Campus Life Events FAQs

Unless otherwise advertised, all Campus Life-sponsored events are free of cost to AU students. Even in instances where a small cost to students is associated with events, this often comes at a heavily discounted rate to allow a greater number of students access to unique and memorable experiences.

Campus Life strives to provide AU students with a vast variety of events and activities throughout the year. Some of the most popular on-campus events range from large-scale comedy/hypnosis/magic shows, outdoor movies, and create-your-own stuffed animal events to smaller activities like arts and crafts, video games, and yoga.

Campus Life continues to offer an expanding list of off-campus opportunities, connecting students to local favorites such as the Paramount Theatre, Mind Trap Escape Rooms, Topgolf, local sports teams, and more. In addition, Campus Life is always looking to students for ideas on what types of events to host in the future, don’t be shy about sharing what you’d like to see! Reach out to Campus Life by email at campuslife@aurora.edu to share your ideas.

Students can take an active role in shaping the landscape of events on the AU campus by joining Student Programming, Events, Activities, and Recreation (SPEAR)! SPEAR is a coalition of student leaders that work together to bring their ideas for a variety of events to life. New members can join the General Board and enjoy all of the perks of membership, while experienced members can choose to run for Executive Board positions to further develop their skills and leadership abilities. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to follow SPEAR on Instagram (@spearau) and stop by an event!

There are several ways you can get information and keep up with upcoming Campus Life events:

1. Social media: Following the Campus Life account on Instagram (@auroracampuslife) is a great way to see not only upcoming event advertisements but also highlights from previous events. You can also find additional content on TikTok (@auroracampuslife).
2. eRezLife: The eRezLife calendar of events includes the full slate of Campus Life events for the semester, making it a tremendous resource for looking ahead at some of the events to come.
3. Events and Opportunities newsletter: This newsletter is sent to your AU email every other week and not only includes a look at every upcoming event from Campus Life and SPEAR during that two-week period, but also events from other offices, intramural sport dates, and Spartan Athletic home matchups.
4. Posters and flyers: Finally, across campus, you’re likely to spot these paper advertisements for upcoming events as you travel to and from classes. Several buildings, including the residence halls, will feature a framed poster each month with all the Campus Life events and a few additional highlighted events from other offices. You can also spot individual event flyers on bulletin boards, in residence halls, and even out in front of a few buildings as a day-of reminder.

Campus Life events are planned first and foremost to enhance the experience of all currently enrolled AU students. To ensure that this goal is met, attendance of Campus Life events may be limited only to members of the AU community unless otherwise advertised. On occasion, students may be permitted to bring a non-AU student to an event as a guest. If you would like to inquire about the possibility of bringing a guest to a Campus Life event, please reach out to Campus Life by email at campuslife@aurora.edu.

Participating in Campus Life events, either on or off-campus, is a great way to build connections! Students who attend events have more opportunities to engage not only with other students, but also with campus resources and local attractions in the surrounding community, all while enjoying well-deserved study breaks throughout the year. For both new and returning students, these events are an important reminder that every Spartan belongs at AU.

The registration process for off-campus events can vary depending on the event, so it’s important that you pay attention to any specific messaging and advertisements and identify web links, URLs, or QR codes that will take you to the appropriate registration page. You’ll also want to make note of the registration deadline, as most events require students to complete registration well before the day of the event to participate.

Campus Life offers an easy and convenient solution for any students looking to stay in the know about all of Campus Life and SPEAR’s events throughout the year in the form of our Campus Events Text List! Students can opt-in to receive event updates, reminders, and exclusive perks by texting the word “SPARTAN” to 630-423-3675. You’ll receive a confirmation message when you’ve successfully subscribed!

We ask that all students attending Campus Life and SPEAR events start by first checking in with their AU ID. This not only helps us keep track of attendance information to assist in improving events for the future, but it also enters each attendee into our semester-long attendance raffle! Forgot your ID? No problem! We’re happy to manually take down your ID number in the event you don’t have your ID on you so you never have to worry about missing out on the fun.