More than 8,000 new Purdue students will participate in on-campus orientation programs

Last updated: July 31, 2023

As Purdue prepares to welcome its newest Boilermakers to the West Lafayette campus, staff and faculty are encouraged to plan accordingly for heavier pedestrian and vehicular traffic during move-in days, as well as throughout orientation programming.

Students attending Boiler Gold Rush International (BGRi) will move into their University housing on Friday, Aug. 11; students participating in Boiler Gold Rush (BGR) will move into University housing from Aug. 13-15, Sunday through Tuesday. BGR/BGRi programming will follow the rest of the week. Move-in for returning students will begin on Aug. 18. Classes begin Aug. 21.

During move-in days, the central campus area will experience slightly heavier traffic that may cause delays or disruptions to normal business for those working on campus. The most-affected areas will include: 

• Stadium Avenue (between Northwestern Avenue and McCormick Road)
• U.S. 231 (from Martin Jischke Drive to Airport Road)
• Daniels Boulevard (from Airport Road to to Martin Jischke Drive) 
• McCormick Road (from Cherry Lane to Third Street)
• Third Street (from Russell Street to McCormick Road)
• and all side roads in the vicinity of residence halls

 

BGR staff will be operating golf carts within the following boundaries: Cherry Lane to the North, Northwestern Avenue to the East, Harrison Street to the South, and McCormick Road to the West. Golf cart drivers have been instructed to avoid operating on sidewalks and bike paths; when no other route is available, carts must yield to pedestrians and bicyclists and obey all signage.

Several areas will be posted and enforced as no parking/tow away zones. Families will be instructed to park at the McCutcheon Parking Garage, Co-Rec ABC lot, University Street Parking Garage, and the Convergence Parking Lot. BGR/BGRi participants who are living off campus will check in for BGR/BGRi at the Co-Rec and may park there during the day throughout the orientation program. Metered parking will be enforced each evening (after BGR arrival times).

More than 8,000 incoming Purdue students are expected to participate in BGR/BGRi. Throughout BGR/BGRi, students will be assigned to small groups of about 15-20 other students according to their residence. These small groups will conduct a variety of activities across campus, with the guidance of nearly 700 current student volunteers. 

Pedestrian traffic will likely be highest during breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours, especially surrounding dining courts and the Purdue Memorial Union. Traffic is likely to be heavy around the Co-Rec from Aug. 13-15 as well, as the Co-Rec will serve as the centralized BGR/BGRi check-in location.

BGR/BGRi programming is hosted by Orientation Programs, a unit within Student Success Programs. Dozens of additional on-campus units and local community organizations will also offer support and host events on various topics of interest throughout the week.

Students will access the BGR and BGRi schedules via the PurdueGuide mobile app. A high-level schedule will be posted on the BGR website before the program begins.

Additional information about Boiler Gold Rush is available on the Orientation Programs website. Follow Orientation Programs throughout the week on Instagram @AllAboardPurdue. Those with immediate questions should contact Craig Johnson, director of orientation programs.