WWU Students Move into Residence Halls Sept. 14-18 - Classes Begin Sept. 21; Many Activities Planned for Students
About 4,100 students will move into Western Washington University’s residence halls and apartments from Wednesday, Sept. 14 through Sunday, Sept. 18.
The first day of classes at Western is Wednesday, Sept. 21. Total enrollment is expected to be about 15,000, approximately the same as last year. The university has a new president, Sabah Randhawa, who began as Western’s 14th president on Aug. 1, 2016.
“This is an exciting time of year, welcoming new and returning students back to campus, and all the energy and aspiration they bring with them. I’m looking forward to sharing my first year at Western with the new students, and the journey of discovery that lies ahead for all of us,” Randhawa said.
About 77 percent of students living in campus residence halls will be new to Western and will be introduced to campus traditions during Western Welcome Week, Sept. 17-24 with activities that include Welcoming Convocation, and a fireworks display on Sept. 20. For more information about moving into residence halls, go to https://housing.wwu.edu/
On Sept. 19-20 there will be a variety of workshops on study skills, declaring a major and information on managing personal finances, as well as free bus and bike tours of Bellingham, an outdoor movie, and concerts. For more information, visit the New Student Services/Family Outreach website at: http://www.nssfo.wwu.edu/westernWelcomeWeek/index.shtml. New Student Services also provides updates about programs, upcoming events and campus news that helps new students get acclimated to campus. Another good source of information is the Soundings Newsletter for WWU Families.
A number of informative and interesting activities are planned for Western students at the start of the academic year, including the annual Associated Students Info Fair Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 19 and 20, in Red Square. The Wade King Student Recreation Center Late Night for students will be held from 9 p.m. to midnight on Monday, Sept. 19 at the recreation center. Activities will include dancing, fitness class demonstrations, rock climbing, swimming and more. For more information contact Campus Recreation Services at 650-3766.
On Wednesday, Sept. 21, the WWU Alumni Association will host its inaugural Paint B’Ham Blue for WWU. The event, a special downtown Bellingham celebration welcoming new students to the community, starts at 5:45 p.m. at Red Square on campus with a student procession led by President Randhawa and Associated Students President Stephanie Chen; they will walk about a mile to Depot Market Square. A special downtown festival – exclusively for the WWU community – will be offered in the adjacent Depot Market Square with music, food, giveaways and other activities. The sign atop the Herald also will turn from red to WWU blue.
The Student Bus Pass is available and valid for use beginning Sept. 12, and good on all WTA routes, including the 80X. Students can obtain a bus pass by bringing their Western ID card to the Western Card Office temporarily located in Wilson Library 165 across from the bookstore, to have it encoded with a bus pass. The Western Student Shuttle begins operation Sunday, Sept. 18. Hours of operation are 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Monday – Saturday and 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays. Students must show a Western ID to board. Students can subscribe to receive a text alert when the student shuttle service is cancelled during inclement weather by texting “follow @wwushuttle” to 40404. For complete transportation information students can visit http://www.wwu.edu/transportation/ or call: (360) 650-7960.