Fall: It’s that time of year when the leaves turn a warm shade of reddish orange, the days get shorter and the hot air of summer makes way for crisp, cool breezes. And, for College of Charleston alumni, it’s time to come home for Fall Alumni Weekend.

Launched in 2016, Fall Alumni Weekend offers alumni the opportunity to network with fellow Cougars, learn about new academic programs and initiatives at the College and celebrate the achievements of their former classmates and friends. And, with classes in session during the fall festivities Nov. 22–24, 2019, alumni will also be able to share meaningful career advice and connections with students and faculty.

“This is only the fourth consecutive year CofC has held Fall Alumni Weekend, and it is fast becoming ‘Homecoming’ for the College,” says Ann Looper Pryor ’83, vice president of Alumni Affairs. “Since classes are in session, it provides wonderful opportunities for alumni to engage with students, faculty and staff.”

New this year, alumni have the opportunity to participate in free masterclasses: The School of Education, Health, and Human Performance is sponsoring a masterclass with Roland Cruickshank ’94, president of Methodist University Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., and the Carter Real Estate Center is sponsoring “Life in the Real Estate Industry” with Brian Beatty ’06 and Reid Reynolds ’18.

People eating oysters at an oyster roast in Cistern Yard

Cistern on the Half Shell: A Lowcountry Oyster Roast will once again be held in Cistern Yard as part of Fall Alumni Weekend 2019.

The popular “Cistern on the Half Shell: A Lowcountry Oyster Roast” will return to the Cistern Yard for an afternoon of family fun. And, this year’s Alumni Awards Gala on Saturday, Nov. 23, will help usher in the start of the College’s 250th anniversary celebration.

Other events of note this year include:

  • If These Walls Could Talk, hosted by the Office of Institutional Diversity and focusing on a documentary of the same name that explores how enslaved Africans contributed to the construction of College buildings and surrounding sites
  • Alumni in Medicine Reunion, hosted by the School of Sciences and Mathematics and featuring a panel discussion led by Dr. H. Biemann Otherson Jr. ’50
  • Wines of the World, hosted by the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs to give alumni of all majors an opportunity to explore wines and languages
  • Taste the Stars & Alumni Cabaret, hosted by the School of the Arts to provide its alumni a chance to reconnect while experiencing a pop-up cabaret
  • Business over Bourbon, hosted by the School of Business for its alumni and friends to come together for conversation and connections
  • Honors College Alumni Happy Hour, hosted by the Honors College for its alumni to mingle and network with one another
  • Ballots & Brunch, hosted by the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and open to all alumni interested in South Carolina’s role in the 2020 election as an early primary state

For event descriptions and ticket information, please visit the Fall Alumni Weekend website. Proceeds from the events will benefit programs and scholarships at the College of Charleston.