(EDITOR’S NOTE: MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon will be assisting students on move-in day from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Aug. 20 and is available for photos and interviews. For more information contact Beth Bingham, University Relations: (517) 230-9429, beth.bingham@ur.msu.edu)
EAST LANSING, Mich. — About 7,300 incoming freshmen will begin their careers as Spartans in just a few days, as the vast majority of them will be flooding into residence halls – a sure sign of the beginning of fall semester.
Classes at Michigan State University begin on Monday, Aug. 25.
And, some 500 members of the freshman class are international students – the largest amount in MSU history, said Jim Cotter, director of the Office of Admissions. “It’s a tribute to the university’s global reputation and the collaborative recruitment efforts of many units across campus,” he said.
Moving in
Starting Wednesday, Aug. 20, students from all over the world will begin calling East Lansing home for the next four years. A new move-in system is in place to help lessen the crowds that normally fill the hallways of residence halls. A two-hour block of move-in time has already been assigned to each incoming freshman based on the last digit of his or her room number. On Thursday, Aug. 21, returning students can begin moving into residence halls after 8 a.m. For more move-in information, including tips for a successful and stress-free day for both students and parents, check out the University Housing Web site at www.hfs.msu.edu/uh/students/movein.html.
Fall welcome
Beginning Tuesday, Aug. 19, fall Welcome Week officially begins. To help students become acclimated to MSU, events, meetings and activities have been planned to make a smoother, more enjoyable transition for everyone. Campus favorites like Spartan Spirit and Sparticipation are included in the week’s schedule in addition to informational sessions regarding colleges and residence halls. For a complete list of events during Welcome Week, visit www.fallwelcome.msu.edu/index.html.
Construction
To make move-in day slightly less chaotic for everyone, there’s some good news for those who will be driving on campus. Starting Aug. 18, all roads – including those partially closed for one-lane closures – and parking lots on campus will be open, except those linked to the Farm Lane Underpass project, said University Engineer Bob Nestle. “Farm Lane remains closed from the commuter lot (Lot 89) to Wilson Road, including the intersections of Service and Trowbridge roads, as construction continues on two railroad underpasses that will lower Farm Lane under two railroad tracks,” he said. Nestle added the one-lane closure on South Shaw Lane at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory will be lifted during move-in, but will reclose when school starts and stay closed until spring 2009. For more information, visit www.construction.msu.edu.
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