July 14, 2010
Volunteers sought for welcome activities, move-in
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A new academic year will soon be starting at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and you can help make it a great beginning for new Salukis as they move onto campus. Faculty, staff, Registered Student Organizations, business representatives and community members can volunteer now to be Honorary Student Life Advisors (SLA), assisting students with the move-in process.
“Honorary SLAs are a very important part of the welcome activities and have been since 1986. Being an Honorary SLA is a great way to welcome new students and their families to campus and start their Saluki experience off right,” said Brittany McElroy, coordinator of New Student Programs.
Students with two-year edge University Housing contracts who will live in a Living Learning Community move in beginning at 7 a.m. on Aug. 18, while move-in for all other new students starts at 7 a.m. on Aug. 19. Honorary SLAs will get an assignment to one of the residence hall areas from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or for any portion of that time period on one or both move-in days. Volunteers can select when, where and how long they want to lend a hand if they so desire.
At the residence halls, the honorary SLAs will either help students physically move possessions into their new quarters or will meet and greet students and their families, offering a friendly smile and information. All move-in volunteers will wear identical Saluki move-in shirts so students and parents can easily identify volunteers when looking for help. New Student Programs will provide free Honorary SLA T-shirts to any participating individual. The shirts will say “Welcome Salukis Southern Illinois University Carbondale” on the front and “Honorary SLA” on the back.
Faculty/University Associates as well as groups from colleges and departments around campus help with move-in, too. Groups can submit their own T-shirt order directly and their shirts will look the same on the front but bear the name of their department or college on the back. Organizers ask that a representative submit just one order per group. Group order forms are online at http://wow.siuc.edu/volunteer.html.
If you sign up to help by July 28 you will get a T-shirt in the size you request. That registration deadline also allows organizers to make sure there will be adequate staff at all move-in areas. To sign up, visit the Week of Welcome website at http://wow.siuc.edu/volunteer.html. Volunteers can still sign up through Aug. 6. However, if you register late there is no guarantee of a shirt in your requested size.
Also, coming soon to http://wow.siuc.edu/volunteer.html is information about how you can sign up for additional volunteer opportunities during new student move-in days, including helping at Welcome Stations or with other Saluki Startup activities.
For more information, contact New Student Programs at 618/453-1000.