Jul 16, 2025   |  INCOMING STUDENTS

As the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students at OHIO, I am so excited to welcome you all to our Bobcat family. 

We are getting ready for Athens to come to life with the return of our students and the arrival of all of our new Bobcats like you. We want you to have all the information you need to choose your own adventure at OHIO. So, you'll be hearing from us often! You'll receive this newsletter every other week during the school year with tips, resources and exciting opportunities to help introduce you to campus life. 

Arriving at college is a big step, and I'm here to support you as you begin this journey. Get ready for a year filled with new experiences, learning and growth.

See you soon!

Kathy A Fahl, MSW
Associate Vice President & Dean of Students

Get ready to explore your passions and kickstart your college experience. The Center for Student Engagement & Leadership offers more than 550 student organizations, over 100 weekly events and involvement from 10,000+ Bobcats across all interests, from fitness to creative pursuits to cultural groups and more.

We know you're doing all you can to prepare, but there's a lot of information and updates as fall semester approaches! Make sure you're following official OHIO sources:

Looking for other info, helpful tips or anything else? Reach out!

Questions about your schedule? Find the contact for your academic college.

Nervous about classes? Find free tutoring, writing assistance and academic coaching at the Academic Achievement Center located on the second floor of Alden Library.

Going to college is an adventure, so why not start it that way? New Adventures is Ohio University's outdoor orientation program for incoming first-year students, and no previous outdoor experience is required! Sign up is still open until two weeks before the remaining summer trips. 

Save time and skip the move-in chaos by using Storage Scholars, OHIO’s preferred partner for summer storage and shipping. Ship your boxes or online purchases to their secure facility. They’ll deliver everything to your room before you step on campus. Sign up by July 31.

1. Finalize or complete your Vaccination Information Form. You are required to report meningitis and hepatitis vaccination information. Visit your Housing Self-Service page, select the ‘Contracts and Applications’ tab, and choose the Vaccination Information Form. This must be completed prior to your arrival.

2. If you're living on campus, review fall move-in information in the online arrival guide.

3. Update or complete contact information. Update your ‘Missing Persons Contact’ information on your Housing Self-Service page under ‘Personal Information.’

4. Load Bobcat Cash to your OHIO ID to use in student labs and libraries for printing, laundry, shopping and eating!

5. Change your meal plan. You can adjust your meal plan up to the second Friday of fall semester (September 5 at 4 p.m.). After that, you can only increase your meal plan. Changes to meal plans must be made via Housing Self-Service. Off-campus and commuter students have meal plan options too!

6. Review the packing checklist to see what to bring (and what not to bring) if you are living on campus. On-campus students should also review the Student Housing Handbook so you are familiar with all the policies, procedures and resources you'll have access to while living on campus.

7. Plan your route. Review your schedule and start planning daily routes to class. If you're commuting you can still purchase a parking pass and register for the commuter lounge. 

THRiVE, OHIO's well-being initiative, provides resources and support for all aspects of your health. Whether it's basic needs, like food and housing, physical fitness, mental health, nutrition or beyond, you'll find valuable information right at your fingertips. Explore these resources now so they're ready when you need them. 

 →  THRiVE at OHIO

August 21-31

Your first week on campus is packed with events to get to know Athens, meet other students and welcome you to OHIO! Welcome Week is open to everyone, including our returning Bobcats, whether you are living on or off campus. 

 → More info

September 19-21

It can be tough to say goodbye to family as you prepare to move into your new space, but don't worry! You can welcome them back in September for the first Family Weekend of the year.

 →  Make your plans