A host of programming is planned to celebrate the start of the academic year and welcome new students into the IUP community.
The first day of class for the fall semester is Monday, August 25.
August 22: Opening of the Academic Year for Faculty, Staff, and Community
On Friday, August 22, at 9:00 a.m., President Michael Driscoll presides over the “Opening of the Academic Year: 2014–15,” in the IUP Performing Arts Center's Fisher Auditorium.
The event includes remarks by Driscoll; Provost Timothy Moerland; Mark Staszkiewicz, Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties president; David LaPorte, University Senate chairman; Jessica Halchak, State College and University Professional Association president; and Aaron Douthit, student member of the IUP Council of Trustees.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony follows to celebrate the opening of the Crimson Café, a new 410-seat, micro-restaurant-style dining facility between Cogswell Hall and Stabley Library. The Crimson Café will feature Starbucks, The Fireplace, Burger Studio, and Crimson Bistro. The Crimson Café is the first phase of the university's three-phase Dining Innovations plan.
The facility will be open after the ribbon-cutting for tours and samplings from the food stations.
The morning's events conclude with the final Picnic in the Grove of the summer, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Oak Grove. Picnickers may purchase food from Aramark in the Oak Grove or bring their own lunch.
All of the events on August 22 are free and open to the community.
August 24: Freshman Convocation
Freshman Convocation, the event that formally welcomes new students to the university, takes place on Sunday, August 24, at 5:00 p.m. in Fisher Auditorium.
Krzysztof (Krys) Kaniasty, the IUP Distinguished University Professor for 2014–15, serves as master of ceremonies. The speakers include President Michael Driscoll; Victor Garcia, Distinguished University Professor for 2013–14, keynote speaker; and student trustee Aaron Douthit.
A cookout in the Oak Grove immediately follows convocation. Both events are free and open to the community.
August 10–24: Moving In
Move-in activities officially began August 10, with the arrival of approximately 100 students working as community assistants and academic success mentors for the Office of Housing, Residential Living and Dining.
Move-in continues in these stages:
- On Wednesday, August 13, 150 early arrivals, including students in the marching band and on the football team, check into residence halls.
- On Saturday, August 16, approximately 500 new students participating in the College Undergraduate Success Program Early Entrance Experience move in. Sponsored by the Department of Developmental Studies, CUSP gives first-year students an introduction to college and a head start on the adjustment process.
- On Monday, August 18, more than 200 new international students move in and begin International Student Orientation activities. Each semester, IUP welcomes close to 700 international students from more than 75 countries.
- On Thursday, August 21, approximately 430 new freshmen will move into Putt and Delaney halls. About 80 new freshmen in Robert E. Cook Honors College move into Whitmyre Hall. See Welcome Weekend.
- On Friday–Saturday, August 22–23, all other new and transfer students living in university-owned residence facilities arrive. See Welcome Weekend.
- On Sunday, August 24, the remainder of residence hall students move in from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. See Welcome Weekend.
During freshman and transfer student move-in, bottled-water stations will be set up for students, parents, and move-in workers, courtesy of IUP Greek organizations and IUP APSCUF.
Sam Clutter, director of University Safety, asks local motorists to avoid campus during the move-in dates by using Philadelphia Street and the Rose Street Extension.
IUP officials have been making community residents and merchants aware of move-in days and the anticipated traffic associated with the event.
Students have been given staggered arrival times, indicated on dashboard tags, so that move-in activity is spread throughout each day. As in past years, arriving students and their families are directed to a staging area in the Miller Stadium parking lot and will be released from there to the appropriate building.
More than 400 volunteers, including members of more than 25 student organizations, will assist as movers. IUP police officers, faculty, and student workers from a variety of offices are active throughout move-in days to help make students feel welcome.
In addition, 120 community assistants, academic success mentors and graduate and professional residence hall staff members will work inside the residence halls to greet and assist students and family members.
Professionals from the Office of Public Safety, the Center for Student Life and the Office of Housing, Residential Living and Dining begin developing move-in day procedures, signs, work schedules and publications during the spring semester of the previous year, according to Valerie Baroni, chair of the IUP Move-In Committee.
A total of 3,942 students live in on-campus housing, including the 129 upperclassmen in University Towers.