a group of family members and students walk across campus

Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Indiana community will welcome hundreds of families for the 2022 Family Weekend celebration on September 23 and 24.

The weekend’s programming is designed to appeal to all ages.

“Our IUP families are very important to us, and Family Weekend is part of our commitment to keep our families informed and involved with IUP,” Amber Racchini, acting assistant vice provost for the University College, said. “Our families are always welcome here.”

Weekend events begin on September 24 with check-in and registration in the Performing Arts Center’s Fisher Auditorium from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m., with welcome remarks and a keynote speaker from 10:30 to 11:00 a.m.

Events continue with a special welcome event in the IUP Oak Grove from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; tours of the Center for Multicultural Student Leadership and Engagement in Elkin Hall, the Military and Veterans Resource Center, and the Center for Health and Well-Being in Maple East Hall; and the IUP Food Pantry and Help Center in Wallwork Hall. The IUP Army ROTC program will have an open house in Pierce Hall from noon to 3:00 p.m.

Stapleton Library will present a “Library Discovery Experience” from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with interactive games and experiences. IUP games and trivia will be held from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Hadley Union Building (HUB). Events conclude with a family night bingo in the HUB at 7:00 p.m., sponsored by the Office of Student Wellness and Engagement and BACCHUS.

The Alumni Legacy Welcome Brunch, introduced in 2018 and sponsored by the IUP Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement, recognizes those families who have parents or grandparents who are IUP graduates and who have a son/daughter or grandson/granddaughter currently attending IUP. It will be held September 24 at 8:30 a.m. at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in the PNC Room.

Pre-registration for the Alumni Legacy Welcome Brunch is required and can be made on the IUP Alumni and Constituent Engagement website. 

A number of home athletic events are scheduled for September 24: women’s field hockey at 11:00 a.m..; women’s soccer at 2:00 p.m.; and women’s volleyball at 6:00 p.m.

The football game, which begins at 4:00 p.m., will include recognition of the 2022 Athletic Hall of Fame inductees:

  • Mark Bridge, a non-degree alumnus, track and field 1998–2002
  • Richard (Rick) Dahlgren ’70, baseball 1966–70
  • Kathy Ewing Tatiossian ’87, cross country-track and field 1983–87
  • Nafee Harris ’15, track and field 2007–11
  • Erin Holloway ’11, M’12, softball 2007–11
  • Shawn Kunes ’91, football 1987–91
  • Akwasi Owusu-Ansah ’14, football 2006–10
  • Darryl Webb ’11, basketball 2007–11
  • Katie Woodruff Britt ’95, swimming 1991–95
  • Anthony Medvetz ’86, tennis coach 1999–2008

The 1993 football team, which competed in a national championship game, also will be honored. Team member Je’Mone Smith ’93 will offer remarks about the team, including remembering two players from that team that passed away: Christopher Harris ’98 and Ahmed Lopez ’96, M’03.

There will also be a moment of remembrance for the late Frank Cignetti Sr. ’60, M’65, who was coach of the 1993 team. Cignetti passed away September 10.

Brig. Gen. Rodney Ruddock ’65, M ’75, a 1964 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, and Ellen Sylves Ruddock ’65 will receive the honorary Bell Ringer Award for their contributions to IUP athletics.

The IUP University Museum, located on the first floor of Sutton Hall, is hosting “Soul of a Region,” featuring a group of dynamic and culturally diverse artists of color who collectively work in a broad range of media mirroring the distinct experiences of the artists themselves.

The exhibition includes works and performances by Tina Brewer, Ashley Jones, Mary Martin, Christine Bethea, Jo-Anne Bates, Ruth Bedeian, Carlos Peterson, V Owens, Ricardo Iamuuri Robinson, and Jasiri X. 

The Museum is open from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays; admission is free, and it is open to the community.

On September 25, students in Sharon Massey and Sean Derry’s three-dimensional design courses will transform the traffic island on Oakland Avenue (across from the Oak Grove) into a Traffic Island Oasis for visitors to visit and enjoy.

The students will create the illusion of a sandy beach populated with items constructed from post-consumer cardboard. Visitors are invited to vote for their favorite items and two students will be awarded “People's Choice Awards.”

The Kona Ice Truck will be parked by the island, and photographs are encouraged. This temporary site-specific art installation is a family-friendly event.

Parking on campus, except for reserved spots and handicapped parking, is free and open after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends. Reserved spots in the Parking Garage, located off Oakland Avenue, are open to visitors after 5:00 p.m. and on weekends.