Move-In Day 2026: A Welcoming Start to a New Academic Year

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Utica Stories
Move-In Day 2026: A Welcoming Start to a New Academic Year

Students in orange t-shirts happily shout and wave their arms to greet newcomers to campus.

“We’re so happy to see fresh faces.”

It was bright skies and even brighter smiles all around Utica University as a new class of Pioneers and their parents made the milestone leap of moving their beloved onto campus for the Fall 2026 semester.

Students in orange t-shirts clap and shout happily for newcomers to campus.

“It’s a great day to be a Pioneer!” said Vanessa Hall ’27, a Cybersecurity major, who alongside other Orientation Mentors were outside White Hall welcoming newcomers arriving from the Burrstone Road entrance.

“We’re so happy to see all the fresh faces,” said English major and fellow Orientation Mentor Alejandra Hernandez-Rosa ’27.

Utica University welcomed roughly 475 first-year and 125 transfer students to campus for the fall semester. Planning for such a day starts over summer break as various campus offices coordinate resources and vendors. As time ticks closer to the big day itself, members of Student Engagement and their partners throughout the institution make sure Orientation Mentors are ready to hit the ground running.

“Move in day is a day like no other,” said Assistant Director of Campus Engagement Alexander Hodkinson ’17. “There's a buzz on campus before anyone even pulls up. We planned, prepared and did all that we had to get to this moment, and once the first student pulls up, it's game time. Everyone is so welcoming, so excited for our fellow Pioneers. Nonstop excitement/hype is felt from the welcome center all the way to north hall and everything in between.”

Students in orange t-shirts stand with Trax the Moose under an orange and blue balloon arch.

He’s been in the shoes of many of the students stepping foot on campus for the first time.

“Fifteen years ago I stepped onto this campus not knowing where I'd fit in, if I'd make friends, or how things would go academically,” he said. “For me, in the summer of 2011, it was a pivotal point in my life and represented the start of my story here at Utica. I'll never forget the welcome I received, the friends I made and the staff that made me feel like Utica was home. I carry that feeling with me today, and every day, especially here at New Student Orientation. I strive to support our campus community, creating connections and taking the care necessary to help our new students feel like our home, is now their home too.”

It’s a level of excitement that’s been brewing all summer, a momentum that has come to a head in a way that is palpable when that Move-In morning hits.

“It’s not just talk, but something you can actually feel,” Hodkinson said. “There's a noticeable difference in how we talk about the future, our students and the direction of our institution. Today was a peak at what's to come, it's still early in the New Student Orientation schedule, but I can already tell that we're in for a great year ahead.”

“Welcome to Utica!” was a familiar cry heard throughout the campus no matter where you went, as students, faculty, and staff stood on sidewalks and outside residence halls, all to set the positive tone and start a new class off right.

Students in orange t-shirts make moose ears with their hands.

“We’re so excited about Move-In dDy and can’t wait to get people started on the best year ever,” said Hannah Slater ’27, a Childhood Education major who was greeting new arrivals on the sidewalk outside the Frank E. Gannett Memorial Library and the semi-circle of Strebel Student Center.

She was not alone as her fellow students, all wearing bright orange shirts and happily waving their arms in the air, were all equally bursting with energy to start the year on the right foot and bring a sense of ease to students embarking on a completely new phase of life as they move onto campus.

“Today’s about making people feel accepted and welcome,” said A.J. Azemi ’29, a Communication and Media major.

Father and daughter are assisted by current students with getting settled on campus.

Stephen Dean of Rhinebeck, New York was moving his daughter, Olivia Dean ’30, a nursing major, into the residence halls and was impressed with just how smoothly the morning went.

“They loaded us in in five minutes,” he said. “It was fantastic. The entertainment and the cheering all around is phenomenal.”

Like many parents, the day of bringing their child to college brings about bittersweet feelings as they help them begin a new chapter. “It’s emotional. Admittedly a little nervous,” he said, giving his daughter a proud and loving kiss on the head.

Throughout the morning, Coordinator of Events and Conferences Diane Pudney and Utica’s Dean of Science Dr. Sharon Wise were wearing big smiles as they leaned into car windows in the semi-circle outside Strebel Student Center to help new students get the keys to their residence halls.

“It’s very exciting,” Dr. Wise said. “There’s just not the same energy here in the summer, so this is a great way to pick it up. I love it.”

The moose, the myth, the legend himself - Trax was out and about keeping spirits up, posing for photos, pointing the way to dorm rooms, and ramping up the energy of all those around.

“It’s been going great,” said Executive Director of Student Living Marissa Hall. “The energy has been up. Students are excited to move in. And our volunteers are killing it.”

Cars lined up to unload at Residence Halls as current students cheer for them by the sidewalk.

Cars lined the road alongside the residence halls, filled with families eager to settle kids into their new homes, while savoring these moments before the time comes to drive away.

“It went pretty good and was really easy,” said Monique Brooks of Rochester, New York, who was moving in her daughter, India ’30, a Political Science major. “I honestly thought it would be more chaotic, but it went very smooth.”

That smooth transition was in large part thanks to the students, athletes, faculty, staff, and administrators who were on-hand throughout the day, helping first-year students and their families move items into their rooms and get settled into their new spaces.

The Utica campus is certainly familiar territory to Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Ben Atwood ’09 G13, who spent most of his morning alongside Director of Community Belonging, Engagement, and Title VI Kira Maddox at North Hall, welcoming new students and families, helping them move in and getting quite the workout moving several refrigerators throughout the day as well.

For Atwood, a Utica alum who clings close to his roots, Move-In Day is a chance to not only make connections with a new generation of Pioneers, but to carry on a legacy of positive experiences and bright memories that he made at Utica.

“Seeing the Orientation Mentors dressed in orange and how enthusiastic they were is the best way to ring in a new academic year,” Atwood said.

Students in orange t-shirts make moose ears with their hands, standing with President Stephanie Nesbitt in orange sunglasses.

Despite the busy schedule that comes with running a University, President Stephanie Nesbitt was intent on making time to get out and about, chatting with current students and greeting the newest batch of Pioneers and their families.

“This is one of the most fun things we do all year," said President Nesbitt. "Our Orientation Mentor Team that are out here welcoming families are some of the best students on campus. And for me, getting to meet all the new students is just wonderful.”

Orientation kicked off once students were moved in and continues throughout the weekend, with highlights that included:

The New Pioneer Kick Off where students meet members of their class, make new friends and start building their Utica family
The Pioneer Parents and Families Mixer, allowing parents to relax, connect and enjoy time with the Utica University community while their students attend their own orientation sessions
Bingo in the Library Concourse
“Pioneering Your Path to Academic Success” to prepare students for academic life
Sessions like “A Shot of Reality” and “Health, Wellness, and Community Safety,” encouraging a safe community on campus for all
“Backpacking Through Campus” – a chance to explore campus, meet the people here to offer support, and collect stamps along the way to win prizes
The annual tradition of Convocation, officially marking the start of the new academic year