Southwestern University is the first institution of higher education in the southwestern United States, and after nearly two centuries, we are among the most selective residential undergraduate liberal arts and sciences universities in the country. Southwestern dedicates itself to working with students and providing a transformational educational and personal experience that focuses upon the whole person through both the classroom and co-curricular programming.
Parents and families are our most important partners as we support your students in their journey to learn to solve their own problems and chart their own course. This webpage provides information about life as the parent of a Pirate. We encourage you to visit this resource often to stay up to date with the latest Southwestern news and event announcements.
Announcements
Southwestern’s Office of Study Abroad hosted a webinar for parents and family members to learn more about opportunities for their student. Watch a recording of the webinar here.
Meet the Professional First-Year Advisors who will work with all first-year students from Sprog through the summer after their first year at SU.
Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life Jeff Doyle shares an update about all the great things Greek Life has been up to lately at Southwestern University.
Until further notice, the Business Office cashiers have moved to room 210A of the Joe S. Mundy Building.
Upcoming Events
Join us in celebrating the December candidates for graduation! The Recognition Ceremony will take place on Friday, December 13, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. in the Lois Perkins Chapel. Stay tuned for more information.
Students with 75 or more credits are eligible to order a Southwestern Ring from one of our two approved ring vendors, Balfour or San Jose Jewelers. Rings must be ordered by vendor deadlines to participate (Balfour - December 17; San Jose - November 1).
2024
- August 15: International Student Move-in
- August 17: New Student Move-in & Welcome Week Begins
- August 19: First-Year and Advanced-Entry Seminar Begins
- August 23-25: Returning Student Move-in
- August 26: Fall Semester Begins
- September 2: Labor Day Holiday (No Classes)
- October 14-15: Fall Break (No Classes)
- October 25-27: Homecoming
- October 29: SUnity Day (No Classes)
- November 27-29: Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)
- December 6: Fall Semester Ends
- December 9-13: Final Examinations
- December 13: December Recognition Ceremony
- December 13: Spring Tuition Due
2025
- January 13: Spring Semester Begins
- January 20: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (No Classes)
- March 17-21: Spring Break (No Classes)
- March 3-5: Brown Symposium
- April 15: Research and Creative Works Symposium (No Classes)
- April 18: Good Friday (No Classes)
- April 30: Spring Semester Ends
- May 5-9: Final Examinations
- May 10: Commencement
- May 14: Summer I and Summer III Terms Begin
- May 26: Memorial Day (No Classes)
- June 19: Juneteenth (No Classes)
- June 23: Summer I Term Ends
- August 14: Summer III Term Ends
Get Involved
We want to learn about you! If you haven’t already, please take a moment to submit our Parent Information Form.
Connect with Southwestern through special events, two annual meetings, volunteer opportunities and philanthropy! Families in the PLC support Southwestern with annual gifts of $3,000 or more. Your support impacts your student’s experience.
Southwestern provides students with the opportunity to share selected data with parents and families. When invited by your student, you will be able to create usernames and passwords to access helpful data and services in the following platforms:
- Self Service (financial aid, semester grades, tax information)
- Transact Parent Portal (student balance, e-bills, payments)
These offices and resources are here to support your student from the day they arrive on campus.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law designed to protect the privacy of education records. In accordance with FERPA, disclosure of student information, including financial and academic, is restricted. Release of information other than “directory information” to anyone other than the student requires a written consent from the student.
Academic Support
The Center for Academic Success offers resources empowering students to achieve academic success. The Center acts as the primary support for the academic experience of the campus community. Its aim is to provide student-centered services in a supportive and professional setting.
The A. Frank Smith Library Center is home to Southwestern University’s library collection, special collections, classrooms, and study areas. Open to students 24 hours a day on most days, the library has roughly 390,000 volumes selected for the research needs and academic support of our students.
The award-winning Center for Career & Professional Development offers a student-centered approach to professional development that is highly personalized - from advising to programming to customized connections with employers. This boutique model leverages Southwestern’s Career Community network of engaged alumni to help students find career direction while enhancing the skills they need for both personal and professional success.
The Center for Integrative Learning includes the offices of Community-Engaged Learning, Internships, Study Abroad, and Undergraduate Research. Through high-impact experiences, students learn to reflect on their understanding of the world and explore connections across subjects, borders, economic systems, and varying ways of life. These life-changing experiences promote skills development and the application of knowledge and learning in professional, global, and community settings.
