PLATTSBURGH —After the relative quiet of summer on campus, SUNY Plattsburgh will soon welcome students back for the start of the fall 2026 semester.
Beginning Wednesday, Aug. 19, new students will arrive for orientation and a full slate of events geared toward helping them navigate campus, access student services and connect classmates in their residence halls.
There will be opportunities to meet faculty and advisers and learn what to expect in academic programs. Students will also have the opportunity to discover academic support resources and where to go for help when needed.
Beyond the academic orientation programming, there will be a variety of social events planned throughout Welcome Week both on campus and off.
Field House Check-in
New students begin orientation Aug. 19 with check-in at the SUNY Plattsburgh Field House starting at 9 a.m. for students whose last names begin with A through K. Those whose last names begin with L through Z check in at the field house starting at noon.
University Police have arranged for every new student registering at the field house to receive a map and colored paper placard that designates which residence hall zone the traffic officer at Sanborn and Rugar streets will send them to.
Throughout most of the day starting at 11 a.m., students and their families are invited to a free picnic under the big tent. There they’ll be able to meet other students as well as any staff on hand to greet them.
Class Photo, Matriculation Ceremony
Thursday, Aug. 20 will include a class photo at 9:30 a.m. behind Memorial Hall and a matriculation ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Memorial Hall gymnasium. The ceremony will be followed at 11 a.m. by academic department meetings.
Lunch will be followed at 12:30 p.m. by the Cardinal Quest, a self-guided tour of various offices and locations on campus.
Friday, Aug. 21 and Saturday, Aug. 22 will offer students the chance to adjust their schedules, ask questions and to “walk their schedules,” which is a way to find buildings and classrooms for the start of classes on Monday, Aug. 24.
Students are then free to check out various on- and off-campus activities being held throughout the day — a chance to explore what campus and community have to offer. All programs are tied to at least one of the Eight Pillars of Wellness: Physical, occupational, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, intellectual and environmental.
Returning Students Check-in
Returning students will have access to their residence halls beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 23 and can check in at the main lobby of their assigned hall.
University Police will have a variable message board in place at the intersection of Broad and Rugar streets before move-in, which will alert traffic to upcoming changes. Traffic patterns on Rugar Street will be one way heading east beginning at Tower Way to Broad Street and north on Sanborn Avenue Extension from Rugar Street to Park Avenue during student move-in activity.