EIU Media Relations

EIU welcomes students to campus this week

Events, programs planned with fun, safety at the forefront; vaccine clinics also available

(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University classes begin August 23, and the University is welcoming students back to campus with a variety of exciting events and projects, along with an updated set of health and safety guidelines to continue to mitigate COVID and allow students to engage in the exclusive EIU Panther experience.

To begin, EIU hosted a “New Student Meet & Greet” Wednesday evening, where students were invited to play bingo, participate in a photo booth, and earn t-shirts and other giveaways while enjoying a selection of non-alcoholic “mocktails” and meeting other incoming students.

Today, EIU’s will host a student information booth in the Library Quad until 4 p.m. New students also will participate in EIU’s “Jumpstart Community Service Project” until 3 p.m. today, meant to connect incoming students with EIU’s long history of community service and volunteerism efforts. Tonight from 7 to 9 p.m., EIU will host a New Student Mixer with a variety of GLOW events, including mini golf, bowling, a photo booth, bags, and giveaways.

Friday, August 20, EIU will offer a variety of events, including a Welcome Weekend check-in at O’Brien Stadium from 9 to 10 a.m. during which EIU will take its annual new student photo, an Academic Showcase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that highlights EIU’s program offerings, a picnic in the South Quad from noon to 2 p.m., assorted orientation and “find your class” tours, and an EIU “Up All Night” outdoor event from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Tarble Arts Field featuring ice cream, a movie, and more giveaways.

Saturday, August 21, EIU will once again offer new students a chance to participate in its “Jumpstart Community Service Project” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., along with another information booth in the Library Quad from 1 to 5 p.m.  From 1 to 3 p.m., the information booth also will host additional “find your class” tours. From 3 to 4:45 p.m. new freshman and transfer students can participate in a “Panther Connections” event. From 7 to 11 p.m., EIU’s annual “Quakin’ in the Quad” event will take place in the South Quad, complete with inflatable games, bingo, shaved ice, pizza and additional giveaways.

On Sunday, August 22, “find your class” tours will continue from noon to 3 p.m., and the Library quad information booth will remain active from noon to 5 p.m.  A “Find your Fit” event will take place at carious locations across campus from 3 to 5 p.m., which will allow students with similar interests to connect and create relationships. Sunday evening events will conclude with a Convocation at O’Brien Field from 7:30 to 8 p.m., and EIU’s traditional “First Night” spirit rally at O’Brien Field, which will include Billy the Panther, the Panther Marching Band, the Pink Panthers and the EIU cheer team, along with a variety of prizes and giveaways.

All Welcome Week events will be guided by EIU’s “Fall Expectations” guidelines for continuing to keep students and employees safe. Those guidelines were released July 28 following the CDC’s most recent recommendations, and are available at https://www.eiu.edu/covid/. EIU’s response to COVID-19 will remain driven by guidance from the CDC, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Coles County Health Department.

As a further measure of campus and community safety, EIU will host COVID testing and vaccine clinics from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, August 19 and 20, in the University’s South Quad prior to classes beginning Monday, August 23. Vaccines are available to all eligible students, employees, and community members.

EIU students and employees who have not or cannot demonstrate proof of vaccination will be entered into a mandatory, random surveillance COVID-19 testing pool.

For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its growing assortment of programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.