Welcome back, returning Clark students! And to our first-year students, we’re happy to have you join us!
As summer winds down and a new academic year begins, here’s the scoop on what’s happening on campus this fall. Wellness Wednesdays are returning to help you feel your best, the Table at Higgins is getting a new musical feature, and we encourage you to fill out your Clark Experience ePortfolio to highlight all you accomplish — in and out of the classroom — during your time here.
Clark is excited to have students back in Worcester. Good luck this semester! We hope it’s a great one.
1. Introducing The Clark Experience
During your time at Clark, you’ll excel in the classroom, flex your creativity, make local and global connections, and explore your passions. This all comes together via The Clark Experience, which integrates education with career preparation, skill building, hands-on learning, wellness resources, and community connections.
The Clark Experience is multi-faceted: First-year students will build relationships with peers and a professor through a First-Year Intensive course and engage in weekly activities with their Navigator group. In Problems of Practice courses, students will investigate complex challenges with real-world applications. With guidance from faculty, you’ll engage in experiential learning and apply your skills to read-world challenges.
Document all of this in your ePortfolio, which will tell a story encompassing your academic, experiential, and co-curricular learning activities.
2. Clubs and activities
Find your niche and make new friends! From All Kinds of Growth to Chess Club and from Diversity in Games to Hip Hop Collabo, there are more than 100 clubs and organizations on campus to pique your interest. Visit Clark Engage to peruse a list of student groups and a calendar of events and activities.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out the Fall 2025 Involvement Fair on the Campus Green from 2 to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. And, if we’re missing something, you can turn your idea into a club.
3. Getting around Worcester
There are a few ways to travel on campus and throughout Worcester. ClarkRIDE is an on-call, safe-ride program for students, faculty, and staff that provides transportation to residential and on-campus locations within a 1.25-mile radius of 950 Main St. Heading off campus? Worcester Regional Transit Authority buses will also transport you around the city and neighboring towns and are currently fare-free through June 2026. At Worcester’s Union Station, you can ride the commuter rail to Boston.
4. Dine to a new tune
Harvest Table Culinary Group, Clark’s hospitality partner, is introducing new features this semester that will appeal to several of your senses. A rotating station called “The Hive” is opening at The Table at Higgins, featuring four global flavor concepts: La Sabrosa (Latin-American Cuisine), Wok This Way (Asian-inspired), Lemon & Olive (Mediterranean), and Hello Bowl (açaí bowls and smoothies). The concepts will rotate weekly, with a different menu item offered each day.
The Table at Higgins is also introducing Rockbot, a new interactive music system that allows students to be the dining hall DJ and set the vibe in real time.
Additionally, Harvest Table is launching Teaching Kitchens in partnership with Residential Life and Housing, offering hands-on workshops for foundational cooking skills and easy, nutritious meals that students can make in their residence halls. Follow @harvesttableclarku on Instagram for the latest information on dining and upcoming events.
5. Mark your calendar
From weekend excursions to research showcases to time with family, there’s a lot to look forward to this fall. Each Wednesday, you can shop student-made wares, food, and goods at the Clark Collective pop-up market on Red Square or inside the University Center.
Get ready for “Day Trippin’ Weekends,” a chance to venture off campus and explore Central Massachusetts. Clark provides transportation to local attractions like Tougas Family Farm for apple picking.
Campus will be busy Oct. 17-19 for Family and Friends Weekend, and you can showcase your research prowess, and cheer on your peers, during ClarkFEST on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
A slate of spooky activities is on the calendar for Halloweekend, including a Peapod Squad show on Friday, Oct. 31, and a Pub Entertainment Committee show on Saturday, Nov. 1. Check out everything going on throughout the semester by logging into Clark Engage.
6. 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. 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. New this year, however, students must complete an online waiver to use the Bickman. Find the waiver via your One Card and visit the athletics website for more information.
7. Health and wellness come first
College is exciting and also overwhelming, so be sure to prioritize health and wellness. Students in search of emotional support can make an appointment with one of the counselors at the Center for Counseling and Personal Growth. All therapy services offered through the center are free. The CPG is at 114 Woodland St. and is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
Health Services, an on-campus medical clinic, is available to students with health-related needs.
Clarkies can check out Fresh Check Day — a program created by the Jordan Porco Foundation for mental health promotion and suicide prevention among college students — from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, on Red Square. The event will feature interactive and educational booths, music, prizes, treats, and giveaways.
Wellness Wednesdays are back this semester in the University Center with opportunities for students to learn wellness techniques and about components of the wellness wheel.
Students can also visit Clark’s Office for Identity, Student Engagement, and Access (ISEA), which empowers students to find their voice, build community, and honor advocacy, activism, and legacy.
8. A new Living Learning Community
This fall, Clark is launching its newest Living Learning Community, which will center health and wellness. Living Learning Communities are intentionally designed spaces for shared interests, academic focus, or identities. The Healthy Living Learning Community is open to students of all class years who are committed to reflection and personal growth, living substance-free, attending three wellness-focused programs each semester, and attending one wellness coaching session each semester.
9. Explore Worcester
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, including the Pride Worcester Festival on Saturday, Sept. 6. You can also catch a WooSox game before the season wraps up in September.
10. Get involved outside campus
The Office of Community Engagement and Volunteering helps students connect with local organizations for academic and co-curricular experiences. The Community Engagement Fair, an opportunity to learn more about getting involved in the Worcester community, runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Red Square. Students can meet with representatives from local organizations and non-profits that are recruiting volunteers, interns, and part-time employees.
Students who live on campus or in a city apartment can also register to vote in Worcester. National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 16.
