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Program welcomes spring semester's incoming students

Dec. 22, 2008

KALAMAZOO--Students who begin their studies at the start of Western Michigan University's spring semester will be officially welcomed to campus during the inaugural Spring Welcome Fest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, in the Bernhard Center Ballroom.

All WMU students, faculty and staff are invited to attend the event, which will feature an hour-long program with remarks by WMU's top two administrators, and informational displays staffed by representatives of academic departments, student-services offices and registered student organizations. Light refreshments will be served.

The program will be held twice to accommodate student, faculty and staff schedules. WMU President John M. Dunn will give the welcome for the program that starts at 10 a.m. while Provost Timothy J. Greene will give the welcome for the program that starts at noon.

Both programs will include remarks from a representative of the Western Student Association, who will address student engagement in college life, and a panel discussion by first-year, transfer and international students.

Panel members will discuss things they wish they had known before beginning their first semester of college as well as share some of the important lessons they've learned during the first semester. A question-and-answer period will follow.

"We hold Bronco Bash in the fall to welcome students to campus and get them acclimated and energized, but we haven't had an event for students who enroll later in the academic year," says Steven D. Miller, transfer student advocate.

"The Spring Welcome Fest is a chance for departments, offices and student organizations to showcase themselves and for the campus community to get acquainted with some of the newest members of the WMU family. We want our incoming students to know that we're glad they're here, and we want to help them get off to a good start."

Miller notes that WMU's enrolled students aren't always able to resume their studies in fall and many first-time undergraduate, graduate, transfer and international students aren't able to begin their college careers until halfway through the academic year. Consequently, he says, about 1,900 returning and new students will be arriving on campus in January.

The Spring Welcome Fest is being sponsored by WMU's Advocacy Office for Transfer Students and Military Affairs, First-Year Experience Programs, Student Activities and Leadership Programs, and International Admissions and Services.

For more information about Spring Welcome Fest, contact Steven D. Miller at steve.miller@wmich.edu or (269) 387-0740.

Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu

WMU News
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