We kicked off the month with Bobcat Weekend, welcoming more than 5,000 family members, alumni, and students to our campuses. On Saturday, October 24, our student-athletes will host our annual Boomer's Boo Bash. Local families are invited to the Quad for treats (no tricks!), games, giveaways and more. That afternoon, we will also kick off our annual Frank J. Natale Concert Series with what promises to be an inspiring performance of “Fable and Fantasy.” 

We will also host our fourth annual Breakfast in Bed fundraiser benefiting the 1929 Fund on October 31 and November 1. On those days, students will deliver breakfast throughout our residence halls. If you'd like to surprise your Bobcat with a special breakfast treat (again, no tricks!), please place an order by October 29 at 7 p.m. Founded in 2021, the 1929 Fund was created by students looking to help those who may not be as fortunate as others to attend Quinnipiac. The 1929 Fund has raised more than $350,000 in financial support for our students since then. 

We will host our third and final Talks on the Rocks dinner of the semester on November 9. Please encourage your Bobcat to attend. The event features a full buffet dinner at no cost to students who RSVP and participate. Registration information will be shared approximately two weeks before the event. 

When talking with students, some say, "There's so much to do on campus," while others feel there could be more opportunities to get involved. To help students stay informed, please remind them to check the digital screens located throughout classroom buildings, the student center and most residence halls. These displays highlight upcoming athletic events, student activities and selected off-campus opportunities. In addition, the weekly "What's Happening This Weekend" flyer is posted in all Mount Carmel Campus residence halls. Additionally, they can visit Bobcat Central to learn meeting times for all clubs. 

There are countless opportunities for students to engage with the Quinnipiac community each week. Students who feel connected to our campuses and their peers are more likely to thrive academically and personally. If your student is still looking to find their community, we are here to help. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me directly if I can assist in connecting your students with organizations, activities or resources that may be a good fit. 

A few additional reminders: 

• Undergraduate registration for the spring semester is underway. Encourage your Bobcat to check their MyQ portal regularly for important updates and registration information. 

• If your student has been awarded federal work-study and is still seeking employment, we are happy to help. Current openings can be found on our student employment website. 

• With Election Day approaching, remind your students that voting is as easy as 1, 2, 3: verify their voter registration, research their ballot and locate their polling place or request an absentee ballot. 

Finally, I'd like to thank the members of our growing Parent Advisory Board for their continued support. Their partnership helps strengthen the student experience through valuable feedback, support of campus initiatives and service as ambassadors who help bridge the connection between the university, families and students. 

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me or any member of the Experience Office team. 

Warm regards, 

Tom Ellett 

Chief Experience Officer (cxo@qu.edu)  

New Additional Student Meal Point Deposit Option Coming Soon 

We are happy to announce that soon in the upcoming weeks, an additional meal point deposit portal option will be accessible to our students. 

Once this new option is available, it will be displayed within the QCard “eAccounts Portal” within MyQ. 

After logging in, you can easily add additional Meal Point funds by clicking the "+ Add Money" option and selecting the desired amount you are looking to deposit. 

We will be sure post an announcement on MyQ with more details for your student to see, once this new option is ready for student use university-wide! 

Student Experience and Engagement 

Fall engagement is thriving, highlighted by historic turnout for the fall Student Government Association (SGA) elections and more than 1,500 students exploring more than 200 tables at our annual Engagement Fair. Rain did not dampen Fall Fest. Thanks to quick relocation efforts, hundreds of students still enjoyed free music, food and activities. 

To make finding events even easier, we launched a new version of Bobcat Central, our platform where students discover clubs, manage organization activities and track campus events. We encourage your students to keep exploring organizations to join; there is no deadline. If your student is still unsure, they can email studentorgs@qu.edu to meet with our staff or connect with the Student Government Association, which is here to make their experience the best it can be. 

