Class of 2020 moves in

Volunteers help students of the Class of 2020 move in to their dorms on Friday, August 26, 2016.

As the Class of 2020 arrived to SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica in late August, it was to the open arms of faculty, staff, and even their fellow students. All lended a hand, grabbing luggage, furniture and appliances, and volunteering to help the new students settle in and adjust to the dorms and community that will be their home for the next nine months.

The August 26 move-in day marked the start of three days of Opening Weekend activities that included a Wildcat Welcome featuring inflatables, frozen yogurt, caricatures, and life-sized games, candle lighting ceremony and bonfire, an ice cream social, discussions about personal safety and fire safety, along with talks about expectations of students as representatives of SUNY Poly.

Throughout the day, students became acquainted with their new surroundings, settling into their dorms, getting photo IDs taken, and picking up books from the bookstore – all part of their initial welcome to the campus.

This year, SUNY Poly welcomed more than 600 new students, including freshmen, transfer, and graduate students. The nearly 300 freshmen were selected from the largest applicant pool in the institution’s history.

“Move-in day is literally the end of the admission cycle; in many cases we have been working with these students for well over a year,” said Richard “Rit” Fuller, Vice President for Enrollment Management. “With their families saying their goodbyes, these new students are left in the capable and caring hands of our faculty and staff.”