Welcome to the first edition of Read This for the 2025–26 academic year! The weekly newsletter includes important updates and deadlines that you need to know to navigate the week ahead.

We’re excited to welcome first-year and transfer students as well as all undergraduates at the Eastman School of Music, who begin receiving the publication today. Expect to find Read This in your inbox each Sunday evening.

Be sure to check the University’s @Rochester e-newsletter every weekday morning for University-wide news, announcements, events, and more. 

Have a great semester!

“The start of the academic year signals a new chapter full of growth, discovery, and opportunities. I encourage you to take advantage of this time to explore your interests and to connect with the buzzing community around you,” writes Anne-Marie Algier, dean of students, in a fall semester welcome message to students. The message also highlights the University’s Meliora Vision and Values, and the student code of conduct, which students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with. Read the full message.

You should have received an email from Barnes & Noble confirming your courses and method of course material delivery recently. Follow the instructions to ensure you have your materials for the start of classes. The University’s new UR Essentials program will provide all your required textbooks and course materials before the first day of class this fall. Instead of buying books separately, the cost is now covered through tuition. Physical books will be bundled for easy pickup at the bookstore, and digital materials will be available on Blackboard.

The Center for Advising Services and the Eastman Office of Academic Affairs share the following notable dates and deadlines:

• Monday, August 25: First day of classes
• Monday, September 5: Overload petition deadline
• Monday, September 5: Last day to add a course without instructor permission

Undergraduate students can add and drop courses from their fall 2025 schedule through Monday, September 5, by logging into the UR Student system.

Students must have instructor permission to add a course between September 6 and 22. To add coursework, you should complete a drop/add form and follow these instructions. Instructor permission should be submitted via email with the drop/add form to registrar@rochester.edu. Instructor permission is not required when a student drops a class.

Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences students need the approval of their undergraduate coordinator for all schedule changes. Students in the School of Arts & Sciences should communicate with their college advisor about any proposed changes to their schedule. Eastman School of Music students should submit the Eastman add/drop/withdraw form for any course changes after September 5 with appropriate documented permission from instructors, if needed. All undergraduate students must remain enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits to retain their full-time status.

Students may be allowed to register for additional credit hours (20-24 credits) when meeting the conditions outlined in the Course Overload Policy. The petition closes at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 5. Eastman students looking to petition for a credit overload must submit the Eastman add/drop/withdraw form to the Eastman Office of Academic Affairs.

Fall shuttle schedules are now active, and the TripShot app has replaced Passio Go for tracking University shuttles in real time. TripShot provides shuttle routes, schedules, and live bus locations. To get started:

1. Download TripShot
2. Select “Choose Public System”
3. Select  “University of Rochester Shuttle”
4. Track shuttles, view routes and schedules, and set up notifications for your shuttle

Current and incoming students are welcome to register with Disability Resources if they are interested in accessing disability accommodations, exploring eligibility, or identifying themselves as a student with a disability. Students are encouraged to register as early in the semester as possible, but are welcome to apply at any point during the semester or during their time at the University. This process can take one to two weeks before accommodations are implemented. For more information about registering with Disability Resources or requesting disability accommodations, email disability@rochester.edu.

Kick off the academic year at Yellowjacket Weekend, a Rochester Tradition, August 27 through September 2. Campus will be buzzing with activities like the back-to-school BBQ, movie night, poster sale, drag bingo, and the Feel the Sting giveaway. Learn how to get involved on campus by visiting the Activities Fair, another Rochester tradition, on Friday, August 29, from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wilson Quad. Eastman’s Student Activities Fair will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, on Gibbs Street as part of the Club Eastman Welcome Back Picnic. Yellowjacket Weekend events are free for University undergraduates; a University ID is required.