Schedule of Events

Several Valpo graduates from the Social Sciences have graciously accepted our invitation to share their experiences, insights, and career journeys with you. These are all recent Valpo grads who will talk to you about how they have started turning their Valpo education into a career. Friday, October 24 4:00PM ASB 231 Snacks and refreshments will be served.

The Library welcomes you to visit us in our Archives & Special Collections Reading Room! Yearbooks, maps, images--even one of O. P. Kretzmann's desks--are available for viewing and memory-sharing. If you are in need of a yearbook from days past, we are the place to ask!

Enjoy self-guided Valpo midcentury campus tours. No registration is required. 

The Midcentury Modern Campus: History, Architecture, and Preservation.

Join Indiana Landmarks and Valparaiso University on campus for a day of tours, expert talks, and lively discussion examining midcentury modern architecture and its legacy. Discover the history, design and preservation of these distinctive spaces. 

Here is the schedule (please register for each individual event requiring registration on the event page)

Friday, October 24

Tours

10 am - 1 pm: Enjoy self-guided Valpo midcentury campus tours

11 am - 12 pm: A special guided tour midcentury campus tour with Gretchen Buggeln, Duesenberg Prof. of Christianity and the Arts will be held from 11 am - 12 pm. Meet at the Chapel, must register in advance on the guided tour page to attend 

Symposium (Coffee in the VUCA lobby and VUCA-Duesenberg Recital Hall for the Symposium) - must register in advance to attend

1 pm: Coffee

1:30 pm: Introduction (10 minutes) (Gretchen Buggeln, Duesenberg Prof. of Christianity and the Arts, VU)

1:40 pm: The American Midcentury Campus: Planning and Architecture (Lindsay Shannon, Assoc. Professor of Art History, North Central College)

2:10 pm: Lutheran Higher Education at Midcentury (Brian Beckstrom, VP for Mission, Church, and Ministry, VU)

2:25-2:45 pm: Break/Coffee with Cookies

2:45 pm: Architect Charles E. Stade's Valparaiso Campus, 1955-1973 (Buggeln)

3:15 pm: Preserving the Midcentury Campus: Opportunities and Challenges (Blake Swihart, Regional Director, Indiana Landmarks Foundation

3:35 pm: Plenary Q&A and Discussion

4:00 pm: Close of Symposium

A reception will be held at Linwood House from 4:30 - 6:30 pm for those attending the symposium.

Saturday, October 25

1:30 - 3:30 pm Linwood House Open House 

Sunday, October 26

1:30 - 3:30 pm Linwood House Open House 

Join the campus community for a late morning “Chapel Break.” 

No advance registration required.

A special guided tour midcentury campus tour with Gretchen Buggeln, Duesenberg Prof. of Christianity and the Arts. Meet at the Chapel, must register in advance. 

Members of the Class of 1975 are welcome to attend and share your Valpo memories with friends during this reunion luncheon. Please select your meal choice upon registration. The cost is $40 per person. 

Symposium (Coffee in the VUCA lobby and VUCA-Duesenberg Recital Hall for the Symposium) - must register in advance to attend

1 pm: Coffee

1:30 pm: Introduction (10 minutes) (Gretchen Buggeln, Duesenberg Prof. of Christianity and the Arts, VU)

1:40 pm: The American Midcentury Campus: Planning and Architecture (Lindsay Shannon, Assoc. Professor of Art History, North Central College)

2:10 pm: Lutheran Higher Education at Midcentury (Brian Beckstrom, VP for Mission, Church, and Ministry, VU)

2:25-2:45 pm: Break/Coffee with Cookies

2:45 pm: Architect Charles E. Stade's Valparaiso Campus, 1955-1973 (Buggeln)

3:15 pm: Preserving the Midcentury Campus: Opportunities and Challenges (Blake Swihart, Regional Director, Indiana Landmarks Foundation

3:35 pm: Plenary Q&A and Discussion

4:00 pm: Close of Symposium

A reception will be held at Linwood House from 4:30 - 6:30 pm for those attending the symposium.

The Premedical Arts lecture is an endowed Homecoming event that has been held since 1997. The lecture series invites Valpo alumnus or alumna who is active in the field of medicine or biomedical sciences. This year's speaker is Pam Kreeger '00. 

Join retired Valpo faculty and staff in the Archives & Special Collection's Reading Room as we share University history memories and news while enjoying a light dessert or two.

The department of Geography, Meteorology, and Environmental Science would like to offer an intentional space for the department's alumni to network with each other and with current students for career advice and community building.

We welcome all our Geography, Meteorology, and Environmental Science alumni to the department open house in the good old KCH. This is a great time to meet each other, eat, drink, reminisce, but most importantly, connect with and support one another in your intellectual and career growth. We always learn so much from our alumni as we strive too continuously do better. We can't wait to see you!

