What students, parents and guests need to know about Bobcat Welcome Week

Move in

Photo courtesy of: University Communications and MarketingWelcome Week is always a great bonding time for families

Ohio University’s newest Bobcats and their parents will transition from home life to college life in Athens during Bobcat Welcome Week. Helping to ease the transition will be student volunteers, faculty and staff who will assist others in successfully navigating campus, moving into residence halls and educating others about the University’s welcoming activities as well as sustainability and recycling efforts.  

This year’s events kick off on Thursday, Aug. 23, and continue through Saturday, Sept. 1. Campus will be bustling with activity, and the following information is designed to assist in helping make the move-in experience as smooth as possible.

When should I arrive?
Residence hall move-in will be staggered by floor to allow ample time and space for unpacking and settling in. Please refer to the Residence Halls page in the online Arrival Guide at https://www.ohio.edu/arrival-guide/halls for a detailed schedule. Housing and Residence Life also maintains a website with move in information, FAQs and an instructional flow chart: https://www.ohio.edu/housing/movein.cfm. 

Individuals with disabilities or who require special assistance must request help in advance of arrival by calling Housing and Residence Life at 740-593-4090.

What’s the best way for me to get around campus?
Officers with the Ohio University Police Department and staff members from Housing and Residence Life will help direct traffic to residence halls and answer questions about where individuals can unload belongings. Directional signage will be posted along US 33/32, US 50 and throughout campus to guide individuals to the appropriate residential greens.

Cars will be permitted to park adjacent to residence halls and in marked university meters for 30 minutes to unload. Once belongings are unloaded, an OHIO staff member will help direct vehicles to extended time limit parking areas. Please note that Early Arrival Move-In on Aug. 18 will have limited resources available.

  • In an effort to accommodate move in needs, the dark green and purple lots on campus will be available for parking. A map detailing these lot locations can be accessed at: https://www.ohio.edu/athens/parking/.
  • Parking is NOT permitted in fire lanes
  • While parking on the grass is not normally permitted, a special exception will be made in certain areas to accommodate the large number of vehicles moving into residence halls.
    • Note: Please only utilize parking within the grass in approved locations as directed by an OHIO staff member. 

Designated Move in Parking Areas:
Temporary Parking Locations – 30 Minute Limit

  • Lot 90 (Morton Hall)
  • Lot 87/93 (Ping Center)
  • Lot 104 (Jefferson Hall)
  • Lot 119 (Sargent Hall)
  • Lots 78 & 79 (South Green Garage)
  • Lots 4 & 6 (Scott Quad)
  • Lots 114 & 115 (James/Wilson Halls)
  • Lot 83 (Clippinger/Living Learning Center)
  • Meters in a variety of locations throughout campus will be bagged and signed as move in parking with a 30-minute parking maximum to accommodate those needing close access to residence halls.


Designated move in parking areas will be noted with signage at the entrance stating: “Move-In Parking, 30 Minute Loading/Unloading”.

Extended Parking Locations:
No Time Limit (Thursday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 26)

  • Lot 125 (Track & Field Facility) – West Green
  • Lot 132 (Peden Stadium)
  • Lot 133 (Walter Fieldhouse)
  • Lots 51-55 (South Green)
  • Lots 40 & 41 (East Green/Lower Seigfred)
  • Lot 143 (Central Food Facility - West Green)
  • Lot 84 (Clippinger/Living Learning Center)

Extended parking for Thursday, Aug. 23 through Sunday, Aug. 26 can be found in any dark green or purple lot on campus that is not marked as move-in parking, 30-minute limit.

Parking Office Hours & Contact Information:
Transportation and Parking Services will hold special operating hours at Baker University Center for move in weekend on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to assist customers needing parking for fall semester. For questions regarding move in parking, please contact the Parking Services Office at 740-593-1917 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or e-mail parking@ohio.edu.

Transportation Information:

In an effort to provide safe transportation alternatives to students and their guests during Welcome Week activities, Ohio University's Late Night transit operation, CATS, will provide transit opportunities during Welcome Week, Aug. 20-25. Transit will be available between the hours of 5:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. Customers wishing to use this free service may request a ride by calling or texting 740-593-4040. Rides may also be pre-scheduled via this same method or by emailing transportation@ohio.edu.

