They say you have only one chance to make a first impression, and organizers of the fall Move-In and Week of Welcome are seeking volunteers to make sure NIU gets it right this fall.
“The impressions that students and families get when they arrive on campus are crucial, and having enough volunteers is critical to that process,” says NIU Housing Administrator Tim Trottier who has helped plan and/or lead Move-In efforts for more than 20 years. “Just having friendly faces on hand to help unload a car, answer questions or provide useful information can go a long way toward easing some of the stress that goes with sending a student off to college.”
Like many other activities on campus following the pandemic, participation in Move-In has been a bit down the last two years, and Trottier is hoping to reverse that this year with a rebound in the number of faculty and staff that participate in the Move-In process for new students on Aug. 23 and 24.
“It truly is one of the best days of the year, and we would love for more people to experience it,” Trottier said. “Even if you aren’t up to doing a lot of lifting, there are many ways to contribute. We need people to help direct student volunteers, we need folks to greet families and explain the process, and we need people who just know how to make people feel welcome.”
Trottier is also looking for student groups – clubs, fraternities, sororities, etc. — who are interested in helping. Interested groups can contact Trottier at 815-753-0546.
Even if you are not available to help move students into residence halls, you can help make them feel part of the Huskie community by volunteering to staff Week of Welcome activities, says Jenna Pracht, the program director for Orientation & First Year Programs.
“When faculty and staff show up to help ensure that our Week of Welcome activities run smoothly it demonstrates to students that all of us at NIU are here to help the succeed, which can go a long way toward helping a student feel part of a caring community,” Pracht said.
Volunteers are needed to assist at the Band Run, the Kick-Off Event, the Color Run, the Campus Block Party and more.
To see a full list of events, and time slots, for volunteer opportunities visit the online volunteer registration form.
