First 56 Planning Guide

Student Involvement’s University Program Council (UPC) in Student Affairs coordinates The First 56, the official welcome to new and returning students, with more than 300 events held annually each fall. The First 56 relies upon campus partners to help students build community, discover and utilize campus resources, and set the tone for success inside and outside the classroom during a critical time when habits form.

Download a PDF version of this guide

Important Dates

  • Friday, May 15, 2026 | Preferred deadline for your event(s) to be submitted to AUinvolve to be populated in the event calendar that is promoted throughout Camp War Eagle beginning May 21.
  • Friday, July 31, 2026 | Deadline for submitting events to be promoted on First 56 marketing materials before the initiative begins.
  • Monday, August 10, 2026 | The First 56 begins
  • Sunday, August 16, 2026 | Convocation
  • Monday, August 17, 2026 | Classes begin
  • Sunday, October 4, 2026 | The First 56 ends
  • Ongoing | Continue to submit events throughout the First 56 (August 10 - October 4) to be viewable on AUinvolve

Basic Steps for Submitting a First 56 Event

  1. Make a space reservation.
  2. Submit the event to the Campus Event Planning System (CEPS) IF it meets CEPS criteria.
  3. Submit the event to AUinvolve and select the First 56 event category.
  4. Receive approvals from CEPS and AUinvolve and hold your First 56 event!
  5. Collect attendance and add it to your event on AUinvolve so we can track the percentage of students that get engaged in The First 56!

Use the following sections for guidance on each step!

Space Reservations

Registering Events in the Campus Event Planning System (CEPS)

  • If any of the following applies to your event, it must be submitted to CEPS.
    • Expected attendance of 100 or more
    • Permit needed (tent, sound, etc.)
    • One or more event participants are not affiliated with AU (not an employee or student)
    • One or more external vendors will stay on campus during the event
    • Minors will attend in some capacity
    • High-risk activities will be part of the event
  • CEPS events are supposed to be submitted according to the following timelines:
    • 100 attendees or fewer: 30 days
    • 101-500 attendees: 60 days
    • Minors and/or High-risk activities: 90 days
  • For more information and guidance on CEPS, contact Hanna Biglow at hgb0016@auburn.edu or (334) 752-1310.

Registering First 56 Events on AUinvolve

If you are new to AUinvolve and don't already have an AUinvolve page for your organization/department, first read the "New to AUinvolve" section below.

  • Log into AUinvolve using your Auburn credentials.
  • Access your management page by selecting the three lines/arrow icon in the top left corner and selecting the gear icon next to your organization's or department's name in the left side menu.
  • Select "Events" from the pop-out menu.
  • Select "Create Event" in the upper right corner. As you begin to submit your event details, make sure to...
    • In the Basic Details section, add "First 56" as an additional organization co-hosting the event.
    • In the Event Visability section, select "First 56" as an Event Category. This is the most important step to be added to the First 56 events list!
    • In the Event Cover Photo section, upload a fun graphic that represents what will happen at your event to help it stand out (i.e., a designed event graphic, a photo from a past similar event, or an organization photo, etc.).

Attendance Tracking

  • Track attendance by scanning an attendee's Mobile Event Pass using the Campus Labs Event Check-In App or manually collect attendance to upload to AUinvolve after the event.
  • To use the Mobile Event Pass / Check-In App feature, the Campus Labs Check-In App must be downloaded to your phone, and your event must already be created in AUinvolve, as you will use the unique event Access Code assigned after you submit your event.
  • To upload attendance manually to AUinvolve, plan to collect each attendee's Auburn University email to input into a text field or upload a .csv file with only the attendee emails.
  • For more information and guidance, contact Nicole Brooks at nab0087@auburn.edu or (334) 844-4737.

New to AUinvolve & Need a Page Created For You?

  • You must have an organizational/departmental AUinvolve page to be able to add an event on AUinvolve. If you haven't used AUinvolve before, you likely need a page created for your office/department to be able to submit an event.
  • If you need an AUinvolve page, please submit the Request an AUinvolve Page form to provide Student Involvement with the information needed to create your page. Once Student Involvement staff create your page (which takes 24-48 hours), they will let you know it's ready for you to use to add a First 56 event.
  • If you're unsure whether you have an AUinvolve page or have any other questions related to AUinvolve, contact Nicole Brooks at nab0087@auburn.edu or (334) 844-4737.

First 56 Event Promotion

  • First 56 Events Calendar
    • By selecting the First 56 event category when submitting your event on AUinvolve, your event will be featured on the First 56 Events Calendar.
    • The calendar is housed on AUinvolve and broadly distributed to students by email and other methods.
  • Digital signage is available in multiple spaces on campus. Two great spaces to utilize are:
  • When posting on social media, tag @auinvolve, and use #First56 so we can potentially share your content.

Funding

  • While UPC coordinates The First 56, UPC cannot provide funding to support all the great events that are planned and executed.
  • Student organizations, campus departments, and other groups are responsible for all aspects of funding related to their events hosted during The First 56.
  • If Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) or Sponsored Student Organizations (SSOs) would like to request financial support, they may do so through their usual method of requesting funding from the Student Involvement Organizations Board (O-Board). For more information on O-Board funding, student organizations can visit the Student Involvement website's funding page. Contact oboard@auburn.edu with any student organization funding questions.

Contacts