Welcome Week 2023
Thursday, August 17 through Friday, August 25, 2023
We are thrilled that you have chosen Messiah University and look forward to your arrival in August! We are in the process of preparing our orientation programs and schedules and will continue to update this website throughout the Spring, including an announcement of our preliminary Welcome Week schedule in May. In the meantime, please reference the general information here regarding our typical orientation events.
All Student Arrival Day will be held on Friday, August 18, 2023. All incoming new and transfer students (both residential and commuting) should plan to check-in on campus by this day. Some students may be invited to arrive earlier if they participate in certain programs, such as University Athletics or Multicultural Move-In.
In the summer months, please keep a watchful eye on your communications from Messiah University. You will receive emails with information regarding your pre-arrival checklist. These emails will include announcements about course registration, housing sign-ups, and Welcome Week events.
If you have any pressing questions regarding Messiah University New Student Orientation, please email studentengagement@messiah.edu.
COVID-19 Safety Information
Messiah University is committed to the safety of all students. As you prepare to arrive to campus, please consult with Messiah's fall return to campus COVID-19 protocols. These can be found on the Messiah University emergency blog.
Orientation Theme
Each year, the Office of Student Engagement selects a theme for our orientation programs. Centered on a particular Scripture, this theme guides our educational goals for the year and defines our community mindset. This theme is generated by current student leaders, and approved by a council of Messiah educators. The Theme for Welcome Week 2023 will be announced in late Spring.
Previous themes include “All In,” which encouraged students to engage in their surrounding community as fully as possible; “Becoming U,” which reminded students that we are in the process of becoming a new creation (and paired with our institutional shift from Messiah College to Messiah University); and “Restore,” which invited students to partner with our institutional theme of reconciliation to be agents of God’s Kingdom in redeeming our broken world.

until Welcome Week at Messiah
The best way to view the Welcome Week 2023 will be through our Guidebook app. The app will be open to the public in June of 2023. When it's available, this app will be continually updated with our schedule, maps, hotels and shopping in the area, and much more! In order to download the Messiah Guide app, please follow these instructions in June when the app goes live:
- Visit your app store and search "Messiah University Guides" to download our event app.
- At the bottom of the app, tap the “Find Guides” icon, then search for “Welcome Week 2023.” Download the relevant guide to your device. This guide will include the full Welcome Week schedule, as well as important arrival information and contact information for some major campus offices.
- Enable "Push notifications" to make sure that you receive updates such as rain plan notices or orientation group announcements.
- The guide can be found on iTunes or Google Play.
In the meantime, please click here to view a pdf of last year's schedule for reference.
These are highlights of services offered by Messiah University that students will want to become familiar with early.
Campus Mailbox
Your address at Messiah University will be:
[First Name][Last Name] |
Campus Center |
One University Avenue |
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 |
If/when you receive a letter or package, you will receive an email notification. Your mail can be picked up at the campus store (located in Eisenhower Campus Center).
Computer Access
Messiah University offers both in-room and/or public network jacks. There is a wired-network connection in each room in the residence halls and public jacks are available in the base of the benches located in the hallways of Boyer Hall, Larsen Student Union, and in Falcon Services. For information such as minimum system requirements and connecting to the Messiah network, visit Information Technology Services (ITS).
Campus Wireless Network
Wireless internet access is available in all campus buildings and select outdoor locations. When connecting your computer or smart phone, you will want to choose to connect to the Messiah Secure wireless network. On most devices, you will then simply need to enter your Messiah username and password and accept the security certificate when prompted. Chromebooks and Android devices require additional settings to be configured to connect.
Smart TVs and Gaming systems require registration and connect to a different network on campus. For detailed instructions to connect those devices, please visit the ITS blog.
Campus Parking
First-Year Students (Residential and Commuters)
A parking permit request must be approved before you may bring your vehicle to campus. All first year students, regardless of status (residential or commuter), who are interested in having a vehicle on campus, must meet the criteria provided below in order to be eligible for the lottery:
- submitted an enrollment deposit confirming their place in the incoming class
- completed this parking interest form
- registered for courses (after course registration opens)
Please note that there will be limited parking spaces available, which will be assigned through a parking lottery held mid-late June. During the lottery, students will need to officially apply for a parking permit and complete vehicle registration. There is an annual fee associated with parking.
After the incoming first-year student lottery closes, students may pursue vehicle registration by submitting a Student Parking Registration Form. Submissions of this form are processed as they are received. This form can also be found on the Student Parking website -- www.messiah.edu/studentparking. Locate the form under the “Quicklinks” heading and select the form called “Student Parking Registration Form (Current Undergraduate Students Only)”.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact studentparking@messiah.edu or call 717-691-6036.
Transfer Students
Use the Student Parking Registration Form (Current Undergraduate Students Only) on messiah.edu/studentparking to register your vehicle.
Student Parking Registration Forms should be submitted before June 30, 2022. Once you have submitted a registration form, please check your Messiah e-mail regularly for a message regarding the status of your request.
If you have any questions or need more information, please contact studentparking@messiah.edu or call 717-691-6036.
Upperclass Students and Returning Students
When returning to campus for the start of the Fall semester, upperclass students are given their parking permits. Those who did not register during the on-line parking registration process or over the summer are issued a parking permit in a lot where space is available on campus.
Parking in the following parking lots are reserved for students living on campus: A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J, and TR (overflow residential parking).
Parking for students who are commuting or living off-campus will be assigned to: P (Starry Field parking lot).
Please visit the Student Vehicle Registration page for more information, an FAQ section, or to contact the Box Office.
Bicycle Registration
All students, faculty, and staff who have a bicycle on campus must register it upon bringing it to campus. Registration of bicycles at the Dispatch window in the Eisenhower Campus Center or register online. There is no fee for registering a bicycle. You will receive a Messiah University Bicycle Identification Sticker that is to be placed on your bicycle. Unlike vehicles, bicycle registration only needs to happen once. For more information, visit the Department of Safety website.
Are You a New Commuter Student?
As a new student who is commuting to Messiah, you will be involved heavily in the Welcome Week activities. Special events are held throughout that week specifically created to help you transition to your life as a student. These events, which are identified by a tan mark below the times on the Welcome Week brochure, include a Living in Community session and a social in the Frey Commuter Lounge.
Please note that certain events that pertain to residence halls, such as all-hall meetings, are not required for commuter students.
If you have any questions about commuter student services, please contact JP Edmunds.
Click here to go to the Commuter Services page and see what sessions you should attend.
Welcome international students and families! The Office of International Student Programs is working to make the 2022 Fall Orientation Week an unforgettable one
*Just as a clarification, you are considered an international student at Messiah if you are on an F-1 visa, if you are a missionary kid, or if you have spent significant time living abroad and are now returning to the United States*
To help with your travel planning, International Student Orientation begins on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. Please check this site for more details. We are working on the 2022 schedule now and will keep you updated through the spring and summer months.
For questions specific to international new student orientation in August 2022, please contact Amy Nicols, Director of International Student Programs, or Minoska Villegas, International Student Programs Advisor.
Below is a list of suggested items to bring to campus with you for Welcome Week. For the complete packing list for the school year, please visit the Office of Residence Life site.
Things You Should Bring for Welcome Week
- A Tablet/notepad/paper
- A pen
- Small games
- Backpack/drawstring bag
- Water bottle
- ID (you'll show this to receive your student ID)
Questions?
If you have any additional questions about Welcome Week, please contact the Office of Student Engagement at (717) 796-5240 or by emailing StudentEngagement@messiah.edu.
Banner photo credit: The Pulse