Media Contact:
Dr. Tom Stafford, Student Affairs, 919/515-2446
Susan Grant, University Housing, 919/515-3088
Tommy Griffin, Undergraduate Admissions, 919/515-5036
Mike Giancola, Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service, 919/513-0235
Mick Kulikowski, News Services, 919/515-3470

Aug. 16, 2006

NC State University Prepares for Beginning of Fall 2006 Semester

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

North Carolina State University will welcome returning and new students and their families during the weekend of Aug. 19-20 for move-in days as it prepares to begin its fall semester – and a new academic year – on Wednesday, Aug. 23.

An expected freshman class of about 4,550 – the largest freshman class in North Carolina and the largest in NC State history – will become part of the approximately 30,000 students enrolled for classes. NC State’s expected freshman class includes 77 valedictorians and 65 salutatorians, and averaged 1,178 (1,733 including the writing portion) on the SAT with a weighted high school grade point average of 4.11. About 38 percent of the expected freshmen were in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and 70 percent were in the top 20 percent. The geographically diverse class includes students from all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, 47 states and 39 countries.

Twenty-two had a perfect critical reading score on the SAT, seven had a perfect writing score and 44 had a perfect score on the math portion of the test. About 2,769 expected freshmen submitted advanced placement scores to NC State.

Approximately 1,404 of the expected freshmen plan to enroll in the College of Engineering, making it the most popular program among first-year students.

The general public should avoid the main campus area during move-in days in light of the heavy congestion expected. Cates Avenue will be designated as a one-way street for westbound traffic between Morrill Drive and Dan Allen Drive from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, and from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 20.

All 20 NC State residence halls are ready for this year’s students, says Susan Grant, director of University Housing. Approximately 7,300 students will move into their rooms this weekend, with a majority of those moving in on Saturday.

A tremendous amount of work took place in NC State residence halls this summer, Grant says. Air conditioning and sprinklers were added to Syme, Gold, Welch, Alexander and Turlington halls, ensuring that all residence halls now have air conditioning. Wood Hall also received sprinklers. Cosmetic improvements – such as renovated bathrooms in Owen Hall – were made across campus.

Chancellor James Oblinger, Provost Larry Nielsen and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Tom Stafford will travel the campus to meet and greet new students and their parents beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19. The administrators will then attend the ninth annual Legacy Lunch for students whose parents or grandparents are NC State alumni. The event, sponsored by the NC State Alumni Association, is expected to draw about 700 people, and will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Harris Field, which is in front of the Witherspoon Student Center. New students will feast on North Carolina barbecue and NC State ice cream and receive special pins from their alumni relatives.

On Monday, Aug. 21, best-selling author and sports commentator Mitch Albom will be the keynote speaker at NC State’s annual Welcome Week Convocation event, scheduled for 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the RBC Center. The event will also include free T-shirts and other gifts and prizes. Free shuttle service to the RBC Center from campus begins at 5:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, Aug. 22, the lawn between West Campus residence halls will turn into a feeding ground as the “Welcome Back Pack” event takes place. Scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m., the event will feature dinner with a wide variety of food items – including University Dining’s famous pork barbecue – and music.

The first week of classes ends with a bang as Friday Fest kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 25. The carnival-like event will include food, music, a comedy show and much more at the north plaza of Talley Student Center.

The annual Service NC State event will give students two opportunities to perform community service on Saturday, Aug. 26. Mike Giancola, director of the NC State Center for Student Leadership, Ethics & Public Service, says one effort will be to assemble 150,000 food packages for the international hunger relief agency Stop Hunger Now. Giancola says the effort will require upward of 700 volunteers, so NC State faculty and staff – and the general public – are invited to participate. Volunteers will work in two-and-a-half-hour shifts from 9 to 5:30 p.m. The registration deadline for this project is Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. Volunteers can also choose to provide service at Fuller Elementary School in Raleigh from 12:45 to 5 p.m. More information on the Service NC State project can be found on the Web.

NC State’s Parents and Families Services office and campus partners will continue the Parents’ HelpLine program. Families with questions or concerns can call a toll-free number (877/568-5733) or e-mail ncsuparents@ncsu.edu for assistance.