The Office of the Registrar provides administrative and logistical support for the University’s curriculum, reinforces academic policies, maintains the integrity of institutional and educational records, and facilitates a culture that preserves the values of Southwestern University and its community.
The Office of Advising and Retention provides students with a relationship in which they collaborate with faculty and staff advisors to foster academic potential by making connections among classes, experiential learning, and co-curricular programming.
Life at Southwestern
Campus Recreation provides the University community with opportunities for physical, social, and educational development through participation in intramural sports, fitness and wellness classes, sport clubs, and outdoor adventure programs.
Southwestern University prides itself in providing a unique athletic program that allows student-athletes to pursue athletic excellence with the ultimate commitment of preparing them for the world beyond college. Southwestern competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III and offers 20 varsity sports, 10 for women and 10 for men.
The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Center fosters an inclusive and equitable environment at Southwestern, in the community, and beyond. The office strives to elevate the voices of underrepresented populations of historically marginalized individuals and cultivate a community of belonging.
The University Chaplain and Director of Spiritual and Religious Life offers opportunities for members of the University to enrich the spiritual dimension of their lives. Through spiritual practices, studies, and service activities, students, faculty, staff, and others can explore their spiritual identity, seek meaning and purpose in their lives, and practice acts of service toward the well-being of humanity.
The mission of the Office of Student Activities is to act as an advisor, ally, educator, and mentor to the students at Southwestern by facilitating learning experiences through leadership opportunities, student organizations, social activities, and services that promote personal growth and the empowerment of students for success in the community and beyond.
Student Activities
Student Organizations
Fraternity and Sorority Life
Living at Southwestern
The Campus Post Office is located on the third floor of the McCombs Campus Center. The service window is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. for students to pick up packages, mail packages, and purchase stamps and envelopes. The post office accepts cash and Pirate Buc$ only. Student mail boxes are accessible anytime the McCombs Campus Center is open.
The Counseling Center provides confidential, short-term individual and group counseling. Students may seek counseling for a wide variety of concerns including, but not limited to, adjustment to college, motivation, depression, anxiety, relationships with peers or family, sexuality, alcohol or drug use, body image, racial trauma, oppression, suicidal thoughts, self-esteem, mood swings, disordered eating and stress.
The Health Center provides excellent medical services that promote physical and mental health, support academic success, and foster a healthy campus community. We recognize each student encounter as an opportunity for health promotion and education. We are committed to providing high quality services that are confidential, respectful, accessible, and support the holistic wellness of the individual.
As a residential campus, Southwestern University prides itself on providing a stellar environment in which to live and learn—and that includes offering nutritious, delicious meals and snacks through our Pirate Dining services.
Residence halls are a vital part of the Southwestern campus community, complementing the educational program by providing an atmosphere conducive to meeting students’ academic, social, and personal needs.
Administrative Resources
The Business Office is responsible for ensuring that Southwestern University applies sound and responsive business practices both internally and externally, while adhering to all regulations, policies, procedures, and industry standards. It is our mission to safeguard the university’s assets and provide accurate and timely information to management and external entities to make informed decisions.
As active members of the campus community, Facilities Management’s mission is to provide and maintain an environment that fosters learning and the betterment of humanity by creating a safe, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing environment for the community while preserving the historical character of the campus.
At Southwestern, we’re committed to ensuring that students from all income levels who wish to pursue their education with us have access to a variety of financial opportunities.
The Information Technology department at Southwestern is committed to assisting students, faculty, and staff with university technology. The IT department oversees Self Service, computer labs, info desks, telecommunications, high-speed wireless internet and wired internet connectivity.
The Pirate Card is your student’s access to the Robertson Center and the Smith Library Center as well as their dining card for their meal plan. Many buildings on campus may be accessed by students by swiping their Pirate Card at the entrance. The Pirate Card offers Pirate Buc$, a convenient and cashless way to pay on campus. As a prepaid, stored-value account, Pirate Buc$ can be used to pay for meals, goods, services, and much more.
The mission of the Southwestern University Police Department (SUPD) is to serve the diverse and inclusive community by promoting a safe, secure living and learning environment that fosters thinking, creativity, and connection.
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