Vice president for Campus Life, Rochelle Calhoun (back middle), connects with students and staff during Calhoun's “High Tea with the VP” Wintersession event. Photo courtesy of the Office of Campus Engagement.
Eager to explore new skills, whether coding, tai chi, fantasy battlegaming, or dog training? Interested in engaging in stimulating discussions about current events and diverse subjects? Want to connect more with staff, faculty, undergraduates and graduate students? If you answered yes to any of these, Wintersession is the perfect fit for you.
Wintersession, the annual two-week conference/festival led by the Office of Campus Engagement (OCE), is free and open to all Princeton staff, faculty, undergraduates and graduate students. Wintersession 2025 will run from January 13 to 26 and features over 500 offerings led by 522 unique facilitators from different areas across campus.
The OCE team has recently expanded the available spots in a number of popular Wintersession offerings. You can visit this link to view all the available sessions and sign up for those that interest you. Additionally, you can utilize the Wintersession Planner app, which allows you to easily filter and bookmark sessions while indicating which ones still have openings.
Many Wintersession offerings consist of one-time sessions that range from 90 minutes to three hours. Participating in Wintersession easily fits into your workday, enabling you to engage in activities outside your usual campus routine. Over 1,200 employees have already signed up for Wintersession 2025.
Employee participants in Wintersession reported various positive effects: 94% of last year’s survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their participation fostered a sense of connection with others in the Princeton campus community. Additionally, 93% felt a sense of belonging within the Princeton campus community. Staff also rated Wintersession highly for enabling them to try new experiences, build skills and enjoy a refreshing change from their usual routines.
One staff respondent to the Wintersession 2024 survey wrote, “Wintersession remains one of my favorite parts about working at Princeton, and I am glad that it continues to grow.”
Faculty and staff can also register for OCE-led keynote events such as the Wintersession Kick-off Festival, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day reception and artist talk, RJ the Magician, and the final evening keynote, Beyond the Resume, with Olympic athletes Hunter Woodhall and Tara Davis-Woodhall.
Certain evening events during Wintersession allow employees’ partners and children to attend. Pre-registration is not required for family, friends, or the general public; however, seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on the night of the event. Check out the list of friend and family sessions.
The OCE team welcomes and encourages all employees to join one or more Wintersession offerings this year. For additional questions regarding Wintersession, please visit the FAQ page or email [email protected].