Fraternity and Sorority Life

The Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life is a vibrant piece of campus life where almost 22% of students chose to become members. Membership offers community, avenues for service and philanthropy, lifelong friends and fun. Our members perform more than 14,500 hours of hands-on service each year. They also raised more than $224,700 for philanthropic causes locally and across the country during the last academic year. 

We want to welcome the more than 320 new members of the sorority community who joined us this semester. We also want to welcome the more than 170 new members of the fraternity community who joined us last month. There are still opportunities to join a fraternity or sorority if your student is interested. Please have them reach out via email to fslife@qu.edu or via Instagram at @qufsl. 

If your Bobcat wants to find their home away from home, establish a community of peers with similar values, participate in service/philanthropy events and have fun, direct them our way for information about joining. Fall recruitment processes are still underway. 

Fitness and Recreation

Recreation

Fitness Center Programs and Events:  Halloweek

• Climb and Treat: October 26-31 during open-climb hours 

  • Climb the wall for a treat at the top. 

• Rec or Treat: October 28 from 8 to 10 p.m. 

  • Spin our fitness wheel for a festive treat and ride our smoothie bike for a spooky blend. 

• Costume Climb: October 31 during open-climb hours 

  • Come dressed in your best costume to be entered in a raffle. 

• Wellness Celebration: Tuesday, October 27 during Common Hour 

  • Join us in Studio Strong for music, games, fitness and more. 

Upcoming Club Sport Games:  

• Men’s Club Rugby versus Hartford  

  • Saturday, October 24 at Noon 

  • Quinnipiac Rugby Pitch 

• Women’s Club Rugby versus Northeastern 

  • Saturday, October 31 at Noon 

  • Quinnipiac Rugby Pitch 

• Men’s Club Ice Hockey versus Fairfield  

  • Sunday, November 1 at 4 p.m. 

  • M&T Bank Arena  

• Club Softball versus Providence  

  • Saturday, November 7 at Noon 

  • Quinnipiac Softball Field  

• Men’s Club Basketball versus Marist  

  • Sunday, November 8 at 4 p.m. 

  • Burt Kahn Court 

• Women’s Club Basketball versus Brown  

  • Sunday, November 15 at 4 p.m. 

  • Burt Kahn Court 

• Women’s Club Ice Hockey versus Springfield  

  • Sunday, November 15 at 4 p.m. 

  • M&T Bank Arena 

Fitness

Free Fitness Classes: Runs through the full semester on all three campuses. 

Sign up 24 hours prior to the class start time in RecWell App or Recwell website. 

First-Year Class Passport: Attend four different types of fitness classes through October 31 and get a T-shirt! Get your class passport sheet signed by each instructor and then put your sheet in the acrylic box at the front desk of the RecWell fitness center any time. 

Wellness Wednesday: Weekly tabling program from 1 to 3 p.m. in the RecWell lobby. Each week, a topic based on one of the eight dimensions of wellness is highlighted with any or all of the following: professionals within that area, educational information, online/links for support, give-aways or activities. 

Also, look for an email from Student Affairs each Wednesday morning with the topic of the week, programs, tips and resources.  

Spooky Pizza 

October 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. RWA-117 Teaching Kitchen 

Join Quinnipiac Dining's guest chef to focus on creating your own personal pizza. Registration opens a week before.  

Fusion Friday 

October 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. 

Join our instructor duo for a team-taught fitness special-edition fitness class that’s half SPINNING and half human reformer Pilates.   

Sign up 24 hours prior to start time. 

Quinnipiac was recently recognized by The Princeton Review as the No. 22 best school in the nation for "Great Outdoors," and our students are making the most of it! From sea kayaking in Alaska to autumn hiking in Acadia National Park, our Outdoor Recreation trips offer unforgettable experiences, while our campus fitness facilities saw more than 51,000 student visits this September alone. On the fields and courts, more than 1,000 student-athletes competed across 24 club sports teams, including a strong start for women’s soccer and an inaugural 53-0 victory for women’s rugby over UConn. Registration for Intramural Session B opened October 1, offering even more ways for your student to stay active and healthy. They can learn more here. 

