Note: These are 2024 dates. Dates for 2025 will be posted as soon as they are set! Fall Welcome will start with move-in days Thursday, August 22, to Saturday, August 24, 2024 and continue with programming days until Tuesday, August 27, 2024. Please check the official Move-In website for specific move-in information.
Students living on campus will have the option to choose their move-in time starting the first week of August. Students should receive communication for Housing to make this choice. The move-in days from 2024 were Thursday, August 22, to Saturday, August 24, 2024.
Fall Welcome has many different opportunities covering a variety of topics and areas of interest. There will be icebreakers, games, and opportunities to meet new people, learn about campus, and find out more about classes and WMU resources. Students can participate in fun Afterdark activities and engage in meaningful discussions to learn more about themselves and their peers.
Fall Welcome has a built-in activity called "The Hunt" that takes place over the whole campus, as well as downtown Kalamazoo. Students can earn points by simply participating in Fall Welcome. Points go towards really fun prizes like TVs and game systems. Students are encouraged to complete The Hunt and earn points to have better chances of winning better prizes. The point system will all be explained in the Student Orientation Hub a week before Fall Welcome starts.
Fall Welcome will be entirely in-person. All activities will take place on Western Michigan University's main campus and the greater Kalamazoo area. However, there are some virtual components. The Hunt, requires students to walk around campus and Kalamazoo city to find codes related to buildings, stores, resources, and statues. This can be done with any free time students have. All the codes will be submitted on a virtual platform.
There is a lot of criteria that goes into grouping for Fall Welcome. Groups are primarily based on special programs, interest groups, learning communities, and college of study. Though these groups are set from the start, students may switch groups if requested. Groups are also associated with meal times so if students switch groups, they may need to change meal times as well.
Yes, Fall Welcome is a mandatory program for all first-year students but not required for marching band, fall sports, or transfer students. Transfer students are still highly encouraged to participate however. All incoming non-graduate students are expected to participate throughout the program. Some special programs and courses may have certain requirements that take place during Fall Welcome and lack of participation could hinder success or a grade.
All commuting freshman (beginner) students are required to attend Fall Welcome. Transfer students are encouraged to participate in Fall Welcome and can register to attend.
If, for whatever reason, you are unable to attend Fall Welcome, please call the Office of Student Transitions at (269) 387-2167. We will assist you.
As an athlete or marching band student, you are exempt from participating in Fall Welcome; however, if you decide to participate, you are more than welcome to do so. Athletes and marching band students will not be charged for participating and will already have assigned groups and activities they can do should they have the time to participate.
Students are assigned mealtimes based on their group number and college. All meals are covered for students through Fall Welcome move-in days. Meal plans will go into effect on Sunday, August 25. Commuter students or students without a meal plan will still be able to eat through the end of Fall Welcome ending after lunch on Tuesday, August 27.
Students planning to keep a car on campus or commute to campus will need to buy a virtual parking permit. Parking will be enforced starting the first day of classes (Wednesday, August 28), so please prepare ahead of time. For more information on parking at WMU and important dates to consider, please visit the Parking Services website. During Fall Welcome, parking in student and commuter lots will not be enforced, but employee parking will still be enforced.
The price for Fall Welcome will appear on the September billing statement as $265 (2024 rate). This will not appear for students that are in the marching band or are a fall sports student, regardless of participation.