DANBURY, Connecticut — Preparations are underway at Western Connecticut State University to welcome the Class of 2029 to campus during Welcome Weekend from Friday, Aug. 22, through Monday, Aug. 25, 2025. This year’s class will include 1,173 new students – 827 incoming freshmen, and 346 transfer students.
Welcome Weekend will feature events intended to familiarize new students with campus buildings and amenities, and to create a sense of community while they make new friends. Move-in day on Friday, Aug. 22, will initiate the excitement, as students and their families transport their possessions into their residence halls and meet their roommates for the first time. Traffic will be more congested than usual on White Street as students move in.
Also planned are activities for commuter students and workshops for parents. Welcome Weekend will include a variety of entertainers, prizes and giveaways. The culmination of day one is the traditional Entering the Gates Ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22. New students will enter the university’s gates on the Midtown campus on White Street as faculty, staff, administrators, the Spirit Band and their families celebrate the symbolic milestone of their first steps in their collegiate journey at WCSU.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, students will enjoy RecFest and the “Take It or Leave It” game show; and Sunday, Aug. 24, will feature a Campfire Kickoff. The excitement will continue with orientation-themed programming on Monday. Fall semester classes will begin on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Thursday, Aug. 28, will feature a Student Resource and Employment Fair on the Midtown campus quadrangle, where students will be introduced to the many offices that will provide services to them during their time as students. They’ll also be able to find out about on-campus job opportunities.
To see the full Welcome Weekend schedule, visit www.wcsu.edu/orientation/welcome-week/.
For more information, contact Communications and Marketing at pr@wcsu.edu.
Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals, and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.