The WWU Family Connection newsletter is produced by Western's Office of Communications and Marketing and New Student Services/Family Outreach.

Important Dates

Final exam week: June 11-15

Graduation Celebration -- volunteers needed: June 13 and 14

Move Out Madness: Friday, June 15

Housing deposit due for 2018-19: Friday, June 15

Spring Commencement: Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16

Father's Day: Sunday, June 17

Summer Session begins, tuition and fees due: Tuesday, June 26

You have Commencement questions -- we have answers

The Registrar's Office has your answers on when to arrive, where to park, what to bring and where you might find extra tickets.

Check out these Commencement FAQ's.

Move Out Madness offers a chance for students to 'rehome' their unwanted items

Students moving out of their off-campus homes aren't always sure what to do with the couch or TV they acquired in the fall. So the Campus Community Coalition, the city of Bellingham and Zero Waste Western partner on a year-end event to help students sort and get rid of their unwanted belongings when they move out.

Bins for reusable household items, clothing, non-perishable food, recyclable materials, and landfill waste will be available at three “sorting stations” in neighborhoods near the university:

• Harriet Spanel Park (formerly Franklin Park) in the York Neighborhood (400 block of Whatcom Street)
• Laurel Park in the Sehome Neighborhood (Laurel & Billy Frank Jr. St.)
• 26th & Douglas in the Happy Valley Neighborhood

Move Out Madness is Friday, June 15, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

• 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Students (and only students) can drop off or take items
• 3 to 4 p.m.: Non-profit organizations can collect donations
• 4 to 5 p.m.: Community free-for-all (anyone can take leftovers)

Some things are too big to bring to the sorting stations, so students can also arrange for Zero Waste Western to come and make a pick up for $20. Contact ZeroWaste@wwu.edu to schedule it.

The Moving Out page on Western’s Off Campus Living Website offers even more advice for students cleaning out their homes for the summer.

Seeking family volunteers for Summerstart

New Student Services/Family Outreach is seeking family volunteers to serve on a Family-Student Panel during the Summerstart Sessions. The panel discussion is a great opportunity for incoming families to ask about Western and the Western experience. If you are interested and available during any of the dates listed, please contact Kate Stevenson at Kate.Stevenson@wwu.edu or call 360-650-4546.

• Summerstart: August 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20 and 22 from 3:45 to 4:35 p.m.

There's plenty to do during the summer in Bellingham

If your student is staying in Bellingham this summer, they'll get to see a quieter side of the city. But there will still be plenty to do. Bellingham is vibrant in the summer with endless options for activities.

Associated Student Productions and the Viking Union Summer Programs present a Summer Noon Concert Series every Wednesday beginning July 11 and ending Aug. 1. All the musical happenings will occur in Viking Union 565 and are free to the public.

On Wednesday evenings, Bellingham turns into a live music venue. Downtown Sounds hosts a concert every Wednesday evening in July and August. Enjoy what downtown has to offer with a great soundtrack in the background.

Bellingham’s Parks and Recreation Department hosts free concerts all summer long, held at Boulevard, Big Rock Garden and Elizabeth parks. Whether you like dancing to bongos or foot-tapping to guitar picking, this series offers outdoor serenading for everyone’s tastes.

Grab a snack and a lawn chair for an enjoyable night at the outdoor movies in Fairhaven. Check the schedule for favorite flicks and get there early to catch the bonus live entertainment before each film.

Bellingham Farmers’ Market is the largest market in the area with locally produced delights sure to please the visitor, open Saturdays through October. There is also the Fairhaven Market, Blaine Gardeners Market, Ferndale Public Market, Lummi Island Farmers Market, and the Lynden Farmers Market.

Go to the ball park and cheer on Bellingham’s baseball team – The Bellingham Bells.

Travel tips from Sustainable Transportation

Western's Sustainable Transportation Office has lots of resources for students who are getting around without a car.

Among the highlights: How to get from WWU to Seattle with your Western Card and $5.75, links to regional bus and train websites, and information on rideshares.

Also, know that the Bellair Airporter Shuttle with service to Sea-Tac Airport has moved its pickup location because of construction in the Viking Union. The shuttle now stops near the Viking Commons dining hall.

Students can track Western's Late Night Shuttle with the help of the Shuttle Tracker app. The Late Night Shuttle operates through Saturday, June 16, and will resume service in the fall on Sunday, Sept. 23.

Arts on campus this summer: Western Summer Theatre

The Theatre and Dance Department at Western Washington University presents a line-up of blockbuster plays, musicals, and dance concerts each summer.

Bring friends, relatives, and out-of-town guests to our affordably fantastic summer season!

WWU news from Western Today

WWU Student Wins Summer Fellowship to Research Huntington’s Disease

Five Western Students, Alumni Awarded Coveted Fulbright Scholarships

WWU Professor Uses Lasers and 3D Printers to Bring Western’s Fossil Collection into the Digital Era

Sustainable Communities Partnership Celebrates Year of Working with Skagit County

New Squalicum Harbor trail gets facelift from WWU Design students

Siaan Rojas to play for Colombian national team | KGMI Radio