Towson University is ready to roar in new year

To help move-in go as smoothly as possible, students have been assigned certain times where they can move in. 

The first move-in takes place on Thursday, August 22 and will be for freshmen and incoming transfer students who are moving in to the Glen Towers, Residence Tower and The Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue. There will three group arrival times, with the schedule working as: 

• Group 1 and students with last name beginning with A-F: 8 – 11 a.m.
• Group 2 and students with last name beginning with G-M: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
• Group 3 and students with last names beginning with N-Z: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. 

Continuing students will move in over the weekend, and can either move in to their residence hall on Saturday, August 24 or Sunday August 25 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

To help the move-in experience go smoothly, here are some helpful tips from the Department of Housing and Residence Life:

• Students should follow the arrival information enclosed in their building assignment
• Students should pack light and box as many items as possible. This will help maintain order and cut down on missing items.
• Cars should be unloaded and moved as quickly as possible to designated lots.
• If they're available, use the move-in crew. In certain areas that are prone to congestion, student staff members will assist in moving in.
• Elevators will be used only for moving in. Stairs as much as possible.

Learn more about Towson University’s Move-In procedures, and also learn what students need to pack when coming to college.

With students returning to campus, the TU Community should expect an increase in both car and pedestrian traffic near residence hall areas. Faculty, staff and families coming for move-in should give themselves plenty of time because of the increase in traffic.  

To help accommodate students moving into dorms, Emerson Drive and Cross Campus Drive will only have one-way traffic.

• Emerson Drive will have one-way traffic from Towsontown Boulevard to Osler Drive from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25.
• Cross Campus Drive will have one-way traffic between lot 26 and Osler Drive from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 21, Thursday, Aug 22, Saturday, August 24 and Sunday August 25.

Also, several of the parking lots will be closed during move-in. These include Lot 6 (Residence Hall and Health & Counseling Centers), the Union Garage, Lot 17 (Enrollment Services lot), Millennium Hall lot and the parking garage at the Residences at 10 West Burke Avenue.

Learn more about all the traffic updates for Move-In Weekend, along with a complete map of Towson University’s campus.

Before the semester officially begins on Monday, several departments on campus will hold events over to weekend to help students relax, have some fun, and learn more about their new home. 

Students can get a complete schedule of everything that’s happening over the weekend by checking out events.towson.edu or  by downloading the TU Guidebook app through the Apple Store or through Google Play. 

Here are a few highlights happening throughout the week: 

New Student Convocations
Friday, August 23 | 10 – 11 a.m. | SECU Arena

Convocation is the first true event of a student’s time here at Towson University. It’s the official kickoff to the academic year, and the official start of a student’s academic journey at TU.

Roar Rally
Friday, August 23 | 6:30 – 9 p.m. | SECU Arena

Hosted by New Student & Family Programs, the Roar Rally allows students to see showcase performances, and a chance to meet some of our 250-plus clubs and organizations. There is also free food, giveaways and more.

TU Takeover
Friday, August 23 | 9 – 11 p.m. | West Village Commons

TU Takeover welcomes incoming freshman into the Towson community as well as provides fun activities, giveaways, and entertainment for new students. Activities include a silent disco, roller skating rink, do-it-yourself items, giveaways, and more.

Movie Night: Avengers Endgame
Saturday, August 24 | 7:45 p.m. | West Village Commons Lawn

Come check out the biggest move of the year on large blown up screen. Students can bring their own blanket or lawn chair. There will be snacks, mocktails and more with the event starting at 7:45 p.m. and the move starting at 8 p.m.

Set it Off
Sunday, August 25 | 5 p.m. | Tiger Plaza

Join the Center for Student Diversity and Fraternity and Sorority Life as they "set off" the semester. Come and meet TU’s multicultural student organizations, fraternities and sororities, and enjoy free food, giveaways, hot air balloon rides, and amazing company.

Sometimes schedules change and students need to either drop or add a class. Here are some important dates to remember for the fall academic term.

August 29: Last day to add or drop first 7-week courses

Sept. 2 : Labor Day Holiday (TU Closed)

Sept. 4: Last day to add or drop full semester courses

Sept. 23: Last day to withdraw from first 7-week courses

Oct. 15: Mid-semester and end of first 7-week courses

Oct. 16: Beginning second 7-week course period

Oct. 21: Last day to add or drop second 7-week courses

Nov. 4: Last day to withdraw from full semester courses

Nov. 13: Last day to withdraw from second 7-week courses

Nov. 27: Dec. 1: Thanksgiving Holiday (TU Closed)

Dec. 9:  Last day of classes

Dec. 11 : Final Exams begin

Dec. 17: Last day of exams and end of semester

Growth is evident at TU in the form of cones around campus — the two cranes over the new Science Complex site have come down over the summer as the building reached its full height.

The Science Complex is set to open in Fall 2020 and will provide new academic and research space for TU’s expanding Fisher College of Science and Mathematics — home to one of just four ABET-certified cybersecurity programs in the world. 

The University Union is under renovation — an expansion and overhaul of the building that will add 100,000 square feet of space to the most-utilized student building on campus. The Union was built in the 1970s when TU had 9,000 students on campus. The project will be complete in 2021. 

Stay up to date with all of Towson University construction projects.

TU recently updated the South Campus fields with new playing surfaces for the women’s field hockey team (opened last season) and the women’s soccer team (completed this summer for the current season). 

Over the summer, upgrades to residence halls were completed, including removal of carpet in favor of tile floors in the Glen Towers, and the installation of air conditioning in Prettyman and Scarborough halls.

Off-campus, cranes still dominate the uptown Towson skyline. More than $1.7 billion of development is happening within a ½-mile radius of campus, including a number of public-private partnerships in uptown Towson that are being built in proximity to TU.

Every year, Towson University goes through several changes to improve the campus experience. This year is no different, with improvements coming to transportation, food service, residence life and much more. 

Towson University Dining Services is now partnering with Grubhub to make ordering on-campus food options easy. Faculty, staff and students will now be able to order and pay for their food through the Grubhub app.

There will also be a new way to ride around campus. This year, Towson University has entered into a partnership with the Gotcha bikeshare program. The blue Gotcha electric bikes will be located all across campus. TU students, staff and faculty will just need to download the app to get started.