Portion of East State St. to be closed until Aug. 24

The City of Athens has closed a portion of E. State Street between N. College and Fern Street due to water line replacement; they estimate that the road will reopen Friday, Aug. 24. However, students, faculty, staff and visitors to the Athens Campus may want to consider alternative routes depending upon their planned arrival date to campus.

Can I get a hand?
Bobcat Move-In Crew volunteers will be available to answer questions, assist with move-in and offer directions to campus buildings and parking lots. Additional support services include:

  • Water stations that will be set up on each green on Thursday and Friday to provide hydration.
  • Ohio University IT support will be available for tech support at the Bobcat Depot located on the ground floor of Baker University Center, Nelson Hall located on South Green and Boyd Hall located on West Green during the following times: Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional full-service technical support will be available by phone by calling 740-593-1222 during the above hours. Students also can call after hours to request a password reset or to report an outage. Students can also reset their password or submit a service request at www.ohio.edu/oit.   
     

Where can I eat?
Heavy lifting can work up an appetite. When hunger strikes, delicious food can be found within any of OHIO Culinary Services’ conveniently located venues.

All meal plans begin with lunch on Thursday, Aug. 23; Nelson Court and the refreshed Shively Court will open Thursday at 11 a.m. for lunch, and The District on West Green will open Friday at 11:30 a.m. for lunch.

Parents are encouraged to have a meal with their student in the Dining Courts. Students with Traditional Meal Plans have an allotted number of guest meal swipes they can use. Flex Meal Plan holders can use their allotted weekly meals to pay for guests. Special weekend pricing of $8.00 plus tax is available Thursday lunch through Sunday dinner at the residential Dining Courts. The regular Dining Court walk-in price for lunch is $11.65 plus tax or dinner is $15.05 plus tax; breakfast is $9 plus tax. 

Starting Monday, Aug. 20, parents and students can grab lunch at the Hungry Cat Food Truck, located at the top of Morton Hill, or at West 82 Food Court from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Centrally located in Baker University Center, West 82 offers a variety of food options ranging from the new Big 82 Burger, fresh-Mex specialties, West Greens salad bar, deli options and more. Jefferson Marketplace will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. starting Thursday, Aug. 23, with a selection of meals, snacks, beverages and schools supplies in addition to Brick City Deli, The Ohio Cafe and Steeped & Stirred. 

Bookmark www.ohio.edu/food for a complete list of Culinary Services locations and hours of operation or download the OHIO Culinary Services mobile app – the official resource for dining information at Ohio University. The app is free to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app features quick access to venue hours, locations, menus, account balances and more. Special offers and push notifications can be sent directly to your device.

Questions about financial aid, classes and more
Whether you’re new to campus or returning for another exciting year, you might have additional questions that can only be answered by a specific department. Several units will have extended hours to accommodate after-hours requests or concerns. These include:

  • Office of the Bursar (Chubb Hall): Open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday; and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Office of Student Financial Aid (Chubb Hall): Open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday; and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Housing and Residence Life (Living Learning Center): Open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Office of the Registrar (Chubb Hall): Open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday; and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
  • Undergraduate Admissions (Chubb Hall): Open 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday; open 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. 


Student ID Card information
Student identification cards can be obtained at the Bobcat Depot on the ground floor of Baker University Center for those students who did not receive a card during Bobcat Student Orientation.

ID cards are used to check out materials at Alden Library; for memberships at Ping Center, Aquatic Center and Bird Arena; for Bobcat Cash at Baker University Center Food Court, vending machines and campus convenience stores; to enter the student section of sporting events; to track meal plans; and to access buildings in some locations. Questions about ID cards should be directed to Bobcat Depot at 740-597-3376.

For more information on services offered by the Bobcat Depot, please visit bobcatdepot.ohio.edu. Bobcat Depot will be open: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 23; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug 26.

Recycling containers available in all residence halls 
Every year, Ohio University Campus Recycling recovers tons of cardboard and packaging materials from residence halls and other on-campus buildings. Mixed stream recycling is provided in every residence hall room and across campus for all paper, cardboard, bottles, cans and #1 through #7 plastics. During Bobcat Welcome Week, look for additional collection areas for Styrofoam, plastic packaging and cardboard boxes.

For additional information about Bobcat Move-In Week, please view the complete 2018 Arrival Guide at www.ohio.edu/arrival-guide.

Published
August 15, 2018
Author
George E. Mauzy Jr.