Advent Semester Convocation Features Address by Dr. Renia Dotson, C’88
The University of the South held its Advent Semester Convocation on Friday, Sept. 18, to induct new members into the Order of the Gown and share the winners of student awards and prizes. The ceremony featured a Convocation address from Dr. Renia Dotson, C’88, chair of the Board of Regents.
Sewanee Launches a New First-Year Experience for All Students
Established in 2025, the First Year Experience (FYE) program this year welcomed all 474 new first-year students to participate in its activities, marking the first time in decades that all members of Sewanee’s newest class would share a common entry experience. The program kicked off with exploration of the Domain and surrounding communities, a pre-semester immersion experience tied to an academic course, and an introduction to all things Sewanee.
Advent Semester Convocation to Take Place on Sept. 18
The University's 2026 Advent Semester Convocation will take place at 4:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, Sept. 18, in All Saints’ Chapel. During the service, new members of the Order of the Gown will be inducted, and student recipients of awards and prizes will be announced. Dr. Renia Dotson, C’88, chair of the University Board of Regents, will deliver the Convocation address. The Advent Convocation ceremony will be livestreamed.
Sewanee Named No. 1 College for Getting Outdoors
Sewanee has been named the No. 1 college in the nation for getting outdoors in The Princeton Review’s inaugural “Great Outdoors: Students Get Outside” ranking. The recognition highlights the extraordinary ways students engage with the University’s 13,000-acre Domain, through one of the nation’s most active collegiate outdoor programs, the Sewanee Outing Program, as well as hands-on environmental research, sustainability initiatives, and more. The ranking is part of The Princeton Review’s 2027 edition of its “The Best 392 Colleges” guidebook, which again recognizes Sewanee among the nation’s best colleges.
Meet the Class of 2030: A New Chapter Begins on the Mountain
Sewanee welcomes the Class of 2030—474 first-year students selected from 5,631 applications—to the Mountain. They join 26 transfer students, bringing the University’s total number of new students to 500. The incoming class represents 38 states and jurisdictions and 11 countries—and, perhaps most notably, a growing number of students who knew early that Sewanee was where they wanted to be.
University Choir Continues 2026 Canadian Summer Tour
The University Choir is currently traveling through Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as part of its 2026 Canadian summer tour, continuing the ensemble’s longstanding tradition of international performance and sacred music ministry.
Louise Block Wins Third Place at National Student Auditions
Sewanee student Louise Block, C'28, won third place in the national finals of the National Student Auditions (NSA) at the 2026 National Conference of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), the premier professional organization of American voice teachers. The conference and Auditions took place in San Antonio from July 3 to 7. Block was one of only 16 national semifinalists for her category, Classical 1st- & 2nd-year Collegiate Treble, and advanced as one of just three national finalists.
A visit to the Domain (it's what we call our 13,000-acre campus) is the best way to determine if Sewanee is a good fit for you. Once you set foot on campus, spend time with our students and professors, or take a stroll through Abbo's Alley, we are confident that Sewanee will find its way into your heart.
Our small classes mean that your voice will be heard, your contribution will be expected, and your opinion will be listened to (and disagreed with, and challenged, and seen from a different perspective, and pushed in a new direction, and considered—and you know what? Maybe we’re both right. See how it works?).
We're a community where everyone has a place and there's a place for everyone. Group study? We'll bring our notes. Rock climbing? We're geared up and ready. Jam session? Sure, we'll play with you. Whatever you want to do, at Sewanee, you'll never have to go it alone. Unless you need your space. Then, we totally get it.
