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Get to Know the First Year Center
The First Year Center supports new students through their transition into the community of Washington University in St. Louis to assure that they build and sustain their academic and personal goals. The center brings together people, programs and resources to provide an undergraduate experience of exceptional quality where all students are known by name and story and where they prepare themselves for lives of purpose and meaning. Bear Beginnings: New Student Orientation, Parent & Family Weekend, and a host of other programs for students throughout the year are run out of the First Year Center.

Please visit the First Year Center websiteAlso, please feel free to contact us at firstyearcenter@wustl.edu or 314.935.5040.
August 2019 - In This Issue:
From the Desk of Dean Wild 
Dear parents and families:
 
Happy August! My colleagues and I are very excited about August - one of the best times of the year as we finish the final planning for Bear Beginnings: New Student Fall Orientation and your student's first year on campus. We look forward to meeting and welcoming you and our new students to their new home later this month.
 
As you pack, plan, and prepare for the journey and transition ahead, I wanted to share some last minute action items your family should be considering before arriving to campus.
  1. Encourage your student to complete all the items found in the June, July, & August Before You Arrive Checklists. Your student should have received postcards in the mail from us earlier this summer reminding them about these important to do items, but a digital version can also be found online. While all these items should be completed, one that is particularly important is the documentation for the Habif Health & Wellness Center including immunization records. Your student will not receive their student ID until all required immunization information has been submitted. Your student can log into their student health portal to see if they are compliant or non-compliant.
  2. Make sure your student is in communication with his or her roommate(s).This is a good time to coordinate who will be bringing what items to the rooms. Students can find their roommate and housing assignment within the housing portal, found within WebSTAC. A suggested list of items to bring is available in the packing list you can find on the new students website.
  3. Plan to join us on Saturday, August 17th for Move-In Day and Convocation. Parent & Family Orientation: Fall Welcome is August 17th and 18th. Be sure to preview the Parent & Family Orientation schedule and complete the RSVP form, if you have not done so already.
  4. Speaking of Move-In Day, spend time this month reviewing the Fall 2019 Move-In Guide. Your student should have received a copy in the mail from us last month, but a digital copy can be found online. The last page of the guide includes your Move-In Day parking placard which you will need to park on campus. Please be patient with us on Move-In Day and please arrive at your assigned time. We are moving a small city into the South 40 over a six hour period - it will be busy, but if everyone follows instructions, this will go smoothly.
Please let us know if you have questions. I read all my email, so if you have a question you'd like to ask me personally, please don't hesitate to write to me at  rob.wild@wustl.edu
 
We can't wait to see you!
 
Robert (Rob) M. Wild
Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Transition and Engagement & Dean of Students
What To Expect This Month
Your student will be receiving the following items in the mail from us this month:

  • This checklist will contain key information that should be completed in August (e.g. confirm AP, IB, and transfer credits, pack for move-in day, etc.).  
2.) Fall 2019 Move-In Guide
  • This guide was crafted by Residential Life and will help guide you and your student through Move-In Day on August 17, 2019. 
Your student will also be receiving the following items via email from us this month: 

1.) Bear Beginnings Waiver and Immersive Experience placement 
  • Your student received an email from us yesterday containing their Bear Beginnings waiver and immersive experience placement. This waiver needs to be signed by August 12 to ensure a smooth Bear Beginnings process. If your student is under 18, a parent or guardian will need to sign this waiver. 
You will also be receiving the following items in the mail from us this month:

  • This postcard includes important information about Move-In Day, Convocation, Bear Beginnings: New Student Fall Orientation, Parent & Family Orientation, and more. 
2.)  Parent & Family Weekend pos tcard      
  • Join us for Parent & Family Weekend November 1-3, 2019! Registration will open on Wednesday, September 4th and close on Wednesday, October 23rd. 

3.) Parent & Family Resource Calendar 

Move-In Day Information
As you and your student prepare for Move-In Day, please note the following:
  1. Adhere to your student's assigned move-in time slot. 
  2. Bear Beginnings activities for students begin at 5:00 PM on August 17th. Optional Parent & Family Orientation sessions begin at 4:00 PM. 
  3. Don't forget to bring the parking placard in the back of your student's Move-In Guide
  4. Help make sure all of your student's immunization information is completed before you arrive as they must have this submitted in order to pick up their student ID and gain access to their residence hall. 
  5. For information on how to get to campus on Move-In Day, visit the new students website.
Some families may choose to arrive in St. Louis on Friday night. Families can use that time to go shopping for any last minute supplies. You can find a list of nearby shopping options in our  shopping guide (pdf) . Families can also use this as an opportunity to have a family meal at a local restaurant.  You can find a list of nearby dining options in our dining guide (pdf)For families who are looking to participate in religious services on Friday evening, Chabad and Hillel will be hosting Shabbat Dinners. You can find out more information and RSVP to the dinners at the Chabad website and Hillel website.
Bear Beginnings and Parent & Family Orientation
We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2023 for Bear Beginnings: New Student Fall Orientation. Please join us on Saturday, August 17th for Move-In Day and Convocation. Parent & Family Orientation is August 17-18, 2019. 
 