Housing

We were delighted to welcome so many parents and families to our campuses during Bobcat Weekend. It was wonderful to visit with families at registration and the ice hockey watch party and see our community come together. We hope you enjoyed your time on our campuses and had the opportunity to make meaningful memories with your Bobcat. 

We are also excited to share that senior housing selection for the 2027-2028 academic year was a success! Through the selection process, we were able to accommodate all seniors who indicated they wanted to live in university housing next year. Seniors will reside in Eastview, Whitney Village and Quinnipiac-owned houses as they enjoy their final year as residential students. 

Graduate housing for 2027-2028 is available for current and incoming graduate students. Those interested in living in university housing should contact the Office of Housing for information about available options and the application process. 

As we begin planning for Thanksgiving Break, please note that residence halls and university housing communities will close on Friday, November 20, at 6 p.m. Residence areas will reopen on Sunday, November 29, at 10 a.m. Students who need to remain on campus after closing, depart late or return before the reopening time will need to submit a break housing request. Break housing request forms, including late departure and early return requests, will be available through MyHousing beginning November 1. 

We encourage students and families to review break housing information early and make travel plans accordingly. As always, the Office of Housing is available to answer questions and support students throughout the year. We look forward to sharing more updates with you in the weeks ahead.  

Dining Updates

Share Your Voice, Win Great Prizes 

Quinnipiac Dining is gathering student feedback to help improve our campuses dining experience, and we need our Bobcats’ input. Through the Voice to Vision survey and Quinnipiac Dining-specific survey, students can share feedback on their overall experience, dining hours, retail items, dining offerings and more. 

Students who complete both surveys will be entered for a chance to win a 32-inch Roku TV, a Nespresso Mini with coffee pods or fifth generation AirPods. Both surveys take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. 

Our goal is to reach more than 1,000 responses. Encourage your student to make their voice heard and complete both surveys by October 31. 

Complete the Voice to Vision survey. 

Complete the Quinnipiac Dining-specific survey. 

EVOLVE: Feel Good, Fuel Well 

Quinnipiac Dining’s EVOLVE program continues to bring wellness and nutrition to life through engaging campus partnerships. In collaboration with Tami Reilly, director of fitness and wellbeing, and Hartford HealthCare, students recently participated in a Pilates session followed by a nutrition conversation with a Hartford HealthCare dietitian and a hands-on teaching kitchen, where they learned to make pumpkin protein bites. This Happy Body partnership connects movement, nutrition and practical cooking skills to support students’ overall well-being. 

The next session is scheduled for Thursday, November 5 from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. during Common Hour. Students will have the opportunity to sample pear parfaits as pears take center stage as November’s Feel Good Food. 

Students can sign up through Quinnipiac Recreation and Wellness. We look forward to continuing to offer opportunities that help students feel good, fuel well and build healthy habits. 

Shop Local at the QU Dining Farmers Market 

On October 20, Quinnipiac Dining hosted its annual Farmers Market, bringing local Connecticut vendors to campus to offer fresh produce, artisanal goods, cheeses, breads and more. The event gave students an opportunity to support local businesses while bringing fresh, locally sourced products back to their residence halls. 

For families looking for ways their students can use their remaining meal points, the Farmers Market offers an opportunity to purchase fresh produce and specialty items using their Q-Card. If your student missed the fall market, we plan to welcome vendors back to campus this spring. Stay tuned for more details about the next Farmers Market. 

Spiritual and Religious Life 

This semester, the Office of Spiritual & Religious Life is centered around a unified theme of collaboration as we create meaningful opportunities for students of all faith backgrounds to connect and grow. From active Catholic Mass services and lively Spanish-speaking Bible studies to weekly Challah baking before Shabbat and Friday Jummah prayers in our new Muslim prayer room, our campus faith communities are vibrant and welcoming. Make sure your students mark their calendars for October 28 from 6 to 8 p.m., when student leaders will host our popular campus-wide Interfaith Panel in the School of Business Auditorium (SB-270). We are proud to support your students' personal and spiritual journeys as they build bridges across diverse traditions. 

