Welcome Week

Please note that this webpage provides details regarding our orientation programs for Fall-start students. If you are an incoming Winter-start student planning to enroll in Messiah University beginning January 2024, please visit our Winter Orientation webpage.

Welcome Week 2024

Friday, August 23 through Monday, August 26, 2024

We are thrilled that you have chosen Messiah University and look forward to your arrival for our Fall Semester, 2024! 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 23, 2024. 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 pre-orientation programs, such as University Athletics, SOAR Peer-Mentorship, or Multicultural Move-In.

If you have any pressing questions regarding Messiah University New Student Orientation, please email Jake Edmunds, Director of First Year Experience, at jedmunds@messiah.edu.

Welcome Week Theme

Each year, the Office of First Year Experience selects a theme for our orientation programs. Centered on a particular passage of 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 204 will be announced in the 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.

Student Services Available

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]
[Your Messiah Log-in Username]*
1 University Avenue
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055
*Your First and Last Initial + 4-Digit Number

Whenever you receive mail and packages, our automated Slingshot Logistics system will send you an email notification from donotreply@slingshotedu.com. To pick up your mail and packages, visit the Campus Store during their operating hours posted on the Campus Store Website. You can also find a helpful Mail FAQ there as well. Please remember to bring your student ID to pick up your mail.

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.

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.

Commuter Students

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 include a Living in Community policy overview 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 Jake Edmunds.

Click here to go to the Commuter Services page and see what sessions you should attend.

New International (F-1 visa, missionary, and/or third culture) Students

Welcome international students and families! The Office of International Student Programs is working to make the 2024 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 plans, International Student Orientation begins on Wednesday, August 21, 2024. Please check this site for more details. We are working on the 2024 schedule now and will keep you updated through the spring and summer months.