By MATT PIKE
Northwest Missouri State University is getting ready to welcome students back to campus and back into the dorms for a new school year which begins next week.
The new school year begins with move-in day, information sessions, and a variety of activities to help students connect with the university, its resources, as well as the Maryville community. Students will begin moving into campus residence halls on Thursday, August 20thm which also marks the start of Advantage at Northwest, an annual orientation program designed to help first-year students get acquainted with other Northwest students, learn about the campus and enjoy some entertainment before fall classes begin the following Monday..
During move in day, the university will close some parking lots and reroute traffic during move-in times to help students and their guests navigate the campus more easily and help make the moving in process safer. Members of the community should expect an increase in traffic volume. During move-in times, the following parking lots will be closed and traffic restrictions will apply.
Thursday, Aug. 20
- Parking Lot 10 (behind Hudson and Perrin halls)
- Parking Lot 39 (between Dieterich and Millikan halls)
- Parking Lot 42 (from Towers Suites east to College Park Drive)
- Parking Lot 41 between Millikan Hall and the Wellness Center
- Parking Lot 57 (at the Student Union).
- Parking Lot 44 between Franken and Dieterich halls, as well as College Park Drive from the intersection of Northwest Drive to Franken Hall, will be blocked during move-in hours on Thursday.
- Parking Lot 57 will allow parking along the north row of the sidewalk and ADA parking with a valid permit.
Friday, Aug. 21
- Parking lots 39, 42 and 57 will be monitored throughout the day, due to increased foot traffic and late arrivals. Restrictions may be implemented for safety reasons with little to no notice.
All vehicles within these lots will be towed after 7pm on Wednesday, August 19th. To access campus maps and view the lots you can click HERE. In addition to parking lot closures, University Police will direct traffic as follows, beginning around 7am on August 20th. All traffic within move-in zones will be stopped to engage with arrivals and help in reducing confusion.
- Traffic on College Park Drive will be restricted between Dietrich Hall and Memorial Drive as well as from Memorial Drive to Lot 57.
- Eastbound traffic on Northwest Drive will be restricted between Millikan Hall and College Park Drive.
Students and employees who will be using vehicles, motorcycles, or scooters must obtain a permit to be able to park on campus. Parking permits are available at the University Police Department after registering. For more information about on-campus traffic and parking you can contact University Police or follow the department for updates on Twitter or Facebook.
In the case of severe weather during move-in day, all move in activities will be suspended for a minimum of 30 minuts if lightning strikes within eight miles of campus. Officials from Northwest will communicate the suspension of move-in day activities through Bearcat Alert and social media channels. Students and parents on campus will shelter in their assigned buildings or the nearest accessible university building. All incoming students and parents will be instructed to delay their arrival in accordance with procedure and best practices for safety. Move-in day activities will resume at the direction of University Police or the university’s emergency management coordinator.
Along with move-in day activities, the annual Advantage at Northwest orientation program includes a variety of activities designed to help acclimate students. The schedule includes Northwest’s annual convocation and pep rally for new students at 4pm on Friday, August 21st, at the Memorial Bell Tower. Northwest community members and families are invited to line the sidewalk in the center of the campus to welcome new students as they walk under the tower.
Advantage activities conclude with the University’s annual back-to-school fireworks display around 8:30pm on Sunday, August 23rd, at Donaldson Westside Park. The fireworks display is open to the public.
You can follow Matt on X @KfeqMatt.