Community Engagement

Our students are actively turning learning into action across local communities. Through our Federal Community Work-Study service roles, more than 50 students are already employed with 15 unique community partners, gaining hands-on professional experience while giving back to our communities. Looking ahead, our Bobcat Community Builders are hard at work planning upcoming service initiatives, including our Winter Service Experience. Whether taking campus vans to local volunteer sites or organizing on-campus drives, our students continue to show what it truly means to be a Quinnipiac Bobcat. 

Title IX & Bias Response Office 

Staffing Updates 

Joanna Wayton has been appointed as our new Interim Title IX coordinator. Joanna brings nine years of experience in Human Resources at Quinnipiac, including her work as an HR Business Partner focused on employee relations. She is also a licensed attorney and earned her J.D. from UConn School of Law. Joanna’s connection to this work began while she was in law school, when she interned with UConn’s Office of Institutional Equity. She is excited to bring together her legal background, HR and employee relations experience and deep knowledge and commitment to the Quinnipiac community in this new role. 

Shannon Boddie is our Title IX Investigator and has served in this role since May 2025. Shannon brings more than 10 years of experience working with individuals and families in complex and sensitive situations, including more than eight years conducting investigations with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. Shannon earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Central Connecticut State University. Her investigative experience and strong communication and interviewing skills make her a valuable member of the Title IX and Bias Response team. 

Shi Malcolm is our new Title IX and Bias Response Case Specialist with a strong background in student affairs, student support and case management. Shi has served as a Residence Hall Director at Quinnipiac since July 2023, where she has supported students through complex situations, responded to student concerns and collaborated closely with campus partners, including the Office of Title IX and Bias Response. She also has experience in student conduct, crisis response, staff training and student programming. Shi holds both a Master’s of Public Health in Health Promotion and Wellness and a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Her experience supporting students and connecting them with campus resources will be a valuable addition to the office. 

Domestic Violence Awareness Month 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about domestic violence and relationship abuse and to remind our community that healthy, respectful relationships matter. 

For parents and families, this can also be a good time to check in with your student. College is a time when students are developing new friendships and relationships, becoming more independent and navigating situations that may be unfamiliar to them. A simple conversation about what a healthy relationship looks like can be meaningful. 

You might ask your student: 

• How are your relationships going? 

• Do you feel respected and comfortable in your relationships? 

• Do you feel like you can be yourself around the people you're dating or spending time with? 

• How do you handle disagreements or conflict in your relationships? 

• Do you feel that you respect the boundaries and independence of the people in your life? 

• Do you know where you could go if you or a friend ever needed support? 

Encourage your student to reflect on how they treat others, how they respond to rejection or disagreements and whether they respect another person's boundaries, privacy and independence. Relationship abuse does not always look the way we might expect. It can include controlling behavior, isolation from friends or family, intimidation, threats or monitoring someone's phone, location or social media.  

Let your student know that they can always come to you or our office for a conversation, even if they aren't sure what they're experiencing or how to describe it. From a parent perspective, listening, asking questions, modeling healthy relationships and encouraging accountability without judgment can help students feel supported while learning to make respectful choices. 

Financial Aid

There is still time to file your 2026-2027 FAFSA for financial aid consideration for this current school year. Please visit studentaid.gov for more information and to access the application. 

The 2027-2028 FAFSA application is now available. The FAFSA is due to the Financial Aid Office by March 1, 2027, for returning students and is located at studentaid.gov. 

If your student has a balance due for the current school year, please refer to qu.edu/finaid to review educational loan options and suggestions for paying the bill.  

Registrar

January Term (J-Term) and Spring 2027 Courses Registration 

Currently enrolled students are assigned a registration day and time to begin their registration for the J-Term and Spring 2027 semesters. Registration appointments are assigned based on total number of credits completed as of September 15, 2026. Students have already received an email with the appointment date and time, which will also be viewable in Self-Service.   

