West Chester University Welcomes Over 4,000 New Students

WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University’s incoming first-year students of more than 4,000 are making history as the largest first-year class.

This includes 3,030 freshmen and more than 1,000 first-year students.

The students will create a unique formation on the Quad at 4 p.m. Sunday, and the first day of school is Monday, Aug, 8.

The theme of the welcome week from Wednesday through Sunday is Road To Ram Country.

The annual Ram Rally spirit event with Rammy, cheerleaders, and the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band takes place tonight, from 8 to 10 p.m. in Hollinger Field House and kick-off for the fall football scrimmage is 6 p.m. Friday Farrell Stadium.

On Friday, the students will also participate in a “Welcome to the Borough” event giving the students a chance to explore West Chester and meet Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste, a class of 1974 WCU alumna, as well as business owners and residents.

In addition, the students will participate in a T-shirt giveaway (while supplies last) with Rita’s water ice “meet and greet” sessions with emergency responders, and a volunteer fair in Align Space at the intersection of High and Market streets.

Frozen banana treats will be offered Friday afternoon outside the Sciences and Engineering Center and The Commons.

Facilities Improvements

Students who live on campus this academic year are moving into rooms with fresh paint and upgraded lighting, plus other amenities. The upgrades also include:

• The renovation of the South Campus Apartment Complex bathrooms included new shower stalls, toilets, lighting, vanities, flooring, and shelving in approximately 25 percent of the apartments. Renovations will continue each summer.
• The lighting upgrade project provided a new light fixture with a dimmer in approximately 1,300 student bedrooms in Tyson, Goshen, Killinger, Schmidt Halls, and South Campus apartments.
• Kitchen appliance upgrades consisted of new refrigerators and ranges in all apartment communities
• The painting project included painting six buildings at South Campus Apartments, all 41 apartments within College Arms Apartments, Schmidt Hall, and all lounges in Tyson and Goshen Halls.

The WCU Grounds Crew has also maintained the campus green spaces, from the academic and residential quad areas to the South Campus playing fields.

In addition, the borough and the state managed infrastructure improvements this summer along High Street and South New Street, including repaving and repainting crosswalks.