WELCOME CLASS OF 2013

Friday, August 21, 2009 will be an exciting day at Western Carolina University. We will be welcoming approximately 1600 new Catamounts to our campus! One of the first stops you make will be at the residence halls for check-in.

The residence halls will open to first year students on Friday, August 21, 2009 at 7:00 am. To help make your move as easy as possible, faculty, staff, and members of various student organizations will be available to assist you in unloading your vehicle and helping carry your items to your room.  When you arrive at your residence hall, please stay with your vehicle.  Our Welcome Team will help you unload onto the sidewalk or into the lobby, and then you must move your vehicle to the outlying parking lots to allow us the time to assist the next waiting resident. Please understand that our Welcome Team is comprised of volunteers so the number of team members available to help will vary throughout the day.

Based on your assignment, you will be asked to approach your residence hall by a specific route to avoid unnecessary congestion.  These directions are intended to assist you in finding your residence hall, getting unloaded and parked as efficiently as possible.

Returning students can move in beginning Saturday, August 22, 2009 at 7:00 a.m.

SUGGESTED ARRIVAL TIMES

In order to facilitate the traffic flow onto campus, we ask that you follow these guidelines below based on your telephone area codes.  We have found this model to positively impact the arrival traffic flow into campus.

LOCAL DIRECTIONS

As you come out of Sylva (toward Cullowhee), approximately 1 mile past Smoky Mountain High School, Ingles Supermarket, and Burger King, look for signs placed to split traffic on NC 107 at NC 1002 (Old Cullowhee Road) just outside of Sylva.  Traffic moving to Upper Campus will turn left at the stoplight onto the Old Cullowhee Road.  Traffic moving to Lower Campus will remain on NC 107.

Move-in Day Traffic Pattern and Parking Map (PDF)

Move in Map Harrill & Albright Benton Halls (PDF)

CAMPUS SHUTTLE

CatTran, the campus shuttle system, will be running with special hours for Opening. While no special stops have been added to the purple buses’ normal routes, drivers will watch for anyone who needs a ride and will stop, when it is safe to do so, between posted pickup points. The Cat-Tran route is posted online at http://www.wcu.edu/9018.asp.

Opening Weekend CatTran Schedule:

Friday:     7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday:  7:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Sunday:     9:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. (Monday)

BALSAM RESIDENTS

As stated in all previous communications, building completion, either full or partial, is going to affect opening on August 21st; therefore, please check our website (housing.wcu.edu) regularly for updates.  You should also check this site prior to leaving home just in case there are last minute developments that will impact your arrival.

AFTER MOVE-IN – WHAT’S NEXT?

The freshman move-in should be complete by 5 p.m., when Freshman Convocation begins at Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Convocation will include a faculty procession, remarks by Chancellor John Bardo and Provost Kyle Carter and music by WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band.

Residence Halls will be having floor and first-year meetings following Convocation. Resident Assistants will have details concerning time and location.

Freshmen are invited to participate in a First Night celebration sponsored by the Resident Student Association at 9 p.m. Friday on the A.K. Hinds University Center lawn. Saturday activities include a 2 p.m. women’s soccer team scrimmage against alumni at the Catamount Athletic Center and Valley Ballyhoo, an annual back-to-school celebration beginning at 4:30 on the U.C. lawn. On Sunday, the opening of WCU’s new, $16.7 million, 73,000-square-foot recreation center begins at 1 p.m. At 9 p.m., students can watch the horror movie “The Strangers” on the U.C. lawn. For a complete online schedule of fall semester kickoff events, go to www.wcu.edu/9787.asp.