Members of the 'Cat Crew annually help new students move into Northwest residence halls in anticipation of the fall semester. (Northwest Missouri State University photos)

Aug. 20, 2018

Northwest readies for move-in day, Advantage activities

Advantage activities (above and below) include move-in, games, speakers, movies and the annual March to the Tower on Sunday afternoon.

-

-

Northwest is preparing to welcome first-time freshmen and transfer students to its campus as the 2018-19 academic year begins.

Thursday, Aug. 23, marks the kickoff 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, Monday, Aug. 27.

Check-in begins at 7 a.m. Thursday, and residential students will receive a welcome packet when they check in at their residence halls. Commuter students should visit Orientation Central on the third floor of the J.W. Jones Student Union to pick up their welcome packet. The welcome packet contains an Advantage planner, Bearcat Card, updated class schedule, and a detailed information sheet about University Seminar.

Transfer students are encouraged to visit the Student Success Center on the second floor of the B.D. Owens Library to pick up their Transfer Advantage planner when they arrive on Friday, Aug. 24.

Orientation Central in the Student Union will serve as an information station on Thursday. Beginning Friday, students should visit the Student Success Center for information.

Move-in Day parking

Although select students will move on to campus Wednesday night, the University’s official move-in begins at 7 a.m. Thursday and will continue through Friday.

Northwest closes some parking lots and reroutes traffic during Advantage Week to allow students and parents to better navigate the campus while fostering a safe move-in process. Community members also should expect an increase in traffic volume.

The following lot closures and time restrictions apply to Advantage Week:

• Beginning at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, Northwest parking lots 10 (east of Hudson and Perrin halls), 39 (between Millikan and Dieterich halls) and 42 from Phillips Hall east to College Park Drive and 57 (adjacent to Everett Brown Education Hall and the Student Union) will be blocked, and remaining vehicles will be towed. Lot 42 will remain blocked until 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25. 
• One row north of the sidewalk in Lot 57 will remain open for parking, but the remainder of the lot will be unavailable for parking through Friday, Aug. 24.
• Lot 42 will remain blocked until 4 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24. 

All vehicles must be cleared from these areas during designated closures and remaining vehicles will be subject to towing. The clearing of these spaces helps Northwest provide services to students and parents as they are moving in.

As a reminder to Northwest employees and students, parking permits for the 2018-2019 academic year should be placed on vehicles by Monday, Aug. 27. Vehicles may be registered by logging onto CatPAWS. Click the Personal Information tab, click the Parking Permit Registration module, click “Proceed to register your vehicle” and follow the remaining steps. After completing the registration, registrants may pick up parking passes in the cashiering office on the first floor of the Administration Building.

For more information about on-campus traffic and parking, contact University Police at 660.562.1254 or follow the department for real-time updates on Twitter @NW_UPD, Instagram with nw_upd or Facebook at Northwest Missouri State University Police Department.

In case of severe weather during move-in

When lightning strikes within 8 miles of the Northwest campus:

• All move-in day activities will be suspended for a minimum of 30 minutes
• Northwest will communicate the suspension of move-in day activities through Bearcat Alert, Northwest social media and Residential Life social media
• Students and parents on the 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

Advantage activities

The Northwest community is invited to gather around the Memorial Bell Tower about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, to welcome new students as they participate in the March to the Tower. Ice cream will be served to students after they pass through the Bell Tower.

Northwest also will host its annual back-to-school fireworks presentation at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday at College Park.

A complete Advantage schedule and more information about new student activities are available by clicking here or on Northwest’s online calendar at http://calendar.nwmissouri.edu/.