News from SUNY Cortland

For more information contact: Jennifer Wilson, 607-753-2232

SUNY Cortland Students Return to Campus; Classes Begin Aug. 25

CORTLAND, NY (08/12/2008; 1403)(readMedia)-- Students begin returning to SUNY Cortland on Thursday, Aug. 21, when the campus will open its 16 residence halls to approximately 100 new residential students who did not attend the summer orientation program.

The remaining new residential students will return Friday, Aug. 22. Returning residential students will move in Saturday, Aug. 23, through Sunday, Aug. 24. In all, College officials expect 7,100 students to be enrolled for the fall semester. Classes begin on Monday, Aug. 25.

Between Friday and Sunday, access will be limited on Prospect Terrace and from Graham Ave. to Neubig Road, which winds past the SUNY Cortland residence halls to the Broadway intersection. Traffic will proceed one-way, in a westerly, downhill direction from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. during this time. On Friday, university police will limit traffic solely to freshman or transfer students moving into the residences. Neubig Road will be closed to traffic from 5 a.m.-8:30 a.m. during all three move-in days.

Parents or guardians who are helping their new or returning student move into a residence hall should approach from Graham Ave., quickly unload their vehicle, and proceed immediately to the Park Center and Studio West parking lots. Bus service will be available between the parking lots, Corey Union and the residence halls. Faculty, staff and others with business on the campus are encouraged to park at Park Center and Studio West and use the bus service.

Faculty and staff are invited to join the welcome teams that help new students move into the residence halls from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Friday.

SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum will provide his annual opening address to the College's faculty and staff at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 23, in the Corey Union Function Room. New faculty will be introduced by Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mark Prus, who will give a report from his area. The gathering will also receive division updates from Vice President for Finance and Management William Shaut, Vice President for Student Affairs Gregory Sharer and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Raymond Franco. A faculty panel with representatives from each school will discuss "undergraduate research," the meeting's theme, and groups will break out for discussion.

Marking the start of another academic year, the Fall 2008 Academic Convocation begins at 4 p.m. in the Park Center Alumni Ice Arena. The hour-long ceremony is designed for all first-year and new transfer students along with the SUNY Cortland faculty and professional staff.

SUNY Cortland Welcome Week

Welcome Week will offer a number of events from Friday, Aug. 22, through Wednesday, Sept. 3. The activities, which are free unless otherwise noted, will help new students connect with the campus community and assist them in their transition and adjustment to college life.

Highlights of Welcome Week are as follows:

On Saturday, Aug. 23, the group Campus2Career will present "The Ultimate Road Trip" from 1:15-3:15 p.m. in the Corey Union Exhibition Lounge. Their 50-minute, interactive-style program aim is to provide students with important information on how to survive their first college year and use their entire college experience to drive themselves toward future career successes. Participants will be shown how to recognize choices they can make at several important "stops" along the college journey to maximize their future opportunities.

A picnic will take place from 5-8 p.m. that afternoon on the Shea-Bishop Hall Quad. The event moves to Neubig Hall in the event of rain.

Comedian Romont Harris will perform his routine at 9 p.m. that evening in the Corey Union Function Room. Harris got his first taste of the spotlight in high school in Philadelphia; where he reigned as the unofficial "class clown." An energetic performer, he likes to give his audiences a well-rounded show of comedy, song and dance. The entertainer has appeared on television with "The Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon," the syndicated game show "Love Connection," NBC's "It's Showtime At The Apollo" and "Bet's Comic View."

Mentalist Alain Nu comes to campus courtesy of the Student Activities Board, where he will offer participants a guided tour through the mind and its mysteries at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, in the Corey Union Function Room. Part magician and part dynamic speaker, Nu makes his audience see things that aren't there and feel things that aren't real, opening up a world of possibilities limited only by the individual's imagination. Clairvoyance, thought control, synchronicity, mind over matter, it's all rolled up in his show. He has been featured on television, radio and newspapers worldwide. He's also the star of TLC's television series, "The Mysterious World of Alain Nu."

Welcome Week is sponsored annually for SUNY Cortland students by the Student Activities Board (SAB), the Auxiliary Services Corporation, Campus Activities and Corey Union, Recreational Sports, Residential Services, the student Residence Hall Association (RHA) and the Advisement and Transition Office.

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