Kick off Homecoming and Family Weekend 2025 at The Spirit of Valpo: A Homecoming Kickoff, a celebration of gratitude, faith, and community. Join donors and friends for light bites, drinks, a moment of prayer, and a toast to Valpo’s enduring mission.

Psychological Sciences and Counseling Open House

Join the Social Work and Education Departments for a cozy, fun-filled evening during Homecoming Weekend! We’re firing up the bonfire for s’mores, laughs, and meaningful connections at Teach, Reach, & Toast, where educators and changemakers come together to celebrate community and school spirit. Whether you're here to toast marshmallows, share stories, win a raffle prize, or just vibe with great people, this is the perfect way to unwind and kick off Homecoming. Bring the whole family!

Get ready to flex your brainpower and show off your random knowledge at the ultimate Homecoming and Family Weekend Trivia Game Night! Grab your smartest friends, form a team or fly solo. You'll have a blast battling it out for bragging rights. 

Come join the Valparaiso University Community as we kickoff Homecoming and Family Weekend 2025! Take part in the Homecoming court announcement, enjoy snacks from local food trucks, stay warm by the fire, take part in a game of trivia and more! Fireworks show will conclude the Homecoming and Family Weekend Kickoff!

Enjoy the fireworks sponsored by the Center for Student Involvement.

No advance registration required.

By invitation only - Join President Padilla for a special breakfast recognizing you, one of Valpo's generous donors.  This morning you will have the opportunity to meet with deserving students who directly benefit from your generosity.

The event includes a breakfast buffet priced at $20 per person, providing a casual yet impactful setting to engage with fellow supporters and the Valpo community.  For questions, please contact Donor Relations at donorrelations@valpo.edu or call 219.464.5968.

A special reception for members of the Light of My Life affinity group. Whether you've been married for months or decades, celebrate your journey and reflect on the legacy of love that began at Valpo. For more information on the Light of My Life affinity group: Light of My Life.

The Chi Omega House will be hosting a Saturday morning brunch for all of it's current sisters and their families! There will be a Sisterhood video shown as well as a presentation of our philanthropy, Make A Wish. After Chi Omega Alumae will be invited to tailgate before our 2025 Homecoming Football game.

Stop by the admissions table under the Tailgate tent to join our new recruitment program and learn more about a way to save on a graduate degree at Valpo!

Brown and Gold Alumni Program (BGAP)

The Brown and Gold Alumni Program (BGAP) at Valparaiso University is a collaborative initiative that empowers alumni to play a meaningful role in shaping the university’s future, one student at a time. Through this program, Valpo alumni serve as ambassadors in their local communities, offering authentic insight into the Valpo experience and helping to recruit the next generation of Beacons. Alumni bring a unique perspective rooted in lived experience, pride, and personal growth. By sharing their stories and answering questions candidly, they help prospective students imagine themselves thriving at Valpo, while deepening their own ties to the community that helped shape them. Whether through college fair representation, handwritten notes, or phone, email, or virtual outreach, BGAP members help bring the spirit of Valpo to life for students and families making one of the most important decisions of their lives.

Back2Beacon

Continue your education at Valparaiso University with the Back2Beacon Scholarship! This scholarship is open to recent Valpo alumni who earned their bachelor’s degree and wish to pursue a master’s degree. Undergraduate alumni who apply for the scholarship will be eligible for a 30% scholarship toward tuition to any master’s level program, excluding the physician assistant program, post-professional doctor of occupational therapy, online master’s programs in public health and healthcare administration, and graduate certificates.

There’s something for everyone! Reunite with classmates, grab a bite from local food trucks, enjoy a beverage at the Guild sponsored beer garden and cheer on our team to victory. A VUAA children’s play area includes a caricature artist, face painter, and bounce house. 

Take a nostalgic ride around campus — new and old — with classmates and friends. Space is limited. $10 per person.

Join fellow Kappa Deltas for an alumni and family brunch at the Kappa Delta house!

Please join fellow Guild members for the announcement of the 2025 Campus Gift Grants and the newly elected board of directors.

Alumni of the Valpo Robotic Football teams compete against current members in an exciting and nail biting competition!

Welcome Home Zeta Gamma Alumni! We would love for you to stop our table in the Alumni tent at the Beacon Tailgate and say hi, as well as see what the chapter is doing.

Join the College of Arts and Sciences for a delightful morning of muffins, mimosas, and memories as part of this year’s festivities. Reconnect with faculty, friends, and fellow alumni while enjoying light bites and bubbly at the Beacon tailgate. We can't wait to see you!

Lawn games- spikeball, cornhole, etc...

Meet our new Dean Elizabeth Gmitter and join her for light pastries before the game Kick-Off.

