Support begins from the moment students arrive on campus at Slippery Rock University. Volunteers from all over the campus community show up to welcome new students. Among the more than 500 volunteers are returning students and 120 SRU faculty and staff who roll up their sleeves to direct traffic, carry boxes and greet arriving families.
For SRU professors, trading in the lecture hall for a curbside instruction is all about building immediate connections and taking the stress out of move-in day.
“I just want to help out students and make sure their first day at SRU is a memorable one –– one that is stress-free and easygoing,” said Louis Christensen, SRU assistant professor of engineering.
More than 1,400 first-year and transfer students moved into residence halls on Thursday, Aug. 20, with another returning students 900 arriving Sunday, Aug. 23, brining a total of 2,920 students who will live in SRU residence halls this fall. Despite the heavy traffic and loaded carts, the atmosphere remained upbeat, welcoming and contagious.
“This motivates me for the rest of the semester, seeing all the happy new students come in, knowing that I will get to work with them for the next four years,” said Beth Ann Rice, an associate professor of psychology. “Everyone is excited on the first day. We’re here to make sure everyone has a strong start, knowing that there’s faculty here that they can reach out to.”
That hands-on presence sets the tone for the semester ahead, showing new students that SRU faculty are invested in their success from day one.
“I’m excited when I see students and family coming on campus,” said Jessica Sarver, an assistant professor of chemistry. “It’s a fun and exciting day for them, and it feeds the momentum for the start of the semester.”
With boxes unpacked and residence halls filled, the effort made one thing clear: at SRU, support isn’t just given in the classroom, it starts the moment students arrive on campus.