Undergraduate students can register on their appointment day and time through 11:59 p.m. on their given day.  

Additional Registration Period 

All students can make additional changes to their schedules according to the dates below: 

November 2-November 20: Registration open for J-Term and Spring 2027  

November 25-January 5: Registration open for J-Term and Spring 2027 

January 6-January 29: Registration open Spring 2027 

Graduation Application Process 

If your student is planning on graduating after the Fall, Spring or Summer term, please have them fill out the graduation application to participate in the Spring 2027 Commencement ceremony. Students can find the “grad app” in Self-Service under “Graduation Overview.” 

Student Conduct

Halloween Safety Awareness 

As Halloween approaches, Quinnipiac encourages students to enjoy seasonal festivities while prioritizing their safety and wellbeing. Parents and families can help by reinforcing the importance of responsible decision-making and looking out for others. 

Halloween Safety Tips 

Encourage your student to: 

Plan ahead: Know where they are going, who they are with and how they will get home safely. 

Stay with friends: Use the buddy system and check in with one another throughout the evening. 

Stay alert: Keep phones charged, remain aware of surroundings and secure personal belongings. 

Make safe transportation choices: Never drive under the influence or ride with an impaired driver. 

Respect others and university policies: Help create a safe, inclusive environment for everyone. 

Start the Conversation 

Ask your student about their Halloween plans, transportation arrangements and how they would respond if a friend needed help. Reassure them that seeking medical assistance is always the right decision.  

Campus Support and Resources 

Public Safety: 203-582-6200 

Emergencies: 911 

We wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable Halloween season. 

Community, Assessment, Response and Evaluation (CARE) Team

The CARE Team reminds families that academic success and personal wellbeing go hand in hand. We understand that midterms and final portions of the semester can bring added pressure, long study sessions and feelings of stress or uncertainty for students as they balance exams, assignments and other responsibilities. As parents and families, you play an important role in supporting your student during this time. Encouraging them to create a realistic study schedule, break larger assignments into manageable tasks, get enough sleep, eat regular meals and take breaks can help them navigate midterms in a healthy and productive way. Remind your student that progress is more important than perfection and that taking time to rest and recharge is an important part of success.  

As you check in with your student throughout the midterm and final season, take a moment to ask how they are feeling, listen to their concerns and remind them that one exam, one assignment or one difficult week does not define their worth or potential. Encourage them to seek academic support through the Learning Commons, connect with their professors and take advantage of campus resources when needed. If you notice that your student is struggling or feeling overwhelmed, know that the CARE Team is here to help connect students with appropriate university resources and support. Your encouragement, understanding and willingness to listen can make a meaningful difference in your student’s college experience. Together, we can help students feel supported, build resilience and work toward a healthy and successful midterm season. Wishing you and your student a positive and balanced semester! 

CARE Website and Link to CARE Referral Form: qu.edu/care 

Graduating Students 

The Commencement website will be updated as we continue through the semester. All eligible graduates will begin receiving further Commencement information as we enter the spring semester.  
 
The Ceremony Schedule: 

Friday, May 14  

M&T Bank Arena  
 9 a.m.: Frank H. Netter MD School Commencement — No tickets required

12 p.m. School of Law Commencement — No tickets required

Mount Carmel Quad (M&T Bank Arena if bad weather) 

5 p.m.: School of Education/School of Nursing — No tickets outdoors | 5 tickets if moved indoors   

Saturday, May 15  

Mount Carmel Quad (M&T Bank Arena if bad weather) 
9 a.m.: School of Health Sciences — No tickets outdoors | 3 tickets if moved indoors

2 p.m.: School of Business — No tickets outdoors | 4 tickets if moved indoors 

Sunday, May 16  

Mount Carmel Quad (M&T Bank Arena if bad weather) 
9 a.m.: College of Arts & Sciences — No tickets outdoors | 7 tickets if moved indoors

2 p.m. School of Communications/School of Computing & Engineering — No tickets outdoors | 6 tickets if moved indoors