‘Home away from home’: How Tulane’s preparation for Move-In starts months in advance

As thousands of students return to their campus residences or move in for the first time this week, employees across the university have completed months of work to welcome them to their campus homes.

Teams from Facilities Services, Campus Services, the Division of Student Affairs and other departments began planning months in advance for Move-In, the designated period for students to settle into their campus homes, and for Hullabaloo Hello, the university's orientation experience for first-year students and transfers.

Move-In officially began Sunday, Aug. 9, and continues through Saturday, Aug. 15. Over the summer, staff made sure everything was in perfect order university-wide - inside and out. The Facilities Services grounds crew planted seasonal flowers and landscaped the grounds. Meanwhile, the team at Facilities Services Zone 3 made sure all maintenance, including painting, plumbing and cleaning, was completed throughout residence halls. Employees installed welcome banners on lampposts and across McAlister Way, and residence hall staff coordinated the arrival of student belongings shipped directly to campus before Move-In.

Facilities Services employees also maintained the systems that keep residence halls operating, including HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), plumbing, electrical and life safety systems. In addition, teams completed carpentry and painting projects, managed key requests, supported small construction and renovation projects and coordinated moving services across campus. As Move-In approached, crews conducted final inspections and responded to last-minute requests to help ensure a smooth arrival for students and families.

"Move-In is one of the largest coordinated efforts of the year," said Dani Galloway, associate vice president of Facilities Management. "The student residences are the students' home away from home, and we do our best to make a good first impression. Our employees take pride in getting every detail right before families arrive. For many of our employees, this is one of the most meaningful times of the year. They see the result of months of work when students step onto campus and begin a new chapter. It's rewarding to know their work helps create that experience."