As West Virginia University students begin to arrive on campus, they should come prepared – prepared to learn, prepared to play smart, prepared to eat well, prepared to sing Country Roads and prepared to snap a selfie or two with President Gordon Gee as part of a re-imagined Welcome Week.

The approximately 5,000 new students launching the official start of their college careers as Mountaineers this week will be the first class to experience these special events designed to integrate them into the campus culture, teach them the value of service and start classes with the necessary tools to succeed.

Dean of Students and Associate Vice President of Student Life Corey Farris said the re-imagined week’s events were the result of a vision to help students feel at home academically and socially in the Mountaineer community from their first steps in Morgantown.

“Right from the start, we want our new students to feel welcome in their new home and see that there are so many opportunities at WVU – and to make the most of those opportunities,” Farris said. “Our new Welcome Week gets their college careers started on the right foot through a balance of academic, service and social components.”

The weekend is also designed to give students an opportunity to network, take pride in their new community and experience that special Mountaineer culture.

“The new Welcome Week also gives our students an opportunity to have a fun first weekend and meet their classmates,” Farris said. “Most importantly, they capture a real sense of what it means to be a Mountaineer from the time they step foot on campus.”

The class of 2019 will feel prepared to start classes on Monday through their required participation in First-Year Academy, which will give students an opportunity to meet with their department leadership to understand the academic requirements for their major, use campus resources to achieve success and understand program expectations.

“The First-Year Academy is designed to give our new students the tools to succeed before they start classes,” saigood Sue Day-Perroots, associate provost for undergraduate academic affairs. “We hope students will leave their sessions understanding how to use the extensive resources available to them, effectively manage their time, invest in their program and commit to their role as students.”

Saturday night, the students can transition from working hard to playing smartly at Milan Puskar Stadium for the inaugural Saturday Night Lights event at 8:30 p.m.

Students will be transported from their residence halls to the stadium to hear words of wisdom from President Gee, various athletic coaches, take in a performance from the Mountaineer Marching Band, participate in a selfie contest and conclude the evening with fireworks.

On Sunday, new students will receive their official welcome to WVU at the Mountaineer Welcome at the Coliseum at 2 p.m. The weekend will conclude with the FallFest concert on the Mountainlair Plaza at 4:30, featuring performances from School Boy Q, The Chain Smokers and the Eli Young Band.

Students will also have the opportunity to experience local food vendors at FoodFest, play volleyball with the WVU Women’s Volleyball Team and take in other fun activities. See the full schedule of Welcome Week events for times, locations and details: http://welcomeweek.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

hr/08/12/15

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