Orientation Week August 17-23 

August 19-21

Save the dates for Grad College, Center for Teaching and employment-related orientations 
https://grad.uiowa.edu/fall-graduate-student-orientation  
https://teaching.center.uiowa.edu/new-teaching-assistant-orientation 

August 17-21 

First-year welcome meetings with NWP Director Melissa Febos  
Nonfiction Writing House, 530 N. Clinton St. 

Friday, August 21  

5:30 p.m First-Year Info Session, led by current NWP second-years Nonfiction Writing House, 530 N. Clinton St. 

Week 1 August 24 – August 30  

Monday, August 24 

First Day of Classes  

Friday, August 28  

12:30 - 1:30 p.m. English Department’s “Survived the First Week” pizza party , 304 EPB 

Friday, August 28  

5:30 p.m. NWP program-wide orientation; Mandatory for all students, food and drinks provided, Nonfiction Writing House 

Week 2 August 31 – September 6 

Friday, September 4

Last day for graduate students to drop courses and receive tuition refund; last day to add courses without fees; last day to opt for S/U grading. (NOTE: Fellowship and teaching tuition waivers will not cover registration changes after this day. That means that if you drop a course, you will be responsible for paying the full tuition for that course!)  

Week 3 September 7 – 13 

Monday, September 7 

Labor Day – No classes, Nonfiction Writing House closed 

Wednesday, September 9 

4:00 p.m. Welcome reception for Elena Passarello, NWP Lounge 

Friday, September 11 

3:00 p.m.  Deadline  for Herodotus Award  

7:00 p.m. Faculty Reading: Melissa Febos and Sarah Minor, Nonfiction Writing House 

Week 4  September 14 – 20  

Week 5 September 21– 27 

Wednesday, September 24 

3:00 p.m. Deadline for Englert Nonfiction Fellowship applications  
Stay tuned for an updated deadline 

Week 6 September 28 – October 4 

Monday, September 28 

Spring 2027 classes available in MyUI/Schedule Builder  

Friday, October 2

11:59 p.m. CST Degree applications due

Week 7  October 5– 11 

Friday, October 9

2 p.m. Craft Talk by Krause Visiting Writer Wayne Koestenbaum  
7 p.m. Reading by Krause Visiting Writer Wayne Koestenbaum  

Week 8 October 12 – 18  

Week 9 October 19 – 25 

50^th Anniversary Celebration Week! 

All week: Iowa City Book Festival events   

Friday, October 23 

Deadline to send Spring 2026 course registration preferences to Tara Atkinson  

2:30 p.m. Q&A with Alumna Yiyun Li for NWP and WW students at the Writer's Workshop (Dey House)

7:30 p.m. Literary Legends: Alumna Yiyun Li w/Melissa Febos at the Levitt Center 

Saturday, October 24  

2:30 p.m. Faculty Panel at the Iowa City Book Festival 

5:30 p.m. NWP 50^th Anniversary Celebration (RSVP required)  

Sunday, October 25  

10 a.m. Anniversary Bagel Breakfast, Nonfiction Writing House 

11 a.m. NWP In Memoriam Event, Nonfiction Writing House 

Week 10 October 26 – November 1  

October 25-31

Iowa Homecoming Week 

Wednesday, October 28

Helen Betya Rubinstein (MFA ’15) in conversation with Bennett Sims at Prairie Lights. Feels Like Trouble: Provocations on Writing, Teaching & Power.

Week 11 November 2 – 8  

Thursday, November 5  

3:30 p.m. Alia Hanna Habib, literary agent, VP of The Gernet Company, presentation (tentative) 

7:00 p.m. Alia Hanna Habib, reading from Take It From Me, at Prairie Lights

Friday, November 6 

Alia Hanna Habib, meeting with students (tentative) 

Saturday, November 7  

1 p.m. NWP Bowling Tournament! Colonial Lanes 

Week 12 November 9 – 15 

Monday, November 9 

Early registration opens: Time to register for Spring 2027 classes. NOTE: You should not need any codes or permissions for CNW courses. If you have any trouble, make sure your U-Bill is paid and contact Tara Atkinson right away. 

Friday, November 13  

 3:00 p.m. Deadline for submissions for Magdalena Award  

7:00 p.m. Tisa Bryant and Sarah Minor present for Book Matters at Prairie Lights 

Week 13 November 16 – 22 

Friday, November 20 

Nonfiction Writing House will close at 6 p.m. 

Week 14 November 23– November 29 

Thanksgiving Week

No classes; Nonfiction Writing House closed  

Week 15 November 30 - December 6 

Wednesday, December 2 

7 p.m. Alum Stephanie Krzywonos (MFA ‘25) in conversation with at 7 Melissa Febos at Prairie Lights for The Blue Hours. 

Friday, December 4 

NWP Nondenominational Holiday Party  

Week 16 December 7 – 13 

Friday, December 11 

Department of English Winter Party  

Close of classes 

Week 17 December 14– 20 

December 14 - 18  

Final exam week for the University  

Friday, December 18

4 p.m. Nonfiction Writing House will close for the duration of the Winter break