Wolfville, NS - Acadia University today announced that its Welcome Week activities for first year students, scheduled to begin on Saturday, September 4 will now begin on Sunday, September 5. The move is in response to weather information from Environment Canada in advance of Hurricane Earl, now making its way toward Atlantic Canada. The schedule change is aimed at ensuring students and their families do not have to travel if they feel that it is not safe to do so, and allowing students to take part in the exciting and important events Acadia has scheduled on Sunday instead.

"Acadia's Welcome Week is an important experience for our first year students and we don't want our students or their families to feel they have to risk travelling during a major storm," said Sara Lochhead, Acadia's Vice-President, Enrolment and Student Services. "While we don't know the precise path the storm will follow, all predictions point to heavy rain and strong winds at a minimum and we don't want students to feel as though they have to travel to campus and move into their rooms under these conditions. Moving our program from Saturday to Sunday will allow students and their families to assess weather conditions before travelling and arrive on campus better prepared for the start of their Acadia career. We will welcome students whenever they arrive, on the weekend or later in the week, but Sunday will now be our big day."

A full list of Acadia's activities with their new times is available at  http://studentaffairs.acadiau.ca/welcomeweek.html.  Students and families will be able to move into residence rooms, pay accounts, register for courses and take part on activities such as Matriculation on Sunday. Campus staff will be available throughout the weekend to look after students who are already on campus and those who arrive late due to storm delays.

 
About Acadia
Acadia University, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, has long been recognized as one of Canada's premier post-secondary institutions. With its nationally and internationally recognized undergraduate and graduate research initiatives, small classes, and technology-rich teaching and learning environment, Acadia offers students an experience that includes academic achievement combined with personal growth and development. Acadia also offers distance learning, certificate programs, language training and other university extension programs through Open Acadia. For more information about Acadia University, visit our website at www.acadiau.ca <http://www.acadiau.ca> .