation Keynote Speaker
The keynote speaker for the Fall 2012 University Convocation is Professor Jean Twenge.Dr. Twenge is the author of more than 80 scientific publications and the book Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled — and More Miserable Than Ever Before (Free Press, 2006). Accounts of her research have appeared in Time, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News and World Report, and The Washington Post, and she has been featured on Today, NBC Nightly News, Fox and Friends, Dateline NBC, and National Public Radio's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Day to Day, in addition to numerous talk radio and local TV appearances. She received a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Chicago in 1993 and a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1998. She lives in San Diego, California, with her husband and daughters.
Post Convocation Celebration
After University Convocation, faculty, staff, and upperclassmen gather to welcome incoming students to the University community. Students should process out of the Activity Center to the center of the mall for a barbecue sponsored by Student Affairs.
University Convocation RSVP
Faculty, staff, and student leaders should notify the Office of Undergraduate Education regarding their intent to attend using the University Convocation RSVP Form.
- You will use your UT Dallas NetID and Password to access the online University Convocation RSVP Form.
- Click here to access the University Convocation RSVP Form.
- Once you complete the form, select 'Submit' located at the bottom of the page.