In just a few days the University of Missouri–St. Louis campus will be buzzing again with thousands of people, including about 1,200 new students.
The spring semester kicks off Jan. 17 – and with it a whole host of activities and resources bringing new energy to campus as winter break concludes. Click on the image to view the full Weeks of Welcome schedule. (Images by Mike Diliberto)
Those fresh faces make the month of January an especially significant time for the UMSL community, much like the start of the academic year every August.
“The spring is just as important as the fall, because we are welcoming many new students who are beginning their first semester on campus,” says Megan Green-Simonds, director of New Student Programs.
In an effort to help those newcomers and the entire UMSL community start the spring semester strong, Green-Simonds and her colleagues in Student Affairs have peppered the first few weeks with engaging events – plus provided useful information and additional resources.
“The schedule of events and opportunities assists both new and returning students in knowing what is going on, providing opportunities to reconnect, mingling with others and also just getting them excited about being on campus after a long holiday break,” Green-Simonds says.
From adventures around campus and all over St. Louis to workshops to boost specific college and career skills, that traditional lineup goes by the name Weeks of Welcome, or WOW. The spring 2017 WOW booklet is available online and also in printed form in the Office of Student Involvement in the Millennium Student Center.
The Weeks of Welcome events include UMSL Homecoming, set for the week of Feb. 13 this year. For more information on homecoming festivities, visit homecoming.umsl.edu.
The events help build up to one of the longest-running tradition here at UMSL: homecoming.
“Inside the WOW booklet we provide a two-page spread of that week of festivities in February, which students, alumni, friends, staff and faculty can all participate in,” Green-Simonds says.
Student Affairs and Academic Affairs also have students covered these next few weeks when it comes to the nitty-gritty of a new semester, whether it’s purchasing textbooks and getting a Triton Card or questions about specific classes and major requirements.
Extended office hours are in place at key locations across campus through Jan. 20, making those key tasks and errands easier to complete.
In addition, for those already on campus, early-arrival shuttles are a resource for getting around prior to the formal start of the semester Jan. 17, when regular shuttle service resumes.
