WWU Students Move into Residence Halls Sept. 21-23; Many Activities Planned for Students
About 4,100 students will move into Western Washington University’s residence halls and apartments, beginning Sunday, Sept. 16, with the majority arriving Friday, Sept. 21 through Sunday, Sept. 23.
The first day of classes at Western is Wednesday, Sept. 26.
“Welcoming new and returning students to campus is one of the most exciting times of the year at Western. It’s also a time we can help set every student up for success, not only by connecting them to campus resources, but to the campus community, and the broader Bellingham community as well,” said Western President Sabah Randhawa, starting his third year as president of Western.
About 75 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. 23-29, with activities that include Welcoming Convocation on Sept. 25. For more information about moving into residence halls, go to http://www.housing.wwu.edu/
On Sept. 24-25 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: https://nssfo.wwu.edu/westernWelcomeWeek/index.shtml.
New Student Services/Family Outreach 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 WWU Family Connection newsletter for Western 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. 24 and 25, 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. 24 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. 26, the WWU Alumni Association will host its third Paint B’Ham Blue for WWU. The event, a special downtown Bellingham celebration welcoming new students to the community, starts at 5:30 p.m. at Red Square on campus with a student procession led by President Randhawa and Associated Students President Millka Solomon; they will walk about a mile to Depot Market Square. A special downtown festival – exclusively for the WWU community and alumni – 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 before the evening ends with a fireworks display.
The Student Bus Pass is available for all students registered for one or more credits, and is good on all WTA routes. Students enrolled in six or more credits have a quarterly Transportation Fee placed on their student account automatically; students who have not had the Transportation Fee placed automatically can request the fee by emailing transportation@wwu.edu (include Western ID number).
The Late Night Shuttle begins operation Sunday, Sept. 23. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Sundays from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Students must show a Western ID to board. Use the Shuttle Tracker www.wwu.ridesystems.net to view the map, schedules and real-time location of the shuttle, and to download the app. For complete transportation information students can visit www.wwu.edu/transportation/ or call 360-650-7960.