Welcome Back!

September 08, 2010

Westminster is glad to welcome all new and returning students to the first day of classes!

Thursday September 9, marks the beginning of a new semester for Westminster students.  The Faculty and Administration is pleased to welcome both new and returning students as they seek to work for the Kingdom of God.

Please persevere with us in prayer for these students as Westminster seeks "to form Christian leaders to proclaim the whole counsel of God throughout a changing world."

Schedule for Opening Week

Thurs., Sept. 9:

• Beginning of Classes: 8:30 am
• Opening Convocation: 10:10.  The speaker will be Dr. Gregory Beale, newly hired professor of New Testament Theology.

Fri., Sept. 10:

• Fall Picnic
  • Faculty-Student Softball game: 4:00
  • Dinner: 5:45

Important Notices

Make the daily chapel services a priority in your Fall planning. Whether it’s a student sharing in the Monday or Friday chapels, guest preachers and faculty on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or prayer groups on Thursdays, please take advantage of these daily “Gospel reminders” in the midst of academic demands. On Wednesday, September 15, we will have our first annual Alumni Chapel featuring alumnus Rev. Steve Estes.

There have been a host of improvements to the WTS campus. As evidenced by the scaffolding, the stonework on Machen Hall is being repointed. Earlier in the summer, a new roof was installed on Van Til Hall. The library introduced a new and larger selection of online databases. Plans for the campus gazebo are progressing, and the concrete foundation is scheduled to be poured later next week.

Another major renovation effort has been the improvements made to The Carriage House. With the campus bookstore moving to an off-site location, the first floor is being retrofitted to be a campus café. Our new caterer, O’Neil’s Market in Glenside, will be serving reasonably priced made-from-scratch meals during lunch. The Loft will remain upstairs, and is designed as more of a conversation and study area. The Carriage House is slated to open in mid-to-late September.

Because of Machen Hall renovations, be aware of some modifications in traffic flow and parking. Due to the construction on the front of Machen Hall, the roadway between Machen and Van Til Halls will be closed for about 4 months. In the meantime, we ask that you observe the current parking regulations (such as the one-way traffic behind Machen, and not using the road between Van Til and the library to exit onto Church Road) with the following considerations: If you are approaching from Willow Grove Avenue, please park on the spaces immediately to your left and right or in the circle behind Machen. If you are entering campus via Church Road, park on that side of campus. If no spaces are to be found, exit out the lower level and re-enter via Willow Grove Ave. Remember that all campus parking is to be done front-end-forward (no backing into spaces). If you have any questions about parking or if you need a parking sticker, please stop by the Student Affairs Office in Machen Hall. One final note on traffic flow – the construction will be suspended and cleared on September 9^th (Convocation) and 10^th (picnic), so we’ll have two days of a “normal” traffic flow.