Convocation Parent & Family Seating 
  • Convocation is the official academic welcome to the University. Please be aware the Athletic Complex has limited seating for parents and families attending Convocation. Nearby additional viewing locations will be available. You can find more information and stream the ceremony live on the Convocation webpage
  • Parent and Family Orientation will kick off at 4:00 PM with a lively presentation from Karen Levin Coburn, Senior Consultant in-Residence and co-author of the best-selling Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years (2016). At 5:30 PMimmediately prior to Convocation on Saturday, August 17th, families are invited to attend cultural and affinity group receptions as well as hear from the Career Center. Parents & families then have the option to attend a morning welcome on Sunday, August 18, including a continental breakfast reception and resource fair. You will then have the opportunity to hear from your student's academic division. 
Please complete our Parent & Family Orientation  RSVP form  if you plan on joining us on August 17th and 18th. We look forward to having you on campus!
Habif Health & Wellness
Upcoming Deadlines
  • Health History and Immunization Record:  Every student's Health History and Immunization Record must be completed through the student portal by  Friday, August 16, 2019 . Students must be compliant with all  immunization requirements  in order to gain access to their residence hall on Saturday, August 17th. 
  • Health Insurance Waiver: All full-time degree seeking undergraduate students are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan through United Healthcare Student Resources at a rate of $1,942 per year (August 1 - July 31, 2020). This charge has already been applied to all student accounts, however students can choose to opt of this plan by completing the 2-step health insurance waiver process in WebSTAC by September 5, 2019. Upon successful completion of the waiver, the health insurance fee will be removed from a student's account in 3-5 business days.
Shipping Items to Campus 
As of August 1, the university has implemented a new campus mail system. The change only impacts the mailbox identifier within your student's on-campus address. Campus Box numbers (CB_ _ _ _) have been replaced by MSC numbers. These numbers are between 4 and 6 digits and look like (MSC _ _ _ _ _). Please see below an example of this new change: 
 
Student's Name 
MSC XXXXX 
6515 Wydown Blvd. 
St. Louis, MO 63105-2215 
 
All students should have received their new MSC number on August 1st. Please see below instructions for how your student can access their new MSC number. 
 
Accessing your MSC number 
1.) Visit WebSTAC
2.) Select "login" 
3.) Enter your WUSTLKey and Password 
4.) Along the top horizontal bar, click the red text that says "Housing" 
5.) From the drop-down menu options, select "WashU Housing Portal"
6.) Click "Assignment" which will send you to you a new page that says "Fall 2019 - Spring 2020" 
7.) Click "View Details" 
6.) Mailbox Number and Pin will be displayed near the middle of the page under the heading that says "Mailing Address" 
Shopping in St. Louis
[Image Description]: Image of Tax-Free Weekend ad. Text: August 2-4. Shop tax free. Computers and tablets valued up to $1500 are tax free. Includes Apple and Dell Education prices & promotions. Safeware, AppleCare+ & Dell plans available. Pre-orders accepted for in-store pickup or free ground shipping.
As you help your student prepare for their move to campus, we wanted to provide some shopping resources and reminders for you. We hope you find these helpful as you finalize preparations for Move-In Day. 

Our 
packing list can be found online and designates items students should and should not bring to campus. Your student can expect to receive a Move-In Guide from Residential Life later this summer with this packing list included. If you plan on shipping items to campus, keep in mind that we can only accept packages beginning August 1, 2019.

Our Shopping in St. Louis Guide (PDF) provides addresses of popular places for students to shop near WashU. Copies will be available on Move-In Day at our welcome tents and on our website

We also encourage you to take advantage of Missouri's tax-free weekend. In 2019, the Sales Tax Holiday begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, August 2, and runs through Sunday, August 4. Certain back-to-school purchases such as clothing, school supplies, computers, and other items are exempt from sales tax for this time period only. The Campus Store accepts phone orders for computers on these days. You can also take advantage of tax-free weekend at the Campus Store and Bear Necessities

First Year Center | Washington University in St. Louis
Umrath House, lower level, suite 0925 | One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1136 | St. Louis, MO 63130
firstyear.wustl.edu | Office: 314.935.5040 | Fax: 314.935.8516 | firstyearcenter@wustl.edu