Starting in just over two weeks, students will begin to descend on Pitt’s Oakland campus, with nearly 8,000 living in University residence halls.

First-year students will be arriving Aug. 20 to 22, while upperclassmen living in residence halls have been assigned Aug. 24 to 26 to move in.

New this year, Pitt employees who have first-year students living in residence halls will be able to move in their student on Aug. 19 and be treated to a special reception afterward. There's no need to sign up, just show up. Your Arrival parking pass will be honored in Pitt garages and lots, so be sure to place it on the dashboard. No on-street parking will be reserved, so remember to feed the meter if you park on the street. A reception with light refreshment will be from 3 to 5 p.m. Aug. 19 in the lower lounge of the William Pitt Union.

During all the move-in days, most of the heavy lifting — literally and figuratively — will be done by student volunteers, who will  staff cart rental stations, help students activate their IDs, carry boxes, coordinate short-term parking, and complete other duties as needed.

Pitt employees also can volunteer to be part of the Pitt Arrival team. Staff and faculty can sign up online to volunteer as a Welcome To Pitt greeter during Arrival. Greeters allocate carts, distribute parent/helper wristbands, and hand out welcome gifts. Volunteers are needed at each of the residence halls on move-in days for four hour shifts — 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m.

Welcome Week activities for students include the annual New Student Convocation from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Aug. 23, Petersen Events Center; a Global Carnival, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Aug. 24, Bigelow Lawn and Plaza; Welcome Back Bash, 7 p.m. to midnight, Aug. 26, and Lantern Night, 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27.