Summer nights are turning into study nights, and Clark is excited to welcome students back to Worcester. As you settle into your residence hall or apartment, here’s the scoop on what’s happening on campus this fall, including new offerings in the dining hall and a packed calendar of events. Interested in finding new connections on campus or in the Worcester community? We have a few tips.

Good luck this semester. We hope it’s a great one!

1. Cruise into clubs and activities

From the ski and snowboard club to the Student Voices Literary Magazine, there are plenty of clubs and organizations to join on campus. Visit Clark Engage to peruse a list of more than 130 student groups and a calendar of events and activities.

Are we missing something? Turn your idea into a club! If you’re not sure where to start, check out the Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 4, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the Green and Red Square.

2. Get around town

Explore the options for getting around Worcester and campus. ClarkRIDE is an on-call, safe-ride program for students, faculty, and staff that provides transportation to housing, buildings, parking lots, and other destinations within a one-mile radius of campus. Worcester Regional Transit Authority buses will also transport you around the city and neighboring towns and are currently fare-free through June 2025. At Worcester’s Union Station, students can ride the commuter rail to Boston.

3. Welcome to Harvest Table

Dining on campus is getting refreshed by Harvest Table Culinary Group, Clark’s new hospitality partner. Harvest Table is bringing new menu items to The Table at Higgins (formerly the Higgins Café) and launching periodic “WOW” events with food, games, entertainment, and opportunities for students to connect. New features include an all-day Chobani yogurt bar with fresh fruit and toppings; the Street Foods station with global and local foods that change daily; and an allergen-sensitive station called Allgood

Students can order meals via Grubhub for on-the-go pickup or grab a late-night dish at the redesigned Bistro. Follow @harvesttableclarku on Instagram for the latest information on dining and upcoming events.

4. Mark your calendar

From a waffle extravaganza to a Welcome Back Carnival, the first week back at Clark promises many opportunities to have fun and get involved. And the good times will continue throughout the fall. Check it out.

5. Game on!

Cheer on your fellow Clarkies! Student-athletes compete throughout the year, and the campus community is always invited to games, matches, and meets. (Fans can also stream the Cougars’ contests.) Remember that athletic facilities are for the use of everyone in the Clark community. Your Clark ID gets you access to the Bickman Fitness Center, Kneller Gymnasium, swimming pool, and racquetball/squash courts. Visit the athletics website for more information.

6. Take good care

College is an exciting time, but new surroundings and busy schedules can be overwhelming. There are several ways to find support and validation on campus. Clark’s Office for Identity, Student Engagement, and Access (ISEA) seeks to empower students to find their voice, build community, and honor advocacy, activism, and legacy.

ISEA currently supports:

• Students of African American/Black, Latine/Latinx, Asian/Desi-American, Pacific Islander, Native/Indigenous, and Multiracial descent
• Students in the LGBTQIA+ community, exploring their identity as it relates to gender and sexuality, and the larger gender-diverse population
• First-generation college students

ISEA is in Dana Commons and students are welcome to drop in.

Students in search of emotional support can make an appointment with one of the counselors at the Center for Counseling and Personal Growth. One-on-one counseling services include short-term therapy and same-day crisis appointments. All therapy services offered through the center are free. The CPG is at 114 Woodland St. and is open 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Health Services, an on-campus medical clinic, is available to students with health-related needs.

7. Explore the ‘heart of Massachusetts’

Get to know Worcester by discovering the city’s cultural offerings, restaurants, and parks. Worcester celebrates Pride in September, and events kick off just as the semester begins. The Pride festival is on Sept. 7, and the Office of Community Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) is coordinating a meet-up at Red Square at 3 p.m. for a group ride to the festival on WRTA buses.

8. Connect with the community

The CEV office helps students connect with local organizations for academic and co-curricular experiences — a great way to experience Worcester. The Community Engagement Fair, an opportunity to learn more about getting involved in the Worcester community, runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 5 on the Campus Green. Students can meet with representatives from local organizations and non-profits that are recruiting volunteers, interns, and part-time employees.

Clarkies can catch a WooSox game before the season wraps up in late September and may want to do some shopping at stART on the Street, in which hundreds of artists and crafters sell handmade goods on Park Avenue, on Sept. 15.

Students who live on campus or in a city apartment can also register to vote in Worcester. National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 17.

9. Introducing Clark Core

Starting this semester, all students will complete Clark Core as part of the University’s liberal arts education curriculum. Clark Core’s multidisciplinary courses encourage students to develop critical thinking skills and respect for other cultures and perspectives and discover new ways of seeing, thinking, and knowing humans and the natural world.

Through these courses, students will make connections across subject areas, allowing them to become engaged global citizens who understand the world in diverse ways. Course titles include Public Schools and Democracy, Food Justice and Food Movements, and Jazz History.

10. Enjoy a scaffold-free library

With the multi-year restoration and renovation of the Goddard Library façade newly completed, the scaffolding has been removed from around the building, offering up unobstructed views of its signature Brutalist architecture. The work has included restoring the structural, visual, and historical integrity of the Goddard’s brick façade, replacing multiple roofs, and reglazing the original 50-year-old windows. Thanks to this substantial effort, one of the University’s most iconic structures has been preserved for generations of Clarkies.