As WVU Potomac State College prepares to welcome first-time students, it offers a few back-to-school reminders. Most preparation should already be done if all deadlines have been met. Welcome Week activities start when students return to campus this Sunday, August 16.
For the Student Life and Housing department, this is their busiest season, and with good reason.
“This is an exciting transition. For many students, they are making that move into becoming a real-world adult. We are here to assist them through that entire process,” said Kara Hotchkiss, Director of Residence Life and Coordinator of Student Engagement at WVU PSC.
Welcome Week activities include:
August 16: Move-In Day
Check-in begins at 9 a.m. in the Mary Shipper Library.
“When you check in, you get your student ID, your room and building assignment, your parking permits, and a bunch of very helpful information to help you settle in, meet a roommate, and get ready for classes to kick off on Tuesday,” said Hotchkiss.
During Move-In Day: 12-2 p.m. Lunch, Courtesy of Student Experiences.
“We will be doing a big picnic-style lunch on the Quad for students, families, and friends who have helped with Move-In Day,” said Hotchkiss. “Everyone is invited so you can take a little bit of a break, get something to eat, and really start to connect with other students moving in that day. You also get to meet all the Resident Assistants. Those are students who also live in the halls and act as your go-to person if your toilet overflows or you catch a washing machine on fire- which happens at least twice a year. But it’s important to take that break and connect socially.”
Living on Campus: Housing Rules and Expectations, 7 p.m. Davis Conference Center
Mandatory for all first-time students living on campus
“We go through all of our campus community guidelines. We learn how to have a great experience, be a good roommate, and be a good neighbor,” said Hotchkiss. “My least favorite part of my job is when I have to have a student in my office because they have made a poor choice.”
August 17: Convocation Day, 11 am, Church-McKee
Mandatory for all first-time students
This program is designed to set the tone for the start of the semester and help students remember their purpose in attending WVU Potomac State College.
“All of our new students will participate in Convocation Day,” said Hotchkiss. “Convocation is great. It’s a type of refresher of getting students set up on the right foot and helping them remember why they chose Potomac State and making sure students have made connections with faculty and staff. There’s a big picnic lunch. It’s a great day.”
Exploration Day
“We also host Exploration Day because we want the students to be able to take a break, relax, and do an activity of choice that fits the student’s interest and meet fellow students that share these interests. It’s the same afternoon as Convocation Day. “
The scheduled activities include:
· Paint and Sip
· Outdoor Recreation
“We will take a group of students to a local lake,” said Hotchkiss. “They can swim, hike, and be outdoorsy.”
· Esports Gaming
Outdoor Movie Night
“We host an outdoor movie night for students that first time. We have firepits, games, S’mores, all that fun stuff,” Hotchkiss said.
The first week also includes:
· Campus Clean-Up Service Project
· Game Night in the Library
· Bubble Soccer at Stayman Field
August 26: Campus and Community Involvement Fair
Join a club or organization, learn about campus resources, and engage with businesses in the surrounding communities.
“There are tons of opportunities to get involved,” said Hotchkiss. “You should not be bored while you are here. Family and friends of students, if your student is complaining that they are
bored and don’t know what to do, I can promise you that is a choice because we try to make sure there is something always going on. We have tons of student clubs and organizations. It’s up to the student to get out and get involved and find something they like to do that occupies their time.”
The Student Checklist:
AlcoholEdu
This is required for all first-time and transfer students. Instructions and deadlines have been sent via email to students. This is a system-wide initiative applicable to any student joining the West Virginia University system at the Keyser, Beckley, and Morgantown campuses. It is an online module that needs to be completed in two parts.
“Every student who is at WVU has to take the module and complete it. We want to make sure we are all coming in on the same page and making good, educated choices,” said Hotchkiss. “You can take this module on your own time, and you don’t have to do it all in one sitting. The important thing with this is that if a student misses any of the module deadlines, there is a fine or fee assessed to the student billing account. We don’t want anyone to deal with that, so I would advise students to make sure they are on top of that.”
Student IDs
Students must submit their photo or have had their photo taken at one of the six new student orientation events to receive their official student identification.
“Your student ID is literally your key to campus,” Hotchkiss said. “If you live in the residence halls, it’s how you access your building and your room. It’s how you use your meal plan. If you are not living on campus, it is still equally important because it’s how you access printing services, pick up any tickets that are issued through athletics, and most importantly, how you pick up your tickets when you graduate.”
Parking Permits
Bringing a vehicle to campus? Parking permits must be secured in order to park on campus without receiving an unwanted warning or fine from the parking enforcement officer.
“We are all exceptionally great at our jobs here at WVU Potomac State College, but there is no one that works harder than our parking enforcement officer, Tom,” Hotchkiss said. “Tom will ticket, and Tom will not feel bad about it, so make sure if you are a student or new to campus, you get your parking permit. You can get that online, and that will be ready the first week of classes or when students move in as well.”
Title IX Essentials
All first-time freshmen and transfer students are required to complete Title IX Essentials for Students upon enrollment through Blackboard eCampus. If students do not complete the training within the required timeframe, a registration hold will be placed on student accounts, which prevents them from registering for classes until the module is completed.
“Every single student coming through the WVU system has to do this. But it’s easy and should take about 45 minutes. Faculty and staff have to do it every year as well,” said Hotchkiss. “We just want to familiarize our students with how you are protected. And we want students to know the difference between what’s cool and what could really get them into trouble.”
Housing Application
By this point in the registration process, every student who intends to live on campus should be assigned a living space based on their application and preferences. Any student enrolled in classes full-time is required to live on campus with the following exceptions:
· Students who are 21 years of age or older by the first day of classes during the applicable term.
· Married students
· Custodial student parents.
· Students residing with custodial parents/guardians in Mineral County or one of its contiguous counties: Grant, Hampshire, and Hardy Counties in West Virginia and Allegany and Garrett Counties in Maryland.
Any student who does not qualify for an exemption that fails to complete a housing application by Monday, August 24 will have housing charges assessed to their student account.
“If you don’t meet the exemptions, it’s very important that you fill out a housing application and get your room assignment,” Hotchkiss said. “If by August 24- which is the last day to drop or withdraw from classes- and you are not exempt, and you have not completed a housing application, you will see a housing charge on your account. We don’t want anyone to panic, so please come talk to student housing and student life if you are not sure or not sure what to do next.”
MIX Email Accounts
Start checking your email accounts now at least once a day, as classes begin. All official college communication will be sent to your student accounts – including special events, calendar items, changes to class instructions, athletic events and practices, and the weekly student newsletter.
For more information, for questions, to connect with a resident assistant, or to reach the director’s office, visit https://studentexperience.potomacstatecollege.edu/housing-residence-life and https://studentexperience.potomacstatecollege.edu/student-activities
To register for an Exploration Day activity, log on to
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffREls0Llo8jQCdTIYkmDowrP7TdFHA6_iv6Cgmk7Dqnc0BA/viewform