Stop by the Residential Life table at the Tailgate tent to connect with Alumni who were RAs or DAs at Valpo! Chat with current staff members and learn about updates made to the Residence Halls!

The Library welcomes you to visit us in our Archives & Special Collections Reading Room! Yearbooks, maps, images--even one of O. P. Kretzmann's desks--are available for viewing and memory-sharing. If you are in need of a yearbook from days past, we are the place to ask!

🎉 ¡Lotería Scavenger Hunt! 🎉 Get ready for some tailgate fun with a twist! Join us at the "Tailgate Designated Area" for an exciting Lotería Scavenger Hunt!🌟 🔍Search high and low to find Lotería cards scattered throughout the field. 📸 Find a Lotería card and snap a selfie with the card. Post it to your Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #VALEFamilia and name the card. 🍓 Then swing by the VALE table to cool off and celebrate your win with a delicious agua fresca—our treat to you! Don't miss this chance to explore, play, and connect—VALE style! 🎊

Visit the Registrar table at the Tailgate Tent for information regarding transcript and diploma orders. We're here when you need important documents for big opportunities.

This is a chance to walk through the space we call home! We will be giving a tour to those who show up. You will see where we live, study, and spend time together, and get a feel for what everyday life is like in the chapter. This is a great way to meet people and see what we are all about!

Take a nostalgic ride around campus — new and old — with classmates and friends. Space is limited. $10 per person.

Join faculty in the Language and Intercultural Learning Center for pastries, hot beverages, and conversation in the LINC.

Please join the Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Astronomy Departments at our annual homecoming reception.

Join your fellow engineering alums and their guests for an opportunity to enjoy a free lunch while connecting and catching up with former classmates and faculty.

Tailgate before the football game.

Join us at the Beacon Tailgate for the VISA International Food Bazaar.  

Families of Pi Beta Phi members will have a meal, play games and tailgate.

An open house for Phi Kappa Psi's alumni, family, and friends.

Linwood House will be open to the public for this open house. No registration is required.

Please come join the PA faculty, staff, and students as we grill burgers and hot dogs, vegan options available, and enjoy some fun hearted games on the lawn. Open House with tours of the building provided by current PA students. Fun for students, alumni, and families! Hope to see you there!

Christ College alumni, families, and friends are invited to join us for an open house in Mueller Hall! Enjoy refreshments with CC student scholars, faculty, and the deans.

Students from the College of Nursing and Health Professions have designed fun activities to promote health and wellness for children. Children will play games, learn, and have fun as they visit each station, all led by current Valparaiso University College of Nursing and Health Professions Students. Children of all ages and abilities are welcome!

Looking forward to seeing our alumni at the CONHP Open House at LeBien Hall. Catch up with friends and faculty, tour LeBien Hall - including demos of Virtual Reality, and see renderings of the new CONHP building.

Come get some spooky scary laughs in with Valparaiso University’s best (and only) improv group on campus!

A concert featuring the Valparaiso University Chorale, Chamber Concert Band, and Symphony Orchestra. Valparaiso University Chorale alumni are invited to sing "Praise to the Lord" with Chorale.

Join the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha for an alumni gathering and cookout!

Cookout at the SigEp House

We have food catered from a local restaurant and serve it to our alumni before an alumni board meeting. This held on the Saturday of homecoming weekend

All alumni sinfonians are welcomed to our BBQ at the house. Free food, lawn games, and conversations about the fraternity!

An exclusive event for current students and their families, join us for dinner and a show! Help us solve the biggest mystery to come to Valpo, all while enjoying a great dinner. Cost to attend is $25 per person.

Members of the Class of 1975 and VUAA award recipients are invited to process.

No advance registration is required.

To mark the end of Valpo’s Lutheran Centennial celebration, we are closing Homecoming 2025 with a special worship service (it’s also Reformation Sunday!). All are welcome to join us at 10am in the Chapel of the Resurrection. New this year, we invite alumni to help with this special service! Complete this form to share your interest — Chapel staff will contact you if volunteer spots are available (please note opportunities are limited).

The Gamma Phi Beta house is hosting a Sunday morning breakfast for current sisters' families and Gamma Phi Beta alumni! There will be activities, photo opportunities, and breakfast options. There will be activities for alumni to get involved in as well!

Join us in marking the close of Valpo's Lutheran Centennial celebration with brunch! Following Sunday's worship service, a brunch will be served in the Harre Union ballrooms featuring breakfast and light lunch options - including Valpo's famous waffles! (You may be one of the alumni that affectionately remembers them as Berg waffles). A cash bar serving mimosas will also be available. We hope you will celebrate this milestone in Valpo's Lutheran history with us! Cost to attend is $25 per person and lap child 0-2 is free. 

Please note the listed event end time is just an estimate for planning purposes. Attendees are not required to stay to the listed end time.

Linwood House will be open to the public for this open house. No registration is required.