A picture of the WashU campus with the words 'Family Ties.'

August 2022

Letter from the Desk of Dr. Gonzalez

Important Dates / Deadlines

RSVP for Parent & Family Orientation

What to Expect this Month

Move-In Day

Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome

TimelyCare

Health Insurance Requirement

Family Webinar Series

WashU Votes

Disability Resources

Update Your Contact Information

Letter from the Desk of Dr. Gonzalez

Dear parents and families, 


Happy August! Our WashU community looks forward to welcoming you and your student to the Danforth Campus in a few short weeks. 

 

August is one of my favorite times of year! From move-in, to our orientation program for new students and families at WashU called Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome, our team has been working hard to develop a series of outstanding programs to support your student’s arrival. 

 

As you pack, plan, and prepare for this journey, below are a few last-minute action items for your completion prior to arriving to campus: 

 

  1. Encourage your student to complete all the items found in the June, July, and August Before You Arrive Checklists. Your student received postcards in the mail earlier this summer containing reminders of these important to-do items. While all 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 this step has been completed. 
  2. Make sure your student is in communication with his, her, or their 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 through the housing portal, found within WebSTAC. A suggested list of items to bring is available in the packing list on the new students website. Your student can view their self-selected move-in time in the housing portal as well.
  3. We look forward to you joining us on Friday, August 19 or Saturday, August 20 for move-in (international students and fall varsity athletes may be arriving on other days). Parent & Family Orientation: Fall Welcome is Sunday, August 21. Be sure to preview the Parent & Family Orientation schedule and complete the RSVP form by August 8 so we can ensure we’re prepared for your arrival. For those unable to join, many events are live streamed and recorded for viewing at a later time. Recordings are uploaded to the families website once available. 
  4. Speaking of move-in, 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. We ask for your patience and for you to check-in at your student’s assigned time. 

 

If you have questions, please email families@wustl.edu or call us at 314.935.5040 or toll free at 844.935.5040. Helpful information can also be found on the parent & families website.

 

Warmly, 


Anna "Dr. G" Gonzalez

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

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Important Dates/Deadlines

Fall 2022


August 19 and 20*: Class of 2026 move-in

August 20-28: Fall Welcome

August 29: First day of classes

September 5: Labor Day (No classes)

October 8 - 11: Fall Break (No classes)

November 23 - 25: Thanksgiving Break (No classes)

December 9: Last day of classes

December 12 - 21: Reading period and finals


*Fall varsity athletes have different arrival dates. Please have your student check with their head coach for more information.

RSVP for Parent & Family Orientation

Parent & Family Orientation experiences will take place on Sunday, August 21, both in-person and virtually. Please RSVP online by Monday, August 8 at 11:59 PM CDT if you plan to attend in-person events during Parent & Family Orientation.

What to Expect this Month

If you have a U.S. address, your student will receive the following items in the mail from us this month:


1) August Before You Arrive Checklist

  • The August Before You Arrive Checklist contains action items that should be completed by your student this month. Please encourage your student to complete these to-do items!

Move-In Day 

There are two move-in day options: Friday, August 19 and Saturday, August 20*. Your student should have selected their check-in time in early July. If they have not yet selected a check-in time yet, please have them do so ASAP. Students can view their self-selected check-in date and time through the housing portal on WebSTAC.


Move-In Day Procedures


  1. Students will check in at Tisch Commons located on the main level of the Danforth University Center. Danforth University Center is located at 6475 Forsyth Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63105.
  2. During check-in, short term parking will be available in Zone 2 in Lot 35 (Simon Hall Lot). 
  3. You will receive a parking placard at check-in. This must be placed in the dashboard of your vehicle.
  4. From check-in, you will be directed to an unloading location to move into your student's residence hall. You will then be directed to long-term parking.


Review the digital Move-In Guide for detailed information about the move-in day process, maps, packing lists, and more. 


Have your student contact Residential Life with any questions about housing assignments or move-in.


*Fall varsity athletes may have different arrival dates. Please have your student check with their head coach for more information. International students should communicate their arrival time with OISS

Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome

Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome will begin the evening of Move-In Day and conclude the evening of Saturday, August 28th. During Fall Welcome, your student will meet with their WUSA small group, engage in academic experiences, and participate in a long-standing university tradition - Convocation. Your student can preview the Fall Welcome schedule on the new students website.

TimelyCare

Students can't always predict when they will need medical or mental health care so please encourage your student to download the TimelyCare app before arriving to campus. They set up their account with their WashU email address and then enjoy peace of mind knowing that they have access to 24/7 on-demand mental health support (the TalkNow feature), medical and mental health appointments, health coaching, and much more.

Health Insurance Requirement

All full-time, degree-seeking students at WashU are required to have health insurance, and your student will be automatically enrolled in the university’s health insurance plan. This coverage has an annual premium charge that will be applied to your student’s account. The fully funded health plan runs from August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2023.


If you wish to opt out of this insurance, there is a waiver process that must be completed by September 5, 2022. 


In order to waive out of the student health insurance plan, current insurance coverage must meet the university’s specific criteria. Your student can complete the health insurance waiver through WebSTAC.


Contact Habif Health and Wellness Center with questions about health insurance.

Family Webinar Series

The upcoming webinars for our Summer Webinar Series can be found below! This series was designed to help your student succeed by answering all of their and your WashU questions. Recordings of past webinars are available on the Webinar Series page.


We hope you will join us for out next webinar, A Conversation About Move-In Day and Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome, Thursday, August 11 at 5:30 PM CDT. Registration is required.


Description: As students gear up for the Fall 2022 semester, we want to provide students and families the opportunity to learn more about Move-In Day and Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome. Katharine Pei, Director of Student Transitions & Family Programs, and Will Andrews, Associate Director for Residential Life and Director of Housing Operations, will join us to discuss what students and families need to know leading up to Move-In Day, Bear Beginnings: Fall Welcome, and Parent & Family Orientation

WashU Votes

435 U.S. House of Representative seats, 309 state executive offices, 34 U.S. Senate seats, and countless ballot initiatives, regional offices, and local offices are on the ballot for this year’s midterm elections. Does your student know all the requirements to exercise their vote at home or on campus? Make sure your student knows the deadlines and requirements, and invite your students to get involved with civic engagement leadership through WashU Votes!

Disability Resources

Disability Resources (DR) is WashU’s designated office responsible for determining and coordinating accommodations necessary for the equitable inclusion of disabled students. DR’s goal is to enable students to accomplish their educational goals, as well as ensure an equal opportunity to derive all the benefits of campus life.

 

Students with disabilities who may require academic, programmatic, or housing accommodations are encouraged to engage with Disability Resources. Because accommodations are not applied retroactively, Disability Resources recommends initiating requests prior to, or at the beginning of, the academic term to avoid delays in accessing accommodations once classes begin. 


Contact Disability Resources for more information.

Update Your Contact Information

We encourage you to work with your student to check that your contact information is correct in their WebSTAC account. This will ensure that you, as a family member, are receiving all relevant information including future editions of Family Ties. This includes cell phone number, email address, and emergency contact information.


Your student can confirm your information in WebSTAC. Your student can make updates to their contact information and emergency contact in WebSTAC. For changes to family member email addresses, your student will need to complete an update form.

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Student Transitions & Family Programs | Washington University in St. Louis
Umrath House, lower level, suite 0925 | One Brookings Drive, MSC 1136-0332-LL | St. Louis, MO 63130
families.wustl.edu | Office: 314.935.5040 | Toll free: 844.935.5040 | families@wustl.edu