Welcome

The Student Communities team sends regular Welcome update emails from March to September to keep colleagues informed about central Welcome activity, key dates, resources and opportunities to get involved. 

Updates are sent to the Welcome mailing list and the Academic Managers distribution list. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please email welcome@lse.ac.uk.

This year, the Student Communities team hosted two Start of the Academic Year (SoAY) briefing sessions for colleagues across LSE. The sessions covered central activity supporting students before, during and beyond Welcome, with updates from a range of School services. Recordings and slides for both sessions are available below. 

• Ready, Set, LSE! Helping students get set up for their LSE journey. Recording and Slides 

• Welcome and Beyond Welcome activity and ongoing student support. Recording and Slides 

This year, LSE LIFE introduced a new in-person Welcome format, replacing the previous online Welcome Presentation with Presidential Welcome Address sessions delivered by President Larry Kramer, Vice-President for Education Emma McCoy and LSESU General Secretary Amara Jane Otero Salgado. 

All undergraduate and postgraduate programmes have been allocated a dedicated session in liaison with departments. Sessions have been added to students' personalised Student Hub calendars by the Internal Communications team, so departments do not need to add them separately. 

Logistical guidance and communication resources are available here.

This year, LSE LIFE has introduced a printed Welcome Guide as a companion to the refreshed Welcome microsite. Together, these resources act as the School's main source of Welcome information for new students. 

The Guide covers many of the same topics as the microsite, including essential tasks on arrival, Welcome events, getting involved in student life, support services and living in London. Unlike previous years, the Guide has been designed primarily as a shorter, printed resource that students can carry with them and use throughout Welcome Week. 

Printed copies are available from central locations and events across campus, including enrolment and the Welcome Tent, and a PDF version is available online. 

Departments that would like printed copies delivered before Welcome Week should contact lselife.events@lse.ac.uk. 

Departments and teams can access a range of resources to support the planning and promotion of Welcome activity. 

The Student Community Building Toolkit provides practical ideas for events, icebreakers and other activities designed to help students build connections and feel part of the LSE community during Welcome and throughout the academic year. 

The Welcome Toolkit includes key dates, communications guidance, templates, branding assets, planning checklists and information about central Welcome activity.

The central sections of undergraduate and postgraduate programme handbooks have been significantly revised for 2026-27 and produced by LSE LIFE in partnership with colleagues across the School. 

The content has now been finalised, shared with the Design Unit and incorporated into programme handbooks. Feedback on the content can be sent to lselife.events@lse.ac.uk. 

For queries relating to handbook production or incorporation into departmental handbooks, please contact the Design Unit.